Intensive breathing exercises may reduce blood flow to the brain by nearly half and alter interactions between its neural networks. This is the conclusion of researchers who studied brain activity in people practicing intensive breathing techniques, Medical Xpress reports.
Participants described unusual states of consciousness resembling some of the effects of psychedelic substances, including altered perception, vivid mental imagery, a sense of unity with the world, and changes in their perception of self.
The findings were presented at the congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) in Munich.
The experiment involved 30 healthy people who already had experience with intensive breathing practices. While they performed the exercises, researchers scanned their brains using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
On average, blood flow in the participants' gray matter decreased by approximately 45%, from 16.24 to 9.81 milliliters per 100 grams of tissue per minute. Participants who reported the most pronounced changes in consciousness also showed more substantial changes in the activity of the so-called default mode network, a system involved in introspection and self-referential thinking.
According to the researchers, these unusual experiences may be associated not so much with reduced blood supply to the brain itself as with changes in the interactions between its neural networks.
“Many people who practice intensive breathing exercises report profound changes in perception and their sense of self, but the underlying brain mechanisms remain poorly understood,” said the study's lead researcher, Christian Schmitz of the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany.
Participants described experiences that the researchers compared with states induced by moderate or high doses of LSD or psilocybin. Some reported what is known as oceanic feeling — a profound sense of unity with the universe. However, visual effects were less pronounced than those associated with psychedelic use.
The authors believe intensive breathing practices could provide an accessible, non-pharmacological way to study altered states of consciousness. In the future, such research could help identify new approaches to supporting mental health.
Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter