Investigating the Interplay between Breathing and Consciousness

The field of consciousness research is increasingly recognizing the fundamental role of bodily processes, such as respiration, in shaping subjective experience. While traditional approaches have often focused on neural correlates of consciousness, there is growing evidence from neurophysiology, psychology, and contemplative science that breathing patterns significantly modulate awareness, attention, and emotional states. Studies have shown that controlled breathing techniques—including diaphragmatic, alternate nostril, and box breathing—can influence neural oscillations, heart rate variability, and the self-regulation processes associated with conscious experience. Despite this progress, the complex and multidimensional relationship between respiration and consciousness remains underexplored, particularly in terms of integrating physiological, attentional, emotional, and clinical domains.This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of how breathing dynamically interacts with multiple facets of consciousness. The objective is to bridge interdisciplinary approaches, examining both mechanistic and phenomenological aspects of breath-related interventions. Key questions include: How does conscious manipulation of breath impact neural and physiological markers of awareness? Can breath-focused practices enhance metacognitive insight and emotional resilience during mindfulness? What are the mechanisms by which breathwork induces altered states and therapeutic change? What are the possible models of consciousness beyond the mechanistic paradigms, and how can we test those? By fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue, the goal is to establish new frameworks and testable models that clarify the bidirectional influence between respiration and consciousness across healthy and possibly pathological populations.To gather further insights into the multidimensional interplay between breathing and consciousness, this Research Topic welcomes articles that address empirical, theoretical, and methodological issues. The range is confined to studies and reviews that explicitly examine the effects of controlled or intentional breathing on markers or states of consciousness across physiological, cognitive, and affective domains, while excluding non-breath-related interventions or studies without clear consciousness-relevant outcomes. We encourage submissions on, but not limited to, the following themes:• Neural and physiological correlates of breathwork in conscious states• The role of respiration in attention, mindfulness, and metacognitive processes• Breathing-based modulation of affect and emotion regulation• Breath-induced altered states: mechanisms and phenomenology relevance,• Beyond the mechanistic models: nondualism as probed by breathing techniques.Expected Outcomes: A multidimensional framework connecting respiration, attention, emotion, and consciousness, offering both theoretical insight and testable models. Topic editors: Patrick Celka, Alessandro Colasanti, Martha Nari Havenith Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76821/investigating-the-interplay-between-breathing-and-consciousness