Journal of Sleep Research
August 1, 2026
Nicola De Pisapia, Erdem Taskiran, Stefano Mastino et al.
Lucid dreaming, defined as the experience of becoming aware of dreaming while dreaming, offers a unique window into a state of consciousness characterised by a blending of the sensory vividness of REM sleep with the self-awareness of wakefulness. While past functional imaging has shed light on the neural activity supporting lucid dreaming, the structural brain correlates of lucid dream...
Mindfulness
February 24, 2025
Matteo Chies, Gabriele Penazzi, Maria Chiara Pavesi et al.
This study took place in a high-level educational framework; it evaluated the effects of four contemplative practices: Focused Attention Meditation (FAM), Open Monitoring Meditation (OMM), Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM), and Self-Loving Kindness Meditation (self-LKM). The focus was on their impact on teamwork competencies, as well as how they were influenced by both the individual and the...
Applied Sciences
December 19, 2024
Nicola De Pisapia, Gabriele Penazzi, Ignacio Ibarra et al.
2 citations
This study explores the use of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) cave environments to investigate hypotheses concerning altered states of consciousness, creativity, and flexible thinking in archaeological contexts. Building on the premise that ancient humans used caves as sites for rituals involving altered consciousness, we recreated a virtual cave environment to simulate these experiences and...
Frontiers in Psychology
July 15, 2022
Gabriele Penazzi, Nicola De Pisapia
16 citations
Hypnosis and meditation share phenomenological and neurophysiological features, and their comparison is a topic of growing interest in the scientific literature. In this article, we review a classification of these two kinds of non-ordinary states of consciousness, and discuss the studies that directly compare them. Some findings seem to suggest that hypnosis and meditation are distinct...