This is a "duh" that science has finally proven (Piarulli et al., Scientific Reports, 2018; 8: 6581). Slowed breathing induces slower brain waves with subjective reports of altered states of consciousness. Although such scientific experiments do ground meditative states in
physiological processes and refute the woo woo of direct access to a
transcendent reality beyond the physical. The abstract:
"The coupling between respiration and neural activity within olfactory
areas and hippocampus has recently been unambiguously demonstrated, its
neurophysiological basis sustained by the well-assessed mechanical
sensitivity of the olfactory epithelium. We herein hypothesize that this
coupling reverberates to the whole brain, possibly modulating the
subject’s behavior and state of consciousness. The olfactory epithelium
of 12 healthy subjects was stimulated with periodical odorless
air-delivery (frequency 0.05 Hz, 8 s on, 12 off). Cortical electrical
activity (High Density-EEG) and perceived state of consciousness have
been studied. The stimulation induced i) an enhancement of delta-theta
EEG activity over the whole cortex mainly involving the Limbic System
and Default Mode Network structures, ii) a reversal of the overall
information flow directionality from wake-like postero-anterior to NREM
sleep-like antero-posterior, iii) the perception of having experienced
an Altered State of Consciousness. These findings could shed further
light via a neurophenomenological approach on the links between
respiration, cerebral activity and subjective experience, suggesting a
plausible neurophysiological basis for interpreting altered states of
consciousness induced by respiration-based meditative practices."
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