PLoS One
October 18, 2019
Sylvie Droit-Volet, Magali Chaulet, Frédéric Dutheil et al.
22 citations
Mindfulness meditation alters time perception in opposite directions depending on the interval length. In two experiments, participants who meditated for 15 minutes underestimated intervals of 15 to 50 seconds but overestimated intervals of 2 to 6 minutes, compared to a control exercise. Across all durations, meditation made time feel as though it passed faster. The meditation exercise increased present-moment awareness and happiness while reducing anxiety. Statistical analyses showed that present-moment focus mediated the effect on time estimates for long durations. The opposing effects are explained by different cognitive mechanisms: attention for short intervals and memory for long intervals.
PLoS One
December 2, 2010
Gantt P. Galloway, Jennifer D. Siegrist, Lynn C. Robertson et al.
22 citations
A double-blind placebo-controlled study found that the hallucinogen MDA increases closed-eye visions and mystical-type experiences. People who had more intense visions tended to perform worse on tests of contour integration and object recognition, suggesting that drug-induced hallucinations may be stronger in individuals with poorer perceptual processing. This points to possible shared mechanisms with hallucinations in psychiatric and neurological conditions.
PLoS One
January 1, 2024
Mikael Rubin, Caitlin M Fischer, Michael J Telch
21 citations
A single-session mindfulness and compassion intervention, delivered via telehealth, reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and depression in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, but did not reduce loneliness. 91 adults were randomly assigned to a one-hour mindfulness-only session, a one-hour mindfulness and compassion session, or a one-week waitlist. Compared to the waitlist, the combined mindfulness and compassion intervention led to meaningful reductions in perceived stress, anxiety, and depression at one-week follow-up. The mindfulness-only session did not produce these effects. The findings suggest that a brief, scalable intervention can improve some aspects of mental health, though loneliness may require more sustained support.
PLoS One
January 30, 2020
V. Charland-Verville, D. Ribeiro de Paula, C. Martial et al.
20 citations
Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) are commonly portrayed as passing to an afterlife, but empirical research is recent and their definition remains debated. Questionnaires used to identify NDEs may be restrictive and subjective. To address this, researchers analyzed freely expressed narratives from 158 participants who reported a firsthand NDE, using automated text-mining. The analysis identified the most common words and, through hierarchical clustering, revealed three main clusters of features: visual perceptions, emotions, and spatial components. The authors suggest that this user-independent, data-driven approach can help build a more rigorous description and definition of NDEs.
PLoS One
March 16, 2022
Katharina Dworatzyk, Tallulah Jansen, Timo Torsten Schmidt
19 citations
Two self-report questionnaires for assessing psychedelic experiences, the Challenging Experience Questionnaire and the Ego-Dissolution Inventory, were translated into German and evaluated in an online survey. The German version of the Challenging Experience Questionnaire showed acceptable fit to the original 7-factor structure, good internal consistency, and convergent validity with measures of anxiety and altered states of consciousness. The German Ego-Dissolution Inventory did not support the original single-factor structure; exploratory analysis suggested a 5-item version that measured ego-dissolution with high internal consistency and convergent validity. These validated translations help standardize assessment in psychological and neuroscientific research on altered states of consciousness.
PLoS One
October 25, 2021
Annie Regan, Seth Margolis, Harriet de Wit et al.
18 citations
MDMA produces a moderate-to-large increase in self-reported feelings of sociability—such as feeling loving, talkative, and friendly—according to a meta-analysis of 27 placebo-controlled studies involving 592 participants. The overall effect size was d = 0.86, indicating a substantial boost in sociability-related outcomes. This finding suggests MDMA could have powerful implications for social interactions and clinical settings, such as in psychotherapy. The analysis highlights the need for larger experimental studies and further investigation into the mechanisms linking MDMA to enhanced social connection.
PLoS One
June 15, 2016
Andrea E. Steuer, Corina Schmidhauser, Eva H Tingelhoff et al.
