This article investigates Theravāda Buddhism as the most historically grounded school of Buddhist thought, emphasizing its preservation of the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha. It argues that Theravāda upholds doctrinal purity through a rigorous commitment to the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Characteristics (Tilakkhaṇa), Dependent Origination, and Insight...
Stasiosemiotics is made of two concepts: ‘stasis’ and ‘semiotics’. Stasis is a concept that refers to both the division of society and a suspension of time. As a branch of general semiotics, its specific focus, or object, is semiosis stasis, or semiostasis, which is technically impossible: by definition, semiosis is evergoing, continuous and infinite. Though paradoxical, semiostasis can...
Background: Prana Vidya, an ancient yogic science rooted in Vedic, Tantric, and Ayurvedic traditions, emphasizes the cultivation, regulation, and application of Prana—the vital life force considered essential for sustaining physiological, psychological, and spiritual health. It represents a subtle energy-based discipline that harmonizes mind–body interactions through breath control, awareness,...
Abstract Mindfulness practices, such as the body scan, could enhance interoception. While prior research shows promise for its effects on interoceptive sensibility (IS; subjective experience of bodily cues) and accuracy (IAcc; accurate detection of bodily signals), studies often use a limited set of interoceptive variables or apply small samples. In two pre‐registered randomized trials, we...
Can active inference model consciousness? We offer three conditions implying that it can. The first condition is the simulation of a world model, which determines what can be known or acted upon; namely an epistemic field. The second is inferential competition to enter the world model. Only the inferences that coherently reduce long-term uncertainty win, evincing a selection for consciousness...
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based actions to support living a rich and meaningful life. ACT has been successfully applied to support recovery from psychosis across multiple contexts. This article provides an overview of ACT for psychosis, followed by an outline of how to effectively...
The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of positive mental health (PMH) in adults who engaged in a 10-week online Trauma-Informed Yoga (TIY) program. Participantsengaged in weekly, 1-h, pre-recorded online TIY intervention sessions for 10 weeks. They completed weekly diaries, and seven participants took part in semi-structured interviews of up to 1-h. Data were thematically...
This study explores the potential of reading Buddhist scriptures as both a contemplative practice and a form of psychological healing by examining the literary characteristics and meditative value of the Lotus Sutra. Buddhist scriptures employ metaphors, symbols, poetic language, and narrative structures to appeal deeply to the reader’s emotions. These literary devices function as mechanisms...
In recent decades, there have been many calls for the inclusion of spirituality and religion (S/R) in therapeutic contexts. In some contexts, this has been an institutionalized form of spiritual and religious assistance (SRA). This article examines the concepts and practices involved in SRA services at three psychiatric institutions in Portugal, a country with strong Catholic roots but...
Meditation practice has been shown to impact resting-state EEG activity in expert meditators, but its benefits on sleep, which is particularly affected with age, are poorly understood. Our aim was to better understand the effects of long-term meditation practice on resting-state EEG and sleep in older adults. Twenty-seven elderly expert meditators (mean age ± SD: 70.7 ± 5.0 years) were compared...