December 7, 2020
Henry Fu, Bernie Garrett, Gordon Tao et al.
BACKGROUND Mindfulness-based stress reduction has demonstrated some efficacy for chronic pain management. More recently, virtual reality (VR)–guided meditation has been used to assist mindfulness-based stress reduction. Although studies have also found electroencephalograph (EEG) changes in the brain during mindfulness meditation practices, such changes have not been demonstrated during...
Religions
December 6, 2020
Nicolae Turcan
10 citations
Drawing a clear line between phenomenology and theology remains a challenging endeavor. This article has two parts: The first one argues that, from a methodological point of view, there is a need for a theo-phenomenology, a phenomenology which acknowledges religious faith as a given. The second part of the article tries to present the essence of religious call in Eastern Orthodox spirituality....
Molecular Biology Reports
December 1, 2020
Alec J. DiVito, Robert F. Leger
Classical psychedelics are a group of drugs characterized by their activation of the serotonin-2A (5-hydroxytryptamine-2A; 5-HT2A) receptor and the unique hallucinogenic and mystical-type experiences that result. After a substantial period of restrictions limiting investigations into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, a relatively recent recommencement of interest has sparked the...
Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science
December 1, 2020
Majid Beshkar
The QBIT theory is an attempt toward solving the problem of consciousness based on empirical evidence provided by various scientific disciplines including quantum mechanics, biology, information theory, and thermodynamics. This theory formulates the problem of consciousness in the following four questions, and provides preliminary answers for each question: Question 1: What is the nature of...
Transcultural Psychiatry
December 1, 2020
David Freis
2 citations
This article examines Fischl Schneersohn's (1887-1958) "science of man" as a psychotherapeutic approach situated between modern psychology and Chassidic mysticism. While almost forgotten today, Schneersohn was a prolific writer, well-known in Yiddish-speaking circles as a psychologist, educationalist, novelist, and psychotherapist. As a descendant of an important dynasty of Chassidic rebbes, he...
December 1, 2020
Tristan S. Seikel
The client for this study, the Entheogenic Research, Integration, and Education (ERIE), was interested in the use of anthropological methods to examine the experiences of people who use psychedelics beyond the clinical setting. Through collaborative discussions with the client, we decided that the central questions guiding this research are to understand the various reasons why people consume...
November 24, 2020
Zhengjia Ren
This study explores the factor structure of mystical experience among 428 subjects comprised of Yi who practice Bimoism and Yi without a background in Bimoism. Explorative factor analyses results identified common facets across groups, and these facets could be formed into Stace’s three-factor structure in both groups. Comparing factor structure and ordering, the experience of transcendence for...
Dancecult
November 16, 2020
Marc-Olivier Castagner
While discourses of peace abound in cultural, youth and EDMC studies, notably in relation to concepts like communitas, the dominant moral and modern conceptions of peace and conflict appear limited to tackling the inevitable conflict dynamics inside parties and around the vibe as a peak experience. Inspired by contemporary peace studies, Peter Sloterdijk's psychopolitical-morphological argument...
November 7, 2020
Barbara A. Schaefer
As initially presented in the context philosophical theology, the title indicates a two-fold perspective. On one hand: That which is usually described as conversion is at heart an insight (with or around some religious content) - the outcome for the person having undergone such an experience puts the world in context while also putting concerns that affect the wellbeing of the world and of...
Religions
November 5, 2020
June Mcdaniel
3 citations
On the island of Bali in Indonesia, the traditional Hindu religious leaders are the pedandas, or brahmin high priests. Their religious status is largely based on their mystical states, during which they create the highest and most valuable form of holy water, which is needed for all religious rituals on the island. It is one of the rare examples in world religions where mysticism is not only...