The article examines the role of religious Platonism in María Zambrano’s theory of mysticism as a starting point for developing a new theoretical framework from which to engage in dialogue with the Renaissance mystical tradition. This framework is constructed on the basis of Zambrano’s categories of: the relationship with life and death, the multiplicity of times, union with the absolute, and...
Modernity, characterized by rationalism, materialism, and the dominance of technology, has generated spiritual, moral, and existential crises in contemporary human life. This condition highlights the need to reinterpret Sufi teachings so that they remain relevant in addressing modern challenges. This study aims to analyze the concepts of ma‘rifah and fanā’ in the classical Sufi tradition and...
Bloy et al. [1] provide an important and methodologically rigorous secondary analysis of the Ketamine for the reduction of Alcoholic Relapse (KARE) trial, examining whether acute psychoactive effects mediate the therapeutic impact of ketamine in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Their finding that dissociative and perceptual effects did not mediate abstinence outcomes is clinically relevant, and...
BACKGROUND: Hmong people experience a disproportionate burden of mental health challenges. While prior studies have examined mental health within Hmong communities, no study has focused on Hmong shamans’ experiences with depression. This study explores how Hmong shamans understand, experience, and respond to depression. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 12 Hmong...
Purpose: One of the greatest mystical traditions of the world is the Tamil Bhakti literature. It is literature of devotion focused on inner realization and the unitive experience with the Divine. For instance, this paper presents a comparative study of some Tamil Bhakti saints, primarily the Nāyaṉmār and Āḻvārs, and the global mystical traditions of the Indian subcontinent Sufi, Christian...
Research SquareMarch 10, 2026Giammarco di Gregorio, Sophia Basset, Harjot Manmohan et al.
preprint
Abstract Depression and anxiety affect one in five adults, with age affecting prevalence. While clinical trials suggest classic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, LSD) and non-classic psychedelics (e.g., MDMA, ketamine) may alleviate these symptoms, it remains unclear how these relationships function in naturalistic settings or how they vary across the lifespan. We conducted a cross-sectional...
The “God gene” hypothesis has attracted attention in the literature as an approach suggesting that religious and spiritual tendencies in individuals may have a genetic basis. Dean Hamer’s hypothesis claims that the VMAT2 gene may be related to a predisposition toward mystical experiences through its role in regulating monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine....
Abstract Background and aims Increased connectedness has been proposed as one mechanism through which psychedelics might reduce death anxiety. This study examined whether changes in connectedness—across intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal domains—were associated with changes in death anxiety following a significant psychedelic experience. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional...
This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the effects of psychedelic substances on death anxiety, specifically evaluating whether psychedelic experiences are associated with statistically significant reductions in death anxiety. A systematic search identified 8 studies suitable for meta-analysis and 10 additional studies for systematic review. Using a random-effects model, the...
Content analysis, discourse analysis, narrative analysis, and other widely used qualitative research methods are grounded in the interpretation of (typically linguistic) meanings. Yet when studying emotions, the phenomena that are often most intriguing and complex tend to be nonlinguistic—or even resist verbalization altogether. Bodily emotional experience and expression lose much of their...