Breathing has long been used to calm anxiety and release good-feeling chemicals like endorphins and serotonin. But some practitioners believe that the simple act of breathing can also activate DMT (dimethyltryptamine), a psychedelic molecule that has been shown to produce profound healing and spiritual awakening.

Known as holotropic dmt breathwork meaning, a session involves a person inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth at an accelerated pace over 2-3 hours accompanied by evocative music. Practitioners claim that this rapid breathing reduces oxygen to the brain and triggers the pineal gland to release DMT — creating a visionary experience similar to that of an LSD trip without the drug. They believe that the benefits of this non-ordinary state of consciousness can include healing core wounds, shedding karma from family and ancestral lineage, and releasing the residue of past lovers.

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One reason this may be possible is that breathwork, like deep meditation and psychedelics, activates gamma brainwaves. There’s also a strong correlation between the brainwave pattern and DMT release, so if the gamma waves are activated during breathwork, it’s likely that DMT is released as well.

Another way that dmt breathwork meaning could happen is through the breathwork’s effect on the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, which contains the highest amounts of DMT in the body. The breathwork technique, Wim Hof’s method, involves breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth and imagining that you are bringing cerebrospinal fluid to your head. Research has shown that this stimulates the flow of DMT throughout the body and brain, resulting in a visionary experience.