Floatation-REST, a therapy involving floating in a tank with reduced sensory input, induces altered states of consciousness in people with anxiety and depression. In a randomized trial, 75 adults who floated reported increased awareness of their heartbeat and breathing, along with feelings of oceanic boundlessness, disembodiment, and unity—a pattern called 'aquahenosis.' These effects were strongest in those who chose longer, flexible sessions. The experiential profile overlapped with those reported for psychedelics like psilocybin and ketamine, particularly in boundary dissolution. The findings suggest Floatation-REST is a non-pharmacological method for inducing specific altered states, with oceanic boundlessness mediating improvements in positive affect.
A novel technique of audiovisual stimulation (AVS) substantially improves self-reported mood by reducing anxiety and depression, and enhances performance on mood-sensitive cognitive tasks. In a randomized, controlled, double-blind experiment with 262 participants, AVS effects were highly similar whether binaural beats were present or not and regardless of session duration. Remarkably, the mood benefits from AVS closely aligned with those from breath-focused meditation, and a brief AVS exposure of about five minutes may be sufficient or even optimal for improving mood to a comparable or greater degree than meditation sessions of 11 or 22 minutes. These findings position AVS as a potentially more accessible alternative to meditation.
A novel technique of audiovisual stimulation (AVS) substantially improves self-reported mood by reducing negative affects like anxiety and depression, and enhances performance on mood-sensitive cognitive tasks. Effects were similar whether binaural beats were present or not and regardless of session duration. Mood benefits from AVS closely matched those from breath-focused meditation, and a brief five-minute AVS exposure may be sufficient or optimal for improving mood to a comparable or greater degree than meditation sessions of 11 or 22 minutes. AVS offers a potentially more accessible alternative to meditation, relevant given high attrition in meditation practices.
Children with Angelman syndrome, who are fully conscious, have brainwave patterns that look like those seen during unconsciousness, challenging theories that link consciousness to complex neural activity. However, when comparing wakefulness to sleep, the brainwaves of 35 children with Angelman syndrome show greater complexity during wakefulness, even when accounting for slow-wave activity. This supports the idea that consciousness is tied to neural complexity and warns against assuming a lack of consciousness based solely on EEG readings.