Near-death experiences (NDEs) and psychedelic drug experiences (YDEs) enable access to dimensions of non-ordinary sensation, perception, and insight beyond typical day-to-day phenomenology. Both are as-sociated with a dissolution of conventional spatio-temporal conceptual distinctions, and a corresponding sense of connectedness and unity which is difficult to describe. Moreover, NDEs and YDEs...
Charles Tart was arguably the most important theoretician and researcher of altered states of consciousness (ASC) during the second half of the 20th century. His vast output included books and articles extending the frontiers of study of states of consciousness in general, and of the hypnagogic state, dreaming, meditation, hypnosis, and minor and major psychedelic drugs, among others. Rather...
The conscious processing of body signals influences higher-order psychological and cognitive functions, including self-awareness. Dysfunctions in the processing of these signals has been connected to neurological and psychiatric disorders characterized by altered states of self-consciousness. Studies indicate that perceiving the body through interoceptive signals ( e.g. , from internal organs...
Abstract Ayahuasca is a brew with psychoactive properties that has been used as an entheogen for centuries, with more recent studies suggesting it is a promising treatment for some clinical disorders. Although there is an emerging scientific literature on its effects, to the best of our knowledge no study has explored the self-reported experiences of first-time ayahuasca users with quantitative...
AbstractIn recent decades, studies have provided convincing evidence indicating abnormalities in some aspects of consciousness in schizophrenia patients. One of the pioneering theory, orchestrated objective reduction (OR) on the mechanism of consciousness has been proposed by Hameroff and Penrose. According to OR, consciousness roots in microtubules (MTs) which act as quantum computation...
We recently showed using a magnetoencephalogram visual mismatch-response paradigm that self-specific prediction-based neural mechanisms shield the self from existential threat by attributing death to the ‘other’. Here we test the pre-registered hypothesis that mindfulness meditation is associated with a reduction in the brain’s defensiveness towards mortality. Additionally, we examine putative...
Ketamine, initially developed as a safer alternative to phencyclidine, has emerged as a groundbreaking treatment in psychiatric practice. It gained popularity after its approval by the FDA in 1970 for its analgesic properties and ability to induce altered consciousness while maintaining vital functions. In the 1990s, researchers discovered its rapid and potent antidepressant effects, especially...
The objective of this manuscript is to reveal that the challenge in understanding the ethical consequences of a post-human condition characterizing trans-humanist ontology is linked to postmodern epistemology lacking any metaphysical and theological essence. The introductory section provides an overview of trans-humanist thought and the concerns deliberated against it at the recent conference...
BDSM and kink practitioners sometimes describe scenes that induce altered dream-like states with blurred boundaries and vivid transcendent imagery. Firsthand accounts illustrate the intensity and transformational character of such experiences, which can be characterized as ecstatic. The activities of alternative sexualities are a modern iteration of humanity’s archetypal fascination with...
Current Drug SafetyAugust 1, 2023Priyanka Pravinbhai Hotha, Rachna Gupta, Manish Narang
Background: Dextromethorphan, a N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, has been used as cold and cough medication. Serious adverse events with therapeutic doses of dextromethorphan are rarely observed. Here, we report three cases of altered level of consciousness in children with therapeutic dose of dextromethorphan. Case Presentation: In all three cases, children developed altered level of...