Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews - The Consciousness Library

Advanced meditation, sleep, and consciousness science: An emerging frontier.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2026 Clarita Bonamino, Clara Hausen, Matthew D. Sacchet

Consciousness can persist, transform, and dissolve across wakefulness, sleep, and advanced meditation. Despite empirical and theoretical advances within each domain, these states are rarely examined within an integrated scientific framework. An interdisciplinary perspective reveals converging phenomena that challenge binary accounts of consciousness and highlight its graded, dynamic, and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106741 Full text Lucid dreaming Advanced meditation Consciousness Dreamless sleep +1

Integrated information and predictive processing theories of consciousness: An adversarial collaborative review.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2026 Andrew W. Corcoran, Andrew M. Haun, Reinder Dorman et al.

As neuroscientific theories of consciousness continue to proliferate, the need to assess their similarities and differences - as well as their predictive and explanatory power - becomes ever more pressing. Recently, a number of structured adversarial collaborations have been devised to test the competing predictions of several candidate theories of consciousness. In this review, we compare and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106742 Full text Active inference Adversarial collaboration Consciousness Integrated information theory +3

Marr's ghost.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2026 Madhur Mangalam

David Marr's tri-level analysis has organized cognitive neuroscience for four decades. We argue that it has also constrained it. The framework rests on three assumptions: that cognitive goals can be specified a priori, that neural processes implement algorithms, and that physical substrates are interchangeable realizers of abstract functions. Each assumption was defensible in 1982. Each is now...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106724 Full text Computational neuroscience Computational theory David marr Embodied cognition +3

From guillotine to EEG: Revisiting the neurological controversies of decapitation through modern neurophysiology.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2026 Stéphane Mathis, Gwendal Le Masson

The question of whether consciousness persists after decapitation has fascinated scientists, philosophers, and the public for over two centuries, from 18th-century debates over the guillotine to modern neurophysiological studies of cerebral ischemia. This review synthesizes historical controversies-such as the anecdotal reports of facial movements in severed heads and early galvanism...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106751 Full text Brain death criteria Brainstem reflexes Consciousness loss mechanisms Decapitation neurophysiology +1

Classic psychedelics and autism spectrum disorder: preclinical evidence, mechanistic insights and unresolved challenges.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2026 Fabrizio Ascone, Diletta Giangiacomo, Viviana Trezza

Classic psychedelics have re-emerged as compelling probes of neural plasticity, raising interest in their potential relevance for behavioral and circuit-level features associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although only a limited number of studies have examined these compounds in validated animal models of ASD, a growing body of preclinical work has investigated their effects on...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106761 Full text Synaptic plasticity 5-ht2a signaling Autism spectrum disorder Classic psychedelics +2

Big-tent versus small-tent views of the brain mechanisms underlying consciousness.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews July 13, 2026 Nelson Cowan, Leonel A Gomez

We examine a seldom-discussed characteristic of scientific theories of human consciousness: the extent to which an adequate theory requires a big-tent or integrated, global neural substrate for consciousness or a more limited, small-tent or localized neural substrate. Most current theories of consciousness are big-tent, with the assumption that consciousness must integrate many different types...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106871 Full text Embedded processes model Theories of consciousness

How to set up a psychedelic study: Unique considerations for research involving human participants.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026 Marcus J. Glennon, Catherine Bird, Prateek Yadav et al. 2 citations

Setting up a psychedelic study can be a long, arduous, and Kafkaesque process. Researchers are faced with a host of challenges in this rapidly evolving field, necessitating a range of considerations that remain largely unstandardised. Many of the complexities inherent to psychedelic research also challenge existing assumptions around, for example, approaches to psychiatric prescribing, the...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106657 Full text Ethics Placebo Psychedelics Psychopharmacology +3

A critical review of brain entropy as a biomarker of the psychedelic state.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026 Bruno Moses, Manoj K. Doss, Enzo Tagliazucchi 1 citation

Serotonergic psychedelics induce profound alterations in consciousness, giving rise to an altered state commonly referred to as the psychedelic state. The entropic brain hypothesis proposes that brain entropy (i.e., the degree of uncertainty in the distribution of brain states) is elevated during the psychedelic state, as well as in other states characterized by an expanded breadth of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106720 Full text Consciousness Entropy Neuroimaging Psychedelics

The rhythms of trance: Cultural phenomenology and neural mechanisms of music-induced non-ordinary states of consciousness.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026 Athanasia Kontouli, Michael J Hove, Alexandre Lehmann et al.

