The spiritual journey in Islamic wisdom aims at reaching the highest stage of perfection, which is direct intuitive knowledge of the Divine Reality. Achieving this goal demands accurate cognition, spiritual refinement, and guidance under a qualified master. This study examines the factors underlying spiritual wayfaring by comparing the foundations of Ghiyāth al-Din Dashtaki and Ayatollah Javadi...
Background Breathwork that increases ventilatory rate or depth represents an accessible non-pharmacological modality for potentially inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs). Despite gaining traction as a potential therapeutic tool, empirical controlled research on breathwork and ASCs remains limited. Methods We examined the effects of a single session of high ventilation breathwork,...
This paper develops a mystical atheist political theology drawing on Brook Ziporyn’s work, particularly his interpretation of Tiantai Buddhist metaphysics. Mainstream political theology rests on the idea that political concepts are secularized theological concepts. If true, this poses a challenge for mystical atheism, since this means that atheism is effectively barred from the political...
This chapter focuses on two “unruly friends of God”: the Hanbali Sufi, Abdullah Ansari of Herat (1006–1088), and the French Dominican friar, Serge de Beaurecueil (1917–2005). The comparison derives analytical insight from the classic Sufi distinction between “drunk” and “sober” mysticism. Both men in their historical and religious contexts embraced an expression of sanctity found on the edge,...
Neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) studies have faced two kinds of confounding empirical findings: multiple peaks and excessive activations recorded by ERP in the temporal domain and by fMRI in the spatial domain, respectively. These confounds have led to the well-known proposals of multiple NCCs and no-report paradigms. However, ‘the exact neural underpinnings of conscious experience...
Abstract Background . It is widely accepted that beyond the pharmacological predictors, individuals’ pre-drug mental disposition, including intentions , influences the psychedelic experience. However, is it not fully clear how intentions and outcomes relate. This study explores the intention qualities beyond classically assessed category and explicitness in association with outcomes. Methods ....
UPDATED 2026-06-09 Corrected dataset attribution from Timmermann et al. (2019) to Pallavicini et al. (2021) UPDATED 2026-01-21 Background: Psychedelic substances produce profound alterations in conscious experience, yet the neural mechanisms underlying phenomenal richness remain poorly understood. Static measures of neural integration and complexity have shown limited success in predicting...
BMC NursingJune 8, 2026Poria Moradi, Alireza Abdi, Ameneh Amiri Kolehjoubi
BACKGROUND: Near-death experiences (NDEs) are rare but profound phenomena that have also been reported in children. However, most existing research has focused primarily on adults, and evidence regarding pediatric NDEs remains limited. This study explored pediatric nurses' observations and accounts of children's NDEs using a qualitative approach. METHODS: A conventional qualitative content...
Scientific ReportsJune 5, 2026Amaury C Mengin, Julie Rolling, Walid Oulehri et al.
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hospitalizations confront individuals with imminent death and may cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In contrast, traumatic events may lead to positive psychological outcomes such as post-traumatic growth. As consciousness is altered, near-death experiences (NDEs) may occur and be associated with post-traumatic growth. Our cross-sectional, monocentric study...
Dominant psychedelic frameworks have been developed primarily from acute-phase neuroimaging and emphasize transient network reconfiguration during the drug state. Less attention has been given to the post-acute period, during which consequential electrophysiological and clinical changes may unfold. Ibogaine, whose human evidence is restricted to the post-acute window, provides a particularly...