18 citations
Bupropion pretreatment increased the maximum plasma concentration and overall exposure of both MDMA stereoisomers, while reducing the levels of its major metabolites by about 40%, in healthy volunteers. These changes in MDMA pharmacokinetics due to reduced CYP2D6 activity were similar to those seen in people with naturally lower CYP2D6 function (intermediate metabolizers). The alterations in stereoselectivity based on CYP2D6 activity likely have low clinical relevance. Bupropion and its metabolite levels were not affected by MDMA co-administration.
PLoS One
January 1, 2024
Omar Almahayni, Lucy Hammond
16 citations
A systematic review of nine studies on the Wim Hof Method (WHM)—combining breathing, cold exposure, and commitment—found that it may reduce inflammation by increasing epinephrine levels, which raises interleukin-10 and lowers pro-inflammatory cytokines in both healthy and non-healthy participants. Effects on exercise performance and respiratory parameters (minute ventilation, tidal volume, breathing frequency) were mixed. The review suggests WHM shows promise for modulating inflammatory responses, but more research is needed in people with inflammatory disorders and on the breathing method alone for exercise enhancement.
PLoS One
August 15, 2013
Jeongkyu Shin, George A. Mashour, Seungwoo Ku et al.
16 citations
General anesthesia rapidly alters brain network connectivity, and standard graph-theoretical methods that assume static networks are poorly suited to capture these changes. A new technique was introduced to track the temporal evolution of network modules. Multichannel EEG was recorded from 18 surgical patients anesthetized with propofol or sevoflurane. Networks were reconstructed by treating each EEG channel as a node and correlated activity between channels as a link. The frequency of subgraphs with a defined number of links was analyzed; subgraphs with high occurrence probability were called network "backbones." Constitutive, variable, and state-specific backbones were identified across consciousness, induction, maintenance, and recovery. This approach enables a granular, dynamic description of network evolution.
PLoS One
March 7, 2024
Sean M. Viña
14 citations
Lifetime classic psychedelic use is independently linked to lower psychological distress, but household size alters that relationship. Larger households are associated with higher distress, and this negative effect is amplified among psychedelic users. Three-way interactions show that the harmful association between household size and distress is strongest for psychedelic users who are married, divorced, or widowed. The findings suggest that social context—particularly household composition—moderates the potential health benefits of psychedelic use, with married and formerly married individuals in larger households experiencing the worst outcomes.
PLoS One
January 1, 2023
Marco Schlosser, Harriet Demnitz-King, Thorsten Barnhofer et al.
13 citations
Older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) recruited from memory clinics are at higher risk for dementia and often have reduced well-being due to memory concerns and fear of dementia. A randomized trial compared an 8-week caring mindfulness-based approach for seniors (CMBAS) with a health self-management program (HSMP) in 147 participants. The mindfulness program showed a small advantage over HSMP in improving a sense of connection immediately after the intervention. However, overall psychological well-being, quality of life, and other composite measures did not increase in either group. The findings suggest that these brief non-pharmacological interventions had only limited effects on well-being in SCD.
PLoS One
December 16, 2022
Caroline L. Alves, Rubens Gisbert Cury, Kirstin Roster et al.
13 citations
Ayahuasca, an Amazonian plant blend used in traditional medicine for centuries, is a promising therapy for neurological and mental diseases. Using an EEG dataset, machine learning and complex network analysis automatically detected changes in brain activity at three data abstraction levels. Connectivity changes between brain regions (correlation of EEG time series) yielded the highest accuracy (92%), followed by raw EEG (88%) and complex network measures (83%). The frontal and temporal lobes were most activated, consistent with prior work. A novel finding identified F3 and PO4 as the most important brain connections, possibly linked to face-recognition-like cognitive processes during visual hallucinations.
PLoS One
December 2, 2021
Imke Hanssen, Vera Scheepbouwer, Marloes J. Huijbers et al.
