Frontiers in Psychology
December 6, 2018
Rafael Lancelotta, Austin-Marley Windham-Herman, Kristel Peterson et al.
80 citations
Vaporized 5-MeO-DMT, a psychoactive substance from the Colorado River Toad, reliably produced strong mystical experiences in 20 individuals at a psychospiritual retreat. Participants received 50 mg of inhaled bufotoxin and completed the Mystical Experience Questionnaire. The average intensity was 4.17 out of 5, and 75% had a complete mystical experience. Compared to a prior psilocybin study, 5-MeO-DMT matched the intensity of a high dose (30 mg/70 kg) of psilocybin and significantly exceeded a moderate/high dose (20 mg/70 kg). The short duration may benefit clinical interventions and research on mystical-type experiences.
Frontiers in Psychology
May 23, 2017
Berit Brogaard, Dimitria Electra Gatzia
80 citations
Mental imagery and visual perception may not rely on the same brain mechanisms as traditionally thought. While some evidence from brain stimulation suggests overlap, studies of brain-damaged patients show that people can lose mental imagery without losing perception, and vice versa. This review argues that conscious visual imagery and vision-for-perception use distinct mechanisms, but vision-for-action and unconscious visual imagery share overlapping mechanisms. The authors propose modifying Kosslyn's model of imagery to include unconscious imagination and explore how conscious visual imagery can feel picture-like even though its neural basis differs from that of visual experience.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2013
Lampros Perogamvros, Thien Thanh Dang‐Vu, Martin Desseilles et al.
79 citations
Sleep and dreaming activate emotional and reward systems, including the amygdala and mesolimbic dopaminergic regions during REM sleep, which likely consolidates memory traces with high emotional or motivational value. Coordinated hippocampal-striatal replay during NREM sleep may selectively strengthen memories for important events. Via activation of emotional and motivational circuits, sleep and dreaming provide a neurobehavioral substrate for offline reprocessing of emotions, associative learning, and exploratory behaviors, improving memory organization, emotion regulation, social skills, and creativity. Dysregulation from sleep disturbances such as insomnia or sleep deprivation may predispose individuals to reward-related disorders like mood disorders, increased risk-taking, and compulsive behaviors, with major health implications for vulnerable populations.
Frontiers in Psychology
October 12, 2018
Taylor Lyons, Robin Carhart-Harris
78 citations
Patients with treatment-resistant depression showed a significant pessimism bias when predicting future life events, which was linked to the severity of their depressive symptoms. One week after receiving two doses of psilocybin (10 and 25 mg) with psychological support, this pessimism bias decreased significantly, depressive symptoms greatly improved, and patients became more accurate at predicting future events. No such change occurred in non-depressed controls. The findings suggest that psilocybin with psychological support might correct pessimism biases in treatment-resistant depression, enabling a more positive and accurate outlook.
Frontiers in Psychology
November 22, 2021
Willoughby B. Britton, Gaelle Desbordes, Rebecca L. Acabchuk et al.
77 citations
Self-related processes (SRPs) such as rumination, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and self-esteem are theorized to be key mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). This evidence map introduces a framework for categorizing SRPs and assesses how well mindfulness training engages these targets and whether engagement relates to improved outcomes. Rumination shows the strongest evidence as a mechanism for depression, with support for other health outcomes as well. Self-compassion consistently engages with mindfulness training but inconsistently links to better outcomes. Decentering and interoception are emerging potential mechanisms, though their construct validity remains under development. Few SRPs have been measured in MBIs, and more research with well-validated measures is needed.
Frontiers in Psychology
October 30, 2015
David Vernon, Robert Lowe, Serge Thill et al.
77 citations
The reciprocal coupling of perception and action is well known: perceptions guide action and actions influence perception. Most research focuses on external behavior, but this article argues that the relationship also involves a constitutive, internal bodily element. The authors contend that cognition, perception, and action are all processes primarily aimed at maintaining an agent's biological autonomy. These processes are inherently circular—self-organizing, self-producing, and self-maintaining. The reciprocal coupling is founded on endogenous roles in constitutive autonomy and circular causality of self-regulation, not merely on sensory-motor contingencies from external behavior. The coupling occurs through the internal milieu of the agent's organismic embodiment. Homeostasis and allostasis contribute to this circular self-regulation.
