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Altered states of consciousness induced by breathwork accompanied by music

(journals.plos.org)
557 points gnabgib | 3 comments | 28 Aug 25 00:22 UTC | HN request time: 0.684s | source
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rerdavies ◴[28 Aug 25 05:34 UTC] No.45048760[source]▶
I have to wonder: are there undesirable side-effects of hyperventilating? Deliberately hyperventilating for 15 minutes or more in a time doesn't seem like a great idea.
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1. temp0826 ◴[28 Aug 25 05:57 UTC] No.45048914[source]▶
Holotropic breathwork style sessions are known to go for 3 hours and can result in some pretty wild physiological responses. In the ballpark of a 5-meo-dmt/bufo experience.
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2. 1propionyl ◴[28 Aug 25 06:25 UTC] No.45049054[source]▶
It doesn't really surprise me that's possible. I've landed by accident in a very recognizably DMT state when the stars aligned. It can happen, I just don't generally buy claims of "naturally". It's a preexisting state, but getting into it requires such a shock (such as flooding the brain with exogenous DMT) to enter.

That's not the same as the Bufo state which I can't really imagine entering naturally, is it actually like that or just in the ballpark?

Would love to hear about your experiences. Get in touch!

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3. temp0826 ◴[28 Aug 25 06:58 UTC] No.45049258[source]▶
In the ballpark (very much my own opinion, I don't know what the heck is actually happening and of course it's 100% subjective). There's the shock part for sure, and it's definitely much more gradual than the rocketship that is bufo, but the way things are released, and the struggle/tragedy of trying to hold on to those things in that state, and the blissful relief when you actually manage to let go is all spot on. Bufo/5 goes a bit further (and maybe that's only because that come-up is SO fast) and forces you to let go of life itself (pending the dose is right) and throws you into a near-death experience type of place (full on nondual territory). Coming back from it leaves you feeling squeaky clean, light and reborn. But that might just be me...I like to go hard and I know a lot of people really struggle with stuff (it takes some practice to be able to let go).