Abstract: The amputation of a limb requires substantial physical and psychosocial adjustment to a changed life situation. As a prosthesis often facilitates this process, its integration into one’s body representation, referred to as prosthesis embodiment, has been proposed as a marker of adjustment. Building on previous evidence that negative consequences of limb amputation are reflected in how...
One essential aspect of mindfulness practice is to help people focus on the present moment. Although this present-focused attention has been linked to several positive outcomes, it also raises the possibility that mindfulness could increase present bias, with potentially negative consequences for decision-making. Across three laboratory studies and one longitudinal field study, we examined...
Etomidate, a short-acting GABA_A receptor modulator and emerging novel psychoactive substance, is increasingly abused non-medically. Despite rising clinical concern, the neuropsychological profiles of etomidate use disorder (EUD) remain poorly characterized, prompting this systematic investigation of its clinical and neurophysiological features. 152 individuals with EUD and 67 age-matched...
Scientific ReportsOctober 3, 2026Yi-Chun Lin, Chien-Chih Chen, Yu-Li Lan
Anxiety disorders are associated with psychological dysregulation and autonomic imbalance. Although mindfulness-based interventions and breathing training have shown potential benefits for anxiety management, evidence regarding their integrated psychological and physiological outcomes remains limited. To examine psychological and physiological changes following a four-week mindfulness-based...
Scientific ReportsSeptember 24, 2026Giammarco di Gregorio, Basset Sophia, Harjot Manmohan et al.
Abstract Depression and anxiety affect one in five adults and vary across the lifespan; while prevalence generally declines with age until midlife, later life is marked by a re-emergence of symptoms. Although clinical trials suggest classic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, LSD) and non-classic psychedelics (e.g., MDMA, ketamine) may alleviate these symptoms, it remains unclear how these...
Abstract A substantial number of qualitative studies have been conducted on feasibility and process of change of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs), but differences in terminology makes results of these studies difficult to compare. We conducted a targeted focused literature review to identify studies of the Radboudumc Expertise Centre for Mindfulness (k = 16) on feasibility and process of...
Zen meditation has been widely recognized for its psychological and physiological benefits; however, the differential impacts of meditation experience on psychophysiological biomarkers remain underexplored. This study bridges a crucial gap by investigating how Zen meditation influences anxiety, sleep quality, and EEG-derived brain activity in novice and experienced meditators. Over three days,...
Scientific ReportsSeptember 13, 2026Gabriele Vercelli, Sofia Ciccarone, Anand Rai et al.
Alterations in interoception have been implicated in several neurological and psychiatric conditions, including those involving dissociative tendencies. Thus, investigating the link between interoception and dissociation may shed light on the mechanisms supporting self-consciousness and its disturbances. Here, we investigated whether interoception was associated with trait and experimentally...
While some studies suggest that psychedelic use may be linked to positive environmental attitudes and health behaviors, the relationship between these factors remains underexplored. This study investigates the associations between lifetime use of psilocybin and LSD, environmental attitudes, and dietary behaviors using data from two UK birth cohort studies: the 1958 National Child Development...
Despite experiencing more negative life events, older adults often report better emotional well-being than younger adults, a phenomenon known as the well-being paradox. Although socioemotional selectivity theory suggests that age-related shifts toward present-moment goals may contribute to this pattern, the psychological factors underlying these age differences remain unclear. In particular,...
Meditation has long been associated with improvements in mental well-being, emotional regulation, and attentional control. However, the diversity of meditative techniques and variability in participant expertise across studies have hindered the systematic identification of their neurophysiological correlates. To address this challenge, we investigated the neurophysiological signatures of...
Scientific ReportsAugust 26, 2026Guiqing Zheng, Yandie He, Shuqing Liu et al.
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a major public health concern that substantially raises the risk of adolescent school bullying. While mindfulness alleviates trauma-related distress by enhancing emotional regulation, its mediating effect on the link between maltreatment and bullying remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study recruited 27,530 adolescents aged 10–17 years. Multilevel...
