Abstract The interest in lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has sparked again due to its supposed positive effects on psychopathological conditions. Yet, most research focuses on the actions of LSD on the central nervous system. The interaction with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been neglected so far. Therefore, the aim was to assess the effects of LSD and the serotonin 2A receptor...
Background: Recent years have seen a resurgence of research on the potential of psychedelic substances to treat addictive and mood disorders. Historically and contemporarily, psychedelic studies have emphasized the importance of contextual elements ('set and setting') in modulating acute drug effects, and ultimately, influencing long-term outcomes. Nevertheless, current small-scale clinical and...
In this paper, I investigate the phenomenology of awakening in Chinese Zen Buddhism. In this tradition, to awaken is to ‘see your true nature’. In particular, the two aspects of awakening are: (1) seeing that the nature of one’s self or mind is empty or void and (2) an erasing of the usual (though merely apparent) boundary between subject and object. In the early Zen tradition, there are many...
A novel representationalist theory of consciousness is presented that is grounded in neuroscience and provides a path to artificially conscious computing. Central to the theory are representational affordances of the conscious experience based on the generation of qualia, the fundamental unit of the conscious representation. The current approach is focused on understanding the balance of...
Bodily self-consciousness, the state of mind that allows humans to be aware of their own body, forms the backdrop for almost every human experience, yet its underpinnings remain elusive. Here we combine an ingestible, minimally invasive capsule with surface electrogastrography to probe if gut physiology correlates with bodily self-consciousness during a virtual bodily illusion. We discover that...
Psychedelic drugs are increasingly being incorporated into therapeutic contexts for the purposes of promoting mental health. However, they can also induce adverse reactions in some individuals, and it is difficult to predict before treatment who is likely to experience positive or adverse acute effects. Although consideration of setting and dosage as well as excluding individuals with psychotic...
Background: Psilocybin is the psychoactive component in Psilocybe mushrooms (‘magic mushrooms’). Whether and how the quality of the psilocybin-induced experience might mediate beneficial health outcomes is currently under investigation, for example, in therapeutic applications. However, to date, no meta-analysis has investigated the dose-dependency of subjective experiences across available...
In this chapter, I classify the mystical experiences in two broad categories: spontaneous and intentionally sought. In the first belong those states that arise unexpectedly for largely unknown reasons. In the other belong those states that are sought deliberately by means of different behavioral and psychophysiological methods. The purpose of the distinction and comparison of the two types is...
In this chapter, I provide clear descriptions of the mystical states and I differentiate them from similar ones with which they are often confused (e.g. with beatific “visions” or “psychic” or “near death” experiences). In it, I also clarify the use of the concept of “understanding” as it applies to the “ineffable” mystical experiences. Finally, I comment on the metaphysical preconceptions with...
In this chapter, the highlights of the history of the ritual use of psychedelic substances are reviewed and the most common ones are briefly sketched as a preparation for subsequent discussion of the neurochemical correlates of mystical states. Specifically, the use of psychedelics among the ancient Hindus, mentioned extensively in the Vedas; among the members of the Native American Church and...