Serotonergic psychedelics induce profound alterations in consciousness, giving rise to an altered state commonly referred to as the psychedelic state. The entropic brain hypothesis proposes that brain entropy (i.e., the degree of uncertainty in the distribution of brain states) is elevated during the psychedelic state, as well as in other states characterized by an expanded breadth of...
Based on its in vitro profile and preliminary evidence, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) may have psychoactive properties that are similar to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin, which are investigated for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorders. We compared acute effects of 2C-B (10, 20, and 30 mg), 125 mg MDMA, and 25 mg psilocybin...
Background.The article addresses the problem of the genesis of stage action and considers shamanic ritual as one of the early cultural forms in which the basic mechanisms of theatricality emerge. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that, in contemporary cultural studies and theatre studies, the relationship between ritual and theatre remains methodologically significant, while...
Mediumistic experience occupies a contested position at the intersection of neuroscience, anthropology, psychology, religious studies, philosophy of mind, and consciousness research. Reports of communication with deceased persons, ancestors, deities, spirits, or other nonordinary intelligences recur across historical periods and cultural settings, often involving voice-hearing, sensed presence,...
Preprints.orgJune 30, 2026Dirk Revenstorf, Joost (j.b.c.) Mertens, Martin Schipplick
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The therapeutic use of ketamine and other psychoactive substances in psychiatry is attracting growing research interest, particularly in treatment-resistant depression and related conditions refractory to conventional care. Ketamine exerts direct pharmacological antidepressant effects through NMDA receptor antagonism and downstream neuroplastic mechanisms; its combination with structured...
The present research revisits the boundaries between quantum mechanics, biological systems and the cognitive structuring of beliefs, taking as a pillar the theoretical propositions of Amit Goswami's monistic idealism.The primary scope lies in articulating how the counterintuitive behaviors of subatomic physics provide a non-dualistic framework for phenomena previously restricted to spiritual...
This scoping review systematically compares the neural mechanisms underlying trait mindfulness and hypnosis susceptibility, focusing on three key dimensions: brain region activation, electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, and core brain networks. The aim is to elucidate potential shared mechanisms involved in conscious state modulation. Through a comprehensive review of existing brain imaging...
This study examines the epistemological integration between Sufism and modern neuroscience in response to the persistent dichotomy between religious and scientific knowledge in contemporary Islamic thought. While previous studies have explored the psychological and functional dimensions of spirituality, few have systematically formulated an integrative epistemological framework connecting Sufi...
Prior theories of thought reform, coercive persuasion, bounded choice, coercive control, and undue influence have made enduring contributions by identifying tactics, environments, interpersonal patterns, and ideological conditions through which people may be controlled. Their principal strength is descriptive: they name the architecture of control. This article addresses a different theoretical...
What do hunter-gatherer rock art motifs portray, and what does this tell us about their religious experiences? David Lewis-Williams was instrumental in establishing the connection between certain cultures’ corpora of art, shamanism and altered states of consciousness imagery. But one aspect of that spectrum of consciousness has been previously understudied. This is the place of Jung’s ‘Big...