Breathing, Attention and Consciousness in Sync: The role of Breathing Training, Metacognition and Virtual Reality

Eleni Mitsea (), Athanasios Drigas () and Charalampos Skianis ()
Additional contact information
Eleni Mitsea: Net Media Lab Mind - Brain R&D IIT - N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Athens, Greece/ University of the Aegean and Communication Systems Engineering Department, Samos, Greece
Athanasios Drigas: Net Media Lab Mind - Brain R&D IIT - N.C.S.R. "Demokritos" , Athens, Greece
Charalampos Skianis: University of the Aegean, Information & Communication Systems Engineering Department, Samos, Greece

Technium Social Sciences Journal, 2022, vol. 29, issue 1, 79-97

Abstract: The purpose of the current review study is to shed light on the relationship between respiration and attention. Specifically, we examined whether and how respiration can provoke alterations in attentional states. Secondly, we investigated the benefits of breath-control training techniques in attention. Furthermore, we explored the effectiveness of virtual reality breathing training in improving respiration along with attention. Finally, we discussed the role of metacognition in the conscious synchronization of respiration with attention. It was revealed that every time respiration loses stability, attention fluctuates. Every time respiration is stabilized, attention finds steadiness. The results confirmed that respiration, attention, and as a result consciousness are characterized by bidirectional synchronization since their systems present coupling functions and dynamical interactions. It was also confirmed that breath control practices guarantee instant as well as long-lasting attentional improvements regulating all those mechanisms that strengthen mental alertness firing either the pathways of relaxation or excitation. Conscious-breath training is a practice of mindful metacognition that supports the coupling of attention with respiration. Metacognition in breathing utilizes respiration to improve attention but at the same time attention is used as a tool to consciously control breathing. Finally, breathing control training in virtual reality not only improves attention along with respiration but may finetune internal and external attention. This study concludes that breathing and attention are two 'giant' mechanisms that go hand-in-hand and carry on their 'shoulders' the whole cognition. Training conscious breathing via advanced technologies should be incorporated into the dialogue of education as methods for brain rewiring assuring better inclusion and academic achievement, especially for those with disabilities.

Keywords: respiration; breath-control exercises; attention; metacognition; consciousness; virtual reality; avatars; respiratory biofeedback; serious games (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://techniumscience.com/index.php/socialsciences/article/view/6145 (application/pdf)
https://techniumscience.com/index.php/socialsciences/article/view/6145/2133 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tec:journl:v:29:y:2022:i:1:p:79-97

DOI: 10.47577/tssj.v29i1.6145

Access Statistics for this article

Technium Social Sciences Journal is currently edited by Tasente Tanase

More articles in Technium Social Sciences Journal from Technium Science
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Tasente Tanase ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).