Brain States
by Tom Kenyon
"In addition to sustaining life, breathing patterns can open the doors to altered states of consciousness. Such states can then be very useful for a number of practical reasons."
"[T]he air is charged with a form of life force called prana. Prana is breathed in along with oxygen, but it is not oxygen. It is subtler. . .its substance is so subtle that it will be some time before our instruments are sensitive enough to detect its presence."
"Breathing patterns are intimately entwined with our emotional states. Anger, for instance, can produce a volatile and deep form of breathing, while in depression, people usually take in shallow breaths. Every emotion has its corresponding breathing pattern unique to that individual. And it is physiologically difficult to experience a given emotional state while breathing the pattern of another emotion."