Emerging evidence indicates that ayahuasca consumption may have beneficial mental health effects. This study undertakes the largest analysis to date of associations between naturalistic ayahuasca use and current mental health status via an online cross-sectional survey. The sample included 7,576 participants (average age 41, 47% female) who had consumed ayahuasca in religious, traditional, or...
Within the psychology literature there is a dearth in understanding how and why instances of heightened creativity, or ‘Big-C’, may manifest randomly, often at an early age with minimal practice and experience. In contrast to ordinary “little-c” creativity, depictions of profound creative moments and the means by which they can be attained therefore remain as enigmatic as acts of mystical...
Abstract The concept of “efficacy” is dually grounded in theory and in individual experience. On the one hand, it is a key issue in many religious practices, from intercessory prayer to healing rituals. On the other hand, the concept concerns causality, belief, and intentionality and is here localized within recent discussions of predictive mind and embodied cognition and related to the...
Abstract:The Besloten hofes (enclosed gardens) of Mechelen are cabinet-shaped altarpieces that feature miniature garden spaces filled with an assortment of handmade silk flowers, devotional images, and relics. This article examines the process of creating these silk flowers and their impact on the presumed crafters or restorers—the professed nuns at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwegasthuis (Hospital of...
This article focuses on the presentation of parallel worlds in the early twentieth century Bengali writer Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s (1894-1950) novel Debjan (1946) [literally, ‘the path of the Gods’]. Bandyopadhyay is known abroad mainly for his novels Song of the Road (in Bengali Pather Panchali, 1929) and Mountain of the Moon (Bengali Chander Pahar, 1937), both of which have been...
This book presents an interesting exploration of religious pluralism with an unconventional approach. Each reading of Exploring Religious Pluralism gave me a di ff erent experience which provided new ideas, phrases and re fl ections. This book is not only a read, but also a re fl ection tool, which invites us to re fl ect on our position in interfaith dialogue. The work is born from Knight ’ s...
Modern clinical trials suggest early evidence for the safety and efficacy of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy (PAP) in domains including addictions, dysphoria related to life-threatening illnesses and depression. Research suggests that the mystical experience (ME) under psychedelics appears to play a key role in positive outcomes. With a growing evidence base, it is possible that PAP may be...
Dysfunctional attitudes - a cornerstone to cognitive psychotherapy - vary with both psychological and pharmacological interventions. Post-acute changes in these cognitions appear to covary with the acute reactions to psychedelics that often precede improved outcomes. An examination of post-acute changes in dysfunctional attitudes could support targeting them in psychedelic-assisted therapy....
Abstract The historical trajectory of the dybbuk, the Jewish variant of spirit possession, begins in the sixteenth century and declines at the beginning of the twentieth century. The dybbuk emerged in an “ecological niche” where the mystical doctrines of gilgul (the transmigration of souls) and ibbur (impregnation) became widespread, and the body became the object of scrutiny and control....
Abstract Interest in psychedelic research in the West is surging, however, clinical trials have almost exclusively studied synthetic compounds such as MDMA, ketamine, DMT, LSD, ibogaine, and psilocybin. To date, few clinical trials have utilized whole mushroom/plant material like Psilocybe mushrooms, Iboga, or Ayahuasca. Individuals participating in the Roots To Thrive Psilocybin-Assisted...