The present study applied spectral Granger causality (GC) analysis to EEG recordings obtained during focused attention meditation (FAM), open monitoring meditation (OMM), and loving kindness meditation (LKM) in highly experienced meditators. The aim of the investigation was to characterize distinct connectivity signatures associated with each meditation style by examining the strength,...
This component develops a constraint-based framework for the empirical specification of tranquil states in meditation research. The manuscript proposes that tranquil states are characterized by the co-attenuation of default mode network activity and salience-network baseline drive, while distinguishing this configuration from broader trait effects, altered states, or generalized reductions in...
Dual-process theory of the brain distinguishes fast, parallel, late-commitment cognition (System 1) from slow, sequential, early-commitment cognition (System 2), yet lacks a mechanistic explanation for how these modes operate or how the brain switches between them. Quantum cognition research demonstrates that human decision-making follows quantum probability models under low confidence and...
Recent advances in psychedelic neuroscience have revitalized scientific inquiry into the biological foundations of consciousness. Large-scale neuroimaging studies have consistently demonstrated that psychedelics increase functional integration across distributed brain networks while weakening the stability of normally dominant neural architectures associated with self referential processing and...
Brain Communications2026Tobias Bauer, Charlotte Gauvry, Sebastian Markett et al.
Hemispherotomy is a surgical intervention for severe drug-resistant epilepsy that fully disconnects the lesional brain hemisphere from the rest of the nervous system. This creates a rare opportunity to explore whether consciousness can be sustained without external input. The default-mode network, linked to introspective mental activity, is considered a necessary, though not sufficient,...
Altered states of consciousness range from psychotic disintegration to mystical union, with oceanic affectivity - experiences of ego dissolution, boundlessness, and affective merging - constituting a central feature. While such states can be induced by psychedelics, they also occur through trauma, meditative practices, or within compulsive addictive cycles. In addition, oceanic states may offer...
This scoping review aims to systematically map the neurobiological evidence for psychological and pharmacologically-assisted interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) published between 2020 and 2025. Grounded in the triple-network model (default mode network, salience network, and central executive network), the review will synthesize findings across a range of intervention types,...
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a prevalent mental disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 2-3%, characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These thoughts and behaviors take up a significant amount of time, cause immense distress, and compromise the quality of life of those who suffer from OCD. In addition to psychological factors such as...