The functions of consciousness, viewed from an evolutionary standpoint, can be categorized as being either general or particular. There are two general functions, meaning those that do not depend on the particulars of how consciousness influences behavior or how and why it first evolved: of (1) expanding the behavioral repertoire of the individual through the gradual accumulation of...
Here we describe a type of depolarising plateau potentials (PPs; sustained depolarisations outlasting the stimuli) in layer 2/3 pyramidal cells (L2/3PC) in rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) slices, using whole-cell somatic recordings. To our knowledge, this PP type has not been described before. In particular, unlike previously described plateau potentials that originate in the large apical dendrite...
To investigate mechanisms underlying loss of consciousness, it is important to extend methods established in humans to rodents as well. Perturbational complexity index (PCI) is a promising metric of "capacity for consciousness" and is based on a perturbational approach that allows inferring a system's capacity for causal integration and differentiation of information. These properties have been...
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health concern, often resulting in cognitive deficits and altered states of consciousness. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Receptive Provocation (RP) therapy in improving mental function and consciousness levels among TBI patients. 70 patients were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, with the experimental group undergoing RP...
To arbitrate theories of consciousness, scientists need to understand mathematical structures of quality of consciousness, or qualia. The dominant view regards qualia as points in a dimensional space. This view implicitly assumes that qualia can be measured without any effect on them. This contrasts with intuitions and empirical findings to show that by means of internal attention qualia can...
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a serotonergic psychedelic that induces a rapid and transient altered state of consciousness when inhaled or injected via bolus administration. Its marked and novel subjective effects make DMT a powerful tool for the neuroscientific study of consciousness and preliminary results show its potential role in treating mental health conditions. In a within-subjects,...
The knowledge that brain functional connectomes are unique and reliable has enabled behaviourally relevant inferences at a subject level. However, whether such "fingerprints" persist under altered states of consciousness is unknown. Ayahuasca is a potent serotonergic psychedelic which produces a widespread dysregulation of functional connectivity. Used communally in religious ceremonies, its...
ABSTRACT: Psychedelics, including psilocybin, and other consciousness-altering compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), currently are being scientifically investigated for their potential therapeutic uses, with a primary focus on measurable outcomes: for example, alleviation of symptoms or increases in self-reported well-being. Accordingly, much recent discussion about the...
Shamanism, a universal phenomenon, originated in Inner Asia and has evolved over time. Haruki Murakami, a renowned Japanese author, has crossed cultural divides and gained attention with his works of fiction. His belief in protecting the individual for society's benefit is what appeals to and offends people about him. Murakami's works often convey a sense of loneliness and dislocation through...
This essay explores the Advaita Vedānta's concept of Māyā as cosmic ignorance and its connection to avidyā, emphasizing how these concepts explain reality, perception, and emancipation. It contends that Māyā is a sophisticated philosophical theory that explains the appearance of plurality in a fundamentally non-dual world rather than just an illusion. Avidyā functions at the individual level as...