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I want to share with you one of the most important and special moments in my life to date, and how and why this benefits you in such a profound way…
My first endeavor as a research scientist in collaboration with Cambridge university has just been peer reviewed and published, even winning an award at the Association of Scientific Study Of Consciousness conference.
My mum always said to me when I was a kid ‘study hard and you can go to Cambridge Uni like you cousins!’ Ironically Cambridge University came to study me!
In 2021 scientists, Dr Evan Lewis-Healy and Dr Tristan Beckinstein from The Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology of the University of Cambridge reached out to me as they wanted to perform the largest breathwork study done so far to determine the psychedelic effects of breathwork.
They chose SOMA Breath because of the way the method works, as a combination of both rhythmic breathwork and breath retentions that delivers the dose of intermittent hypoxia, and because of the incredible testimonials we have received from participants who received similar benefits as other therapies such as ketamine and psilocybin used to treat severe depression.
As everyone breathes in the same rhythm and holds their breath at the same time during the session, it's much easier to measure exactly what is going on in the brain during these sessions. This is exactly what makes our SOMA Breath method of breathe in beats music technology so compelling and powerful.
As a previous pharmacist I understand the importance of dose and protocols to create results that can be scaled across a population. With normal breathwork sessions, as everyone breathes in different rhythms and there is no structure to the session, the results are unpredictable, however what Cambridge University discovered with SOMA Breath was a way to create more predictable results across all participants.
The 21 Day Awakening Protocol was the subject of the study due to the fact it is a protocol with structured breathwork tracks with progressively increasing doses of rhythmic breathwork and breath retentions.
Here is a summary of the results and conclusion of this study.
I have attempted to demystify some of the complex scientific terms for you who may not be scientifically trained, however I have also included the original pdf for those who want to delve deeper into the study.
Title: BREATHWORK-INDUCED PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCES MODULATE NEURAL DYNAMICS
This means that when people practice certain types of controlled breathing (breathwork), they can experience effects similar to those of psychedelic substances (like altered states of consciousness). These breathing techniques can cause noticeable changes in how the brain functions and processes information, which is what "modulate neural dynamics" refers to. Essentially, breathwork can shift the way the brain works, leading to powerful mental and emotional experiences.
Intro
Breathwork involves controlling breathing to reach altered states of consciousness, similar to psychedelic experiences. However, there has been no research simultaneously investigating the mental and neurall effects of breathwork.
This project aimed to explore whether the brain activity and experiences during breathwork resemble those of psychedelics and to examine the connection between the phenomenological and neural effects of breathwork.
"Phenomenological" refers to how something is experienced from a first-person point of view — like your thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. It’s all about understanding how an experience feels to the person going through it. For example, in breathwork or psychedelic experiences, it’s the personal, inner experience that someone has, like feeling calm, energized, or connected to the world.
In this context, "neural" refers to the activity happening in the brain — how the brain cells communicate with each other during an experience. It’s about the patterns and changes in brain activity that happen when someone is doing breathwork or having a psychedelic-like experience.
Participants:
14 novices
Up to 28 sessions in 28 days
Data Collected:
300 sessions
Protocol:
Methods:
Temporal Experience Tracing (TET) to capture subjective experiences
Portable EEG devices to monitor brain activity
"Temporal Experience Tracing (TET)" is a method used to track how someone’s personal, moment-by-moment experiences change over time. It helps to capture what a person is feeling or thinking during a breathwork session, allowing researchers to see how their inner experiences shift throughout the process.
Methods:
Explanation:
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- X-Axis: Represents the study weeks (1 to 4).
- Y-Axis: Represents the percentage of sessions associated with each cluster.
- Cluster 1: Denoted by the blue line and markers, represents 'Psychedelic-like' experiences.
Key Observations:
- Cluster 1 experiences increased significantly during the second and third weeks, peaking in the third week.
- Cluster 2 experiences decreased as the study progressed, particularly during the second and third weeks, indicating a shift towards more positive experiences as participants continued their breathwork practice and got used to doing the technique.
This visual representation helps to illustrate the dynamic changes in participant experiences over the course of the study, highlighting the effectiveness of breathwork in inducing positive, psychedelic-like states.
