ProposalsProposal 724
ProposalsProposal 724
Decentralized Science (DeSci) is a new approach to Traditional Science (TradSci) that uses blockchain technology to make research more open, collaborative, and incentivized. DeSci aims to address challenges in TradSci like limited access to data, issues with publishing and, in particular, a lack of funding. Success rates for grants from centralized institutions rarely exceed 10% and, for example, NIH funding for <35 year-olds is <1%. This is a crippling reality for young scientists in a centralised system mainly serving those in positions of seniority.
This proposal is for supporting and scaling Dr. Guy W. Fincham's BreathworkLab, through funding the world’s first postdoctoral DeSci Fellowship. Initial research has recently suggested that specific breathwork alone may elicit effects similar to traditional psychedelics like psilocybin. Collaborating with renowned scientists like Dr. Elissa Epel and having his work featured on Dr. Andrew Huberman's podcast platform, Dr. Fincham, though an early career researcher having just received his PhD, is at the forefront of this innovative field.
Dr. Fincham wants to help onboard more DeSci projects funded by Nouns.
By funding BreathworkLab in collaboration with the pioneering DeSci platform ResearchHub and psychedelic research non-profit DMT Quest, NounsDAO will be at the forefront of cutting-edge science and consciousness exploration, helping accelerate advancements in a promising field with scalable therapeutic potential. Dr. Fincham’s ultimate goal is to scale the first BreathworkLab of its kind into a Centre, dedicated to research and practice.
Moreover, as a proponent of DeSci, and in the interest of driving more DeSci projects to Nouns, Dr. Fincham will offer support and review DeSci props submitted to the DAO. This partnership positions Nouns as a visionary leader in DeSci, supporting groundbreaking research with real-world applications, enhancing both community value and societal benefit.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork: Dr. Guy W. Fincham preparing to go into MRI scanner at Brighton & Sussex Medical School to perform high ventilation breathwork (HVB).
Breath, n.
Ask yourself: What is more decentralized than the breath?
Breathing is ubiquitous, permeating, universal, abundant, global, ever-present. Humans have always breathed. Everyone breathes. Most of us take over 20,000 breaths per day, and it is known that we can survive without food for weeks, water for days, but air for only just a few minutes. Mother Nature holds the patent and, as such, breath is accessible to all.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork.
BreathworkLab is an initiative developed through collaboration with ResearchHub and DMT Quest, aimed at conducting robust scientific research on breathwork practices and their therapeutic potential. This long-term project seeks to explore various techniques, with the goal of establishing breathwork as an accessible, non-pharmacological alternative for improving mental and physical health. Inspired by accounts of lived experience of people who have reportedly benefited from breathwork, the initial research plans are to examine in-depth, rich phenomenological experiences so as to fully capture (and not dilute, nor negate) the profound effects, experiences and possibilities that breathwork may confer.
Work, n.
This proposal provides a unique opportunity to support the long-term vision and growth of an early career researcher and leader in their field through the first DeSci Fellowship of its kind. In collaboration with Dr. Fincham’s current funders, ResearchHub and DMT Quest, this DeSci Fellowship could pave the way for onboarding esteemed and reputable, open-minded scientists to non-traditional funding through more effective mechanisms using blockchain technology. Accordingly, this proposal sets the stage, and lays the foundation, for providing long-term value to the DAO and the world.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork.
Nouns will be acknowledged as the funder on all research outputs produced by BreathworkLab and, during this time, Dr. Fincham will also provide continuous support for onboarding DeSci projects to Nouns and reviewing of DeSci props submitted to the DAO.
Dr. Guy W. Fincham (X: breath_Guy)
Opening a conference on music and breath therapy as Keynote Speaker in Poland.
He is a world-leading Breathwork Researcher at Brighton & Sussex Medical School and the founder of BreathworkLab. His personal journey of healing from chronic fatigue syndrome through breathwork ignited his passion to study and promote its transformative benefits. Trained as a Breath Teacher with The Breath Body Mind Foundation, New York, Guy became the UK’s first Doctoral Fellow of The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund, Tokyo.
