Intense interest surrounds current research on psychedelics, particularly regarding their potential in treating mental health disorders. Various studies suggest a link between the subjective effects produced by psychedelics and their therapeutic efficacy. Neuroimaging evidence indicates an association of changes in brain functional connectivity with the subjective effects of psychedelics. We...
Although ubiquitous in numerous nightlife cultures, poker-machines present a high risk for problematic use and addiction. Previous research has demonstrated that gambling cues (e.g., flashing lights) can activate gambling urges in poker-machine gamblers. However, the processes that contribute to the maintenance of cue-reactive urges to gamble remain unclear. Consequently, the present study...
In today’s fast-paced and demanding workplace, it is crucial to maintain maximum cognitive function and productivity in order to achieve success. However, amid the busy and active working life, individuals may experience a distinct phenomenon called hypnagogia - the transitional condition between being awake and falling asleep. Hypnagogia, which is defined by intense sensory experiences and...
Childhood interpersonal violence exposure (IVE) is associated with repeated victimization in adolescence and adulthood. Research suggests dissociation, a psychological phenomenon characterized by alterations and disruptions to consciousness, memory, and perceptions of the environment, and out-of-body experiences, increases the risk of revictimization. Self-report data from a longitudinal study...
The open data initiative Altered States Database (ASDB) collects psychometric questionnaire data on the subjective experiences of pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically induced altered states of consciousness. The ASDB is updated yearly and can be utilized by both researchers and non-scientists to access information or undertake further work on the data. The current update adds data...
Advanced meditation such as jhana meditation can produce various altered states of consciousness (jhanas) and cultivate rewarding psychological qualities including joy, peace, compassion, and attentional stability. Mapping the neurobiological substrates of jhana meditation can inform the development and application of advanced meditation to enhance well-being. Only two prior studies have...
This study explores the relationship between psychedelic use and insight among Indian adults aged 18 to 40 years. Psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin, are known for altering consciousness and potentially enhancing self-awareness. A total of 100 participants (79 males and 21 females) completed the Psychedelic Integration Scale (PIS), which includes the Integration Engagement Scale (IES) and...
Ecstasy is a state of altered consciousness in which a person is in a state of trance. The person in this state experiences an introspection and returns to their essence. Such a state can also be likened to being asleep or hypnotized. But more than these states, ecstasy refers to a conventionalized state of unusualness. In other words, ecstasy can occur in societies and these moods of ecstasy...
In my editorial in the previous issue of Psychiatric News, I discussed the risk of socio-cultural factors affecting the integrity of psychedelic clinical trials (PCTs). In light of these substances' cultural significance, history, and powerful effects (including observable changes in consciousness), rigorous clinical trial design—with randomization, blinding, and control requirements above...
Jhāna meditation was little known in the West before the 1980s, historically shrouded in mystery and mostly confined to monastic traditions in Buddhist countries. In recent years, however, deep states of meditation in general, but particularly the jhānas, have been attracting interest from neuroscience researchers as another avenue to explore neural networks and functions in the human brain....