Altered State Breathing Techniques

You need your own "why." Some seek spiritual enlightenment. Others simply enjoy it. For Jesse, it's a powerful disrupter — it gets him out of usual thinking patterns, useful in distress, big decisions, or when stuck in a rut.

An altered state is a state of thinking and feeling outside the norm. We briefly restart consciousness to provide a new way of seeing things.

Many describe it as psychedelic — but don't expect a six-hour trip. The experience dissipates relatively quickly.

Superventilation is Jesse's preferred interrupter for the dopamine feedback loop. When you can't quiet your mind through meditation alone, extreme breathing disrupts the state you're stuck in.

Deep breathing at 2,0,2,0 sends a strong sympathetic signal. The long neutral-lung apnea that follows sends a powerful parasympathetic signal. These extremes interrupt whatever state you were in.

Exhaling large amounts of CO₂ causes vasoconstriction in the brain, briefly depriving the Neocortex (problem-solving, critical thinking, language) of oxygen. This silences the chatter — a shortcut to deep meditation.

The brain normalizes within minutes of returning to normal breathing. It's harmless when done safely.

Emotional responses (crying, laughing) are normal. Sufferers of PTSD, abuse, and violence report feeling freer and "lighter" after regular practice — they process emotions rather than run from them, observing from a safe distance.

Jesse often feels the safety of childhood — riding home from church, looking forward to Sunday lunch. Breathwork can bring up emotional states you didn't know you needed to feel.

1. Never do this alone. Have a partner guide you and keep time.
2. Set an intention. Dedicate the session to one thing you're facing.
3. Reduce distractions. No deadlines. Give yourself time to digest.
4. No strobe lights. Low lights only.
5. Never in water or where passing out is dangerous.