Holotropic breathwork

[Melusina]

Hi everyone.
I recently came across a practice called holotropic breathwork, which involves continuous rapid breathing without the usual pauses. This hyperventilation can lead to an altered state of consciousness.

It was studied by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof in the 70s, after LSD became illegal in the USA, as a way to achieve similar experiences without using substances.
Has anyone here heard of it or tried it? What are your thoughts on this practice?

I’ve been really interested in integrating psychedelics into my meditations and visualizations, but I have fear substances due to a negative experience I had when I was younger. That’s why holotropic breathwork is appealing to me.

Has anyone here practiced this type of breathwork? I’d love to hear about personal experiences and opinions.

 

[SkullTraill]

I figure there is some nuance/technique to it as just straight up hyperventilating will make you pass out. Have you got any particular techniques/formats to try for beginners?

I sometimes do WimHof and that elevates my mood but certainly doesn’t cross into psychedelic territory.

 

[silencewaits]

Hi everyone.
I recently came across a practice called holotropic breathwork, which involves continuous rapid breathing without the usual pauses. This hyperventilation can lead to an altered state of consciousness.

It was studied by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof in the 70s, after LSD became illegal in the USA, as a way to achieve similar experiences without using substances.
Has anyone here heard of it or tried it? What are your thoughts on this practice?

I’ve been really interested in integrating psychedelics into my meditations and visualizations, but I have fear substances due to a negative experience I had when I was younger. That’s why holotropic breathwork is appealing to me.

Has anyone here practiced this type of breathwork? I’d love to hear about personal experiences and opinions.

It induces cerebral hypoxia, or temporarily deprives your brain of oxygen. This causes the euphoria and other effects, but carries possible neuronal damage as a side-effect. I'm not sure if discussing psychedelic use is allowed here, but through dosage control, trip-sitting, and other harm reduction practices you can find a way to incorporate them into your spiritual practices while easing your fears from past experiences.

 

[Morell]

Hi everyone.
I recently came across a practice called holotropic breathwork, which involves continuous rapid breathing without the usual pauses. This hyperventilation can lead to an altered state of consciousness.

It was studied by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof in the 70s, after LSD became illegal in the USA, as a way to achieve similar experiences without using substances.
Has anyone here heard of it or tried it? What are your thoughts on this practice?

I’ve been really interested in integrating psychedelics into my meditations and visualizations, but I have fear substances due to a negative experience I had when I was younger. That’s why holotropic breathwork is appealing to me.

Has anyone here practiced this type of breathwork? I’d love to hear about personal experiences and opinions.

In my opinion it's too fast for comfort of the body. I consider it almost kind of violence against your own body.
I prefer mediation, where I focus on breath and allow the body to fall into far more natural state of slow breathing and altered states of consciousness. Once you have more practice, you can even achieve such state faster with body going in on it's own faster.

 

[jkeller293]

I figure there is some nuance/technique to it as just straight up hyperventilating will make you pass out. Have you got any particular techniques/formats to try for beginners?

I sometimes do WimHof and that elevates my mood but certainly doesn’t cross into psychedelic territory.

Funny you mentioned wim hof, because that was exactly who i was about to mention when Melusina talked about hyperventilation. It is not exactly full on hyperventilation though as it has parts were you expell all your breathe and you stop breatheing.

This is off topic, but i believe the most effective method wim hof has is to do with cold water exposure in conjunction with breatheing technique.

All i really see with this is becoming more aware of feeling rather than becoming more in tune with the aspect of general awareness — or better to say seeing and thinking.

Post automatically merged: Friday at 7:31 PM

This is really interesting what you are talking about and im just as curious as SkullTraill is. Where did you read about this? If possible, can you link me up with what you read?

 

[Melusina]

I figure there is some nuance/technique to it as just straight up hyperventilating will make you pass out. Have you got any particular techniques/formats to try for beginners?

I sometimes do WimHof and that elevates my mood but certainly doesn’t cross into psychedelic territory.

I’ve never tried this technique personally before. I wanted to read more about it first. I read that people breathe like this for up to an hour during the practice, so I guess they usually don’t pass out… but I suppose it can happen. I didn’t know about Wim Hof, what’s it for?

