The Dream Catcher test defines the criteria for a genuine discovery of the neural constituents of phenomenal consciousness. Passing the test implies that some patterns of purely brain-based data directly correspond to the subjective features of phenomenal experience, which would help to bridge the explanatory gap between consciousness and brain. Here, we conducted the Dream Catcher test for the...
Integrated information theory (IIT) proposes a measure of integrated information, termed Phi (Φ), to capture the level of consciousness of a physical system in a given state. Unfortunately, calculating Φ itself is currently possible only for very small model systems and far from computable for the kinds of system typically associated with consciousness (brains). Here, we considered several...
Imagine a scenario where you are cooking and suddenly, the contents of the pot start to come out, and the oven bell rings. You would have to stop what you are doing and start responding to the changing demands, switching between different objects, operations and mental sets. This ability is known as cognitive flexibility. Now, add to this scenario a strong emotional atmosphere that invades you...
Immersive technology, such as virtual reality, provides us with novel opportunities to create and explore affective experiences with a transformative potential mediated through awe. The profound emotion of awe, that is experienced in response to witnessing vastness and creates the need for accommodation that can lead to restructuring of one's worldview and an increased feeling of connectedness....
An important question in neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) studies is whether event-related potential (ERP) component P3 reflects visual awareness or the confidence with which one reports a visual experience. In the present study, participants detected visual stimuli presented at threshold-level contrast, then rated their subjective confidence with respect to their response on a...
Human cognition is not limited to the processing of events in the external environment, and the covert nature of certain aspects of the stream of consciousness (e.g. experiences such as mind-wandering) provides a methodological challenge. Although research has shown that we spend a substantial amount of time focused on thoughts and feelings that are intrinsically generated, evaluating such...
In this study, approximately one thousand cases of spontaneous psychic experiences were analyzed to find out what range of forms the experiences more commonly took.Four main types were found: (1) Intuitive, in which the subject's experience was a simple, unreasoned impression or hunch.(2) Hallucinatory, in which the experience was projected as if it were a sensation.(3) Unrealistic dreaming, in...
Limited research has been conducted on the religious experiences of people with bipolar disorder (BD). Qualitative research indicates that the disentanglement of pathology and genuine religiosity is an important issue for persons with BD and that some patients experience discrepancy between the explanatory models of mental health care professionals and religious leaders. The current study...
Studies of consciousness have traditionally been based mainly upon the perceptual domains of consciousness. However, there is another side of consciousness, represented by various types of intrinsic conscious experiences. Even though intrinsic experiences can represent up to 50 percent of our conscious experiences, they are still largely neglected in conscious studies. We assume there are two...
The attraction of this book for me was multi-layered. Breathing is central to meditation and prayer. It is a foundation for mental health and managing anxiety. I have to keep breathing (and keep my breathing calm and under control) for endurance sport and especially the rhythm of swimming. And my yoga teacher consistently reminds me to breathe through my exercises while stretching. I have...