This thesis asks how we become aware of the nature of our current experience across the sleep-wake cycle. In sleep, we might sometimes realize that we are dreaming. In wakefulness, our awareness of our current state can fade as our attention drifts or our mind goes blank. Using detailed interviews alongside sleep-laboratory and task-based experimental protocols, this work shows that awareness...
This thesis examined how psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) affects social behaviour in mice with and without anorexia-like symptoms. It found that psilocybin's effects varied dramatically between male and female mice and changed over time. Female mice became more social and showed increased brain reward signals, while males displayed reduced stress behaviours and dampened...