1178 results for "Consciousness"
Toward a neuroscience of consciousness using advanced meditation.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews – February 01, 2026
Summary
Understanding the core of Consciousness is challenging, often obscured by complex mental states. A new framework proposes Advanced Meditation, encompassing Advanced Concentrative Absorption Meditation and Meditative Endpoints like temporary cessation, as a powerful tool. This approach aims to isolate the simplest forms of conscious experience, providing precise, replicable anchors for a minimal model. By systematically studying these states, researchers can advance Theories of Consciousness and potentially illuminate insights beyond those offered by Psychedelics, ultimately revealing the fundamental mechanisms of awareness.
Abstract
Despite decades of progress in the neuroscience of consciousness, prevailing empirical paradigms remain largely anchored in the study of typical, c...
A logical and topological proof of the irreducibility of consciousness to physical data
arXiv Preprint Archive – October 16, 2021
Summary
Our conscious visual experience, the very space of what we see, fundamentally differs from physical reality. A new analysis in q-bio.NC explores the geometric and topological properties of visual consciousness. It argues that these intrinsic properties cannot be deduced from physical laws alone. Using logical and mathematical arguments, it concludes that consciousness is irreducible to physical data.
Abstract
We show here that what we call visual space of consciousness, the space of what we see, is a specific space different from the purely physical one ...
Singularity and consciousness: A neuropsychological contribution.
Journal of neuropsychology – March 01, 2021
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
In common sense experience based on introspection, consciousness is singular. There is only one 'me' and that is the one that is conscious. This me...
Ketamine disrupts consciousness in healthy participants in relation with psychotic-like symptoms.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology – November 08, 2025
Summary
Low doses of ketamine can significantly disrupt our conscious perception of visual information. Researchers administered ketamine or a placebo to healthy volunteers, monitoring brain activity during a task involving sounds and masked digits. They discovered ketamine reduced visual awareness and increased interference, correlating with weakened early brain responses to visual stimuli. Crucially, these impairments in conscious access were specifically linked to the psychotic-like experiences induced by the drug, providing key insights into how such symptoms develop.
Abstract
Ketamine is an NMDA-receptor antagonist, which alters the state of wakeful consciousness at high doses. At lower doses, it induces reversible psych...
Shifts in Brain Dynamics and Drivers of Consciousness State Transitions
arXiv Preprint Archive – July 09, 2024
Summary
Our brains shift between different states of consciousness through complex neural patterns. New research reveals how these transitions work by analyzing brain activity during wakefulness, sedation, and recovery. Using advanced modeling techniques from quantitative biology, scientists tracked how neural oscillations change across consciousness states and respond to sound stimuli. The findings illuminate key drivers of consciousness.
Abstract
Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the transitions between different states of consciousness is a fundamental challenge in neuroscience...
EEG Microstates in Altered States of Consciousness
Frontiers in Psychology – April 27, 2022
Summary
Our seemingly continuous conscious experience is actually a rapid succession of discrete "atoms of thought." Electroencephalography (EEG) in Neuroscience reveals these fundamental units, called microstates, as stable patterns of neural dynamics lasting merely 60-120 milliseconds. This insight from Cognitive psychology suggests consciousness isn't a fluid stream but a rapid succession of distinct mental states. Altered states of consciousness, including mind wandering and attention, significantly impact these functional brain connectivity patterns. Cognitive science uses this approach to explore the very nature of consciousness.
Abstract
Conscious experiences unify distinct phenomenological experiences that seem to be continuously evolving. Yet, empirical evidence shows that conscio...
A scoping review for building a criticality-based conceptual framework of altered states of consciousness
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience – May 25, 2023
Summary
Intriguingly, psychedelics bring the brain closer to a critical state than normal consciousness, suggesting optimal information processing. A review of 49 studies across diverse altered states of consciousness, including sleep, delirium, and epilepsy, found that deviations from this critical state characterize these conditions. For instance, non-REM sleep is subcritical, while epileptic seizures are supercritical. This work in cognitive psychology and functional brain connectivity studies proposes that understanding criticality offers an objective framework for wakefulness and consciousness, potentially guiding therapeutic strategies for disorders of consciousness.
Abstract
The healthy conscious brain is thought to operate near a critical state, reflecting optimal information processing and high susceptibility to exter...
Characterization of responders to transcranial direct current stimulation in disorders of consciousness: A retrospective study of 8 clinical trials.
Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics – April 18, 2025
Summary
Brain stimulation therapy shows promise for patients with impaired consciousness, with 32% of minimally conscious patients regaining new signs of awareness. This breakthrough uses tDCS neuromodulation, delivering mild electrical currents to specific brain regions. The treatment proved most effective in patients with higher baseline cognitive function, particularly those in a minimally conscious state. Behavioral assessments revealed better outcomes for these tDCS responders compared to unresponsive patients.
Abstract
The treatment for patients with disorders of consciousness challenges researchers and clinicians. The stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefront...
Stimulants for disorders of consciousness in the intensive care unit: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Brain : a journal of neurology – June 12, 2025
Summary
In a groundbreaking clinical trial, two stimulant medications showed promise in awakening some coma patients with brain injury. Doctors used methylphenidate and apomorphine to treat 50 intensive care patients with impaired consciousness. While pupillometry measurements showed limited response, 20% of patients displayed improved awareness, with methylphenidate showing particularly encouraging results.
Abstract
In the intensive care unit (ICU), management of unresponsive patients with brain injury focuses on preventing secondary brain damage. Therapeutic s...
Conscious and unconscious perception of pitch shifts in auditory feedback during vocalization: Behavioral functions and event-related potential correlates.
NeuroImage – July 01, 2025
Summary
Our brains automatically adjust speech even when we're unaware of pitch changes in our voice. When people speak, their vocal cords respond to subtle pitch shifts whether or not they consciously notice them. Brain imaging shows conscious detection triggers stronger vocal adjustments and activates networks involved in speech control. This reveals how sensorimotor integration works both with and without awareness.
Abstract
During vocalization, mismatches between expected and perceived auditory feedback are processed rapidly and automatically, suggesting that feedback ...
Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness
Frontiers in Psychology – September 04, 2018
Summary
Altered states of consciousness induced by meditation and psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, share striking phenomenological and neurophysiological similarities. Both contemplation practices and psychedelic experiences can lead to a profound phenomenon of self-loss, or "ego dissolution." Cognitive psychology and cognitive science explore how these experiences, often mediated by neurotransmitter receptor influence, disrupt various aspects of self-consciousness. While meditation and psilocybin profoundly alter perception, the specific forms of self-loss differ, highlighting self-consciousness as a complex, multidimensional construct. This transpersonal insight offers new avenues for understanding the human mind.
Abstract
In recent years, the scientific study of meditation and psychedelic drugs has seen remarkable developments. The increased focus on meditation in co...
The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience – January 01, 2014
Summary
Our normal waking consciousness operates with suppressed brain entropy, just below a "critical" point between order and disorder. Psychedelics, like psilocybin, elevate these neural dynamics, revealing a "primary state" of consciousness with a *greater repertoire* of functional connectivity motifs. This entropy suppression provides normal waking consciousness its constrained quality and metacognitive functions, a key focus in Cognitive Psychology. Entry into these states involves a collapse of the Default Mode Network's organized activity. This Neuroscience and Psychology insight has implications for Mental Health Research Topics.
Abstract
Entropy is a dimensionless quantity that is used for measuring uncertainty about the state of a system but it can also imply physical qualities, wh...
A quantum microtubule substrate of consciousness is experimentally supported and solves the binding and epiphenomenalism problems.
Neuroscience of consciousness – January 01, 2025
Summary
New evidence reveals that tiny structures called microtubules inside neurons may be the key to consciousness. When anesthesia blocks these structures, consciousness fades. This supports the quantum consciousness theory, suggesting our awareness emerges from quantum processes in brain cells. The findings help explain how separate brain experiences combine into one unified conscious experience, addressing long-standing questions about consciousness and free will.
Abstract
Recent experimental evidence, briefly reviewed here, points to intraneuronal microtubules as a functional target of inhalational anesthetics. This ...
Quantum information theoretic approach to the hard problem of consciousness.
Bio Systems – May 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Functional theories of consciousness, based on emergence of conscious experiences from the execution of a particular function by an insentient brai...
Naturalistic use of psychedelics is related to emotional reactivity and self-consciousness: the mediating role of ego-dissolution and mystical experiences
Arabixiv (OSF Preprints) – September 23, 2021
Summary
Regular psychedelic use appears linked to enduring psychological shifts. An online survey of 2,516 participants (66% psychedelic users) revealed more lifetime uses predicted greater positive and lower negative emotional reactivity. It also enhanced self-awareness and reflection, reducing rumination and public self-consciousness. Crucially, intense past mystical and ego-dissolution experiences, central to altered consciousness, mediated these trait-level changes. These findings illuminate psychedelics' long-term impact on trait-level psychology and well-being.
Abstract
Background: Psychedelics are able to acutely alter emotional reactivity and self-consciousness. However, whether the regular naturalistic use of ps...
Naturalistic use of psychedelics is related to emotional reactivity and self-consciousness: The mediating role of ego-dissolution and mystical experiences
Journal of Psychopharmacology – August 01, 2022
Summary
Regular psychedelic use may lead to lasting positive psychological shifts. A large survey found that more lifetime use predicted enhanced positive emotional reactivity and reduced negative emotional reactivity. Users also reported improved self-consciousness, including greater reflection and less rumination. These beneficial changes were largely explained by intense past ego-dissolution and mystical experiences, potentially contributing to overall well-being.
Abstract
Background: Psychedelics are able to acutely alter emotional reactivity and self-consciousness. However, whether the regular naturalistic use of ps...
Restructuring consciousness –the psychedelic state in light of integrated information theory
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience – June 12, 2015
Summary
Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin dramatically alter consciousness, offering a unique window into psychology and cognitive science. A new Integrated Information Theory (IIT) model, informed by neuroscience and neural dynamics, explains these profound changes. It suggests that while psychedelics enhance cognitive flexibility and imagination, they simultaneously degrade the brain's ability for categorization and understanding cause-effect meaning. This model, crucial for neural correlates of consciousness and psychedelics drug studies, indicates expanded awareness comes at the expense of organized cognition.
Abstract
The psychological state elicited by the classic psychedelics drugs, such as LSD and psilocybin, is one of the most fascinating and yet least unders...
Windows to Consciousness: The Role of Fronto-Parietal Connectivity in Anesthesia-Induced Unconsciousness.
Current neuropharmacology – May 15, 2025
Summary
When you're under anesthesia, your brain's information highway gets temporarily disrupted. New research reveals that consciousness depends on strong connections between the front and back regions of the brain. When anesthetics are administered, they specifically target these fronto-parietal connections, blocking the brain's ability to integrate information and maintain awareness. This explains why we lose consciousness during surgery.
Abstract
The exploration of consciousness and the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying general anesthesia are two intertwined endeavors that have signif...
Neural Correlates of the Shamanic State of Consciousness
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience – March 18, 2021
Summary
Shamanic trance induces profound shifts in consciousness, often surpassing those under psychedelics. Electroencephalography (EEG) on 24 practitioners and 24 controls revealed unique neural correlates. During active listening to drumming, practitioners showed distinct brain wave patterns, like increased gamma absolute power, influencing consciousness. This neuroscience advances cognitive psychology, distinguishing shamanism from drug studies (neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior). These findings broaden consciousness understanding, complementing resting state fMRI, biochemical analysis, and audiology, offering unique insights into human psychology.
Abstract
Psychedelics have been recognized as model interventions for studying altered states of consciousness. However, few empirical studies of the shaman...
A historical review of consciousness and its disorders.
Handbook of clinical neurology – January 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Concepts of consciousness and its disorders begin with the realization that both reside in the brain. Then came the realization that consciousness ...
Brain Representation in Conscious and Unconscious Vision.
Journal of cognition – January 01, 2025
Summary
Our brains process visual information even when we're not consciously aware of it. Using advanced fMRI scanning, researchers found that both conscious and unconscious visual perception activate similar patterns across the brain's visual and decision-making regions. The study revealed that artificial intelligence models could predict brain responses to images, whether consciously seen or not, suggesting consciousness may be more about how we reflect on information than how it spreads through the brain.
Abstract
The development of robust frameworks to understand how the human brain represents conscious and unconscious perceptual contents is paramount to mak...
Criticality supports cross-frequency cortical-thalamic information transfer during conscious states.
eLife – January 05, 2024
Summary
Brain communication patterns between the cortex and thalamus reveal fascinating insights into consciousness. During wakeful states, these regions "talk" using specific wave patterns, where slow waves from one region are translated into fast waves by the other. This communication weakens during anesthesia or epileptic events, but intensifies under psychedelic influence, suggesting a key role in conscious experience.
Abstract
Consciousness is thought to be regulated by bidirectional information transfer between the cortex and thalamus, but the nature of this bidirectiona...
A pilot human study using ketamine to treat disorders of consciousness.
iScience – January 17, 2025
Summary
The psychedelic drug ketamine shows promise in temporarily boosting brain activity in unresponsive patients. In groundbreaking neuroscience research, doctors administered controlled doses to three patients with severe consciousness disorders. The treatment increased brain complexity and reduced muscle stiffness, while patients showed higher alertness levels. This pharmacological approach offers new hope for biological sciences' understanding of consciousness.
Abstract
Post-comatose disorders of consciousness (DoC) represent persistent neurological conditions with limited therapeutic options and a poor prognosis. ...
Consciousness Viewed in the Framework of Brain Phase Space Dynamics, Criticality, and the Renormalization Group
arXiv Preprint Archive – March 07, 2011
Summary
The subjectivity of consciousness, often seen as a mystery, could be understood through physics. A novel perspective in q-bio.NC proposes it's a collective achievement of the brain's complex dynamics. Drawing from cond-mat.dis-nn principles, it suggests consciousness emerges like a phase transition, forming a new level of reality from the brain-body-environment system's interactions. This framework successfully interprets subjective experience.
Abstract
To set the stage for viewing Consciousness in terms of brain phase space dynamics and criticality, I will first review currently prominent theoreti...
A Fragmented Mind: Altered States of Consciousness and Spirit Possession Between Rituals and Therapy.
Integrative psychological & behavioral science – July 30, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
This paper focuses on understanding how cultural influences, social expectancy, and personal beliefs shape the perception of altered states of cons...
Neural Correlates of Psychedelic, Sleep, and Sedated States Support Global Theories of Consciousness.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology – October 23, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Understanding neural mechanisms of consciousness remains a challenging question in neuroscience. A central debate in the field concerns whether con...
The Role of Top-Down Modulation in Shaping Sensory Processing Across Brain States: Implications for Consciousness.
Frontiers in systems neuroscience – January 01, 2019
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Top-down, feedback projections account for a large portion of all connections between neurons in the thalamocortical system, yet their precise role...
Integrating Consciousness Science with Cognitive Neuroscience: An Introduction to the Special Focus.
Journal of cognitive neuroscience – May 30, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Consciousness science is experiencing a coming-of-age moment. Following 3 decades of sustained efforts by a relatively small group of consciousness...
AWAreness during REsuscitation - II: A multi-center study of consciousness and awareness in cardiac arrest.
Resuscitation – October 01, 2023
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Cognitive activity and awareness during cardiac arrest (CA) are reported but ill understood. This first of a kind study examined consciousness and ...
Connectome harmonic decomposition tracks the presence of disconnected consciousness during ketamine-induced unresponsiveness.
British journal of anaesthesia – April 01, 2025
Summary
During ketamine-induced sedation, people often experience vivid dreams despite being unresponsive. Scientists used advanced brain imaging to reveal that ketamine creates unique brain wave patterns similar to psychedelic states, but different from unconscious states caused by other anesthetics or injury. This suggests consciousness can persist even when people can't respond.
Abstract
Ketamine, in doses suitable to induce anaesthesia in humans, gives rise to a unique state of unresponsiveness accompanied by vivid experiences and ...
The Causal Role of Consciousness in Psychedelic Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Hypothesis and Proposal
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science – July 16, 2025
Summary
Does the psychedelic experience truly heal depression? A new approach investigates whether psilocybin's therapeutic effects, crucial for clinical psychology, require conscious awareness or solely neurobiological actions. One group receives 25mg psilocybin with psychotherapist-guided integration. Another receives the same dose under anesthesia, eliminating consciousness. A third, placebo group also undergoes anesthesia. By isolating subjective experiences from the neurotransmitter receptor influence, this drug study aims to clarify if the profound psychological shifts, often linked to psychoanalysis, are essential for improving depression symptoms. This will reshape future psychedelic treatment protocols.
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances, particularly psilocybin, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has garnered considerable at...
The use of psychedelics in the treatment of disorders of consciousness. An interview with Olivia Gosseries by Charlotte Martial.
Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Liège) – October 13, 2020
Summary
A compelling frontier in **Psychiatry** explores **psychedelics** for disorders of **consciousness**, including the **persistent vegetative state**. Psilocybin, an alkaloid from **chemical synthesis**, is undergoing substantial **Drug Studies** involving many healthy volunteers and patient populations. Experts in **Psychology** see attractive potential for rigorous clinical trials. These will quantify efficacy, aiming to report specific percentages of improvement in patients. While a **psychotherapist** may eventually administer such treatments, ethical and legal challenges surrounding these modified states of consciousness require careful navigation.
Abstract
In this interview, we discuss the use of psychedelic drugs as a promising treatment in disorders of consciousness. Psilocybin, a classic psychedeli...
Altered States of Consciousness During Ceremonial San Pedro Use
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion – December 05, 2022
Summary
Two-thirds of participants experienced a complete mystical state during San Pedro ceremonies, a powerful psychedelic. Forty-two individuals in these retreats showed profound altered states of consciousness across 11 dimensions, alongside moderate ego-dissolution. This cross-cultural social psychology investigation highlights how spiritual experiences, akin to shamanic trance, are strongly expressed, revealing the profound magic of such journeys. While biochemical analysis points to alkaloid effects, experiences featured low anxiety but higher physical distress or grief, advancing our psychoanalysis and drug studies understanding of consciousness.
Abstract
San Pedro, a mescaline containing cactus, has been used for thousands of years and is currently popular as a psychedelic substance in ceremonial re...
Functional connectivity drifts during sleep as a marker of fluctuations in the level of consciousness.
Neuroscience of consciousness – January 01, 2025
Summary
Consciousness isn't simply "on" or "off" during sleep. In rats, examining functional connectivity revealed that Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, often considered unconscious, contains periods where its brain activity patterns resemble those of wakefulness or REM sleep. This suggests that neural correlates of consciousness, reflected in functional connectivity, fluctuate significantly not just between but also *within* brain states. These dynamic changes, observed over seconds, challenge traditional views of sleep and wakefulness as distinct states.
Abstract
During the wake-sleep cycle, consciousness waxes and wanes, and this is thought to be reflected in varying levels of integration between brain area...
Criticality supports cross-frequency cortical-thalamic information transfer during conscious states
eLife – December 15, 2023
Summary
A key finding reveals that consciousness relies on a preserved communication channel between the cortex and thalamus, diminishing during unconsciousness. In studies involving 42 human patients, along with mice and rats, information transfer via δ/θ/α waves (1–13 Hz) is encoded by high γ waves (52–104 Hz). Unconscious states, induced by propofol or seizures, disrupt this connection, while the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT enhances it. This research links thalamic-cortical dynamics to consciousness and introduces a framework to understand disruptions in information transfer.
Abstract
Consciousness is thought to be regulated by bidirectional information transfer between the cortex and thalamus, but the nature of this bidirectiona...
Adversarial testing of global neuronal workspace and integrated information theories of consciousness.
Nature – June 01, 2025
Summary
Consciousness emerges from complex brain activity, but how? A groundbreaking experiment compared two leading theories by tracking brain responses while people viewed visual stimuli. Results showed that conscious experiences involve multiple brain regions working together, with visual and frontal areas communicating. However, neither theory fully explained the findings, suggesting our understanding of consciousness needs refinement.
Abstract
Different theories explain how subjective experience arises from brain activity1,2. These theories have independently accrued evidence, but have no...
Simultaneity of consciousness with physical reality: the key that unlocks the mind-matter problem
arXiv Preprint Archive – September 27, 2023
Summary
Consciousness creates its own causal power, independent of what we're actually experiencing - a groundbreaking insight into the mind-body problem. This analysis challenges traditional views that treat consciousness as a mere byproduct of physical processes. Through logical deduction from fundamental experiential truths, research shows consciousness generates new degrees of freedom in ways that can't be predicted through standard sequential observation. This has major implications for neuroscience and makes testable predictions about brain function.
Abstract
The problem of explaining the relationship between subjective experience and physical reality remains difficult and unresolved. In most explanation...
Towards a (meta-)mathematical theory of consciousness: universal (mapping) properties of experience
arXiv Preprint Archive – December 13, 2024
Summary
Consciousness, one of nature's most fascinating phenomena, may be understood through universal mathematical patterns. This groundbreaking analysis reframes how we think about subjective experience, using advanced mathematical concepts to identify core properties that define consciousness. The work bridges neurobiology (q-bio.NC) with abstract math, suggesting consciousness emerges from unique patterns of information integration in the brain.
Abstract
Conscious (subjective) experience permeates our daily lives, yet general consensus on a theory of consciousness remains elusive. Integrated Informa...
