Vaibhav Tripathi, Pallavi Bharadwaj
preprint
Yoga as a practice and philosophy of life has been followed for more than 4500 years with known evidence of Yogic practices in the Indus Valley Civilization. A plethora of scholars have contributed to the development of the field, but in last century the profound knowledge remained inaccessible and incomprehensible to the general public. Last few decades have seen a resurgence in the utility of...
George Fejer, Till Holzapfel, Taru Hirvonen et al.
preprint
Abstract Breath-based interactions in virtual reality typically map breathing onto discrete visual objects or physiological proxies. Viscereality instead translates respiratory state into a surrounding particle field, mapping lung volume onto external space so that inhalation expands the environment and exhalation contracts it. Because particle fields have no fixed boundary, they can convey...
Pamela Venerdrow Lucas, Michelle Fauver
ObjectiveThis qualitative study examined the creation stories from a cross-section of cultures and traditions to determine whether there are important similarities. MethodsThematic analysis was conducted with 15 creation stories from 11 traditions. Initial coding was reviewed to develop themes, which were then recursively applied to the stories to find further examples and refine definitions....
Alisha Vabba, Giuseppina Porciello, Maria Serena Panasiti et al.
preprint
The conscious processing of body signals influences higher-order psychological and cognitive processes, including self-awareness and body image. 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 the process of perceiving the body through interoceptive signals...
Alicja Heyda, Agnieszka Gdowicz-Kłosok, Magdalena Bugowska et al.
preprint
Abstract Introduction Stress and negative emotions have been demonstrated to exert a substantial impact on cancer patients, affecting their ability to adapt to therapy and the treatment's overall effectiveness. Elevated cortisol levels, a stress-induced hormone, have been shown to suppress immune system function, potentially reducing the body's capacity to combat cancer cells. Conversely,...
Anira Escrichs, Ana Sanjuán, Selen Atasoy et al.
preprint
Abstract Over the past 2,500 years, contemplative traditions have explored the nature of the mind using meditation. More recently, neuroimaging research on meditation has revealed differences in brain function and structure in meditators. Nevertheless, the underlying neural mechanisms are still unclear. In order to understand how meditation shapes global activity through the brain, we...