Psychedelic-assisted therapy has attracted considerable clinical attention in the past decade for its ability to bring therapeutic benefits to patients in treatment-resistant categories. In contradistinction from other psychopharmaco-therapies, contemporary psychedelic therapists, like their predecessors, paid close attention to the 'set and setting', and argued that the mind-set of the subject...
San Pedro, a mescaline containing cactus, has been used for thousands of years and is currently popular as a psychedelic substance in ceremonial retreats in Europe. The current research investigates the consciousness altering effects of San Pedro. Forty-two participants who joined ceremonial psychedelic retreats in the Netherlands were investigated with questionnaires probing 11 dimensions of...
This study aimed to establish the healing rituals and beliefs of Ati (Indigenous People) traditional healers in Aklan, Philippines. The study was anchored on interpretivism, which seeks to comprehend and interpret human activity and participants' experiences. The research used narrative analysis as a qualitative method of research. The study was conducted at Numancia, Aklan, Philippines. This...
Open PhilosophyDecember 2, 2022Gómez-Emilsson Andrés, Percy Chris
The “Slicing Problem” is a thought experiment that raises questions for substrate-neutral computational theories of consciousness, including those that specify a certain causal structure for the computation like Integrated Information Theory. The thought experiment uses water-based logic gates to construct a computer in a way that permits cleanly slicing each gate and connection in half,...
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and similar psychoactive drugs have been used in psychotherapy since 1949, when the first clinical study with lower-dose LSD showed therapeutically relevant effects. This caused an intense interest among psychotherapists and researchers, alike, on an international scale. In 1960, the use of serial lower-dose LSD/psilocybin sessions in a psychoanalytical...
An international ban on psychedelics initiated by the United Nations' Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 1971 restricted the clinical use of these ancient psychoactive substances. Yet, in an era marked by rising mental health concerns and a growing "Deaths of Despair" epidemic (i.e., excess mortality and morbidity from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism), the structured psychedelic...
Background The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT has shown clinical potential due to its short duration and ability to induce mystical experiences. However, a phenomenon known as “reactivations” (similar to “flashbacks”) is a poorly understood and frequently reported phenomenon which appears associated with 5-MeO-DMT use and warranted further investigation. Aims This study examined whether differences in...
This paper delves into the unique blend of spirituality and aesthetics in Bhima Bhoi’s bhajanas, highlighting the almost psychedelic qualities of his poetic language within the context of Mahima Dharma. Bhima Bhoi’s bhajanas are filled with vibrant imagery that pushes beyond the spiritual and cultural limits of his era, illustrating the core values of Mahima Dharma—such as monotheism,...
November 24, 2022Robson Savoldi, Antônio Roazzi
preprint
Recent studies have assessed that the mystical alterations in sense of self are the best candidates for improvements in self-consciousness and the therapeutic potentials of ayahuasca’s rituals. Here, we examine the predictive relations of self-consciousness by mysticism and ego-dissolution self-reports. A cross-sectional study was drawn to investigate which self-consciousness traits – private...
Objective: Nightmares seem to predict suicidal behaviors, and the aim of this study is to explore the chronology and trajectories of alterations in dream contents before a suicidal crisis, distinguishing 3 different experiences: bad dreams, nightmares, and suicidal scenarios during dreams. Methods: This naturalistic study included individuals hospitalized between January 2021 and May 2021 in a...