Frontiers in Psychology
March 18, 2014
Andrew B. Newberg
77 citations
This paper offers a perspective on the current research evaluating the neurobiological correlates of spiritual practices, reviewing methodological issues that confront the field. Spiritual practices studied include prayer, meditation, mediumistic trance states, speaking in tongues, and drug-induced experiences. Neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, single photon emission computed tomography, and positron emission tomography have helped elucidate neurobiological mechanisms. Unique challenges include determining appropriate objective measures and correlating them with subjective measures that capture states of spiritual significance. A neuroscientific study of spiritual practices has the potential to further understanding of the relationship between the brain and such phenomena.
Frontiers in Psychology
March 28, 2022
Sandeep M. Nayak, Roland R. Griffiths
76 citations
Among people who reported a belief-changing psychedelic experience, attributions of consciousness to a wide range of entities increased substantially. Before and after the experience, ratings of consciousness rose for non-human primates (from 63% to 83%), quadrupeds (59% to 79%), insects (33% to 57%), fungi (21% to 56%), plants (26% to 61%), inanimate natural objects (8% to 26%), and inanimate manmade objects (3% to 15%). Higher mystical experience scores predicted larger increases. These changes persisted even years later, while beliefs in free will and superstition remained unchanged. The findings suggest psychedelic experiences can durably alter how people attribute consciousness to other beings and objects.
Frontiers in Psychology
July 2, 2018
Timo Torsten Schmidt, Hendrik Berkemeyer
75 citations
A new database, the Altered States Database (ASDB), compiles questionnaire data from research articles on experimentally induced altered states of consciousness (ASC). It includes data from MEDLINE-listed journals where ASCs were induced by pharmacological (e.g., psychoactive drugs) or non-pharmacological methods (e.g., breathing techniques, sensory deprivation) and assessed with standardized questionnaires. The database enables direct comparisons of psychological effects across different induction methods and supports meta-analyses to establish dose-response relationships specific to each method.
Frontiers in Psychology
December 16, 2014
Hiroki Nakata, Kiwako Sakamoto, Ryusuke Kakigi
72 citations
Meditation appears to reduce pain perception, but neuroimaging studies have produced paradoxical results: some show increased neural responses in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula during meditation, while others show decreases. Since activity in these regions typically correlates with pain perception, increases would seem to enhance rather than reduce pain. This review synthesizes previous findings on brain regions involved in meditation and anatomical changes from long-term training, then discusses pain-related neural activity during meditation. The authors hypothesize that meditation reduces pain-related neural activity in the ACC, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus, and suggest that the modulation's characteristics may depend on the type of meditation and years of experience, potentially explaining the paradoxical evidence.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2014
Aviva Berkovich-Ohana, Joseph Glicksohn
72 citations
A theoretical model called the consciousness state space (CSS) proposes that all experiences can be mapped along three dimensions: time, awareness, and emotion. These dimensions each have two layers: a core layer tied to the present moment and minimal selfhood, and an extended layer supporting narrative selfhood, memory, and personal identity. The model suggests that normal waking consciousness involves two simultaneous, typically antagonistic trajectories within core and extended consciousness. Altered self-states, such as flow and meditation, change this dynamic. The CSS framework integrates diverse phenomenological and neuroscientific findings, offering testable predictions for the science of consciousness.
Frontiers in Psychology
March 14, 2016
Peter Sedlmeier, Kunchapudi Srinivas
70 citations
Ancient Indian scriptures, particularly the Samkhya-Yoga system, contain empirically derived psychological theories intertwined with religious and philosophical content. Extracting these theories yields broad hypotheses about personality, the effects of Samkhya-Yoga practice on normal and extraordinary cognition, and different ways of perceiving reality. Existing empirical evidence from diverse fields, collected mostly without reference to this Indian system, substantially supports these hypotheses, though considerable theoretical and research gaps remain. These ancient theories can modify and complement Western mainstream accounts of cognition, potentially providing stronger theoretical grounding for areas like meditation research and consciousness studies.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2016
Chiara F Tagliabue, Chiara Mazzi, Chiara Bagattini et al.
