The nature, location and functioning of the human mind remain contentious topics among philosophers, psychologists, linguists and AI researchers. Noam Chomsky, a pivotal figure in the cognitive revolution, offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the mind’s structure, processes and interactions with cognitive modules. This paper explores Chomsky’s perspective on the mind’s capacities,...
Abstract Awe is a positive emotion often accompanied by sensations of vastness and unity, with known benefits for well-being and social behavior. However, its neural underpinnings remain poorly understood. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and autonomic physiology in 23 healthy older participants while they watched a nature-based audiovisual film and subjectively rated awe events. Awe...
This paper formulates a possible embodied account of consciousness by integrating the vantages of ancient Chinese philosophy and medicine and predictive processing theories in cognitive science. It draws on robust empirical evidence from across the cognitive sciences, including contemporaneous work in philosophy of mind, neuropsychiatry, clinical psychology, and cognitive neuroscience to build...
Most studies in bodily self-consciousness were limited to the case of a single body. We performed VR experiments to test the hypothesis that it is possible for healthy subjects to experience the Double Body Effect-the experiential combination of double body ownership and double body-location. Under proprioceptive-vestibular and visual manipulations, participants wobbled involuntarily while...
This article examines the phenomenon of forest monks’ meditative practices in Thai Buddhism based on a comprehensive historical, philosophical, phenomenological, and sociocultural analysis. Particular attention is paid to the role of key teachers in the dissemination of this phenomenon (Ajahn Sao, Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Chah, and others), meditation methods (samatha, vipassana, thudong), and the...
medRxivNovember 19, 2025T. A. Stripp, N. Hvidt
preprint
Background: Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound phenomena reported after life-threatening events such as cardiac arrest. The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale was developed to improve psychometric assessment of NDE phenomenology, but no validated Danish version exists. Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Danish NDE-C scale among out-of-hospital cardiac...
This article examines one of the least studied representatives of Russian pre-revolutionary philosophy, P.D. Ouspensky. To this day, the legacy of this unusual, original thinker remains little explored in Russian thought, whose interests included the ideas of “superman”, “eternal return”, “fourth dimension”, “third organon”, as well as the study of consciousness taken in unusual, religious...
Abstract Objectives As contemplative science continues to evolve, research has shifted from studying the mental health outcomes of brief meditation programs for novice practitioners to investigating traditional meditative paradigms and their associated advanced soteriological aims. However, empirical studies on meditative development remain limited. Methods The present study examined the...
CancersNovember 18, 2025Alicja Heyda, Agnieszka Gdowicz-Kłosok, Magdalena Bugowska et al.
Introduction/Goal: Stress and negative emotions have been shown to exert a substantial impact on cancer patients, affecting their ability to adapt to therapy and the overall effectiveness. Elevated cortisol levels, a stress-induced hormone, have been shown to suppress immune system function, potentially reducing the body's capacity to combat cancer cells. On the contrary, prolactin, a hormone...
Spirituality is an essential dimension of human life, encompassing self-awareness, relationships with God, others, and nature, as well as the search for meaning in life. This study examines spirituality through the perspective of Transpersonal Psychology, a modern branch of psychology that emphasizes transcendental experiences, heightened consciousness, and the integration of psychological,...