Acute subjective experiences induced by psychedelics have been identified as important mediators of therapeutic outcomes in many studies. Mystical experiences specifically, have been correlated with a range of therapeutic outcomes including reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety and addiction. This paper assesses acute subjective experiences induced by an encapsulated DMT-harmala...
This article examines one of the least studied representatives of Russian pre-revolutionary philosophy, P.D. Ouspensky. To this day, the legacy of this unusual, original thinker remains little explored in Russian thought, whose interests included the ideas of “superman”, “eternal return”, “fourth dimension”, “third organon”, as well as the study of consciousness taken in unusual, religious...
Abstract Both literature and science contain numerous descriptions of so-called self-transcendent experiences, which seem to deeply alter the boundaries between the self and the rest of the world. The subjects of these experiences often report feeling extended to the world, united with it, or, conversely, feeling retracted from it, as if they were tiny or insignificant. Sometimes, they report...
Spirituality is an essential dimension of human life, encompassing self-awareness, relationships with God, others, and nature, as well as the search for meaning in life. This study examines spirituality through the perspective of Transpersonal Psychology, a modern branch of psychology that emphasizes transcendental experiences, heightened consciousness, and the integration of psychological,...
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...
This novel qualitative study examines the lived experiences of long-term participants in ayahuasca spiritual communities (ASCs) in the United States. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 11) were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis indicating that these communities (1) attract individuals seeking healing from trauma, addiction, and psychological distress, while offering a sense of belonging...
The article presents an interdisciplinary study of the phenomenon of meta-consciousness at the intersection of philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, and mystical tradition. The aim is to integrate analytical, phenomenological, and spiritual-hermeneutical approaches to construct a unified model of meta-consciousness as a recursive process of self-observation. The object of the research is...
This essay examines one of the most enduring theological paradoxes in biblical literature-the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart-through the interpretive lens of the Me’or Einayim of Chernobyl (R. Menachem Nachum Twersky, 1730-1797), a foundational text in early Hasidic thought. The biblical narrative presents a profound dilemma: if God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, how can Pharaoh be held morally...
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...
This study evaluated the effects of ibogalogs on recognition and spatial memory in rodents, focusing on potential hippocampal mechanisms. The Barnes maze study demonstrated that ibogaminalog (DM506) and ibogainalog (IBG) improved short- (30 min) and long-term (24 and 72 h) spatial memory in mice, whereas tabernanthalog (TBG) showed less efficacy. The novel object recognition task (NORT) results...