69 citations
Visual conscious experience is graded rather than all-or-none, and its neural signature appears in early local brain activity without requiring later frontal involvement. Using electroencephalography, researchers recorded event-related potentials while participants viewed low-contrast visual stimuli and rated their perceptual clarity on a four-point scale. A left centro-parietal negative deflection (Visual Awareness Negativity, VAN) at 280–320 milliseconds reflected the perceptual content, and a bilateral positive deflection (Late Positivity, LP) at 510–550 milliseconds reflected post-perceptual processes. The amplitude of both deflections increased gradually with reported awareness. Source localization placed the generators of phenomenal content in the left temporal lobe.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2021
Terje Sparby, Matthew D. Sacchet
68 citations
Classifying meditation techniques is crucial for research but faces fundamental challenges. This paper describes problems in defining meditation and suggests an integrated model. Drawing on classical, contemporary, and holistic systems, it proposes that all meditation techniques involve a specific set of activities: focusing, releasing, imagining, and moving in relation to an object of meditation or fields of experience. These activities can be combined and unified into observing, producing, and being aware, and all are unified in awareness of awareness. Defining specific techniques involves specifying which activities and objects are involved. This approach can account for the inner workings of existing classification systems, laying a foundation for an overarching system to guide future research and practice.
Frontiers in Psychology
February 18, 2020
Ulf Winter, Pierre Levan, Tilmann Lhündrup Borghardt et al.
68 citations
A highly experienced meditator with over 50,000 hours of practice reported experiencing content-free awareness (CFA) during an EEG-fMRI session. During CFA, alpha brainwave power sharply decreased while theta power increased. Functional connectivity increased in the dorsal attention network (DAN) and decreased in the posterior default mode network (DMN). These patterns suggest a top-down attentional state that excludes both external sensory stimuli and internal thoughts from conscious experience. The authors conclude that investigating such states may offer new approaches for identifying the minimal neural correlate of consciousness.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2020
Zoran Josipovic, Vladimir Miskovic
67 citations
Minimal phenomenal experiences (MPEs) are episodes with greatly reduced phenomenal content and arousal, often considered cases of consciousness-as-such. The authors argue instead that consciousness-as-such is primarily a type of non-conceptual, non-propositional, and nondual awareness—non-representational in nature. This unique kind of awareness cannot be adequately captured by the two-dimensional model of consciousness that combines arousal level with phenomenal content or by mental representations. To understand consciousness-as-such and consciousness more generally, the authors suggest researching it as a distinct kind.
Frontiers in Psychology
August 7, 2019
M. Raab, D. Araújo
67 citations
This conceptual analysis examines how embodied cognition can operate with or without mental representations, using judgment and decision-making in sports as a lens. The authors do not advocate for a single theoretical approach but instead present two contrasting perspectives: one that assumes mental representations mediate between athlete and environment, and another that assumes direct contact without representation. They outline definitions and constructs, detail the underlying theories, and comment on two published empirical studies to illustrate each approach. The paper concludes by discussing commonalities, divergences, and the consequences of adopting each perspective in sports research.
Frontiers in Psychology
July 10, 2020
Rotem Petranker, Thomas Anderson, Norman A. S. Farb
66 citations
Psychedelic research is experiencing a resurgence after decades of prohibition, driven by dissatisfaction with conventional mental health care and pioneering work by organizations like MAPS. Positive media coverage and commercial interests have accelerated hype, creating risks of conflicts of interest and lowered scientific standards. To avoid a replication crisis similar to those in psychology and medicine, researchers must adopt rigorous, transparent methods from Open Science: preregistration, open materials and data, reporting constraints on generality, and encouraging replication. The paper provides a pragmatic checklist and discusses how higher standards can build a trustworthy psychedelic science as these substances re-enter research and society.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2013
Thomas Schäfer, Jörg Fachner, Mario Smukalla
66 citations
Music can alter people's ordinary experience of space and time, challenging the concept of invariant space and time assumed in psychology. This review examines experimental evidence and subjective reports of music's influence on the representation of space and time, along with prominent explanations for these effects. It discusses the role of absorption, altered states of consciousness, changes in attention, neurophysiological processes, and models of human time processing and time experience. The research is still inconclusive, but integrating different approaches could lead to a better understanding. A working model is provided, and suggestions for further research in music psychology and cognitive psychology are outlined.