He has spearheaded two of the largest studies on slow and fast breathwork, served as a keynote speaker at an international conference, and contributed significantly to an upcoming documentary on breathwork. Dr. Fincham collaborates with prestigious institutions, including Oxford, UCSF, Imperial, Maastricht and UCLA, and his work has been featured across major platforms like HubermanLab, BBC, The Guardian, Economist, Washington Post, and Forbes.
Guy’s research has garnered significant scientific and public attention, including a meta-analysis that ranked in the Top 100 of Nature’s Scientific Reports for 2023 (#5) and Psychology Collection (#3), placing it in the top 1% of 28M+ research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric (150K+ DLs). Ultimately, Dr. Fincham's work focuses on positioning breathwork as a non-pharmacological approach to enhancing overall wellbeing. Through BreathworkLab, he aims to establish breathwork as a therapeutic modality with applications across healthcare, performance, and consciousness exploration.
Breathwork, n.
"Breath", translates as spirit or soul in Latin (spiritus) and Ancient Greek (pneuma), representing a potential interface between conscious and subconscious processes. Breathwork refers to various practices that regulate breathing to improve wellbeing. These techniques have ancient roots, emerging independently worldwide from the Himalayas to Hawaii. While likely originating with shamanic teachings over 10,000 years ago, the most well-known breathing exercises come from yoga, particularly pranayama. In Sanskrit, prana translates as vital energy or life force and ayama as regulation or control. It may be viewed synonymously or better understood, albeit not exactly, as regulating or controlling the breath. This eminent body of yogic breathwork practices started gaining international scientific interest more than half a century ago.
Breathing is a powerful tool for influencing our mind and body. Slow breathing can induce relaxation and calm, while reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Conversely, rapid breathing techniques can create altered states of consciousness similar to psychedelic compounds like psilocybin. This makes breathwork a fascinating and accessible therapeutic tool. Unlike many treatments, breath is something we all possess and can use to tap into our own inner, innate capacity for healing. It's a natural, free resource available to everyone — open source and scalable.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork.
Breathwork, both slow and fast, has garnered a surge in public interest owing to its therapeutic potential. Accordingly, there is a lot of hype starting to emerge around this body of practices that have a long history of use and, while such spiritual and ancient practices are starting to be subjected to modern scientific research, there are few rigorously designed studies examining breathwork alongside the growing interest in non-drug alternatives for inducing altered states of consciousness.
By focusing on these areas, BreathworkLab will help build a solid scientific foundation for breathwork, paving the way for its broader acceptance and application in therapeutic settings.
We plan to submit our findings to leading Nature Portfolio journals, including Nature Communications, Nature Human Behaviour, Scientific Reports, and Communications Psychology. Additionally, we will target other prominent journals such as PLOS ONE and Frontiers in Psychiatry. Dr. Fincham will also contribute to the newly launched ResearchHub Journal, starting this year. Nouns will be acknowledged as a funder on all preprints, papers, conference proceedings, symposia, presentations, and public talks. This will firmly establish Nouns DAO's position in the DeSci space.
Goal: To thoroughly understand the experiences induced by intense breathwork practices (in particular high ventilation breathwork; HVB).
Interview expert breathwork practitioners
Conduct a comprehensive literature review
Study breathwork-naïve participants using:
- Established measures for mystical experiences, psychological insight, emotional breakthrough, and altered states of consciousness (ASCs)
- Phenomenological interviews
- Potential new breathwork-specific scales
Examine the role of suggestibility in reported experiences
Develop and validate new scales for breathwork experiences
Explore Movement Ayahuasca, a novel breathwork and movement practice, with anecdotes linked to profound personal transformation
Continue to inform the future of breathwork research and practice
This research will address growing interest in non-drug modalities for inducing ASCs and deepen our understanding of HVB. It will explore how HVB can induce experiences similar to psychedelics when conducted in appropriately curated settings. For example, a rich phenomenological study with some of the most expert practitioners in the world could explore perceived benefits (and harms), along with perceived change processes associated with positive effects. This necessary first step is paramount for elucidating and identifying key outcomes and mechanisms that can then be tested in robust trials, to rigorously assess if and how breathwork is effective in the general population. Moreover, a novel breathing and movement technique called Movement Ayahuasca will also be explored for the first time in a scientific setting.
