If consciousness can operate under quantum principles, then the boundaries between life, death, and cognition are far more permeable than current science allows. In the first large-scale, randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial to test this possibility, conducted across 13 hospitals in the UK and Spain, we investigated whether the human mind can access information during clinical death—but...
Psychedelic substances like ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD have been used for thousands of years in spiritual ceremonies, with users often reporting transcendent and life-altering experiences. Chapter 8 traces the arc of psychedelic use from ancient rituals and colonization to the countercultural revolution and modern neuroscience labs. The chapter blends cultural history with...
ABSTRACT We used a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of a virtual breathwork meditation program (i.e., Sudarshan Kriya Yoga [SKY]) on wellness in counselors‐in‐training ( N = 42). Participants’ overall wellness and sub‐domains of wellness were assessed by the Five Factor Wellness Inventory at pre‐, post‐, and 1‐month follow‐up. Findings indicated that SKY significantly...
Humanity is undergoing a profound demographic transition, with older adults representing a growing share of society. This late stage of life not only prompts profound reflections on the meaning of life and the inevitability of death, but is also associated with a higher occurrence of certain non-ordinary experiences - such as end-of-life experiences (ELEs), after-death communications (ADCs),...
Buddhism provides a comprehensive and detailed approach to human suffering and the wellbeing in general. Based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, Buddhist philosophy focuses on compassion, mindfulness, and ethical living which are heavily congruous with the universally-recognized values of social work, such as social justice, dignity, service, and empowerment. Buddhism offers a philosophical...
March 1, 2026Mircea-Adrian Gorunescu, Daniela Dumitru
This article examines education in socialist Romania as a structured mechanism of subject formation rather than a neutral domain of knowledge transmission. Drawing on a conceptual framework that treats subjectivity as institutionally constituted, the analysis explores how educational discourse promoted instrumental self-regulation while marginalizing practices associated with autonomous...
With the rise of generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs) are repeatedly making a deep impression with their mind-blowing performances. They appear to be able to solve all kinds of tasks for which humans need a range of socio-cognitive abilities, such as reasoning, planning, and understanding. In humans, such abilities seem to be necessarily associated with consciousness. However, this does...
Patrice Meursault and Zagreus, the two pivotal characters of Albert Camus’s A Happy Death (1971), are being examined and interpreted in the light of the shown ideologies of René Descartes and D. H. Lawrence. The research explores the novel and ideologies in the manner of ethical philosophy. The paper explores Zagreus as a Cartesian subject and Meursault's embodied consciousness in the context...
Mind-body exercises (MBEs), including Tai Chi (TC), Qigong (QG), Yoga (YG), and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), show promise in neuropsychiatric rehabilitation by modulating neuroinflammation. This study systematically examines the effects of MBEs on neuroinflammation-related biomarkers in neuropsychiatric disorders, aiming to identify optimal modalities, dosages, and key moderators....
Scientific ReportsFebruary 28, 2026Patryk Główczyński, Paweł Dębski, Karina Badura-Brzoza
Spirituality and religiosity are increasingly examined as factors relevant to mental health, yet less is known about individualized nonreligious forms of spiritual practices. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated associations between spirituality, religious affiliation, non-religious forms of spiritual practices (NFSP) and symptoms of anxiety and depression in 1240 young adults aged...