Impact of Altered States of Consciousness Induced by Holotropic Respiration on Self Transcendence

Abstract

This study addresses altered states of consciousness through Holotropic breathwork. This technique can induce a state of deep trance, giving access to different levels of identity construction, particularly on the emotional, somatic and psychological level. This considerable piece of introspective work falls within the school of transpersonal psychology whose major contribution is the integration of transcendent nature into human dimension. The objective is to estimate the transcendent impact of this psychotherapeutic method. The sample consists of 115 male and female participants who have tried this technique at least once. Data were collected through the Adult Transcendence Inventory (Levenson, 2005), in order to assess the level of decentration. Our statistically validated results indicate a predominantly positive impact of this psychotherapy, demonstrating a transcendental effect of the holotropic method.