2026
Irina Dell'Orto
preprint
Background: Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has demonstrated rapid and substantial antidepressant effects in phase 2 RCTs (Davis et al., 2021; Carhart-Harris et al., 2021), and phase 3 trials are now active (Usona uAspire, NCT06308653). However, three critical gaps remain unresolved in 2025: (1) the durability of effects beyond 12 months has not been established in a controlled design; (2)...
2026
Canyon Akromis, Lorraine Li, Kwon Mok Ko et al.
preprint
This project is a secondary analysis of data from Psilocybin in Depression Resistant to Standard Treatments (PsiDeR) study, a phase II, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial where participants with treatment resistant depression received either 25 mg of psilocybin or a placebo alongside psychotherapy. This research seeks to determine whether the therapeutic alliance, measured by the...
OSF Preprints
2026
Edoardo Fiorino
preprint
This essay explores a naturalistic "middle way" between the traditional approaches to the existence of the soul—believing versus non-believing—and focuses on the related, ultimate question: what happens when we die? It navigates between the metaphysical assumptions of Cartesian dualism and the reductionism of strict scientism, utilizing the framework of Contextual Behavioral Science and Steven...
Personality science
2026
Michael D Robinson, Hamidreza Fereidouni, Muhammad R Asad et al.
Some people report attending to their feelings and valuing them, whereas others do not. Such individual differences, in attention to emotion, could alter the extent to which thoughts are related to feelings. In the present research, 180 participants completed a novel stream of consciousness paradigm in which they were asked to report on thoughts and feelings that occurred during 12 blank...
2026
Josephine Jörke, Lena Erdmann, Michael A. Rapp et al.
preprint
High ventilation breathwork (HVB) has received growing interest as a potential therapeutic tool in the context of the psychedelic renaissance and the expanding scientific research on mind–body practices. It involves intentionally increasing the speed and/or depth of breathing and is often conducted in groups, guided by facilitators and accompanied by evocative music. HVB has been reported to...
2026
Lena Erdmann, Josephine Jörke, Martha N. Havenith et al.
1 citation
preprint
This project investigates whether high ventilation breathwork (HVB) may support mental health through psychological mechanisms that have been proposed in the psychedelic-assisted therapy literature. HVB can reliably induce altered states of consciousness (ASCs) and has been discussed as a potentially low-threshold, non-pharmacological alternative to psychedelic interventions for conditions such...
2026
Vassilis Martiadis, Fabiola Raffone, Domenico de Berardis
preprint
BACKGROUND: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects approximately one-third of patients with major depressive disorder and represents a critical clinical challenge. Esketamine (S-ketamine, Spravato), approved by FDA and EMA since 2019, and psychedelic-assisted therapies (psilocybin, MDMA) share a pharmacological feature unique among approved psychiatric treatments: they induce altered...
2026
Marianna Kokkinaki
Arguing that altered states of consciousness are not spontaneous ruptures of grace but intentional, embodied methods, this book explores the question, ‘what if ecstasy is not a loss of control, but instead a form of knowledge?’ Moving between Eleusinian mystery rites, Afro-Brazilian possession ceremonies and Amazonian shamanism, to Mediterranean tarantism, Anastenaria firewalking and Santo...
Open Mind
2026
Oakley Charlotte Author, MacKenzie Matthew Advisor, Kasser Jeff Committee Member et al.
There has been a recent resurgence of both cultural and scientific interest in altered states of consciousness. Among the most puzzling and widely reported are mystical experiences—anomalous events where one’s ordinary sense of self is replaced by an overwhelming and transcendent feeling of connectedness or unity. These ‘unitive’ mystical experiences challenge many of our common intuitions...
Fascinating life sciences
2026
Adriano R. Lameira, Marcus Perlman, Gabriela-Alina Sauciuc et al.
Abstract Across human cultures, rhythmic movement appears to be consistently associated with the induction of altered states of consciousness (ASCs), yet research on the topic remains scarce. In this chapter, we examine the potential role of rhythmic movement in ASC induction and its significance for understanding the evolution of dance and music. We discuss the cross-cultural spread of the...