International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
January 1, 2026
Elias Rubenstein
Acute altered states induced by psychedelics or practices like breathwork do not reliably produce lasting change on their own. A theoretical framework argues that durable psychological, behavioral, and existential transformation depends on contextual framing, post-acute integration, and pre-existing integrative capacities, not just the intensity of the acute experience. The framework compares DMT, ayahuasca, 5-MeO-DMT, psilocybin, LSD, contemplative practice, fasting, breathwork, and near-death experiences without claiming they are identical. It concludes with testable hypotheses about how context, recall, integration, and individual differences shape outcomes.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
January 1, 2026
Odoja Asogwa, Uchechukwu Charles Onyishi
In pre-Christian Igbo communities, masquerades served as a common conscience and the most public art form, with successful performances bringing prestige and failure causing disgrace. Indigenous medicines were believed indispensable for ensuring success, though this aspect faced condemnation. Through oral interviews and participant observation, the study found that medicines were integral to various masquerade displays, alongside rituals addressing supernatural interference, preventing failure, boosting dignity, building fear, and extending myths. The authors argue that mystical technology was a valuable component of the Igbo masquerade institution, with potential for developing viable indigenous modern technologies if creatively built upon.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
January 1, 2026
Wynand Goosen
Artificial intelligence has become integral to knowledge generation, decision-making, and ethical discourse. Rapid advances in self-reflective and adaptive AI have intensified debates about machine consciousness in business, science, and academia. This review examines methods for detecting signs of consciousness in artificial systems and identifies three primary trends from 2020 to 2025 that have shaped research on artificial consciousness.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
January 1, 2026
Ravindra Ranasinha PhD, Agnes Seng Sam
A ritual festival of spirit embodiment and communal catharsis in Myanmar, the Nat Pwe, offers a culturally grounded framework for healing within dramatherapy. Autoethnographic data from fifteen Burmese drama therapy trainees show that ritual performance enacts therapeutic processes of embodiment, projection, role transformation, and collective witnessing. Trance, rhythm, and collective participation operate as embodied technologies of regulation and release, aligning with trauma-informed and decolonial principles. The paper argues that culturally responsive dramatherapy must move beyond adaptation toward dialogical reciprocity with local ritual traditions. Nat Pwe demonstrates that healing arises through aesthetic, spiritual, and communal resonance, challenging Western individualist therapy models.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
January 1, 2026
Wynand Goosen
The prison-planet narrative, in which Earth is ruled by parasitic Archons harvesting human emotional energy through reincarnation, is not a literal cosmology but a powerful cultural metaphor for alienation, suffering, and systemic control. This article traces the idea from classical Gnosticism through Theosophy, occultism, and New Age thought, then analyzes it using comparative religion, depth psychology, critical theory, and cultural semiotics. The persistence of Archonic themes reflects enduring human concerns about autonomy, embodiment, authority, and existential purpose, revealing a symbolic system through which individuals interpret power, suffering, and the structure of reality.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
December 25, 2025
Noor-A-Jannath Tania, Md. Mehedi Hasan, Snehangshu Shekhar Chanda et al.
Virginia Woolf's novel The Waves (1931) is an experimental work that uses the stream of consciousness technique to explore the inner thoughts and sensory perceptions of its six narrators. The novel is presented entirely in soliloquies, charting the psychology of the characters rather than following a plain narrative. Woolf's narrative requires deep concentration and is known for its profound descriptions. While Dorothy Richardson first used the stream of consciousness technique in British modernist novels, Woolf is credited with advancing it to a higher level.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
September 9, 2025
Chau van Ninh
Vipassana (insight) meditation helps people find inner peace and stability, enabling them to see the meaning of life and let go of ignorance to achieve liberation from suffering. Understanding its origins and practice methods helps practitioners stay on the right path. Vipassana is also an effective method for supporting the treatment of concentration disorders. There is significant interest in developing this meditation technique in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
January 1, 2025
Kufre B. Usen, A. P. Etuk, James R. Sunday et al.
Meditation-based interventions have moderate to large effects on depression, anxiety, and stress, with similar significant effects on PTSD symptoms. This conclusion comes from a systematic review of 42 randomized controlled trials involving 3,876 pregnant women. The review synthesized evidence on meditation's impact on mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD. It assessed study quality and provided recommendations for clinical practice and further research. The evidence is described as robust in supporting meditation therapy's effectiveness for improving mental health outcomes in this population.