12 citations
Adverse effects during Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for bipolar disorder are not rare but are generally not serious or long-lasting. In a randomized trial with 144 patients, 29 reported adverse effects, most frequently in the first three weeks. Seven types of adverse effects were observed: cognitive, perceptual, affective, somatic, conative, sense of self, and social. Higher baseline anxiety increased risk. More than half of patients later viewed the adverse effects as part of a therapeutic process rather than harmful. Influencing factors included predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, and mitigating elements.
PLoS One
March 28, 2024
Oscar Perez-Diaz, Daylín Góngora, José Luis González–Mora et al.
11 citations
Experienced Sahaja Yoga meditators show stronger white-matter connections between brain regions involved in attention and emotion regulation, specifically between the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala, compared to non-meditators. Meditators had more tracts in five pathways, including interhemispheric connections between the amygdalae and anterior insulae, and connections from the left anterior cingulate to the right anterior insula and both amygdalae. Non-meditators had more tracts in two pathways within the left hemisphere, connecting the left anterior insula to the left amygdala and left anterior cingulate. Long-term meditation practice is associated with strengthened connections supporting top-down emotional and attentional control, possibly related to the mental silence state, while reduced left-hemisphere connectivity may reflect diminished emotional processing.
PLoS One
January 1, 2024
Khamisi Musanje, Rosco Kasujja, Carol S Camlin et al.
11 citations
A mindfulness and acceptance-based group intervention reduced depression, anxiety, and internalized stigma among adolescents with HIV in Uganda. In an open-label randomized trial with 122 participants aged 15–19, those who attended four weekly 90-minute sessions showed significantly greater decreases in depression, anxiety, and stigma compared with those receiving standard care. The intervention appears to help young people cope with the dual challenges of adolescence and HIV-related stigma, potentially improving adherence to treatment.
PLoS One
January 7, 2021
Karsten Fatur
11 citations
Among 68 users of hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms in Slovenia, curiosity was the main reason for starting, typically in their 20s. Psilocybe spp. were the most used, mentioned by about 91% of participants, and half used no other natural hallucinogens. Many plants or mushrooms were used only a few times. The internet often introduced users to these substances. Dosing, methods of use, and settings varied widely, as did knowledge of dangers and natural occurrence. Contrary to public opinion linking use to partying or problematic drug use, most users sought interesting effects, personal growth, and overcoming personal difficulties.
PLoS One
September 13, 2018
Terje Sparby, Ulrich Ott
11 citations
Interviews with 30 Anthroposophic meditators revealed 14 themes of motivation, organized into three overarching forms: external, internal, and service. The findings suggest a developmental trajectory from external and internal motivations toward service-oriented motivations. This framework expands on a prior scheme by Shapiro, adding new motivation types and distinguishing between self-related (heteronomous and autonomous) and other-related motivations.
PLoS One
May 2, 2025
Nikita Singh, Srijith Kambala, Logan Neitzke-Spruill et al.
10 citations
Public interest in psychedelics and adult use has grown alongside research into their clinical potential. A landscape analysis of online, publicly available information identified 298 organizations offering psychedelic retreats to English-speaking consumers between July and December 2023. Most organizations focused on general wellness rather than religious identity. Ayahuasca was the most commonly offered substance, followed by psilocybin and San Pedro. Retreats were held at 440 distinct physical locations worldwide, with 130 inside the United States and 310 outside. Prices varied widely. Further research into retreat practices is recommended to reduce harm and support consumer education.
PLoS One
January 17, 2025
Shakila Meshkat, Wendy Lou, Rakesh Jetly et al.
10 citations
A new pilot study will test whether a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin combined with one week of massed cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is feasible, tolerable, and effective for chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which affects 3.9% of the general population. Fifteen participants with chronic PTSD will receive 12 CPT sessions, two psilocybin-related psychotherapy sessions, and one dosing session over 7 days. Feasibility and tolerability will be measured by recruitment, withdrawal, data completion, adherence, and adverse events. Preliminary efficacy will assess reductions in PTSD severity and explore mechanisms of change, with 12 weeks of follow-up and wearable device data. Results will guide a future large-scale randomized trial.
