The Effect of Holotropic Breathwork on Personality

Overview

The paper investigates the effect of single or repeated set of holotropic breathwork on certainpersonality properties, attitudes and the value orientation. Eighty one subjects participated inthe research (36 „breathers“, 34 „non-breathers“ and 11 „fi rst-breathers“). The group of breatherswas constituted by persons who participated in the at least four sessions of holotropic breathwork;responders from the non-breather group were comparable on the basis of the following criteria: sex,age and education. The experimental subjects from the fi rst-breather subjects were tested for thefi rst time before their fi rst holotropic breathwork session and retested afterwards (after about threeweeks). The investigated variables were measured by means of the Life test (P.I.L.) of Crumbaugh andMaholick, test of attitudes and values (Value-Belief Q-sort) of Harman, Fadiman and Mogar and thePersonal orientation inventory (P.O.I.) according to Shostrom.In the fi rst-breathers, there was a signifi cant improvement in the satisfaction of needs for themeaning of life and a signifi cant decrease of rigidity and dogmatism. It became obvious that thebreathers were less rigid and dogmatism in comparison with non-breathers (including scientifi carea), display positive changes in their attitude to unusual understanding of the reality, are lessinclined to believe in conventional values and apply them with a higher fl exibility. Their approach toreality is also more adequate and they re able to live the present moment, are more self-suffi cient andmore independent on the attitudes of other people, more sensitive to their own feelings and needs,express more spontaneity, experience a higher self-esteem and exert a better capacity to socializecordially. All these differences were statistically signifi cant. The breathers did not experience a bettersatisfaction in their need for life meaning than the non-breathers. The experience from the holotropicbreathwork session was evaluated by all participants as a contribution to better communication withpeople, a deeper knowledge of the surrounding world and a higher acceptance of previously refusedopinions and thoughts.

Key words:
holotropic breathwork, transpersonal psychology, values and attitudes.