Goal: To thoroughly understand how intense breathing techniques, known as high ventilation breathwork (HVB), can alter consciousness and potentially lead to profound, even mystical experiences. This research aims to provide a scientific foundation for HVB as a natural method to change our mental state and potentially improve wellbeing. Additionally, a novel breathwork and movement method called Movement Ayahuasca will be explored. Ultimately, provision of breathwork as a non-pharmacological intervention may improve mental health outcomes without stigma or side effects, accompanied by increased empowerment and autonomy through self-regulation techniques.
The ask from Nouns is: $165K over 5 years ($33K/year). The total budget of $99K/year will be split equally across Nouns DAO ($33K), ResearchHub ($33K), and DMT Quest ($33K).
Payment schedules will follow an annual timeline, commencing before the start of each academic year at Brighton & Sussex Medical School (September). Contributions of $33K per year each from ResearchHub, DMT Quest, and Nouns DAO will total $99K annually. These funds will be donated to the University of Sussex to employ Dr. Fincham and provide him with resources to cover the project’s research costs. The University will manage the funds through its standard system, allocating 10% to overheads. This includes providing Dr. Fincham with lab space and covering indirect expenses such as administrative support, facility maintenance, and general operational costs. Notably, this 10% overhead rate is significantly lower than the typical rates for grants, showcasing how DeSci initiatives are driving positive change!
Good scientific research takes time, with many postdoc fellowships offered through TradSci routes lasting up to 5 years, and the current 5-year plan will ensure successful implementation of BreathworkLab’s long-term vision and value.
Decentralized Science (DeSci) is a new approach to Traditional Science (TradSci) that uses blockchain technology to make research more open, collaborative, and incentivized. DeSci aims to address challenges in TradSci like limited access to data, issues with publishing and, in particular, a lack of funding. Success rates for grants from centralized institutions rarely exceed 10% and, for example, NIH funding for <35 year-olds is <1%. This is a crippling reality for young scientists in a centralised system mainly serving those in positions of seniority.
This proposal is for supporting and scaling Dr. Guy W. Fincham's BreathworkLab, through funding the world’s first postdoctoral DeSci Fellowship. Initial research has recently suggested that specific breathwork alone may elicit effects similar to traditional psychedelics like psilocybin. Collaborating with renowned scientists like Dr. Elissa Epel and having his work featured on Dr. Andrew Huberman's podcast platform, Dr. Fincham, though an early career researcher having just received his PhD, is at the forefront of this innovative field.
Dr. Fincham wants to help onboard more DeSci projects funded by Nouns.
By funding BreathworkLab in collaboration with the pioneering DeSci platform ResearchHub and psychedelic research non-profit DMT Quest, NounsDAO will be at the forefront of cutting-edge science and consciousness exploration, helping accelerate advancements in a promising field with scalable therapeutic potential. Dr. Fincham’s ultimate goal is to scale the first BreathworkLab of its kind into a Centre, dedicated to research and practice.
Moreover, as a proponent of DeSci, and in the interest of driving more DeSci projects to Nouns, Dr. Fincham will offer support and review DeSci props submitted to the DAO. This partnership positions Nouns as a visionary leader in DeSci, supporting groundbreaking research with real-world applications, enhancing both community value and societal benefit.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork: Dr. Guy W. Fincham preparing to go into MRI scanner at Brighton & Sussex Medical School to perform high ventilation breathwork (HVB).
Breath, n.
Ask yourself: What is more decentralized than the breath?