Scientific ReportsAugust 26, 2026Qin Sun, Hongcheng Zhang, Xuan Wang et al.
Response inhibition is a core component of executive function and is closely associated with various mental disorders. Yoga meditation and daytime napping are two different rest strategies believed to improve cognitive function, but their immediate effects on response inhibition and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. This study compared the immediate effects of a 15‑min yoga...
Adolescents experienced substantial psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, including elevated stress, disrupted routines, reduced peer interaction, and reduced access to in-person professional support. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions may offer accessible and scalable support for adolescents when conventional services are disrupted. This preliminary randomized controlled...
Increasing multiculturalism and globalization have increased the discrepancies between socially-shared norms and personal values. This study examined whether the association between Cultural Estrangement (CE) and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN) is moderated by self-esteem (SE). In total, 170 healthy Japanese adults (20–70 years) were recruited, 70 of...
Focused meditation involves a dynamic cycle of four mental states: mind-wandering (MW), awareness of distraction (AWARE), shifting attention back (SHIFT), and sustained attentional focus (FOCUS). Meta-awareness of these processes is trained during mindfulness meditation, possibly improving mental health. This study investigated heart rate (HR) and ocular movements during breath-focused...
Meditation offers a naturalistic paradigm for studying introspection, yet the neural dynamics of advanced tantric practices remain largely unexplored. Buddhist Highest Yoga Tantra (BHYT) comprises a sequence of eight dissolution stages culminating in the “clear light” state. We recorded EEG during eyes-closed BHYT meditation performed in monasteries and hermitages (51 sessions from 36 male...
Embodiment of external objects has been widely studied to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of human body perception, whereas disembodiment has received only limited attention despite its importance. To address this gap, we designed a sensorimotor feedback paradigm using virtual reality to induce bodily disappearance, referred to here as the sense of body loss. Participants wearing a...
This study investigated the efficacy of a two-week online audio-guided loving-kindness meditation (LKM) program compared with mindfulness meditation (MF) and an active control (AC) group in a healthy university population. The study consisted of an overarching trial (N = 130), with a nested laboratory stress testing (N = 50). The full-sample subjective outcomes involved psychological distress,...
Abstract This randomized controlled trial examined whether mindfulness-based exposure and response prevention (MB-EX/RP) improves outcomes for adults with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder (M, addressing cognitive rigidity and emotion dysregulation that can limit standard exposure and response prevention. Fifty-four participants were assigned to MB-EX/RP...
This preliminary study explored the effects of MDMA-assisted therapy on trauma symptoms related to discrimination, as measured by the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale (TSDS). A total of five diverse participants, who experienced multiple types of discrimination (e.g., gender, racial/ethnic, social class, age, sexual orientation), were assessed before and after treatment. A paired-samples...
Scientific ReportsJuly 10, 2026Pandit Rupesh, Sony Kumari, Parul Dubey et al.
Creativity is a cornerstone of adaptive problem-solving and innovation, yet its neural basis remains insufficiently understood in real-world entrepreneurial contexts. This randomized controlled study investigated the influence of Guided Moving Meditation (GMM) on creative cognition and neural coordination in adult agri-entrepreneurs. Fifty-four right-handed male agri-entrepreneurs (25-45 years)...
University students now use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in several academic activities, including information retrieval, writing support, and problem-solving. While these technologies may enhance learning efficiency, effective student engagement with AI requires relevant psychological characteristics as well as technology-related competencies. Earlier studies indicate that learner...
Abstract Mindfulness, a psychological capacity, is often diminished in patients with breast cancer. This decline can negatively impact mental and physical health, behavioral regulation, and interpersonal relationships. Consequently, interventions to enhance mindfulness are crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of logotherapy on mindfulness levels in patients with mastectomized breast...
The association between near-death experiences (NDEs) and physiological indicators remains an unsolved mystery, which hinders in-depth understanding of the essence of consciousness and life processes. Traditional single-indicator analysis methods have limitations, and a comprehensive multi-modal research approach is urgently needed to advance relevant explorations in the fields of medicine,...