This paper examines the theoretical and practical dialogue between Western psychoanalysis and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), arguing for a complementary, culturally attuned psychology. It maps core psychoanalytic constructs; unconscious processes, repression, ego dynamics, and the therapeutic role of narrative, onto IKS concepts such as citta , samskara , ahamkara , and avidya . While...
CancersNovember 18, 2025Alicja Heyda, Agnieszka Gdowicz-Kłosok, Magdalena Bugowska et al.
Introduction/Goal: Stress and negative emotions have been shown to exert a substantial impact on cancer patients, affecting their ability to adapt to therapy and the 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. On the contrary, prolactin, a hormone...
Abstract Breathwork which increases ventilatory rate or depth represents an accessible nonpharmacological modality for potentially inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs). Despite gaining traction as a therapeutic tool, empirical research remains limited, hence we conducted the first randomised-controlled trial (NCT06916312) on breathwork and ASCs. We examined the effects of a single...
The Free Energy Principle (FEP) and active inference unify perception, action, and learning within a single variational framework, yet they remain silent on why there is phenomenal experience at all. Awareness-First Theory (AFT) proposes an ontological inversion: rather than deriving consciousness from non-experiential dynamics, it takes awareness as ontologically primitive—taken as the base...
This article comprises an introduction to and annotated translation of a pair of passages from the Great Perfection text known as the Unimpeded Sound Tantra (Sgra thal ’gyur) and one of its earliest known commentaries from the twelfth century. The passages describe practices of divination that involve the interpretation of signs in the outer environing elements of earth, water, fire, and wind,...
Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting roughly 322 million people. Recently, doses of psilocybin have shown promise in treating mood disorders, sparking interest in other dosing practices. According to anecdotal reports and observational studies, microdosing psilocybin yields benefits to mental health; however, rigorously controlled...
Increasing levels of stress and digital fatigue underscore the need for personalized wellness interventions. Though mantra meditation has been shown to have psychological and physiological benefits, wellness platforms currently in existence are generally generic. This paper introduces an AI-powered conversational agent that suggests mantras tailored to users’ personality traits and emotional...
This interview focuses on the act of dancing as a corporeal experience that connects body and mind as part of an indestructible unit deployed in specific spatial and temporal arenas. In this respect, traditional folk dances and dancers share with modern performers and dance performances a corpus of sensorial and cognitive tools for bodily exploration. The dialogue is between Silvia Călin, a...
Introduction: Mental and emotional health among street children remains an urgent issue in Indonesia due to limited psychosocial support and exposure to daily stressors. This community service program, THREE DREAM (3 Diary Recovery Emotion Actual Mindfulness), was developed as an innovative model combining expressive diary writing and mindfulness training to help children recognize, express,...