Key Findings:
- Increased Neural Complexity: The study found that breathwork-induced positive, psychedelic-like experiences were associated with increased neural Lempel-Ziv complexity, indicating richer and more diverse brain activity.
- Positive Phenomenological States: Participants reported heightened states of bliss, insightfulness, and spiritual experiences, particularly during the breath-hold phases of the breathwork sessions.
- Reduction in Negative Experiences: Over the course of the study, participants experienced a decrease in negative physical and mental states, such as anxiety and boredom, as they continued their breathwork practice.
Key Point
This study was done on the SOMA Breath Awakening Technique that is a trifecta of 3 powerful transformational modalities into one modality.
- Structured breathwork - rhythmic breathing (creates coherence + oxytocin) + breath retention techniques (delivers a dose of intermittent hypoxia and feel good hormones - dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins) + humming (stimulates nitric oxide)
- Proprietary Music Technology - this is the secret sauce of SOMA Breath, as it ensures everyone breathes in the same rhythm and are guided to hold their breath at exactly the same time during a session. The SOMA Breath music is also designed to uplift the mood, and music like this has been shown in various studies to light up the brain too!
- Guided Imagery Meditation - in SOMA Breath we call this Neurosomatic Programming (NSP) it is the use of suggestions, questions and commands to the subconscious mind in the form of visual, auditory and kinesthetic cues that creates powerful hypnotic transformations of the mind.
This sequence of breathing techniques, combined with special music and guided meditation (NSP) makes SOMA Breath a very powerful and unique method that you cannot compare exactly to other modalities of breathwork.
So this study shows the power of SOMA Breath to create predictable psychedelic effects with high bliss states and a lessening of negative effects with continued practice that cannot be said is the same for other methods of breathwork.
This study only shows the effects of this specific technique and protocol.
Future research would have to compare SOMA Breath against other styles of breathwork too to see the difference.
However for now based on this study, we know at least that SOMA Breath works in the way intended.
Summary of Results
Due to the highlighted neural and phenomenological similarities, and the clinical utility of psychedelics, perhaps breathwork could serve as a suitable non pharmacological alternative to psychedelics that are currently being used to treat things like severe depression.
Evan Lewis-Healy is now applying to do further research on SOMA Breath as a phase 1 clinical trial to treat severe depression with the NHS, comparing it to ketamine which has already been approved and currently in use for this.
Final Conclusion
This research really brings to light how something as simple as breathing can have a huge impact on your well-being.
Imagine being able to get a natural "high" that feels incredible—without relying on drugs or other substances that can harm your body.
That's exactly what SOMA breathwork can offer, and this study proves it.
What the researchers found is that during SOMA breathwork sessions, people experienced states of bliss, deep awareness, and even spiritual insights.
These feelings were so intense, they were compared to the effects of psychedelics, but here's the amazing thing—it all came from participants following our pre-recorded SOMA Breath journeys.
Not only did participants feel amazing, but their brain activity became more complex and diverse, which is linked to more positive, enriching mental states.
How Does This Help You?
If you're someone who’s looking to break free from cravings or just want to experience a deeper, more joyful state of mind, SOMA Breath journeys can be a game-changer.
It's a natural way to rewire your brain for happiness, calm, and clarity without needing external substances. As you practice, you're actually training your brain to experience these elevated states, helping you feel more in control of your life and your emotions.
SOMA Breath doesn’t just make you feel better—it’s also backed by science, as this study aligns with other research showing that techniques like these can be as effective as medication in reshaping the brain for positive outcomes. Whether you’re looking to reduce stress, combat addiction, or simply feel more alive, this practice offers a sustainable, easy-to-learn method that anyone can benefit from.
So, next time you're feeling overwhelmed or craving something you know isn’t good for you, remember: the power to feel amazing is literally right under your nose.
Just breathe... with SOMA Breath!
And now we made it even easier with the SOMA Breath app >>
Download our groundbreaking app stacked with various SOMA Breathwork journeys for different uses from focus, concentration, rest, sleep and even manifesting, with live classes from our top Instructors and Transformational Coaches!
If you have not already, here is a presentation that I gave at the Health Optimization Summit where I explain this study as well the SOMA Breath method, with compelling results from various people who have done the 21 Day Awakening Journey!
Resources
