Background: Meditation is a mental practice in which a person intentionally focuses their mind on a particular object, thought, sensation or awareness to cultivate calmness, clarity, emotional balance and heightened consciousness. Meditation significantly influences the autonomic nervous system by reducing sympathetic activity and enhancing parasympathetic activity. Aim: The present study was...
BackgroundA range of singing interventions exist for mental health contexts, but few have incorporated group-based body, breathwork and vocal improvisation. The Feldenkrais method has potential to support singing interventions by raising attention to body and breath. This study aimed to describe practice and evaluate experiences and outcomes of a Feldenkrais and group vocal improvisation...
This chapter explores the growing frontier of virtual reality meditation (VRM), which blends ancient contemplative practices with immersive digital environments. By putting on a headset, users can find themselves in a Zen garden, forest, or mountaintop dojo, where guided breathing is paired with visuals, sounds, and even interactive features that make meditation more engaging and intuitive....
Ketamine has emerged as a promising intervention for treatment-resistant mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. With rising global mental health burdens and the limitations of existing pharmacological treatments, ketamine's novel mechanism of action provides a potential alternative for individuals who have not responded to traditional therapies....
medRxivFebruary 19, 2026Amanda Gow, Emily Shih, Ryan Reid et al.
preprint
Abstract Background In 2020, Oregon became the first U.S. state to establish a regulated framework for adults to access psilocybin services using naturally-derived mushroom products. No studies have examined mental health outcomes among individuals receiving psilocybin in this context. Aims To evaluate changes in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and well-being 30-days...
Derecho y cambio social.February 18, 2026Raquel Vilanova Araújo, Maria Clara Atta Austríaco, Ancisco Randerson Ribeiro de Sousa Guedes et al.
Introdução: A saúde mental é componente fundamental da formação integral dos estudantes de Medicina, os quais estão frequentemente submetidos a elevados níveis de estresse psicológico decorrentes da intensa carga acadêmica, longas jornadas de estudo e elevada pressão por desempenho. Nesse contexto, a prática meditativa, especialmente o mindfulness, tem sido amplamente investigada como...
The mysteries of the brain’s own cannabinoid system exposed and explained. Though cannabis has been used, for pain or pleasure, for over 4000 years, only lately have we learned, first, what makes it work and, more recently, how. Unraveling the mystery of the human brain’s special relationship with a psychoactive chemical derived from a plant—tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC,...
Current paradigms for understanding Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)-including psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and neuroscientific approaches-offer valuable insights but remain fragmented. They largely fail to explain the deep motivational structure of narcissism, particularly the co-existence of grandiose and vulnerable subtypes and the disorder's profound resistance to treatment....
Natural disasters, particularly floods, pose persistent threats to life, property, and psychosocial well-being in vulnerable regions. Disaster readiness, which includes preparedness, response capacity, and adaptive resilience, is critical for reducing the adverse impacts of such events. While numerous studies have explored the physical and infrastructural dimensions of disaster readiness,...
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet many patients have inadequate responses to current treatments. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a serotonergic psychedelic with rapid onset and short duration, shows promise as a potential antidepressant (AD), although clinical evidence in MDD remains limited. We conducted a phase IIa, double-blind, placebo-controlled,...