Investigating changes in brain function induced by mind-altering substances such as LSD is a powerful method for interrogating and understanding how mind interfaces with brain, by connecting novel psychological phenomena with their neurobiological correlates. LSD is known to increase measures of brain complexity, potentially reflecting a neurobiological correlate of the especially rich...
The temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) is a key structure for the embodiment, term referred to as the sense of being localized within one's physical body and is a fundamental aspect of the self. On the contrary, the sense of disembodiment, an alteration of one's sense of self or the sense of being localized out of one's physical body, is a prominent feature in specific dissociative disorders,...
Jung JournalJanuary 2, 2021Mary Y. Ayers1 citation
The “Maid of Desolation,” driven by matricidal heroic thinking, is flooding our collective consciousness by way of the coronavirus, an ethical wakeup call that holds not only unfathomable tragedy but also the possibility of transformation and rebirth. Shifting to another way of being requires that patriarchal consciousness undergo a sacrifice, an ego death. Jung makes three major psychological...
2021Erola Pons, Axel Lindner, Julieta Galante et al.
preprint
Depersonalization/Derealization (DPDR) encompasses experiences of unreality about and detachment from oneself and the world. For example, people with DPDR may feel as if their body did not belong to them or as if they were not the “doers” of their actions. Case reports suggest that similar experiences might be associated to the practice of meditation (Castillo, 1990) but often with different...
We study the significance of stories about bad trips among users of psychedelics. Drawing on narrative theory, we describe the characteristics of such stories and explore the work they do. In-depth qualitative interviews with 50 Norwegian users of psychedelics. Almost all participants had frightening experiences when using psychedelics and many described these as bad trips. The key feature of a...
Background: The therapeutic benefits of ketamine have been demonstrated for a variety of psychiatric disorders. However, the role of ketamine induced psychoactive experiences in mediating the therapeutic effects is unclear. Despite the growing quantitative research on the efficacy of ketamine treatment, very few studies examined participant experiences of ketamine infusions in a treatment...
5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a tryptamine with ultra-rapid onset and short duration of psychedelic effects. Prospective studies for other tryptamines have suggested beneficial effects on mental health outcomes. In preparation for a study in patients with depression, the present study GH001-HV-101 aimed to assess the impact of four different dose levels of a novel vaporized...
The ancient Egyptians put quite a bit of emphasis on dreams, although they had no verb for dreaming. It may suggest that they did not consider it an activity but rather a visual phenomenon, which was an uncontrollable phenomenon external to the dreamer. They linked sleep to death (and afterlife), felt that the messages delivered in their dreams could achieve the desire, cure an illness, give...
Abstract Growing interest has been seen in using lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in psychiatric research and therapy. However, no modern studies have evaluated subjective and autonomic effects of different and pharmaceutically well-defined doses of LSD. We used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design in 16 healthy subjects (eight women, eight men) who underwent six 25...
Abstract There is increasing evidence that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is effective for a range of psychological conditions. There are likely numerous mechanisms of action that contribute to these clinical effects. One such mechanism of action might involve psychedelics increasing levels of empathic functioning. This paper synthesises research concerning the relationship between...