STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS FOR EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF CONNECTED BREATHING

Аннотация

Kozlov V.V. Strategic implications for experimental study of connected breathing // Psychological science and practice: State of the Art. Collected papers / Ed. Kostrigin A.A. Chicago, 2017. P. 13-19.

Despite this, we hope that the practices of connected breathing (Holotropic breathing, DMD) will find their supporters. At the same time we clearly imagine that customers, who can invest energy in the process of changing states of consciousness, are still quite rare. It is easier to swallow a glass of vodka, or prick dose of heroin, or, in extreme cases, to play roulette. Nevertheless, the inner experience of the author of the book and experience of tens of thousands of processes of respiration show that this method of meeting the requirements of altered states of consciousness is much more fruitful, and gracious. The author conducted 800 training with a connected breathing with the participation of about 32000 people in many countries.

Studies, conducted over the past 25 years can afford to make some important strategical conclusions for the use of induced ASC connected breath of physiological and neuropsychological studies.

1. Sessions of connected breathing can not hurt human’s health.
2. The human body has a powerful protective mechanism that prevents the progression of hypocapnia, the inclusion of which is connected from the first minutes of breath, reaches a maximum efficiency of 10-15 minutes and is maintained at this level during the entire time.
3. Joining the ASC is most possible in the first 10-15 minutes of a connected breathing session before the "separation" of the external respiration and blood circulation.
4. The most productive and efficient states among the extended states of consciousness induced by a connected breathing, are those which have neuropsychological characteristics of the "REM". The analog of this condition is very familiar to everyone, it is “prosonochnoe” state. The main characteristic of this condition is "the presence in two worlds simultaneously - in the here and now, as well as emotionally experienced figurative mental spaces, which are the product of spontaneous activity of consciousness by itself.
5. The basic presupposition of stimulation and appearance of ASC in the processes of connected breathing is the psychological factor - forming of expectations’ system of the client, of deep level of relaxation and trance, but with the continued presence of consciousness to an active start producing.
6. Breathing sessions promote to an overall energizing of personality and improve physical performance. Researches show, that resource vital potentiality can be used by personality in all kinds of activity.
7. Processes of connected breathing have regenerative efficiency in 1,5-2 times higher than the usual sleep and can be recommended as a method of rapid resuscitation of the vital energy of human beings in time constraints and the high energy loss (hard physical, intellectual, emotional loading).
8. An additional prerequisite for the induction of ASC in the processes of connected breathing is a partial deprivation (lack of) night's sleep and a partial food deprivation (fasting).
9. Breathwork is one of the effective ways of correction and optimization of functional status not only the body, but also the higher functions of the CNS, especially the mechanism of memory.

To research the psychological influence of connected breathing and induced an expanded state of consciousness on the individual and the group we used a multilevel systemic analysis.

The studies were conducted in different regions of the former USSR and abroad. We will not describe in details the sample and research tools, as well as result in statistical methods of processing the results. The scientific validity, representativeness, reliability and validity, credibility - they were tested by the leading experts and dissertation councils of Russia.

We present the findings of these studies in the compressed form.

1. The connected breathing has mainly a positive influence on the rate of sensomotor reactions, as well as on the characteristics of voluntary attention and short-term memory. The most typical changes in the properties of voluntary attention occur after 10 minutes of entering the ESC.
2. Immersion into the ESC has a positive influence on such integrative indicators as: activism, health, mood, and cheerfulness and efficiency.
3. Dive into the ESC has a selective effect on various personality traits. Personal characteristics that are most sensitive to immersion in ESC: anxiety, self-value, self-confidence, inner conflict by self-incrimination, the need for achievement, internal honesty.
4. Connected breathing trainings affect to self-identity in the aspect of improvement.
5. Most sensitive to the effects of training are such ethical standards as: compassion, carelessness, thoughtfulness, being easily carried away, empathy.
6. Under the influence of connected breathing training participants’ representations of the ideal standard of quality people are being changed, as well as representations of themselves.
7. Trainings in connected breathing lead to changes in the way "I", significantly different from changes in the way "I" of people who was not in the process of respiration.
8.  Due to training, changes in the way "I" are stable in time.
9. The most typical and persistent changes in the way "I", associated with training on integrative-psy - were the following: reduction of straight-aggressive tendencies, an increase in responsibility, generous and collaborating and conventional trends.
10. 10.  Under the influence of training with connected breathing decreases the level of loneliness, therefore, they are applicable to correction of elevated levels of loneliness.
11. 11.  Training has a significant impact on the dynamics of reactive and personal anxiety, namely, anxiety is reduced.
12. 12.  ESC have the potential induction of creative resource states of personality, help better realize their creative potential, learn how to control the body and the energy potential in the better way.
13. 13.  Studies point a potential for an active social life, increases the desire to cooperate with people, increasing the capacity for empathy, reduce aggressive tendencies, reduce the reluctance to adapt to the social environment, neuron-psychological stress, ability to effectively make a choice when it is required.
14. 14.  Trainings promote stress tolerance of personality, they help to maintain clarity of thought even in conflict situations, restore emotional balance quickly, to become more independent from external influences, to accept people and situations for what they are, feel the joy of communicating with people.
15. 15.  Using of connected breathing influences positively on the process of correction accentuations and neuroses, and can be used effectively in working with addicts: drug addicts, alcoholics, customers with food addiction, Gambler.
16. 16.  ESC with using of connected breathing has a specific phenomenology:

-       at the level of motor responses: spontaneous, complex coordinated movements, complex actions;

-       At the level of sensory areas of specific stimulation of different modalities: kinesthetic, gustatory, olfactory, auditory, visual. A special place is occupied by the energy sensations that we can not assign as a specific modality.

17. Using of connected breathing in training contribute to the rapid integration of group, also it can be applied for the quickening of group dynamics, cohesion in the forming of teams for different purposes.

18. Dive into the RCC help to set a transfer between team members and leader, which focuses on positive polarity.

1. 19.  Socio-psychological method of using integrative Psy is adequate to work effectively with the crisis of personality. Practices of using a connected breath showed particular efficiency in the rehabilitation of members of local wars (Afghanistan, Chechnya, Israel), the effects of emergencies.
2. 20.  Using the connected breath is directed to the psychic apparatus person, a system of cognitive processes, body, personal constructs totally, it uses the underlying human resources and its ability to self-integration and transformation.