Intriguing explorations at the intersection of the fields of neuroscience and psychology are driven by the quest to understand the neural underpinnings of "the self" and their psychotherapeutic implications. These translational efforts pertain to the unique Creative Arts Therapies (CATs) and the attributes and value of the self-related processes they offer. The self is considered as a...
Not only our conscious expectations, wishes and intentions are directed towards the future, but also pre- or unconscious tendencies, hunches and anticipations. Using a term coined by Ernst Bloch, they can be summarized as the not-yet-conscious. This not-yet-consciousness usually unfolds spontaneously and without a plan; it is not expected or striven for, but rather emerges in consciousness in...
The article deals with a comparative analysis of the structure and content of religious experience, specifically the experience of “mysterium tremendum”, in the works of Semyon Frank and Rudolf Otto. It reveals the connection between the concepts of “mysterium tremendum”, “mystery”, and the “the utterly different” as used by the authors. The author attempts to identify perspectives in S.L....
Flow, defined as a heightened state of consciousness characterized by intense concentration during an activity, is influenced primarily by the perceived challenge and the dynamic equilibrium of skills. This investigation focuses on the patterns of flow state attainment and its elicitation mechanisms within the context of piano performance among Chinese music college students. Our study...
Aesthetic emotions are a class of emotions aroused by evaluating aesthetically appealing objects or events. While evolutionary aesthetics suggests the adaptive roles of these emotions, empirical assessments are lacking. Previous neuroscientific studies have demonstrated that visual stimuli carrying evolutionarily important information induce neural responses even when presented non-consciously....
This article discusses walking simulators and self-playing games in the context of the spiritual practice of death meditations. It explores states of mind that walking simulators may have the ability to provoke and how these can be furthered through automation. Although the focus is on potential benefits of a niche approach to game design, the article also discusses ways that this form of...
Over the course of the past century, there have been significant connections established between Buddhist principles and practices and the field of modern psychology. Various aspects of Buddhism, such as its understanding of the mind, insights into the causes of suffering, methods for cultivating mindfulness and managing negative emotions, as well as its concept of a self without ego, have had...
This paper delves into the innovative intersection of quantum mechanics and psychology, examining the potential of quantum principles to provide fresh insights into human emotions, cognition, and consciousness. Drawing parallels between quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, tunneling, decoherence and their psychological counterparts, we present a quantum-psychological model...
Aspects of hypnosis and its application in psychotherapy, psychosomatics and medicine are examined and contextualized in the 250-year history of hypnosis. Imagination as an essential element of hypnotic treatments appeared as early as 1784 as an argument rejecting the theory of animal magnetism of Franz Anton Mesmer. In somnambulism of German romanticism, another proto-form of hypnosis after...
The computational significance of consciousness is an important and potentially more tractable research theme than the hard problem of consciousness, as one could look at the correlation of consciousness and computational capacities through, e.g., algorithmic or complexity analyses. In the literature, consciousness is defined as what it is like to be an agent (i.e., a human or a bat), with...