Unlock Bliss: How Breathwork & Music Rewire Your Brain for Emotional Wellbeing
(Published September 2, 2025)
For centuries, humans have sought altered states of consciousness – experiences that transcend the everyday and offer profound insights and emotional release. Now, cutting-edge neuroscience is beginning to unravel the mechanisms behind a surprisingly accessible practice: breathwork, especially when combined with music. A new study, published August 27, 2025, in PLOS One, reveals that specific breathwork techniques can induce states remarkably similar to those experienced with psychedelic substances, triggering measurable changes in brain activity and a meaningful reduction in negative emotions.
This isn’t just anecdotal evidence. Researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, U.K., led by Amy Amla Kartar from the Colasanti lab, have provided compelling neurobiological data supporting what many breathwork practitioners have long reported: a pathway to profound wellbeing through the power of breath.
The Rising Tide of Breathwork: A Non-Pharmacological Alternative?
The popularity of breathwork as a therapeutic tool is surging. Driven by a desire for accessible and natural methods to manage stress, anxiety, and trauma, individuals are increasingly turning to practices that intentionally manipulate breathing patterns. High Ventilation Breathwork (HVB) – techniques that increase the rate and depth of breathing, often accompanied by carefully curated music – stands out for its potential to induce Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs).
“we’re seeing a growing interest in non-pharmacological approaches to mental wellbeing,” explains Dr. Alessandro Colasanti,Principal Investigator of the study. “breathwork is a powerful yet natural tool for neuromodulation - essentially, influencing brain function through the regulation of metabolism across the body and brain. It holds tremendous promise as a transformative therapeutic intervention for conditions that are often both distressing and disabling.”
The appeal is clear: HVB offers a potential alternative to psychedelic-assisted therapy, bypassing the legal and ethical complexities frequently enough associated with controlled substances. But until now, the how behind these experiences remained largely a mystery.
Decoding the Brain on Breathwork: What the Study Reveals
To understand the neurobiological underpinnings of HVB-induced ASCs,Kartar and her team conducted a comprehensive study involving 42 participants.the research incorporated three experimental setups: online questionnaires,in-lab monitoring,and – crucially – functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe brain activity in real-time.
Participants engaged in 20-30 minute sessions of cyclic breathing without pausing, synchronized with music. Promptly following the sessions, they completed detailed questionnaires about their experiences. The results were striking:
Stress Response & Blissful states Coexist: while participants experienced a measurable activation of the cardiovascular stress response (indicated by decreased heart rate variability), they concurrently reported significant reductions in fear and negative emotions.This suggests that the body’s natural stress response can be harnessed to facilitate positive emotional shifts.
Brain Regions Shift Gears: fMRI scans revealed a profound decrease in blood flow to the left operculum and posterior insula - areas critical for processing internal bodily sensations, including breathing.Paradoxically, blood flow increased to the right amygdala and anterior hippocampus, brain regions involved in processing emotional memories.
The “Oceanic Boundlessness” Connection: Participants consistently reported experiencing “Oceanic Boundlessness” (OBN) – a term originally coined by Sigmund Freud to describe feelings of spiritual connection,blissful unity,and a dissolving of the self. This experience, also commonly reported in psychedelic states, correlated directly with the observed changes in brain blood flow.
Mimicking the psychedelic Experience: The patterns of brain activity observed during HVB closely mirrored those seen in studies of psychedelic substances like psilocybin, suggesting a shared neurological pathway to altered states of consciousness.
What Does This Mean for the Future of Mental Wellbeing?
This study represents a significant step forward in understanding the potential of breathwork as a therapeutic tool.While the authors acknowledge the need for further research – including larger sample sizes and the inclusion of control groups to isolate the effects of music – the findings are incredibly promising.
“Our research is the first to use neuroimaging to map the neurophysiological changes that occur during breathwork,” says lead author Amy Kartar. “We found that more profound changes in blood flow in specific brain areas were linked to deeper sensations of unity, bliss, and emotional release, collectively known as ‘oceanic boundlessness.'”
The implications are far-reaching. HVB could perhaps be used as a complementary therapy for a range of conditions, including:
Anxiety and Depression: Reducing negative emotions and fostering a sense of connection. PTSD: Processing and re-contextualizing traumatic memories.
Addiction: Addressing underlying emotional drivers and promoting self-awareness.
Spiritual Exploration: Facilitating profound personal insights and a sense of