Most of us take breathing for granted. Inhale, exhale, repeat—it’s the background soundtrack of being alive. Yet, for centuries, cultures around the world have discovered that manipulating the breath can do far more than keep us alive. It can change the way we feel, the way we think, and even how our brain functions.
A new study has added fresh scientific weight to this ancient intuition. According to research published on August 27, 2025, in PLOS One, specific breathing techniques combined with music can push people into blissful, psychedelic-like states—all without the use of drugs.
The findings come from Amy Amla Kartar and her team at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the U.K., who wanted to peek inside the brain to see what really happens during these breathwork sessions. What they found was both surprising and promising: changes in blood flow to emotional centers of the brain that mirror some of the effects seen in psychedelic therapy.
Breathing as a Doorway to Altered States
The idea that breath can open the door to altered states of consciousness (ASCs) isn’t new. Ancient yogic traditions developed pranayama—breathing exercises designed to purify the mind and heighten awareness. In Tibetan Buddhism, monks practice “vase breathing” to fuel meditation. Even martial artists and athletes rely on controlled breathing to sharpen focus and manage pain.
But in recent decades, a modern movement has reframed breathwork as a therapeutic tool. One of the best-known versions is Holotropic Breathwork, developed in the 1970s by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof after LSD was banned in therapy. Grof believed that rapid, deep breathing could bring people to altered states similar to psychedelics, unlocking repressed emotions and catalyzing healing.
Today, breathwork workshops are booming worldwide. People report experiences ranging from emotional breakthroughs to visions of light, unity, and even encounters that feel spiritual. But despite the growing popularity, until recently, there was little solid neuroscience to back up the claims.
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The Study: What Actually Happens in the Brain
Kartar and her colleagues set out to investigate what they call High Ventilation Breathwork (HVB)—a technique involving continuous, rapid breathing without pause, paired with music.
Participants were divided into different groups:
- Online practitioners, who followed guided sessions remotely.
- Lab participants, who were monitored more closely.
- MRI participants, who breathed inside a brain scanner, allowing researchers to measure changes in blood flow in real time.
Each session lasted about 20–30 minutes, after which participants completed detailed questionnaires about their experiences.
The Findings:
- Stress signals with a twist
Their bodies showed markers of stress, like reduced heart rate variability, usually linked to the “fight-or-flight” response. Yet, subjectively, participants felt calmer and reported fewer negative emotions. - Blood flow rewired
Brain regions that track bodily sensations, such as the insula, showed decreased blood flow. Meanwhile, areas like the amygdala and hippocampus—critical for emotional memories—saw increased activity. - Experiences mirrored psychedelics
Many participants described entering a state of “Oceanic Boundlessness,” a term used by Freud in 1920 to describe feelings of unity, spiritual insight, bliss, and the dissolving of boundaries between self and world. This sensation is also a hallmark of psychedelic trips induced by psilocybin or LSD.
Put simply: the breathwork sessions didn’t just relax people—they nudged their brains into the same kind of profound states seen in psychedelic research.
Why This Matters: Psychedelics Without the Pills
There’s growing excitement in the medical world about psychedelics as treatments for depression, PTSD, and addiction. Clinical trials with psilocybin and MDMA have shown that these substances can help people process trauma, break free from destructive patterns, and rediscover meaning.
The challenge? Psychedelics remain tightly controlled, controversial, and inaccessible to many.
Breathwork, on the other hand, is legal, free, and doesn’t require ingesting a substance. If techniques like HVB can reliably create similar brain states, they could serve as a powerful alternative or complement to psychedelic therapy.
As Dr. Alessandro Colasanti, one of the study’s authors, put it:
“Breathwork is a natural but powerful tool. By shifting the body’s metabolism and brain function, it holds tremendous promise as a transformative therapy for conditions that are often both distressing and disabling.”
Read more: Simple Breathing Practice Found to Improve Emotional Control, Study Says
Related Research: The Mind-Body Connection
This study is part of a larger wave of research showing how surprisingly malleable the brain is when it comes to breathing, meditation, and non-drug interventions.
- Meditation and brain plasticity: Studies using brain scans have shown that long-term meditation practice thickens regions of the brain associated with attention, memory, and emotion regulation.
- Wim Hof and cold exposure: The Dutch “Iceman” Wim Hof popularized a breathwork technique that allows him to withstand freezing temperatures. Scientists studying his method found that his breathing patterns could influence the immune system and stress response.
- Trauma therapy: Some therapists already integrate breathwork into trauma recovery, claiming it helps clients safely access buried emotions and release physical tension stored in the body.
The common thread? Breathing—an act so automatic we rarely notice it—turns out to be one of the most direct ways we can influence the nervous system and emotional brain.
Stories from Practice
Beyond the lab, countless people describe breathwork as life-changing.
- Emily’s experience: A 32-year-old teacher who struggled with anxiety shared that during her first breathwork workshop, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace, as though she “melted into the music.” For weeks afterward, she noticed her anxiety levels were lower.
- Mark’s breakthrough: A veteran coping with PTSD said that breathwork gave him “the first sense of safety” he had felt in years. “It was like I finally exhaled the weight I’d been carrying,” he explained.
- Group sessions: Facilitators often describe the energy of group breathwork as electric—participants cry, laugh, or experience deep stillness, often leaving with a renewed sense of connection.
While these accounts are anecdotal, they resonate strongly with the scientific findings about shifts in brain activity and emotional release.
A Note of Caution
Of course, not every session is blissful. Some people may experience temporary discomfort—dizziness, tingling, or intense emotions bubbling up. Experts advise trying breathwork with a trained facilitator before practicing alone, especially for those with heart conditions or severe trauma.
Kartar and her colleagues also stress that their study is just a starting point. The sample size was small, and more research is needed to separate the effects of breathing from those of music or expectation. Still, the results are enough to spark excitement in both scientific and therapeutic communities.
The Bigger Picture: A Breath Away from Bliss
The most intriguing part of this research is how it reframes our understanding of consciousness. Psychedelics, meditation, and breathwork all seem to point toward a similar truth: the brain has built-in pathways to extraordinary states, and we don’t always need external substances to access them.
What does this mean for the future? Potentially, a revolution in how we approach mental health. Instead of relying solely on pharmaceuticals, people may increasingly turn to natural practices—backed by science—that tap into the body’s own ability to heal and transform.
As Amy Amla Kartar, the lead researcher, reflected:
“It was thrilling to explore this area. While many people anecdotally recognize the health benefits of breathwork, this style of fast-paced breathing has received very little scientific attention. Our study is just the beginning.”
Read more:Your Breathing Patterns Are As Unique As Your Fingerprints, Scientists Find
Final Inhale
Breathwork may seem deceptively simple—just breathing in and out. Yet when practiced in a structured way, it can become a powerful tool for rewiring the brain, shifting emotions, and even touching transcendent states.
Whether in a yoga class, a therapeutic session, or a scientific lab, people are rediscovering what ancient traditions always knew: within the rhythm of breath lies a doorway to healing, bliss, and a deeper sense of being.
So, the next time you find yourself caught in stress or rumination, remember—your greatest medicine might just be a breath away.
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