Introduction Treatment-resistant depression remains a major clinical challenge, with many patients experiencing relapse despite advances in medication and psychotherapy. Esketamine offers rapid relief from depressive symptoms, while psychotherapy helps patients build lasting skills to manage their condition. Despite their individual effectiveness, little is known about how these treatments work...
Aims: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is common and associated with substantial disability and economic burden. It is estimated to affect over 100 million people worldwide and approximately 2.7 million people in the United Kingdom. Ketamine has emerged as a novel therapy for TRD, with studies demonstrating rapid antidepressant effects. However, ketamine is also used recreationally and can...
Consciousness is a fundamental component of cognition1, but the degree to which higher-order pattern recognition relies on it remains disputed2,3. Here we demonstrate the persistence of oddball discrimination, semantic processing and online prediction in individuals under general-anaesthesia-induced loss of consciousness4,5. Using high-density Neuropixels microelectrodes6 to record both...
Abstract In navigating the complexities of the modern era, a profound understanding of religious teachings is increasingly vital to provide moral and existential guidance in human life. A central aspect of Islam is understanding the Qur’an, which serves as a foundational source of spiritual and moral guidance. Sufistic epistemology offers a distinctive framework for interpreting the Qur’an,...
This article examines the human brain as an integrated neurovascular architecture in which neuronal, vascular, glial, and metabolic components form a unified functional system. Drawing on contemporary findings in neuroscience, the study analyzes mechanisms of neurovascular coupling, the role of the blood–brain barrier, the glymphatic system, and the energetic foundations of cognitive processes....
Classical psychedelics such as N,N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT) modulate consciousness via serotonergic receptor agonism, and are increasingly investigated for their psychotherapeutic potential. When combined with the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor harmine—mimicking the pharmacological profile of ayahuasca—oral DMT induces a psychedelic experience lasting 4–5 h. While some neuroimaging...
Classical psychedelics such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) modulate consciousness via serotonergic receptor agonism, and are increasingly investigated for their psychotherapeutic potential. When combined with the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor harmine-mimicking the pharmacological profile of ayahuasca-oral DMT induces a psychedelic experience lasting 4-5 h. While some neuroimaging...
The presented studies may help to view and analyse the mystical not only as a conceptual category, but also from a functional and semantic perspective, providing the opportunity to distinguish certain verbal characteristics of literary artistic texts as non-fiction sacred sources originated from different epochs of human cultural development. This study aims at disclosing cultural and...
Abstract Background and Purpose Music plays a central role in psychedelic-assisted therapy, yet few methodologies exist to create and assess therapeutic playlists. This study aimed to illustrate a methodology for developing and evaluating a music playlist for a clinical psilocybin trial using an integrative framework grounded in theory, intentionality, and metrics. Methods A playlist was...
This article undertakes a comprehensive examination of the Autobiography of Ana García Manzanas (religious name: Ana de San Bartolomé), focusing on its narrative strategies within the broader framework of Spanish female spiritual literature, particularly the Teresian Carmelite tradition. The study incorporates a comparative approach, situating Ana’s text in dialogue with Teresa of Ávila’s The...