Ashok Mahato, Ram Bilas Pachori, Vikram M. Gadre et al.
preprint
Mantra meditation (MM) is known to influence cognitive and emotional processes, and electroencephalogram (EEG) has been widely used to study meditation-related neural activity. However, automated identification of distinct auditory listening phases during MM remains challenging due to the non-stationary nature of EEG signals. This shows the need for physiologically interpretable analysis of...
Sucharit Katyal
preprint
Meditation training is proposed to enhance mental wellbeing by modulating neural activity, particularly alpha and theta brain oscillations, and autonomic activity. Though such enhancement also depends on the quality of meditation, little is known about how these neural and physiological changes relate to meditation quality. One model characterises meditation quality as five increasing levels of...
Ned Block
If consciousness depends on biology rather than computation, could machines ever truly feel—and might simple animals already do so?
Adam Safron
preprint
The Free Energy Principle and Active Inference Framework (FEP-AI) begins with the understanding that persisting systems must regulate environmental exchanges and prevent entropic accumulation. In FEP-AI, minds and brains are predictive controllers for autonomous systems, where action-driven perception is realized as probabilistic inference. Integrated Information Theory (IIT) begins with...
Veronika Alekseeva, Anna Ciaunica
preprint
From the moment we are born, and even before, in the womb, and until our last breath, our bodies move all the time. Adaptive behaviors necessarily depend not only on successful integration of multisensory bodily signals but also on how we move our body in the world. This paper considers the notion of embodied selfhood through the perspective of dynamic and rhythmic coupling between bodily...
Matthias Forstmann, Christina Sagioglou
preprint
After decades of stagnancy, research on psychedelic substances (such as LSD, psilocybin or DMT) has experienced a renaissance over the last 10 years, with various major research programs being conducted across Europe and the United States. This research primarily investigates the potential of psychedelics in the treatment of mental health disorders, their short and long term effects on...
Ahmad R. Alsayed
preprint
The misuse and abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications pose significant public health concerns. Among these, Dextromethorphan (DXM), Carbamazepine, and Naphazoline have gained attention due to their increasing non-medical use. DXM, a common cough suppressant, is abused for its dissociative and euphoric effects, leading to dependency and severe health risks. Carbamazepine,...
Teneisha M. Myers, Noah C. Neverette, Aaron S. Devanathan et al.
preprint
Abstract Rationale Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance in the United States, and its use is increasing with the recent push for legalization and decriminalization, as well as the growing use for medicinal purposes. While cannabis can have positive effects in some individuals, there are potential negative consequences including dependence, psychosis, and cognitive impairments. The...
Sara R Westbrook, Allison L Jensen, Vanessa Copeland-Solorzano et al.
preprint
Abstract The legalization of cannabis in several states across the US has increased the need to better understand its effects on the body, brain, and behavior, particularly in different populations. Rodent models are particularly valuable in this respect because they provide precise control over external variables. Previous rodent studies have found age and sex differences in response to...
Maurizio Coppola, Raffaella Mondola
preprint
Psychosis can be defined as a combination of psychopathological symptoms including delusions and/or hallucinations without insight. Psychotic disorders may configure a primary psychiatric illness or represent the result of a functional/structural brain damage induced by substance use, neurological diseases or other medical conditions. They are multifactorial disorders in which genetic,...