Clinical trial NCT06916312: Comparing Effects of Intense Breathwork to Meditation on Altered States of Consciousness
Official title: Airways to Alteration: Investigating the Impact of Breathwork & Meditation on Conscious State
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Altered States of Consciousness
Wellbeing
Keywords: Breathwork
Lead sponsor: University of Sussex
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: DMT Quest
name: ResearchHub
First posted: 2025-04-08
Enrollment: 24
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: This study aims to investigate the impact of high ventilation breathwork (HVB) and meditation on altered states of consciousness (ASCs). The study will compare the effects of a single guided HVB session to a single guided body scan meditation session. The primary aim is to explore the impact of HVB and meditation on ASCs, while secondary aims relate to mental health and wellbeing.

Detailed description: The study is a randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving up to 24 healthy adult participants who have prior experience with HVB. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the HVB or meditation group. The study will assess outcomes such as altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and overall wellbeing.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy adults in Brighton and the surrounding area
* Prior experience practising high ventilation breathwork in the form of conscious connected breathing
* No history of adverse events during such prior breathwork sessions.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of hypotension
* Hypertension
* Respiratory or cardiovascular problems
* Fainting or syncope
* Epilepsy or seizures
* Panic disorder or panic attacks
* Cerebral aneurysm
* Pregnancy (and possibility one might be pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or are breastfeeding)
* Breathlessness
* Bradypnea
* Tachypnoea
* Any mental/physical issues affecting the ability to engage in breath control activities.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Altered states of consciousness
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention.
measure: Mystical experience
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention.
measure: Emotional breakthrough
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Psychological insight
timeFrame: Post-intervention (one week after the intervention).
measure: Depersonalisation
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention.
measure: Fatigue
timeFrame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
measure: Sleep-related impairment
timeFrame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
measure: Mental wellbeing
timeFrame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
measure: Depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress
timeFrame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Other outcomes:
measure: Psychedelic experience predictiveness
timeFrame: After completing consent form to participate in the study.
measure: General experience
timeFrame: One week post-intervention.
Locations:
city: Brighton
country: United Kingdom
facility: University of Sussex
state: Sussex
Study officials:
References: