A groundbreaking study from the University of Cambridge has explored the effects of SOMA Breath on brainwave activity and mental well-being, revealing exciting insights.
The Cambridge study found that SOMA Breath’s breathwork meditation techniques significantly altered brainwave patterns, producing changes strikingly similar to those seen in mental health treatments using traditional psychedelics. Remarkably, participants reported heightened feelings of unity and spirituality, surpassing those observed in previous studies on psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA.
The research also highlighted SOMA Breath’s positive impact on mood, reducing negative emotions like tension and confusion while boosting positive states such as happiness and calm. These findings suggest that SOMA Breath could replicate some of the hypnotic and mood-enhancing effects of psychedelics, potentially aiding in processing past traumas and fostering new subconscious beliefs and behaviors. This aligns with earlier research by Dr. Jeff Tarrant at the Neuro Meditation Institute, which showed SOMA Breath’s effectiveness in reducing anxiety and depression.
Collaborating with Cambridge University marks a major milestone for the global breathwork community. Dr. Tristan Bekinschtein noted that SOMA Breath was selected for its systematic approach and proven effectiveness, as reported by participants and researchers. Ongoing studies at Cambridge, including detailed case studies and clinical trials, aim to further unravel SOMA Breath’s potential as a non-pharmacological approach to treating mental health conditions, paving the way for innovative therapeutic options.
To read the full study, please follow the link below:
“We collaborated with SOMA Breath for its systematic approach, and proven effectiveness as validated by participants and study coordinators”
DR. JEFF TARRANT
LEADING NEUROSCIENTIST AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
Can Breathwork Induce Psychedelic-Like States? Exploring SOMA Breath Meditation Through EEG and Subjective Experience
12 min read – March 15, 2022
By: Dr. Emily Carson, NeuroMeditation Research Center
This pilot study investigated whether specific SOMA breathwork techniques could induce altered states of consciousness, using quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) and subjective reports to compare findings with existing research on classic psychedelics.
Methods
Participants
The study included six female participants, aged 25–50. Of these, 70% identified as Caucasian, and 30% as Hispanic/Latino. All participants had regular experience with yoga, meditation, or pranayama, practicing at least once or twice weekly.
Intervention: SOMA Breathwork
SOMA breathwork integrates traditional pranayama with contemporary scientific insights. The core practice alternates rhythmic, cyclical breathing with periods of breath retention, guided by a soundtrack featuring verbal cues and a rhythmic drumbeat to synchronize breathing. The rhythmic phase involves continuous inhalation and exhalation without pauses, with participants engaging the pelvic floor during inhalation and relaxing during exhalation. Breath retention entails fully exhaling and holding the breath as long as comfortable, followed by a brief sip of air, another exhalation, and repeated holds. The sequence concludes with a deep inhalation and a full-lung breath hold. In this study, participants completed a 25-minute session with two cycles of this pattern.
Procedure
Participants received a thorough briefing on the study and SOMA breathwork process. After addressing questions, they completed demographic questionnaires and the Mood Assessment Scale. A 19-channel EEG cap was fitted, with impedance maintained below 10 kOhms. Baseline EEG data were collected in a seated, eyes-closed position using a NeuroTech EEG system. During the guided SOMA breathwork, EEG was recorded continuously via noise-canceling headphones. Post-session, a follow-up EEG was taken, and participants completed a second Mood Assessment Scale and an Altered Consciousness Experience (ACE) questionnaire.
The study aimed to determine whether SOMA breathwork could produce subjective altered states and brainwave patterns resembling those seen with psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD.
For the initial analysis, a single participant’s pre- and post-SOMA EEG data were compared, with z-scores calculated for brainwave bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma) across 80 brain regions. Z-scores above 1.0 were considered significant, based on prior research (NeuroTech, 2018). Subsequent analyses included all six participants, with two excluded due to poor EEG quality or non-compliance, leaving a final sample of four.
EEG Analysis
3D brain imaging visualized changes post-SOMA breathwork, with cooler colors (blues) indicating reduced activity and warmer colors (yellows, reds) showing increased activity. Significant decreases (z-scores >1.0) appeared in dark blue, increases in red, and unchanged areas in green.
For the pilot subject, delta, theta, and alpha waves decreased globally, while beta and high-beta activity dropped in the right frontal regions. Gamma showed no notable changes.
To explore deeper brain activity, standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) was used to assess the Default Mode Network (DMN), a key region linked to self-identity and mental health. The DMN often shows reduced activity during psychedelic experiences and certain meditations, correlating with mystical states and improved mental health.
DMN Findings
Across participants, the DMN exhibited significant reductions in all brainwave bands, particularly alpha1 (8–10 Hz), with decreases up to 25%. The Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC), the DMN’s central hub, showed a 28% reduction in alpha1 in the right hemisphere and an increase in theta (4–8 Hz), a wave associated with creativity, memory, and hypnotic states.
Insula Analysis
The insula, involved in emotional processing and present-moment awareness, showed less pronounced decreases. Notably, gamma activity increased in the right insula, suggesting heightened activation, as gamma correlates with glucose metabolism and emotional embodiment.
Mood Assessment
The Mood Assessment Scale, adapted from Soos et al. (2007), included 30 mood descriptors across eight dimensions: anger, tension, sadness, energy, tiredness, confusion, joy, and calm. Participants rated their current mood on a 0–4 scale. Post-SOMA, participants reported significant reductions in tension, tiredness, and confusion, and increases in joy and calm. Individual variability was noted, with one participant reporting a 100% reduction in sadness, while another, who was sleep-deprived, reported increased tiredness.
Altered Consciousness Experience (ACE) Scale
The ACE Scale, adapted from Studerus et al. (2010), assessed post-SOMA altered states across 10 dimensions, including unity, spiritual connection, and visual imagery, using a 0–10 Likert scale. Participants consistently reported low anxiety and impaired cognition, with high scores for unity and spiritual connection. Scores for complex imagery and synesthesia varied.
When compared to prior psilocybin and MDMA studies, SOMA breathwork scored higher in unity, spiritual connection, and meaning, but lower in vivid imagery and bliss.
Results
Brainwave Patterns
Averaged data showed a global decrease in brainwave activity, with alpha1 reductions up to 25% across the brain and DMN. The PCC’s theta increase suggests a receptive, hypnotic-like state, while the insula’s gamma increase indicates emotional engagement.
Subjective Experience
Participants reported enhanced positive moods and reduced negative states, aligning with brainwave changes. ACE Scale responses indicated psychedelic-like experiences, particularly in unity and spiritual connection, surpassing psilocybin and MDMA in some domains.
Discussion
This study suggests SOMA breathwork can induce brainwave and subjective states resembling those of psychedelics. The significant alpha reduction in the PCC mirrors psychedelic effects, potentially disrupting rigid self-identity patterns and fostering new perspectives on past traumas or beliefs. The theta increase in the PCC aligns with hypnotic states, suggesting SOMA may enhance suggestibility, similar to hypnosis.
The insula’s gamma increase supports the embodiment of positive emotions, contributing to reported joy and calm. While bliss scores were lower than in psychedelic studies, this may reflect the abbreviated 25-minute session or participants’ lack of prior SOMA experience.
Conclusions
SOMA breathwork shows promise as a non-pharmacological tool for inducing psychedelic-like and hypnotic states, with potential therapeutic applications for processing trauma or embedding new beliefs. Its mood-enhancing effects and DMN modulation suggest benefits for mental health.
Future Directions
Future research should explore longer SOMA sessions (e.g., 1 hour), recruit experienced practitioners, and investigate individual factors driving strong responses. Therapists could test SOMA as a tool to overcome psychological barriers in clinical settings, enhancing its role in mental health treatment.
This study highlights SOMA breathwork’s potential to mimic psychedelic benefits, offering a safe, accessible alternative for therapeutic exploration.