The Working uses connected breathwork, which produces real physiological changes. This page explains what those changes are, when this practice is not appropriate, and what to do if something feels like too much. Read it once before your first session.
Connected breathwork — inhale flowing directly into exhale with no pause — alters blood CO₂ levels. As you breathe more rapidly than usual, carbon dioxide is expelled faster than it is produced. This is called hypocapnia. It is temporary and fully reversible the moment normal breathing resumes.
Hypocapnia produces a predictable set of physical responses. These are not signs of danger — they are the mechanism working as intended. The following effects are normal and expected:
Most commonly felt in the hands, face, and around the mouth. Caused by altered blood pH affecting nerve firing thresholds. Peaks during connected breathing and subsides within minutes of normal breathing resuming.
Low CO₂ causes mild vasoconstriction in cerebral blood vessels. This produces a floating or detached sensation. It is not dangerous. Sit or lie down before beginning — do not stand during a session.
Involuntary muscle contractions, most often in the hands — fingers may draw inward or cramp. This is a known physiological response to hypocapnia and resolves completely when breathing normalises. It is uncomfortable but not harmful.
Waves of grief, anger, fear, release, or euphoria may arise. This is the purpose of the practice. These states pass. If an emotion feels overwhelming, slow the breath immediately — five seconds in through the nose, five seconds out.
Temporary shifts in perception, visual phenomena, or a dreamlike quality to experience. These are expected effects of the theta and alpha frequencies combined with breathwork. They pass when the session ends.
Occasional and usually mild. If nausea is strong, stop the connected breathing and breathe slowly through the nose. Sitting upright rather than lying flat may help. The effect passes quickly.
The following conditions are contraindicated because the physiological changes produced by connected breathwork — altered CO₂ levels, vasoconstriction, elevated arousal, and altered states — may be harmful in these contexts. This list is not exhaustive. If you have a medical condition not listed here that affects your cardiovascular, neurological, or respiratory system, consult a physician before using The Working.
If you are currently in a mental health crisis or are working with acute trauma, please work with a licensed professional before using this practice independently.
After a Transmute session, patterns that have been worked are in a temporarily loosened state — the nervous system is open to re-encoding. This is the reconsolidation window. Research suggests it lasts several hours.
During this window, avoid situations that are likely to retrigger the pattern you worked. The sealed screen guidance suggests 20 minutes of physical movement — walking, dancing, anything that raises the heart rate — as a way to move the arousal through the body and stabilise the new state.
Strong emotional states may persist for up to 24 hours after an intensive session. This is normal and part of the processing. Journalling, physical movement, and time outdoors support integration. Avoid alcohol and cannabis during this period — both can interfere with the consolidation process.
End the session immediately and seek medical attention if you experience:
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis after a session, please contact a crisis line or mental health professional. The Working is a self-directed instrument — it is not a substitute for clinical care.
International Association for Suicide Prevention: crisis centre directory · Samaritans (UK): 116 123 · Crisis Text Line (US): text HOME to 741741
The Monroe Institute's Gateway Experience — the most documented binaural entrainment programme of the twentieth century — explicitly structures its work across six sequential albums of exercises, each building on the last. The instruction throughout is that the depth of the experience depends on the brain learning to follow the frequencies, which improves with repetition.
The same principle applies here. The Working uses the same fundamental technology as the Gateway programme — binaural beats, altered breath, progressive states — and the same expectation is warranted: the first session may produce only mild effects. This is not the practice failing. It is the nervous system learning the protocol.
What this means practically: if your first session produced tingling and some lightheadedness but little else, that is a successful first session. The deeper material — imagery, emotional release, genuine state shift — tends to emerge from the second or third session onward as the nervous system recognises and follows the structure.
The five-minute taster exists to give you a real physiological experience of the practice before committing. The full session — starting at ten minutes — is where the state becomes substantially more available. Most users report a marked shift in depth between their first and third full sessions.
The Working is a self-directed personal practice tool. It is not a medical device, a therapeutic intervention, or a substitute for professional mental health or medical care. It does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition.
By using The Working, you confirm that none of the listed contraindications apply to you, that you have read and understood this precautions page, that you assume full personal responsibility for your use of this instrument and any effects that arise from it, and that you release the creators of The Working from all liability to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
If you are unsure whether this practice is appropriate for you, consult a qualified health professional before proceeding.