Contemporary accounts of hemispheric asymmetry in cognitive neuroscience predominantly emphasize neuroanatomical localization and functional specialization, while offering limited explanatory mechanisms for how lateralized neural processes become observable in embodied behavior. The Subjectica Hypothesis proposes a neurophenomenological framework in which hemispheric asymmetry is expressed not...
Embodied cognition and hemispheric asymmetry remain fragmented fields with unresolved explanatory gaps. Existing models describe lateralized emotional processing, motor asymmetry, and context-dependent behavior, but they lack an integrated explanation linking subjective phenomenology to measurable kinematic patterns. This article proposes the Subjectic hypothesis: a neurophenomenological model...
Preprints.orgDecember 15, 2025Zulqarnain Ali
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We present a comprehensive analysis of consciousness in artificial intelligence systems using Integrated Information Theory (IIT) 3.0 and 4.0 frameworks. Our work confirms and formalizes the established IIT result that feedforward neural architectures necessarily generate zero integrated information ( Φ = 0) under both IIT 3.0 and 4.0 formalisms. Through mathematical analysis and computational...
Background: Bipolar disorder secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common, mechanistically distinct, and notoriously treatment-resistant. Rapid-acting glutamatergic antidepressants such as ketamine are effective in bipolar depression but remain inaccessible to most patients.Case presentation: We describe a woman in her mid-thirties with documented right frontal atrophy after a severe...
This paper argues that the moment-to-moment content of phenomenal consciousness is identical to whichever neural or mnemonic representation is, at that instant, transiently the most accessible given the system’s causal history and current embedding context. Building on Tulving’s distinction between availability and accessibility, together with empirical work on working-memory constraints,...
This paper examines the relationship between mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and creativity in workplace settings. Because only three — and highly heterogeneous — studies met the criteria for a systematic review, the authors conducted a critical narrative synthesis instead. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (up to February 2025) following PRISMA...
Soto Zen Buddhist precepts, contemplative medicine, and nursing are used to examine ethical and spiritual ramifications of being silent in the face of environmental destruction and nuclear hazards. It explores how spiritual integrity can guide personal, professional, and planetary development using a personal narrative based on Soto Zen practice and training in contemplative medicine, as well...
Religious and spiritual (R/S) practices and experiences invoke measurable neurocognitive processes that enhance resilience and recovery from affective disorders. Converging evidence from functional neuroanatomy and network studies demonstrate R/S practices recruit brain networks that regulate self-referential processing, salience attribution, executive control, reward, and social bonding....
This manuscript provides a naturalistic foundation for a Philosophy of Enactive Inference and, on this basis, argues for a multi-perspectival monism. Starting from the thesis that the spatiotemporal dynamics of brain activity function as a "common currency" for neuronal and mental processes, the paper develops a multi-layered synthesis of the theories of Northoff, Buonomano, Friston, and...
Alcohol use disorder is a psychiatric condition characterized by excessive alcohol consumption. The drugs that are used to treat it often fail to prevent relapse. At the same time, psilocybin is increasingly being investigated for the treatment of various substance use disorder. This review aims to evaluate the results of the most recent clinical trials assessing psilocybin as a treatment for...
Preprints.orgOctober 10, 2025Diana C. Parra, Nancy Jacquelyn Pérez‐Flores, María Torres Wedding et al.
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This mixed methods study assessed the benefits, barriers, and facilitators to participation in an 8-week culturally grounded, community-based mindfulness program for the Latino immigrant population in the United States. The program was aimed at reducing levels of stress and improving wellbeing and sleep outcomes. In collaboration with a community-based organization, we conducted six focus...
Mind–body practices such as meditation, yoga, and martial arts have been shown to foster psychological well-being and flexible self-experience. However, few studies have examined meditative bodywork rooted in martial traditions or addressed short-term psychological effects related to shifts in self–other boundaries. The present study examined the short-term psychological effects of the Wakame...
