Hypoxia and psychedelics, despite their distinct origins, both induce altered states of consciousness and promote neuroplasticity, suggesting a shared underlying mechanism relevant to neuropsychiatric treatment and neurological recovery. Terminal lucidity, the transient resurgence of cognitive function in late-stage dementia, highlights the brain's latent capacity for rapid reorganization, a...
Abstract: Background: Delusions are common positive symptoms in schizophrenic patients. Individuals with delusional disorders have different experiences in memory and beliefs. Exploring patients’ delusional beliefs is crucial to ascertaining appropriate psychotherapy programs. A few studies have explored the meanings of delusions for delusional patients. This study explores how schizophrenic...
Stasiosemiotics is made of two concepts: ‘stasis’ and ‘semiotics’. Stasis is a concept that refers to both the division of society and a suspension of time. As a branch of general semiotics, its specific focus, or object, is semiosis stasis, or semiostasis, which is technically impossible: by definition, semiosis is evergoing, continuous and infinite. Though paradoxical, semiostasis can...
Chris Letheby offers a two-factor account of psychedelic therapy in which the first of these factors is the induction of plasticity on neural, cognitive, and phenomenological levels. The second factor, which Letheby believes is crucial for lasting change, is the discovery of new forms of self-modelling within the psychedelic experience and the appropriate reinforcement thereof in the period of...
Ego dissolution—the experience of losing one’s sense of self—is reported across a range of altered states, including psychedelic intoxication, meditative absorption, traumatic dissociation, and psychotic episodes. This paper proposes a unifying framework for these phenomena by introducing the concept of unlooping: the breakdown of recursive structures that construct and maintain identity....
Background: Prana Vidya, an ancient yogic science rooted in Vedic, Tantric, and Ayurvedic traditions, emphasizes the cultivation, regulation, and application of Prana—the vital life force considered essential for sustaining physiological, psychological, and spiritual health. It represents a subtle energy-based discipline that harmonizes mind–body interactions through breath control, awareness,...
The Jahi McMath case represents a pivotal moment in the reevaluation of brain death or death by neurological criteria (BD/DNC) and disorders of consciousness. Declared brain dead on December 12, 2013, following surgical complications, Jahi's case became a landmark in challenging conventional BD/DNC definitions. As an independent consultant for the International Brain Research Foundation, I...
ReligionsSeptember 9, 2025Fides del Castillo, Gregory S. Ching, Clarence Darro del Castillo et al.1 citation
Near-death experiences (NDEs) encompass transformative existential experiences that lead to religious change. Although most previous research focused primarily on Western contexts, there remains less understanding of individuals’ interpretations of NDEs in pluralistic societies such as the Philippines. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examined the relationship between NDEs and...
Frontiers in PsychologySeptember 8, 2025Anita Milicevic, Angela Blazely, Anatol Bragin et al.2 citations
Studies on consciousness need to develop further a mixed methods research design that effectively integrates first-, second- and third-person research approaches. Mixed methods research has not fully explored the methodological potential of the participant-observer role and the interdependence of knowledge across disciplines to gain a deeper understanding of such inquiries. This paper describes...
AbstractAimGaining a more detailed understanding of the patterns of relationship of the content of psychedelic experiences can help build a deeper understanding of the nature of consciousness and assist in navigating those extraordinary experiences for therapeutic, spiritual, exploratory and creative purposes. To help achieve this goal, this study examines the patterns of relationship between...