This article examines whether religious and aesthetic experiences share a common processual architecture and explains why clarifying this relationship matters for the psychology of religion, neuroaesthetics, phenomenology, ritual studies, and applied care. The study was designed as a structured integrative review organized using a PRISMA 2020-informed screening logic. Peer-reviewed studies...
This study examines the epistemological foundations of ṭarīqa (Sufi orders) by reconstructing their role as systems of spiritual education within the broader framework of Islamic pedagogy. In modern academic discourse, tarekat are often reduced to mere ritual practices or socio-religious institutions. In contrast, this study argues that tarekat constitute a structured epistemological system...
The increasing levels of anxiety, stress, academic burnout, and emotional dysregulation among students represent a significant global educational concern. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) remains one of the most empirically validated methods for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms in young populations, its application in educational settings often emphasizes immediate cognitive...
This study aims to understand the dynamics of self-awareness and transcendental experiences in high school students from the perspective of the psychology of religion. Adolescence is a developmental phase characterized by the search for identity, self-reflection, and increased spiritual awareness. This study used a qualitative approach with phenomenological methods to explore students'...
Abstract This discussion paper argues that brain–computer interface (BCI) technology provides empirical evidence for substrate-independent consciousness. Beginning from physicalist premises, I draw on neuroscientist Jon Lieff’s research showing consciousness operates at molecular levels where biological and mechanical distinctions dissolve. Examining ordinary speech reveals consciousness...
Brain SciencesApril 30, 2026Tomi-Ann Roberts, James W Pennebaker, Benita Jackson
Much of the interoception literature assumes that people can accurately detect their heart rate, stomach contractility, muscle tension, and other biological cues. This is not true. Instead, interoception is an active integrative psychological process where the feeling of one's internal state emerges from physiological signals, contextual cues, and the social and cultural experiences of living...
Vedanta 2.1 proposes a structured and testable framework integrating experiential non-dual insights with contemporary cognitive science. The model distinguishes between experiential phenomena and explanatory constructs, avoiding metaphysical absolutism while preserving phenomenological accuracy. It introduces three functional modes of perception—sensory engagement (eye), cognitive control...
This article examines the relationship between rationalism, mysticism, and idealism within the philosophy of science as three epistemological approaches shaping human understanding of reality and knowledge. Rationalism emphasizes reason as the foundation of epistemic certainty through logical principles, while mysticism introduces a transrational dimension of knowledge obtained through...
This thesis explores the lived experience of counsellors, as they navigate the emergence of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies (PAPs) in the UK. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study examines in-depth interviews with five qualified counsellors, with varying degrees of first-hand psychedelic experience, who were all interested in working with psychedelic therapies in...
This dissertation is a study of the philosophy of meditation. It undertakes a philosophical investigation of Longchenpa’s Chos dbyings mdzod (Treasury of Reality’s Expanse), a seminal work at the intersection of philosophy, contemplation, and poetry by one of Tibet’s greatest poets and philosophers. Centering on breakthrough practice (khregs chod), it argues that awareness unframed is a form of...