Post automatically merged: Friday at 8:48 PM

It induces cerebral hypoxia, or temporarily deprives your brain of oxygen. This causes the euphoria and other effects, but carries possible neuronal damage as a side-effect. I'm not sure if discussing psychedelic use is allowed here, but through dosage control, trip-sitting, and other harm reduction practices you can find a way to incorporate them into your spiritual practices while easing your fears from past experiences.

thank you for your reply. I'm not sure I will ever recover psychologically from that experience however, I didn't read about neuronal damage induced by hyperventilation. maybe in extreme conditions?

 

[jkeller293]

I’ve never tried this technique personally before. I wanted to read more about it first. I read that people breathe like this for up to an hour during the practice, so I guess they usually don’t pass out… but I suppose it can happen. I didn’t know about Wim Hof, what’s it for?

That sounds very intense being up to an hour. Im assuming there must be breaks. No way that could be done up to an hour.

Post automatically merged: Friday at 8:52 PM

For wim hof thats to "enhance physical and mental well-being by promoting a positive stress response, boosting the immune system, and increasing energy levels."

That is the claim, i do not know if that is the reality though from my current knowledge.

Post automatically merged: Friday at 8:57 PM

That sounds very intense being up to an hour. Im assuming there must be breaks. No way that could be done up to an hour.

Post automatically merged: Friday at 8:52 PM

For wim hof thats to "enhance physical and mental well-being by promoting a positive stress response, boosting the immune system, and increasing energy levels."

That is the claim, i do not know if that is the reality though from my current knowledge.

I cannot exactly confirm that it does this since i did use this in conjunction with meditation. So from my experience all together it had a huge impact positively for me.

 

[Melusina]

In my opinion it's too fast for comfort of the body. I consider it almost kind of violence against your own body.
I prefer mediation, where I focus on breath and allow the body to fall into far more natural state of slow breathing and altered states of consciousness. Once you have more practice, you can even achieve such state faster with body going in on it's own faster.

you’re probably right. Of course, meditation is the most natural way (and safest), but also the most difficult... at least for me. I really struggle with it and have never been able to reach a profoundly altered state of consciousness using only meditation. would you like to share your technique?

 

[jkeller293]

That sounds very intense being up to an hour. Im assuming there must be breaks. No way that could be done up to an hour.

Post automatically merged: Friday at 8:52 PM

For wim hof thats to "enhance physical and mental well-being by promoting a positive stress response, boosting the immune system, and increasing energy levels."

That is the claim, i do not know if that is the reality though from my current knowledge.

Post automatically merged: Friday at 8:57 PM

I cannot exactly confirm that it does this since i did use this in conjunction with meditation. So from my experience all together it had a huge impact positively for me.

But for me the breathing technique on its own did not have a significant impact. The cold water did as that forced me to focus since i absolutely hate cold water.

 

[Melusina]

This is really interesting what you are talking about and im just as curious as SkullTraill is. Where did you read about this? If possible, can you link me up with what you read?

I’ve heard about it in an Italian podcast (Illuminismo Psichedelico) that usually talks about psychedelics, but I found these links in English that contain a brief summary

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and also

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(but this is longer)

 

[jkeller293]

I’ve heard about it in an Italian podcast (Illuminismo Psichedelico) that usually talks about psychedelics, but I found these links in English that contain a brief summary

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and also

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(but this is longer)

Thank you, im going to watch it now.

 

[Morell]

you’re probably right. Of course, meditation is the most natural way (and safest), but also the most difficult... at least for me. I really struggle with it and have never been able to reach a profoundly altered state of consciousness using only meditation. would you like to share your technique?

Not much to describe on siting and focusing on my breath. Sometimes I add music and focus on music instead to have a change. I think Bardon gives nice description on how to learn to focus your mind in his Initiation into Hermetics. I sometimes re-read the first lesson and redo the exercises to improve my focus.
In Practical Magic by Draja Mickaharic is also similar practice, the description is very short, but to master it takes time. But I think that it is no waste of time as while it takes long to build this practice, then it is there and is very usable.

 

[Yazata]

I’ve heard about it in an Italian podcast (Illuminismo Psichedelico) that usually talks about psychedelics, but I found these links in English that contain a brief summary

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and also

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(but this is longer)

Please do not link to websites that sell courses / workshops etc.