This article explores the relevance and potential benefits of contemplative life in the contemporary world. It discusses the background of the contemplative tradition and its historical context, as well as its current role in modern society. The article also describes the methods used to conduct a literature review of relevant research and texts, as well as an analysis of contemporary...
Spontaneous thoughts, such as dreaming and mind wandering, constitute a significant portion of human consciousness. Yet, the precise phenomenological and content-related similarities and differences between dreaming and waking mind wandering remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we address this gap by comparing 340 dreaming and mind wandering questionnaires that depending on the...
The purpose of this research is to examine whether Buddhist ethics can improve the health and well-being of Buddhist practitioners during pandemics like COVID-19. It is hypothesized that diseases are part of suffering, and Buddhist teachings aim to eliminate the suffering of all beings. Buddhism also offers ethical codes of conduct for its practitioners to improve their health and well-being....
The research project "New Faces of the Folk Church – Lived Religion, Spiritual Practices and Theological Legitimacy" aims at investigating everyday spiritual activities laypeople engage in within an ecclesial institution, the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Sweden, and how these practices are linked to notions about religion and health. In this article we give an account of our preliminary...
Radical enactivism supports radical embodied cognition (REC), which is the idea that basic or fundamental cognition (perception and action) does not need to be understood in representational, contentful terms. REC departs from the idea that the mind can be naturalized through biological functions, but rejects the idea that mental content, which is understood as having a representational nature,...
Maladaptive daydreaming has been recently identified as a mental disorder and significantly relates to high levels of attentional absorption. As a form of spontaneous and self-generated mental process, daydreaming can lead to the disintegration of attention from the immediate external environment. In extreme cases, patients may develop maladaptive daydreaming comorbid with dissociation,...
AbstractChapter 3 describes proposed psychological mechanisms of change within the EMBARK psychedelic therapy model for the treatment of depression. Twelve mechanisms of therapeutic change are described across the six EMBARK clinical domains: Existential–Spiritual: (a) spiritual self-development, (b) mystical experiences; Mindfulness: (c) freedom from rumination, (d) a more flexible identity,...
AbstractChapter 2 provides a rationale for the EMBARK approach, a therapeutic framework for administering psychedelic medicines. The authors assess previous PAT models, highlighting their strengths and shortcomings. They identify gaps in areas such as attentiveness to the body, attending to the therapeutic relationship, counseling for spiritual experiences, and ethical considerations. The...
Consciousness, a crucial phenomenon, captivates the minds of philosophers, psychologist, scientists, and thinkers across history. This article embarks on a journey into the multifaceted realm of consciousness, traversing various disciplines such as philosophy, science, psychology, and spirituality. At its core, consciousness encompasses the subjective experience of awareness, embracing...
AbstractChapter 6 focuses on the medicine sessions of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), where the psychedelic medicine is administered. The chapter outlines the therapist’s role in these sessions, emphasizing the importance of support, responsiveness, and skillful following, ensuring the participant’s physical well-being, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and providing mindful,...