Altered States of ConsciousnessA2ANCT06916312
Comparing Effects of Intense Breathwork to Meditation on Altered States of Consciousness
A study testing High ventilation breathwork and Meditation in people with Altered States of Consciousness and Wellbeing, run by University of Sussex at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
This study aims to investigate the impact of high ventilation breathwork (HVB) and meditation on altered states of consciousness (ASCs). The study will compare the effects of a single guided HVB session to a single guided body scan meditation session. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Altered States of Consciousness, Wellbeing
- What is being tested?
- High ventilation breathwork and Meditation
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 24 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 17 Feb 2025to 16 Jun 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Healthy adults in Brighton and the surrounding area
- Prior experience practising high ventilation breathwork in the form of conscious connected breathing
- No history of adverse events during such prior breathwork sessions.
Who cannot join
- History of hypotension
- Hypertension
- Respiratory or cardiovascular problems
- Fainting or syncope
- Epilepsy or seizures
- Panic disorder or panic attacks
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- Cerebral aneurysm
- Pregnancy (and possibility one might be pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or are breastfeeding)
- Breathlessness
- Bradypnea
- Tachypnoea
- Any mental/physical issues affecting the ability to engage in breath control activities.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Airways to Alteration: Investigating the Impact of Breathwork & Meditation on Conscious State
This study aims to investigate the impact of high ventilation breathwork (HVB) and meditation on altered states of consciousness (ASCs). The study will compare the effects of a single guided HVB session to a single guided body scan meditation session. The primary aim is to explore the impact of HVB and meditation on ASCs, while secondary aims relate to mental health and wellbeing.
Read the detailed description
The study is a randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving up to 24 healthy adult participants who have prior experience with HVB. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the HVB or meditation group. The study will assess outcomes such as altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and overall wellbeing.
- Conditions
- Altered States of Consciousness, Wellbeing
- Being tested
- High ventilation breathwork, Meditation
- Keywords
- Breathwork
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
High ventilation breathworkBehavioural
Also called Conscious connected breathing
Single guided conscious connected breathing session.
MeditationBehavioural
Also called Body scan
Single guided body scan meditation session.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Meditation | Active comparator | Single guided body scan meditation session. Receives: Behavioral: Meditation |
| High ventilation breathwork | Experimental | Single guided conscious connected breathing session. Receives: Behavioral: High ventilation breathwork |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Altered states of consciousness
Five Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness Scale. Comprises five subscales: oceanic boundlessness, dread of ego dissolution, visionary restructuralisation, auditory alterations and vigilance reduction. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more profound altered states of consciousness.
Measured: Immediately after the intervention.
Mystical experience
Mystical Experience Questionnaire Brief. Comprises four subscales: transcendence, positive mood, ineffability, and mystical. Scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating a more profound mystical experience.
Measured: Immediately after the intervention.
Emotional breakthrough
Emotional Breakthrough Inventory. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater levels of emotional breakthrough (reflecting a better outcome).
Measured: Immediately after the intervention.
Secondary outcomes (6)
Psychological insight
Psychological Insight Scale. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater psychological insight. An additional item separately evaluates self-reported behavioural change resulting from a psychedelic experience.
Measured: Post-intervention (one week after the intervention).
Depersonalisation
Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale (State-Version). Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater levels of dissociative symptoms.
Measured: Immediately after the intervention.
Fatigue
Shortened Fatigue Questionnaire. Scores range from 4 to 28, with higher scores indicating more severe fatigue.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Sleep-related impairment
PROMIS Item Bank v. 1.0 - Sleep-Related Impairment - Short Form 4a (score range: 5-20; higher scores denote worse outcome). Data scored using a T-score transformation according to PROMIS Sleep scoring manual on: www.healthmeasures.net
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Mental wellbeing
Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) (score range: 7 to 35; higher scores denote better outcome). Total raw scores are then transformed into metric scores using the SWEMWBS conversion table on: www.warwick.ac.uk
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) - stress, anxiety and depression subscales (score range for each: 0-21; higher scores denote worse outcomes). Score on DASS-21 then multiplied by two to convert it to the longer form DASS-42 final score.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Apr 2025
- Study start17 Feb 2025
- Primary completion8 Jun 2025
- Study completion16 Jun 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Altered States of ConsciousnessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 24 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Sussex
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- DMT Quest, ResearchHub
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Guy Fincham, University of Sussex
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06916312
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ER/GF221/9
- Acronym
- A2A
- Status last verified
- Jun 2025
- First submitted
- 24 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 18 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Airways to Alteration: Investigating the Impact of Breathwork & Meditation on Conscious State
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06916312
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- A2A / ER/GF221/9
- Conditions
- Altered States of Consciousness, Wellbeing
- Keywords
- Breathwork
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 24 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of SussexUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- DMT Quest, ResearchHub
- Study start
- 17 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 8 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 16 Jun 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to investigate the impact of high ventilation breathwork (HVB) and meditation on altered states of consciousness (ASCs). The study will compare the effects of a single guided HVB session to a single guided body scan meditation session. The primary aim is to explore the impact of HVB and meditation on ASCs, while secondary aims relate to mental health and wellbeing.
Detailed description
The study is a randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving up to 24 healthy adult participants who have prior experience with HVB. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the HVB or meditation group. The study will assess outcomes such as altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and overall wellbeing.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Meditation | Active comparator | Behavioral: MeditationSingle guided body scan meditation session. |
| High ventilation breathwork | Experimental | Behavioral: High ventilation breathworkSingle guided conscious connected breathing session. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Healthy adults in Brighton and the surrounding area
- Prior experience practising high ventilation breathwork in the form of conscious connected breathing
- No history of adverse events during such prior breathwork sessions.
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- History of hypotension
- Hypertension
- Respiratory or cardiovascular problems
- Fainting or syncope
- Epilepsy or seizures
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| High ventilation breathworkAlso: Conscious connected breathingSingle guided conscious connected breathing session. | Behavioural | High ventilation breathwork |
| MeditationAlso: Body scanSingle guided body scan meditation session. | Behavioural | Meditation |
Primary outcome
Altered states of consciousness
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention.
Five Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness Scale. Comprises five subscales: oceanic boundlessness, dread of ego dissolution, visionary restructuralisation, auditory alterations and vigilance reduction. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more profound altered states of consciousness.
Mystical experience
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention.
Mystical Experience Questionnaire Brief. Comprises four subscales: transcendence, positive mood, ineffability, and mystical. Scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating a more profound mystical experience.
Emotional breakthrough
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention.
Emotional Breakthrough Inventory. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater levels of emotional breakthrough (reflecting a better outcome).
6 secondary outcomes
Psychological insight
Time frame: Post-intervention (one week after the intervention).
Depersonalisation
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention.
Fatigue
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Sleep-related impairment
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Mental wellbeing
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (one week before and after the intervention).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Jun 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing High ventilation breathwork and Meditation in people with Altered States of Consciousness and Wellbeing, run by University of Sussex at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Altered states of consciousness (time frame: Immediately after the intervention.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Jun 2025.