Art TherapyApril 20, 2026Rebecca Ann Wilkinson, Alyssa B. Gursky
Renewal of research into psychedelics indicates their ability to provide relief from challenging conditions like trauma, treatment resistant depression, addictions, and end-of-life distress. Psychedelics appear to promote neuroplasticity, stimulate creativity, dampen fear responses, circumvent psychological defenses, soften rigid beliefs, and foster profound feelings of unity. The non-verbal,...
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition marked by challenges in social communication and repetitive behaviors. Current treatments, primarily behavioral therapies, often fail to address the core symptoms. Recent research has explored the potential of psychedelics, such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA, as a new therapeutic approach. While these substances primarily modulate the...
This study presents a longitudinal, single-subject case analysis of psychological and somatic transformation over a four-year period, focusing on the mechanisms underlying the reduction of chronic anxiety and the development of functional stability. A central finding of the study is that processes commonly described as “self-acceptance” do not emerge as a result of direct cognitive intention or...
Consciousness science has made substantial progress in studying how perceptual contents become conscious, yet it has paid comparatively little attention to a broader question: what makes an experiential world feel real? This article treats the sense of reality as a distinct explanandum, understood as the pre-reflective way in which a current world is experienced as present, coherent,...
AbstractThe ongoing virtualization of daily life represents one of the most significant shifts of the 21st century. The actual boundaries between physical and digital are increasingly negotiated, challenging common conceptions of what is “real”. Using a conceptual framework grounded in Alfred Schutz’s phenomenological sociology, the paper explores the intersubjective experience of online gaming...
Understanding the neural basis of conscious perception is one of science's great unanswered questions.The Default Space Theory (DST) of mind proposes that consciousness results from an internally generated three-dimensional "default space" that the brain projects, rather than a direct mirroring of the external world [1].In this model, the brain creates a virtual reality of experience composed...
Depersonalization (DP) and derealization (DR) are phenomena involving alterations in sense of self and lifeworld. These phenomena often co-occur in psychosis, suggesting dimensional psychopathology and complex phenomenological alterations in consciousness, embodiment, and meaning-making. The primary aim of this study was to examine phenomenological associations, dynamics, and diagnostic...
A central challenge in neuroscience is to establish meaningful links between subjective experience and brain activity. Neurofeedback of meditation states has been proposed as a way to address this challenge by creating a real-time loop between neural signals and first-person experience. Here, the introspective and self-regulation capacities of experienced meditators are harnessed to dynamically...
Non-Ordinary Experiences (NOEs), encompassing phenomena such as feelings of cosmic or divine unity and sensing the presence of deceased persons, are common in the general population of different countries. Despite a recent increase in the number of studies investigating the implications of these experiences for mental health and well-being, no review comprehensively synthesizing existing...
CureusApril 8, 2026Christian David Galindo, Victor Agudelo, Ivan Ramirez Blanco et al.
Trance and possession disorder (TPD) is a complex and culturally influenced condition characterized by alterations in consciousness, identity, and behavior, often posing diagnostic challenges in clinical psychiatry. We report the case of a young woman who presented with a 12-hour history of visual and auditory hallucinations, disorganized speech, and aggressive behavior toward her partner,...