This review integrates anthropological and neuroscientific perspectives to elucidate music-induced trance processes and their relevance to non-ordinary states of consciousness (NSCs). The objectives are to deepen the understanding of trance phenomena, delineate links across diverse trance expressions, and inform future neuroscientific research. Drawing on anthropological insights, we examine...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106706 Full text Shamanism Music-induced trance Neuroimaging Raves

Cellular mechanisms of serotonergic psychedelics - apical hypercontextualisation.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026 Karl Kristjan Kaup, Javier Hidalgo Jiménez, Jaan Aru

Classical serotonergic psychedelics primarily exert their profound effects through agonism at the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor, which is abundantly expressed in many cortical regions, particularly in layer V pyramidal neurons of associative and visual areas. At the cellular level, these receptors are predominantly localized postsynaptically on the soma and apical dendrites. This review...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106876

The functional neuroimaging of meditation: A quantitative whole-brain meta-analysis and systematic review.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026 Caitlin Baten, Arielle S Keller, Chris H. Miller et al.

The study of meditation has grown considerably in academic research, including robust findings demonstrating its positive impact on several domains of psychological well-being. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have provided evidence for neural correlates underlying these effects; however, there has not yet been a comprehensive whole-brain meta-analytic synthesis across...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106709 Full text Meditation Focused attention Loving-kindness Mantra recitation +2

Inner speech and the neurobiology of psychosis.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews June 22, 2026 Jeremy I Skipper, Daniel R Lametti, David W Green

Aberrations of inner speech have been linked to psychotic symptoms such as thought insertion and auditory verbal hallucinations. These symptoms may reflect failures of prediction and source monitoring. Normally, efference copies of speech motor commands are sent to auditory cortices and suppressed, helping distinguish self-generated from external input. If suppression malfunctions, predicted...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106805 Full text Auditory cortex Auditory verbal hallucinations Efference copy Inner speech +6

The subjective effects of △9-tetrahydrocannabinol: A systematic review and dose-response meta-regression.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews June 3, 2026 Isabella Goodwin, Dominic Oliver, Edward Chesney et al.

Global shifts towards the liberalisation of cannabis policies have increased the potency of cannabis products, alongside their accessibility, diversity, and the number of inexperienced cannabis consumers. There is a lack of systematic evidence on the subjective effects of cannabis' main psychoactive compound, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). We systematically reviewed and meta-analysed data from...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106795 Full text Cannabis THC Meta-analysis Meta-regression +2

Electrophysiological mechanisms of psychedelic drugs: A systematic review.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews June 1, 2026 Javier Hidalgo Jiménez, Karl Kristjan Kaup, Jaan Aru 1 citation

Serotonergic psychedelics are known for their profound effects on consciousness and are gaining renewed interest as potential psychiatric treatments. These advances underscore the need to clarify the mechanisms of action of these compounds. This systematic review compiles and critically evaluates 23 in vitro and 26 in vivo electrophysiological studies on psychedelic compounds, with an emphasis...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106649 Full text LSD 5-ht2a Doi Electrophysiology +2

Music as a scientific metaphor for mind and brain.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews June 1, 2026 Agustin Ibanez, Nick Roth, Aaron Colverson et al.

Metaphors have long played multiple roles in conceptualizing the mind and brain, guiding the development and refinement of theoretical models and empirical questions. Early analogies (comparing the brain to hydraulic systems, telephone exchanges, factories, or libraries) offered shortcuts to understanding aspects of cognition, memory, and brain dynamics. From theoretical frameworks, metaphors...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106643 Full text Connectivity and synchronization Consciousness Development and plasticity Emotion and affect +3

Serotonergic psychedelics as epigenetic modulators: A paradigm shift in Alzheimer's disease therapeutics.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews May 1, 2026 Esmaeel G Gojani, Houman Farzin, Robert J Sutherland et al.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation, tau pathology, synaptic dysfunction, and neuroinflammation, which collectively drive progressive memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. Increasing evidence implicates epigenetic dysregulation as a key contributor to these pathological processes by altering gene...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106619 Full text Alzheimer’s disease Dna methylation Epigenetics Histone acetylation +1

A systematic review of pharmacological effects on human aversive memory.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews April 1, 2026 Yanfang Xia, Boris B. Quednow, Dominik R Bach

A large body of work has investigated the effect of various pharmacological compounds on aversive memory formation, retrieval, and modification in humans. A broad overview across signalling pathways and memory models is currently lacking. Here, we systematically review publications that tested the impact of acute pharmacological interventions on aversive memory in healthy humans, following...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106548 Full text Aversive memory Fear memory Pharmacological intervention Systematic review

