Can EMDR Cause Temporary Changes in Breathing?

Can EMDR Cause Temporary Changes in Breathing?

Short Answer: Yes, breathing can temporarily change during Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). You might notice breathing becoming faster, slower, shallower, deeper, or simply more noticeable while focusing on emotionally activating material. Research measuring breathing during EMDR has found temporary changes during eye-movement sets, although the exact pattern varies. Changes in breathing are not required for EMDR to work, and there is no particular breathing pattern you are supposed to produce.

Key Takeaways

• Breathing may temporarily change during EMDR.
• Emotional arousal can naturally affect breathing through the autonomic nervous system.
• EMDR studies have measured changes in respiration during bilateral stimulation.
• Research does not show one breathing pattern that everyone experiences.
• Breathing changes are not a measure of how well EMDR is working.
• You usually do not need to control your breathing or take deliberately deep breaths during processing.
• If your breathing feels distracting, you can pause and let it return to a comfortable rhythm.
• The same basic approach applies during therapist-guided, online, and self-guided EMDR.

Why Might Breathing Change During EMDR?

Breathing responds to more than physical activity.

It can also change with:

• Stress
• Excitement
• Concentration
• Emotional arousal
• Relaxation
• Changes in attention

The autonomic nervous system helps regulate breathing along with heart rate and other automatic body processes. Stress can therefore influence breathing without you consciously deciding to change it.

During EMDR, you may be focusing on emotionally meaningful memories, thoughts, images, or beliefs. As your level of activation changes, your breathing may change too.

What Kinds of Breathing Changes Might You Notice?

There is no single response.

You might notice:

• Breathing a little faster
• Breathing more slowly
• Shallower breaths
• A deeper breath or sigh
• Briefly holding your breath
• Breathing becoming more regular
• Suddenly becoming aware of your breathing

Or you may notice no change at all.

The important point is that EMDR does not require any particular breathing response.

What Does Research Show?

Physiological studies provide useful evidence that breathing can change during EMDR.

One controlled study found that during EMDR, respiration became shallow and regular and synchronized with the rhythm of the eye movements. At the same time, several other physiological measures shifted, including a decrease in heart rate overall.

A later study that examined 55 EMDR treatment sessions found a different short-term pattern. Respiration rate increased during ongoing stimulation, even though overall physiological activity decreased across the sessions.

Another study found that respiration rate increased as eye movements continued while heart rate and skin conductance decreased.

Together, these findings show that respiration can change during EMDR—but not in one simple or universal direction.

Does EMDR Usually Make You Breathe Faster?

Not necessarily.

Some research has found increased respiration rate during portions of bilateral stimulation.

But another study observed shallow, regular breathing synchronized with eye movements.

That means it would be inaccurate to say:

“EMDR normally makes people breathe faster.”

A better conclusion is that breathing patterns can shift temporarily during processing.

Can Your Breathing Slow Down Instead?

Yes.

You may notice your breathing becoming slower or calmer as emotional activation changes.

You might suddenly realize:

“I am breathing more easily now.”

That can simply be another change in your physiological state.

It does not necessarily identify the exact moment a memory became processed.

What If You Take a Big Breath or Sigh?

That can happen.

A sigh or deeper breath may naturally appear when your breathing pattern changes.

You do not need to interpret a single deep breath as:

“That means I released something.”

It may simply be a breath.

EMDR works with what naturally comes up rather than requiring particular physical signs.

What If You Notice Yourself Holding Your Breath?

You may occasionally realize that you have been briefly holding your breath, especially during intense concentration or an emotionally activating moment.

If you notice it, you can simply let your breathing resume comfortably.

There is usually no need to:

• Analyze why you held your breath
• Force a particular breathing pattern
• Start counting every breath
• Continuously monitor your respiration

The observation itself may be enough.

Does Faster Breathing Mean the Memory Is More Distressing?

Not necessarily.

Different memories can produce different physical responses.

One target might be accompanied by noticeably faster breathing.

Another might bring up strong emotion while your breathing barely changes.

A third might be associated with slower breathing.

Breathing rate alone does not tell you how important, distressing, or therapeutically meaningful a target is.

Does a Breathing Change Mean EMDR Is Working?

No.

Breathing is not a progress meter.

You do not need your breathing to:

• Speed up
• Slow down
• Become deeper
• Become shallower
• Synchronize with eye movements

for EMDR processing to occur.

