Why Music Makes Breathwork Feel Like Magic

Breathing Into Another State of Mind: Scientists Show How Breathwork Changes the Brain

A simple act that we take thousands of times each day — breathing — may hold the key to unlocking extraordinary mental states. New research shows that specific breathing techniques can bring about experiences once thought possible only with powerful drugs: feelings of bliss, unity, emotional release, and even a sense of dissolving into the world around us.

Two recent scientific investigations have mapped what actually happens in the brain when people practice high-ventilation breathwork — a form of rapid, continuous breathing often paired with music. The results are surprising: blood flow patterns in the brain shift dramatically, consciousness changes, and people report emotional breakthroughs.

A Different Kind of High
In the study, participants lay down, eyes closed, while music filled the room. They were guided to breathe deeply and rapidly with no pause between inhaling and exhaling. Within minutes, many reported sensations strikingly similar to descriptions of psychedelic journeys: lightness, connection, emotional release, even visions.

But unlike with drugs, the source of this altered state was simply the lungs.

Brain scans revealed that while overall blood flow to the brain decreased — likely due to changes in carbon dioxide levels from fast breathing — certain areas did the opposite. Regions linked to emotions and memory, like the amygdala and hippocampus, showed an increase in blood supply. At the same time, areas that normally keep track of the body’s internal signals, such as the insula, showed reduced activity.

For participants, this translated into a quieter sense of “self” and heightened emotional clarity. Many said they felt less fear, less negativity, and more openness.

Why Does Breath Have This Power?
Breathing is one of the few body functions we can control voluntarily, yet it’s also tied directly to survival. Rapid, deep breathing alters levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. This, in turn, changes how blood vessels behave, how the heart beats, and how much blood flows through the brain.

• Lower carbon dioxide leads to a global reduction in blood flow, creating a subtle shift in brain chemistry.
  
  
• Selective increases in emotional centers may explain the intensity of feelings, memories, or visions that surface.
  
  
• Reduced activity in body-monitoring regions makes people feel less bound to their physical selves, opening the door to the sensation of merging with surroundings.
  

In essence, controlled breathing temporarily rearranges the hierarchy of the brain, letting emotion and imagination take the lead while quieting the constant chatter of bodily self-awareness.

Not Just Relaxation: Sympathetic Arousal
One surprising finding was that participants’ bodies showed signs of arousal, not relaxation. Their heart rate variability — often used as a marker of calm parasympathetic activity — actually decreased, pointing toward activation of the “fight or flight” system.

And yet, instead of panic, participants described euphoria, unity, and peace. Scientists believe this contrast suggests that breathwork propels the body into an “activated” state, but the brain interprets it differently, steering the arousal toward insight rather than fear.

Breathwork and Mental Health
The findings have excited mental health researchers. If breathing alone can safely induce altered states, it may provide a new tool for conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Unlike psychedelic drugs, breathwork requires no chemicals and wears off quickly. It can be practiced in safe, supervised environments without the regulatory hurdles of pharmacological therapy.

Early evidence hints that breathwork may help patients release buried emotions, gain new perspectives, and reset their relationship with traumatic memories.

In wellness settings, structured breathing is already used for stress reduction, burnout recovery, and personal growth. What’s new here is the hard neuroscience evidence showing real, measurable brain changes behind the subjective experiences.

But Proceed With Caution
Doctors warn that breathwork isn’t risk-free. Prolonged rapid breathing can cause dizziness, tingling, chest tightness, or in rare cases fainting. For people with heart disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy, or respiratory problems, such practices could be dangerous.

Researchers emphasize that in their studies, participants were experienced breathwork practitioners, guided by trained facilitators in calm, controlled environments. This “set and setting” turned out to be crucial: when the environment was relaxed, the experiences were deeper and more positive.

Without proper preparation and supervision, results may be less predictable.

What It Feels Like
One participant described the sensation this way:

“At first I felt light-headed, then suddenly very calm. My body disappeared into the music. It was like floating. I had images from my childhood, emotions I hadn’t thought about for years. When it ended, I felt lighter — as if a weight had lifted.”

Another said:

“It wasn’t like being drugged. It felt like me — but with a door opened that I normally keep shut. I laughed, I cried, I felt connected. And afterwards, I was exhausted but clear.”

These testimonies echo ancient traditions. Cultures around the world have long used breath — in yoga, meditation, chanting, or ritual — to shift consciousness. What’s different now is the ability to watch these changes unfold in real time inside the brain.

The Science in Simple Terms
Here’s a breakdown for non-scientists:

• Think of your brain as a city. Normally, traffic flows evenly everywhere. During breathwork, traffic decreases in most districts but surges in the “emotional downtown.”
  
  
• Meanwhile, the city’s surveillance cameras dim. The parts of your brain that constantly monitor your body grow quieter.
  
  
• With less surveillance and more emotional traffic, new kinds of experiences appear: visions, emotional release, a feeling of unity.
  

That’s the essence of what scientists saw in their imaging data.

Where Do We Go From Here?
The next steps involve expanding research:

• Testing breathwork with larger groups of people, not just experienced practitioners.
  
  
• Studying how novices respond, and whether safety risks rise without training.
  
  
• Exploring long-term effects: do repeated sessions improve mood or reduce symptoms of trauma?
  
  
• Comparing different techniques: slow, calm breathing versus rapid, intense breathing.
  

Ultimately, researchers hope to design clinical protocols where breathwork can be integrated into therapy for mental health — as a partner to counseling, meditation, or other non-drug approaches.

A Tool Hiding in Plain Sight
For centuries, breath has been called “life force.” Now, modern neuroscience is beginning to show why. With every inhale and exhale, we don’t just fuel our bodies — we may be able to reshape our minds.

Controlled breathing is not magic. It’s not a miracle cure. But when harnessed with skill, it can offer something rare in medicine: a tool that is free, accessible, and hidden in plain sight.