Active inference, computational phenomenology, and advanced meditation: Toward the formalization of the experience of meditation.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews March 1, 2026 Hagar Tal, Malcolm Wright, Shawn Prest et al. 2 citations

Computational phenomenology has emerged as a powerful framework for investigating advanced meditation states and stages, and meditative development and endpoints. Various models have been proposed to mechanistically explain the diverse experiences associated with these practices, including enhanced well-being, shifts in attentional control, the loosening or 'defabrication' of perceptual...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106539 Full text Aif Advanced meditation Attention Computational phenomenology +1

Toward dimensional body consciousness impairments in post-traumatic stress disorder and its dissociative subtype: A predictive processing approach.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews March 1, 2026 Andrew Laurin, Hugo Bottemanne, Samuel Bulteau et al. 2 citations

Current models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) predominantly focus on emotional dysregulation, avoidance behaviors, and intrusive symptoms, with limited attention to disturbances in bodily self-consciousness. These frameworks do not fully account for how trauma may disrupt the integration of interoceptive and exteroceptive signals underlying the sense of embodied self. Building on...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106546 Full text Post-traumatic stress disorder Agency Body ownership Computational psychiatry +2

On biological and artificial consciousness: A case for biological computationalism.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews February 1, 2026 Borjan Milinkovic, Jaan Aru 7 citations

The rapid advances in the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) have galvanised public and scientific debates over whether artificial systems might one day be conscious. Prevailing optimism is often grounded in computational functionalism: the assumption that consciousness is determined solely by the right pattern of information processing, independent of the physical substrate. Opposing...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106524 Full text Artificial consciousness Artificial intelligence Artificial neural networks Biological computation +8

Toward a neuroscience of consciousness using advanced meditation.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews February 1, 2026 Jonathan M. Lieberman, Matthew D. Sacchet 2 citations

Despite decades of progress in the neuroscience of consciousness, prevailing empirical paradigms remain largely anchored in the study of typical, content-rich states that are characterized by layered perceptual, cognitive, affective, and self-referential processes. Such complexity may obscure the neural mechanisms that give rise to conscious experience. Here, we propose that advanced...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106520 Full text Advanced meditation Meditative endpoints Psychedelics Theories of consciousness

Disengaged: A systematic review of community engagement in psychedelic-assisted therapy research.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews February 1, 2026 Mallet R Reid, Jonathan Song, Kevin F. Boehnke et al.

People of color have been significantly underincluded in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) research, despite facing challenges commonly addressed in PAT and often more severe symptoms. It may be the case that people of color are underincluded because PAT researchers have not used approaches designed to promote sample diversity. Community-engaged research (CEnR) is a research paradigm that has...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106516 Full text Community-engaged research Psychedelic assisted therapy

Effects of psychedelic microdosing on cognitive functions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 2026 Netta Pinhas, Nofar Eidlman, Avigail Barnea et al. 2 citations

Microdosing - the practice of consuming extremely low doses of classical psychedelic substances that do not elicit overt psychedelic effects - has gained significant attention as a potential method for enhancing cognitive performance. However, findings from controlled studies remain mixed and inconclusive. This preregistered meta-analysis examined the cognitive effects of classical psychedelic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106493 Full text Lysergic acid diethylamide Microdosing Psilocybin Cognitive performance +2

The interaction between language and consciousness.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 2026 Charlène Aubinet, Olivia Gosseries, Steve Majerus

The degree of interaction between language and consciousness is a theoretically significant yet poorly understood question. In this review, we examine neuroimaging, cognitive, and neuropsychological studies that address this issue by distinguishing between different aspects or dimensions of language and consciousness. The reviewed studies indicate that high-level semantic and sentence...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106498 Full text Aphasia Brain injury Consciousness Inner speech +2

Beyond the brain: a computational MRI-derived neurophysiological framework for robotic conscious capacity.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews December 1, 2025 Álex Escolà-Gascón, Kenneth Drinkwater, Andrew Denovan et al.

Explaining when neural activity supports conscious processing remains an unresolved question in neuroscience. Current frameworks describe correlates of consciousness but rarely provide thresholds to predict its emergence or recovery. We introduce the Attribution Consciousness Index (ACI), a metric that estimates the generative potential of consciousness by balancing measures of dynamic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106430 Full text Anesthesia monitoring Attribution consciousness index Disorders of consciousness Generative artificial intelligence +1

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