Researchers have observed breathing changes during EMDR, but those findings describe physiological responses. They do not establish a breathing pattern that indicates successful treatment.

Should You Pay Attention to Your Breathing?

Only when it naturally stands out or when you are using breathing as part of a grounding strategy.

During processing, there is generally no need to repeatedly check:

“Am I breathing correctly?”

“Is my breathing too fast?”

“Has it slowed down yet?”

EMDR asks you to notice what comes up, not to monitor every body process continuously.

Do You Need to Take Deep Breaths During EMDR?

No.

Deep breathing is not a required part of EMDR processing.

If slow, comfortable breathing is already a familiar grounding strategy for you, you may choose to use it during a pause.

But you do not need to force large breaths throughout processing.

Research on breathing also shows that deliberately changing breathing is more complicated than simply assuming “deeper is better.”

Comfortable, natural breathing is generally enough.

Can Breathing Changes Be Connected With Other Body Sensations?

Yes.

Breathing changes may appear alongside other sensations such as:

• A more noticeable heartbeat
• Chest tension
• Stomach butterflies
• Sweating
• Warmth or coldness
• Lightheadedness
• Muscle tension

That does not mean these sensations must appear together.

Your body response may be subtle, noticeable, or absent depending on the moment.

What Should You Do if Your Breathing Feels Uncomfortable?

You can pause.

You might:

• Look around the room
• Feel your feet on the floor
• Notice the chair supporting you
• Let your shoulders soften
• Give your breathing a moment to settle naturally
• Continue when you feel ready

There is no benefit in forcing yourself through a set simply because you think you are supposed to keep going.

Can Breathing Change Several Times in One Session?

Yes.

Breathing may vary as the material you are focusing on changes.

For example, you might notice:

“My breathing became faster when that image came up.”

Then later:

“Now it feels slower.”

The research supports this broader idea that physiological activity can change within individual stimulation periods and across a full EMDR session.

You do not need to make the changes happen.

What If Your Breathing Never Changes?

That is equally possible.

Many people may not notice anything unusual about their breathing during EMDR.

You might instead notice:

• A new thought
• A change in emotion
• A different perspective
• A memory becoming less vivid
• Another physical sensation

Or you may simply breathe normally throughout the session.

No particular respiratory response is required.

Can Breathing Feel Different After EMDR?

You may briefly notice that your breathing feels calmer, deeper, or simply more noticeable after a session.

But you do not need to monitor breathing afterward to determine whether processing is continuing.

Your breathing changes throughout an ordinary day based on movement, posture, stress, conversation, exercise, and many other factors.

Not every change after EMDR needs to be connected back to the session.

Should You Write Down a Breathing Change?

Only if it seems meaningful enough to remember.

For example:

“Breathing sped up when that part of the memory came up.”

or:

“I noticed I was holding my breath, then it settled.”

That can be useful information without turning your breathing into something you track constantly.

What About Therapist-Guided Online EMDR?

The same principles apply during therapist-guided online EMDR.

If your breathing noticeably changes, you can simply tell the therapist:

“I noticed my breathing got faster.”

or:

“I took a big breath and feel calmer now.”

You do not need to produce a detailed explanation.

The therapist can include the breathing change with the other thoughts, emotions, images, and body sensations you are noticing.

What About Self-Guided EMDR?

The same practical approach applies during Virtual EMDR, the structured self-guided online program.

Virtual EMDR users manage their own pacing and pauses and select or adjust the available visual or audio bilateral stimulation settings.

If your breathing changes during a self-guided session:

• Notice it without judging it.
• Let your breathing remain comfortable.
• Pause if the change is distracting.
• Ground yourself if that feels useful.
• Continue when the pace feels workable.

You do not need to change bilateral stimulation settings simply because your breathing became faster or slower.

Conclusion

Breathing can temporarily change during EMDR.

Research has documented shifts in respiration during eye-movement sets, including increases in respiration rate in some studies and shallow, regular breathing in another. Across sessions, physiological activity may also move toward overall de-arousal.

That means there is no single breathing response you should expect.

Faster breathing does not prove that processing is working.

Slower breathing does not prove that the memory is resolved.

And completely ordinary breathing is also possible.

If your breathing changes during EMDR, notice it without turning it into a test. Let your breathing settle naturally, pause if that feels useful, and continue at a pace that feels workable.