Breathing is ubiquitous, permeating, universal, abundant, global, ever-present. Humans have always breathed. Everyone breathes. Most of us take over 20,000 breaths per day, and it is known that we can survive without food for weeks, water for days, but air for only just a few minutes. Mother Nature holds the patent and, as such, breath is accessible to all.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork.
BreathworkLab is an initiative developed through collaboration with ResearchHub and DMT Quest, aimed at conducting robust scientific research on breathwork practices and their therapeutic potential. This long-term project seeks to explore various techniques, with the goal of establishing breathwork as an accessible, non-pharmacological alternative for improving mental and physical health. Inspired by accounts of lived experience of people who have reportedly benefited from breathwork, the initial research plans are to examine in-depth, rich phenomenological experiences so as to fully capture (and not dilute, nor negate) the profound effects, experiences and possibilities that breathwork may confer.
Work, n.
This proposal provides a unique opportunity to support the long-term vision and growth of an early career researcher and leader in their field through the first DeSci Fellowship of its kind. In collaboration with Dr. Fincham’s current funders, ResearchHub and DMT Quest, this DeSci Fellowship could pave the way for onboarding esteemed and reputable, open-minded scientists to non-traditional funding through more effective mechanisms using blockchain technology. Accordingly, this proposal sets the stage, and lays the foundation, for providing long-term value to the DAO and the world.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork.
Nouns will be acknowledged as the funder on all research outputs produced by BreathworkLab and, during this time, Dr. Fincham will also provide continuous support for onboarding DeSci projects to Nouns and reviewing of DeSci props submitted to the DAO.
Dr. Guy W. Fincham (X: breath_Guy)
Opening a conference on music and breath therapy as Keynote Speaker in Poland.
He is a world-leading Breathwork Researcher at Brighton & Sussex Medical School and the founder of BreathworkLab. His personal journey of healing from chronic fatigue syndrome through breathwork ignited his passion to study and promote its transformative benefits. Trained as a Breath Teacher with The Breath Body Mind Foundation, New York, Guy became the UK’s first Doctoral Fellow of The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund, Tokyo.
He has spearheaded two of the largest studies on slow and fast breathwork, served as a keynote speaker at an international conference, and contributed significantly to an upcoming documentary on breathwork. Dr. Fincham collaborates with prestigious institutions, including Oxford, UCSF, Imperial, Maastricht and UCLA, and his work has been featured across major platforms like HubermanLab, BBC, The Guardian, Economist, Washington Post, and Forbes.
Guy’s research has garnered significant scientific and public attention, including a meta-analysis that ranked in the Top 100 of Nature’s Scientific Reports for 2023 (#5) and Psychology Collection (#3), placing it in the top 1% of 28M+ research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric (150K+ DLs). Ultimately, Dr. Fincham's work focuses on positioning breathwork as a non-pharmacological approach to enhancing overall wellbeing. Through BreathworkLab, he aims to establish breathwork as a therapeutic modality with applications across healthcare, performance, and consciousness exploration.
Breathwork, n.
"Breath", translates as spirit or soul in Latin (spiritus) and Ancient Greek (pneuma), representing a potential interface between conscious and subconscious processes. Breathwork refers to various practices that regulate breathing to improve wellbeing. These techniques have ancient roots, emerging independently worldwide from the Himalayas to Hawaii. While likely originating with shamanic teachings over 10,000 years ago, the most well-known breathing exercises come from yoga, particularly pranayama. In Sanskrit, prana translates as vital energy or life force and ayama as regulation or control. It may be viewed synonymously or better understood, albeit not exactly, as regulating or controlling the breath. This eminent body of yogic breathwork practices started gaining international scientific interest more than half a century ago.
Breathing is a powerful tool for influencing our mind and body. Slow breathing can induce relaxation and calm, while reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Conversely, rapid breathing techniques can create altered states of consciousness similar to psychedelic compounds like psilocybin. This makes breathwork a fascinating and accessible therapeutic tool. Unlike many treatments, breath is something we all possess and can use to tap into our own inner, innate capacity for healing. It's a natural, free resource available to everyone — open source and scalable.
