Breathwork May Mimic Psychedelic Effects Through Brain Changes

Breathwork may mimic psychedelic effects through brain changes

Breathwork while listening to music may induce a blissful state in practitioners, accompanied by changes in blood flow to emotion-processing brain regions, according to a study published August 27, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Amy Amla Kartar from the Colasanti Lab in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, U.K., and colleagues.

Mind-altering breathwork changes blood flow to the brain

Researchers in the Clinical Neuroscience Department of Brighton and Sussex Medical School conducted breathwork research in a physiology lab and MRI scanner (from Air Hunger documentary). Credit: Air Hunger, directed by Bob van de Gronde, (CC-BY 4.0) New research on high ventilation breathwork shows the practice may induce experiences of “unity, bliss, and emotional release” like the altered states of consciousness brought on by psychedelic subst…

Breathwork can induce altered states of consciousness linked with changes in brain blood flow

Breathwork while listening to music may induce a blissful state in practitioners, accompanied by changes in blood flow to emotion-processing brain regions, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Amy Amla Kartar from the Colasanti Lab in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, U.K., and colleagues.

Breathwork and Music Trigger Psychedelic-Like Bliss in the Brain

New research shows that practicing breathwork while listening to music can induce profound altered states of consciousness similar to those caused by psychedelics. Using self-reports and brain imaging, scientists found that HVB both activated the body’s stress response and increased blood flow to emotion-processing regions like the amygdala and hippocampus.