Altered States + Behavioral Changes
Potent practices for greater emotional + mental wellbeing
It’s more evident than ever that as a society, we’re mentally + emotionally suffering.
We know this. We feel this.
But, on the other side of this mental health epidemic, we’ve unlocked a new level of societal awareness and discourse on ways we can seek changes.
We’ve hit a turning point. And with it, a Wellness Renaissance has emerged.
Individually and collectively, we’re waking up to our need to take responsibility for our emotional and mental wellbeing.
Two practices at the forefront of this movement that resonate with us most: breathwork + psychedelic therapy.
And it just so happens, the two go hand in hand.
Breathwork + Psychedelics
Breathwork + psychedelic medicine both hold the potential to create changes in self-perception and self-awareness, and positive behavioral change.
Recent research on brain scans of people under the influence of psychedelics show decreased brain activity and connectivity. This reduced state of connectedness points to the way these medicines can “free people’s mind from normal constraints,” creating the profound and liberating experience many individuals describe.
In a similar vein, breathwork has considerable impacts on the brain’s functioning, with various breathing patterns activating brain networks that are related to mood, attention, and body awareness.
The connection to the brain helps explain why the two practices are incredibly potent when used in tandem.
Breathwork also allows you to explore altered states, which is why it’s a powerful tool for psychedelic preparation, as it helps prime your mind and nervous system.
In essence, a breathwork practice can enhance, support, and optimize a psychedelic experience, so you can attain the lasting behavioral change you desire.
Or as we call it - transformation.
Psychedelic Therapy
Psychedelic therapy is particularly effective because the medicine pattern disrupts our default way of thinking. The body of scientific research + public discourse surrounding the transformative potential of these medicines grows by the day.
If you’re hearing the call to create greater emotional + mental changes in your life, or if you’re seeking alternative treatment methods — psychedelic therapy may be the path for you. We recommend assessing for yourself with our friends at Peak.
Psychedelic Therapy with Peak
Peak provides safe access to breakthrough care for people seeking relief from complex mental health struggles. Peak’s personalized at-home psychedelic therapy programs combine clinician-prescribed ketamine with structured integration coaching. In tandem, they help reach breakthrough results for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and more.
Ketamine has proven both its safety and effectiveness for a multitude of therapeutic applications, working differently than traditional antidepressants to provide relief where SSRIs or talk therapy fall short.
Peak is offering our community an introductory deal for their two-month Starter Plan. This includes 9 weekly treatments with all prescriptions, shipping, messaging, and personalized support included. Use code ‘OTHERSHIP’ to save $150 if approved.
You can take their free assessment to see if ketamine-assisted therapy is right for you.
Breathwork for Psychedelic Integration
Integration is perhaps the most important pillar of the psychedelic experience. This is where we have the opportunity to create meaningful change.
As Jack Kornfield put it —
“After the ecstasy, the laundry.”
We have heightened neuroplasticity after psychedelic medicine use, and as such, it’s the optimal time to introduce practical changes and habits that will ground new insights into our lives.
Psychedelics are a quicker route to healing and growth. In a way, they work to kick-start the process. But it’s up to us, especially after the experience, to maintain the practices and work needed to sustain these changes.
A consistent breathwork practice will support you as you rewire your neural pathways and recalibrate your nervous system response.
We wrote this article on ways you can incorporate breathwork into your integration process.
Breathwork for Altered States
Even without psychedelics, you can access altered states of consciousness simply through the power of your own breath.
One particular method is called Holotropic Breathwork, a therapeutic breathing practice that involves fast breaths for long periods.
This technique was developed by early LSD researcher, Stanislav Grof, in the 1960s. During his studies, Grof noticed when his patients were experiencing difficult emotions, once they started to breathe deeply into it, they started to not only shift their emotions, but would even re-induce the psychedelic state.
This led to developing the practice of Holotropic Breathwork, as an alternative method of attaining similar results from LSD. He aimed to discover how to harness the power of your own breath to achieve similar healing purposes from altered states. He named this breathwork style after the Greek words “holos,” meaning “whole,” and “trepein,” meaning, “to move toward.”
Essentially - “moving toward wholeness.”
The ‘All Around’ section of our app is specifically designed for deeper experiences like this. Some of our favorites you can practice solo or with a group of friends:
Expansion
Othertrip // Roller Coaster
Personal Power
Host a Community Breathwork Journey
If you’re here - reading this - breathwork has likely had a meaningful impact on your life.
The benefits of breathwork alone are profound, but when you incorporate this practice into a group setting, you tap into a deep sense of awe and cultivate immense gratitude. This is the kind of work that ripples outwards - it touches loved ones, inspires your community, and works toward making the world a better place.
If you feel called to pay it forward + share this practice with people in your life, you can offer your own breathwork experience for your community.
We created a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to teach and empower you to host a Community Breathwork Journey. Dive in to learn how. 🛸
As always, we’re here to support you, wherever you may be on your journey.
You can always reach out - to ask a questions about these practices, request additional resources to learn from, or simply just share.
We’re on this ship together.