An Eyeforce documentary on breathwork.
Breathwork, both slow and fast, has garnered a surge in public interest owing to its therapeutic potential. Accordingly, there is a lot of hype starting to emerge around this body of practices that have a long history of use and, while such spiritual and ancient practices are starting to be subjected to modern scientific research, there are few rigorously designed studies examining breathwork alongside the growing interest in non-drug alternatives for inducing altered states of consciousness.
By focusing on these areas, BreathworkLab will help build a solid scientific foundation for breathwork, paving the way for its broader acceptance and application in therapeutic settings.
We plan to submit our findings to leading Nature Portfolio journals, including Nature Communications, Nature Human Behaviour, Scientific Reports, and Communications Psychology. Additionally, we will target other prominent journals such as PLOS ONE and Frontiers in Psychiatry. Dr. Fincham will also contribute to the newly launched ResearchHub Journal, starting this year. Nouns will be acknowledged as a funder on all preprints, papers, conference proceedings, symposia, presentations, and public talks. This will firmly establish Nouns DAO's position in the DeSci space.
Goal: To thoroughly understand the experiences induced by intense breathwork practices (in particular high ventilation breathwork; HVB).
Interview expert breathwork practitioners
Conduct a comprehensive literature review
Study breathwork-naïve participants using:
- Established measures for mystical experiences, psychological insight, emotional breakthrough, and altered states of consciousness (ASCs)
- Phenomenological interviews
- Potential new breathwork-specific scales
Examine the role of suggestibility in reported experiences
Develop and validate new scales for breathwork experiences
Explore Movement Ayahuasca, a novel breathwork and movement practice, with anecdotes linked to profound personal transformation
Continue to inform the future of breathwork research and practice
This research will address growing interest in non-drug modalities for inducing ASCs and deepen our understanding of HVB. It will explore how HVB can induce experiences similar to psychedelics when conducted in appropriately curated settings. For example, a rich phenomenological study with some of the most expert practitioners in the world could explore perceived benefits (and harms), along with perceived change processes associated with positive effects. This necessary first step is paramount for elucidating and identifying key outcomes and mechanisms that can then be tested in robust trials, to rigorously assess if and how breathwork is effective in the general population. Moreover, a novel breathing and movement technique called Movement Ayahuasca will also be explored for the first time in a scientific setting.
Goal: To thoroughly understand how intense breathing techniques, known as high ventilation breathwork (HVB), can alter consciousness and potentially lead to profound, even mystical experiences. This research aims to provide a scientific foundation for HVB as a natural method to change our mental state and potentially improve wellbeing. Additionally, a novel breathwork and movement method called Movement Ayahuasca will be explored. Ultimately, provision of breathwork as a non-pharmacological intervention may improve mental health outcomes without stigma or side effects, accompanied by increased empowerment and autonomy through self-regulation techniques.
The ask from Nouns is: $165K over 5 years ($33K/year). The total budget of $99K/year will be split equally across Nouns DAO ($33K), ResearchHub ($33K), and DMT Quest ($33K).
Payment schedules will follow an annual timeline, commencing before the start of each academic year at Brighton & Sussex Medical School (September). Contributions of $33K per year each from ResearchHub, DMT Quest, and Nouns DAO will total $99K annually. These funds will be donated to the University of Sussex to employ Dr. Fincham and provide him with resources to cover the project’s research costs. The University will manage the funds through its standard system, allocating 10% to overheads. This includes providing Dr. Fincham with lab space and covering indirect expenses such as administrative support, facility maintenance, and general operational costs. Notably, this 10% overhead rate is significantly lower than the typical rates for grants, showcasing how DeSci initiatives are driving positive change!
Good scientific research takes time, with many postdoc fellowships offered through TradSci routes lasting up to 5 years, and the current 5-year plan will ensure successful implementation of BreathworkLab’s long-term vision and value.