PLoS One
January 1, 2025
Nicholas K. Canby, Elizabeth A Cosby, Roman Palitsky et al.
10 citations
Childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms are linked to worse depression outcomes and more meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs. Across two clinical trials, total childhood trauma and childhood sexual abuse consistently predicted poorer depression outcomes. Childhood sexual abuse also predicted dropout in one study. Multiple forms of trauma and PTSD symptoms predicted meditation-related side effects, while total trauma, emotional abuse, and subclinical PTSD predicted lasting adverse effects. These findings suggest that trauma-sensitive modifications, safety monitoring, screening, and provider education are needed when implementing mindfulness programs for depression.
PLoS One
June 14, 2016
João Martins, Miguel Castelo-Branco, Ana Batista et al.
10 citations
A single dose of MDMA (ecstasy) given to rats temporarily alters retinal function, as measured by electroretinograms. Three hours after administration, both MDMA-treated and high-temperature control rats showed larger and faster retinal responses, suggesting that the acute effects are partly due to MDMA-induced hyperthermia. After 24 hours, MDMA-treated animals still had increased responses in the outer retinal layers (photoreceptors and bipolar cells), even after temperature effects subsided, indicating a direct subacute effect of the drug. These changes returned to normal within seven days. The findings provide direct evidence that MDMA can enhance outer retinal activity, which may help explain visual disturbances reported by human users.
PLoS One
January 1, 2023
Qi Wang, Siu-Man Ng, Xiaochen Zhou
9 citations
Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience stressful daily events and psychological distress. Mindfulness can buffer this distress, but its mechanisms are unclear and standard interventions are not tailored to real-life needs. This proposed randomized controlled trial will test a mindfulness-based intervention delivered via a smartphone app with ecological momentary assessment and intervention. The study will recruit 670 parents, randomly assigning 335 to the intervention group and 335 to a control group receiving standard audio instructions. The primary outcome is psychological distress measured by the depression anxiety stress scale; secondary outcomes include subjective well-being and resilience. The intervention is expected to improve cognitive appraisal of stressful events and reduce distress.
PLoS One
June 10, 2016
Chuang-Hsin Chiu, Tiing-Yee Siow, Shao-Ju Weng et al.
9 citations
MDMA (Ecstasy) damages the fine serotonergic axons that connect the raphe nucleus to the striatum, a disruption previously inferred but not directly observed in living animals. Using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) in rats, the study tracked manganese ions injected into the raphe nucleus as they traveled along neural pathways. Eight days after repeated MDMA injections (5 mg/kg daily for six days), MEMRI showed reduced signal enhancement in the medial forebrain bundle and striatum, indicating disrupted axonal transport. Immunohistological staining confirmed a loss of serotonin transporters. The findings provide direct in vivo evidence that MDMA causes axonal damage in these serotonergic projections.
PLoS One
July 17, 2024
Julieta Galante, Jesus Montero-Marin, Maris Vainre et al.
8 citations
A randomized controlled trial found that participants who completed an 8-week mindfulness-based program reported altered states of consciousness—including experiences of unity, transcendence of time and space, and feelings of bliss—that persisted up to a year later. Compared to a control group, those in the mindfulness program showed significantly higher scores on measures of altered states at both post-intervention and 12-month follow-up. The findings suggest that mindfulness training can produce enduring changes in subjective experience beyond the meditation session itself.
PLoS One
January 1, 2024
Matthew Shardlow, Piotr Przybyła
8 citations
A pretrained large language model (LLM) such as LaMDA or ChatGPT cannot be conscious or sentient. Analyzing the Transformer architecture through Integrated Information Theory shows no basis for consciousness. Claims of sentience reflect a tendency to use anthropomorphic language in NLP reporting, not genuine advances. The discussion is an opportunity to evaluate progress in language modeling and its ethical implications, with background provided for non-specialists.