This paper challenges the dominant representationalist paradigm in the philosophy of mind by developing a process-monistic, anti-representationalist account of cognition. It argues that the persistent mind-body problem is a consequence of a flawed substance ontology and the representationalist framework it necessitates. To overcome this, the paper constructs a critical synthesis of three...
Preprints.orgSeptember 29, 2025Jay Toulany, Jasmyn E. A. Cunningham, Abraham Nunes
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Lithium remains the first choice for long-term prophylaxis of mood episodes in bipolar disorder (BD), but only 30% of patients will respond, and there is no reliable method by which to predict treatment response. Ketamine is a rapid antidepressant therapy which ostensibly yields greater results in patients with clinical phenotypes that are classically associated with lithium non-response. Thus,...
This philosophical essay explores the concept of "awakening" as a dynamic, non-permanent process by bridging ancient philosophy and modern neuroscience. It challenges the traditional view of a static, eternal nirvana by interpreting the human yearning for such a state as a form of "incompetence-compensation." Drawing on Heraclitus's idea of Aletheia (unconcealment) and Buddhist teachings on...
Background: Contemplative practices encompass a variety of static and dynamic practices. A theoretical introduction traces differences among contemplative and meditative states; bottom-up and top-down embodied contemplative practices; implications of polyvagal theory in trauma recovery. Contemplative practices, by fostering insights, heightened awareness, and a deeper connection to a broader...
Preprints.orgJune 20, 2025Lida‐alkisti Xenaki, Nikos C. Stefanis
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Psychosis constitutes a profound alteration in the individual's relationship with the self and the world, expressed through symptoms signalized by loss of reality testing. Mainstream psychiatric approaches often rely heavily on descriptive psychopathology, which may overlook the multifaceted subjective experiences of affected individuals. This paper outlines an integrative framework to enhance...
Preprints.orgJune 19, 2025Danial Daroui, Andrea Mastrostefano, Flavio Davini et al.1 citation
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Background: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic pathological condition with significant burdens throughout the world. Despite the effectiveness of the current pharmacological treatments, the ongoing issues with AUD and the high relapse rates necessitate the exploration of innovative therapies, including the use of psychedelic drugs, which have shown promising initial results. The purpose of...
Addressing the escalating environmental crisis requires not only technological and economic solutions but also a transformation in human behavior and organizational practices. This paper examines the potential of mindfulness to foster pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) by enhancing psychological traits, such as ecological awareness and emotional regulation, that support sustainable actions. It...
Preprints.orgJune 13, 2025Gopikrishna Deshpande, Joshita Majumdar, D. Rangaprakash
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Mysticism has been an integral part of human society for ages. It involves both spirituality and religiosity. The former is associated with attaining higher states of consciousness without an essential belief in a supernatural power (or God), while the latter does. While there is plenty of speculative literature available on these topics, we instead focus on peer-reviewed scientific literature...
There can be degrees of attention. Greater depth of attention is often referred to as concentration or absorption. Great depth of attention may affect the way we experience the world, leading in extreme cases to religious experiences. In spite of its importance, little is known about the neural correlates (NCCs) of those states. This paper makes a proposal as to those correlates. It suggests...
Background/Objectives: The high prevalence of anxiety and depression in early adolescents, along with the significant disability these conditions, represent a major challenge for mental health. This data underscores the need to understand the variables that predict mental health in this developmental period. Objective: Evaluate the predictive role of mindfulness, difficulties in emotional...
Recently, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) has become a more prevalent mental health issue across the population. It is on the rise globally and is particularly affecting higher-income countries, such as the United States; in the United States, anxiety prevalence rose from 5.12% in 2008 to 6.68% in 2018 among adults aged 18 and older, indicating a significant upward trend. Furthermore,...
We present and develop Local Prospect Theory (LPT) as a novel framework for understanding consciousness, and in particular subjective experience and free will. While Predictive Processing (PP) theories model the brain as minimizing uncertainty, LPT sees uncertainty as an essential feature of conscious decision making. This is achieved by creating a "local prospect"—a range of potential...