Frontiers in Psychology
December 10, 2021
Brian A. Pace, Neşe Devenot
65 citations
Media and industry advocates claim psychedelics promote environmental concern and liberal politics, but historical and contemporary evidence shows many users remain authoritarian or become radicalized after use. The authors argue that psychedelics do not inherently shift political beliefs in any particular direction; rather, contextual factors of set and setting determine the outcome. Any worldview-challenging experience, including psychedelics, can precipitate political shifts in any direction. The historical record supports psychedelics as "politically pluripotent," non-specific amplifiers of political set and setting. Conservative, hierarchy-based ideologies can assimilate psychedelic experiences of interconnection, as seen in figures like Jordan Peterson and neo-Nazi groups.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2019
Tainá Carla Freitas De Macêdo, Glescikelly Herminia Ferreira, Katie Moraes De Almondes et al.
65 citations
Lucid dreaming, where dreamers know they are dreaming and can control dream content, may help people with nightmare disorder by allowing them to transform nightmares into normal dreams, improving sleep. A review of the existing literature found that lucid dreaming may reduce nightmare frequency, intensity, and psychological distress, but the available studies are scarce and yield inconsistent results. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of lucid dreaming as a treatment for nightmares in clinical practice.
Frontiers in Psychology
October 23, 2019
Diane Joss, Alaptagin Khan, Sara W. Lazar et al.
63 citations
A mindfulness-based behavioral intervention reduced stress and anxiety and increased mindfulness and self-compassion in young adults with mild-to-moderate childhood maltreatment. The mindfulness group showed reduced stress and anxiety and increased mindfulness and self-compassion, while the waiting list control group showed no significant changes. Changes in mindfulness were linked to changes in self-compassion, which in turn were linked to reduced depression and anxiety. More intervention sessions attended were associated with greater reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression, suggesting a dose-dependent effect. The intervention may help improve self-compassion and psychological health in this population.
Frontiers in Psychology
July 25, 2017
Hollis Robbins, David Smooke, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
62 citations
Music chosen to support psilocybin sessions tends to be regular, predictable, and slowly building, with lower perceptual brightness during peak mystical experiences compared to the pre-peak period. An expert survey of therapists and researchers yielded 24 musical recommendations for peak effects and 24 for the pre-peak period. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of 22 stimuli revealed that peak-period music features formulaic phrase structure, continuous forward motion, and less brightness. These findings provide a basis for standardizing music selection in psychedelic research and therapy.
Frontiers in Psychology
May 26, 2023
Edward Jacobs
61 citations
In psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), the acute mystical experiences and lasting shifts in values, outlooks, and priorities that patients commonly report make the treatment's effects epistemically inaccessible at the time of deciding to undergo it. Drawing on L. A. Paul's concept of "Transformative Experience," the argument holds that prospective patients cannot meet the understanding requirement that is a core component of informed consent. While enhanced consent procedures may satisfy the function of avoiding unauthorized trespass against patients, the function of supporting values-aligned decision-making remains unattainable. The paper considers the ethical implications for preparing patients.
Frontiers in Psychology
August 19, 2021
Jessica Sophie Corneille, David Luke
61 citations
Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings (SSAs) are sudden experiences of oneness with ultimate reality, God, or the universe that have been little studied despite anecdotal reports of lasting positive change. A survey of 152 people who had their most powerful awakening found that Spontaneous Kundalini Awakenings (SKAs) were significantly more physical but not significantly more negative than SSAs; both were overwhelmingly positive overall. The experiences resembled drug-induced altered states, especially those from classic psychedelics like DMT and psilocybin, though greater in magnitude. Personality traits of absorption and temporal lobe lability predicted the likelihood of having such awakenings.