August 26, 2026
Isabel Dziobek, Barbara Breitenstein, Martha N. Havenith et al.
This preregistration specifies the confirmatory efficacy and safety analyses for the main paper of the EX_WELL arm of the RESET Berlin trial. The trial compares circular breathwork against progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), an active, structurally matched comparator, in adults with trauma exposure and subclinical depressive symptomatology. The primary outcome is mental well-being (WEMWBS)....
Frontiers in Psychology
July 30, 2026
Lena Erdmann, Barbara Breitenstein, Maria Badanova et al.
BackgroundResearch suggests that high ventilation breathwork (HVB) improves mental health by reducing experiential avoidance (EA) through altered states of consciousness (ASCs). The present study examined whether EA during participants’ most recent breathwork session predicted mental well-being afterward. Additionally, the study examined the relationships between EA, ASCs, emotional...
Open MIND
July 9, 2026
Emma Wiethoff, Barbara Breitenstein, Nina Hartter et al.
This preregistration specifies hypotheses and an analysis plan for a randomized controlled trial comparing Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB) with Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) in adults with a history of childhood adversity. The primary outcome is change in self-compassion from pre- to post-intervention. Secondary analyses examine whether altered states of consciousness during CCB...
Open MIND
May 28, 2026
Josephine Jörke, Lena Erdmann, Michael A. Rapp et al.
This project investigates the safety profile of high ventilation breathwork (HVB). HVB has been shown to reliably induce altered states of consciousness (ASCs) comparable to psychedelics and has demonstrated multiple positive effects on mental health in clinical and non-clinical populations. Although HVB is regarded as generally safe when considering contraindications, intense somatic,...
Psychological review
November 1, 2025
Max Wolff, Hans Rutrecht, Lea J. Mertens et al.
Psychedelic therapy is commonly understood as a form of psychotherapy. However, despite promising results from clinical trials, scientific progress has been hindered by a lack of theoretical integration between the fields of psychedelic and psychotherapy research. This article seeks to bridge this divide by outlining a transtheoretical understanding of psychedelic-occasioned psychological...
Molecular Psychiatry
June 1, 2025
Johannes Jungwirth, Robin von Rotz, Isabel Dziobek et al.
19 citations
Empathy plays a crucial role in interpersonal relationships and mental health. It is decreased in a variety of psychiatric disorders including major depression. Psilocybin, a promising candidate for treating depression, has been shown to acutely increase emotional empathy in healthy volunteers. However, no study has investigated this effect and its relevance for symptom improvement in a...
Neuroimage
July 1, 2022
Simon Guendelman, Mareike Bayer, Kristin Prehn et al.
Although much research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can reduce psychological stress, it is less clear if effects generalize to everyday social situations, which range among the largest stress triggers. Furthermore, mechanisms of MBIs have not been fully established. Emotion regulation (ER) has been suggested as one key mechanism, yet the role of cognitive reappraisal...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
June 14, 2017
Thomas Pokorny, Katrin H. Preller, Michael Kometer et al.
202 citations
Background: Impaired empathic abilities lead to severe negative social consequences and influence the development and treatment of several psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, empathy has been shown to play a crucial role in moral and prosocial behavior. Although the serotonin system has been implicated in modulating empathy and moral behavior, the relative contribution of the various serotonin...
European Psychiatry
March 1, 2015
Katrin H. Preller, Thomas Pokorny, Rainer Krähenmann et al.
20 citations
Social cognition is a crucial factor influencing development, progress, and treatment of psychiatric disorders. However, social cognition skills are insufficiently targeted by current treatment approaches. In particular, patients suffering from depression show an increased negative reaction to social exclusion and deficits in empathy. The 5HT-1A/2A receptor agonist psilocybin has previously...
PLoS One
June 27, 2014
Kim P. C. Kuypers, Rafael de la Torre, Magı́ Farré et al.
88 citations
The present study aimed at investigating the effect of MDMA on measures of empathy and social interaction, and the roles of oxytocin and the 5-HT1A receptor in these effects. The design was placebo-controlled within-subject with 4 treatment conditions: MDMA (75 mg), with or without pindolol (20 mg), oxytocin nasal spray (40 IU+16 IU) or placebo. Participants were 20 healthy poly-drug MDMA...