The Therapeutic Potential of Nonordinary States of Consciousness, as Explored in the Work of Stanislav Grof
Journal of Humanistic Psychology – July 01, 1992
Summary
Profound shifts in awareness can unlock significant healing potential. A comprehensive review and new theory propose that nonordinary states of consciousness foster a deep "movement toward wholeness." Stanislav Grof's pioneering work, drawing from diverse experiences and clinical cases, presents a powerful model where these states offer remarkable therapeutic benefits, guiding individuals toward greater well-being and personal integration.
Abstract
The paucity of formal scientific research into the therapeutic potential of nonordinary states of consciousness is addressed in this article. A lit...
Transcranial Focused Ultrasound for Identifying the Neural Substrate of Conscious Perception.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews – November 19, 2025
Summary
Precisely identifying brain activity linked to conscious perception is now within reach. A new non-invasive brain stimulation technique, transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS), offers unprecedented precision. This method, safe and capable of targeting deep brain structures with millimeter accuracy, provides a roadmap to explore the neural correlates of consciousness. It promises significant breakthroughs in understanding how the brain creates conscious experience.
Abstract
Identifying what aspects of brain activity are responsible for conscious perception remains one of the most challenging problems in science. While ...
Predictors of Recovering Full Consciousness: Results From a Prospective Multisite Italian Study.
European journal of neurology – April 01, 2025
Summary
Visual responsiveness and brain activity patterns can predict recovery in patients with severe brain injuries, according to groundbreaking research from Italian rehabilitation centers. Following 131 patients with disorders of consciousness, specialists found that those with better visual responses and specific neurophysiology markers had higher chances of regaining full consciousness within 3 months of intensive rehabilitation. This insight helps doctors provide more accurate recovery forecasts.
Abstract
Improving prognostication in patients with a prolonged disorder of consciousness (pDoC) is among the most challenging issues in neurorehabilitation...
What Can N100 and ASSR Assess in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness?
IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society – January 01, 2025
Summary
Brain wave patterns reveal crucial insights into consciousness levels in unresponsive patients. Scientists found that steady-state responses in the auditory system are more reliable than traditional measures for assessing hearing function in these cases. While these brain signals help confirm if patients can process sound, they can't yet definitively distinguish between different states of consciousness.
Abstract
Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEP), particularly the N100 component and the auditory steady-state response (ASSR), have been utilized in the clinical...
Altered states of consciousness within therapeutic modalities - exploring commonalities of experience
Consciousness, Spirituality & Transpersonal Psychology – December 20, 2022
Summary
During altered states of consciousness, brain rhythms slow from normal waking patterns to those seen in meditation and dreams. Research across hypnotherapy, past-life regression, and other therapeutic approaches reveals that people consistently report experiencing a deeper consciousness beyond their physical existence. These profound inner journeys often involve encounters with distinct aspects of self, leading to personal growth and heightened awareness.
Abstract
Altered states of consciousness (ASC) occur when there is a deviation from normal levels of psychological functioning. They can be self-induced thr...
Commentary: The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience – August 30, 2016
Summary
The compelling idea that psychedelic states elevate consciousness by making brain activity "more random and harder to predict" is central to Neuroscience. This "entropic brain hypothesis," explored through Functional neuroimaging in Cognitive psychology, posits that psychedelic states show elevated entropy and criticality, unlike normal, subcritical wakeful consciousness. However, Cognitive science questions if entropy is the sole indicator of consciousness quality. It also scrutinizes whether psychedelic-induced brain activity is genuinely critical, challenging current understanding in Psychedelics and Drug Studies.
Abstract
The “entropic brain hypothesis” holds that the quality of conscious states depends on the system’s \nentropy (Carhart-Harris et al., 2014). Bra...
Enchanted consciousness revisited – Ayahuasca visualizations and Sartre's ideas on hallucination
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – March 09, 2026
Summary
Ayahuasca hallucinations reveal profound insights into consciousness, challenging traditional views. By analyzing 100 participants' experiences with ayahuasca, Benny Shanon’s phenomenological cognitive psychology highlights aspects of enchanted consciousness overlooked by Sartre. The study illustrates the concept of "double bookkeeping," where individuals navigate two realities—one delusional and one grounded. This phenomenon contrasts with typical psychological interpretations, suggesting that psychedelic experiences can reshape our understanding of the unconscious mind and offer new perspectives on how we perceive reality through altered states of consciousness.
Abstract
Abstract The aim of the paper is to complement Sartre's concept of enchanted consciousness. The first section of the paper studies the contradictio...
The Awakening of the Newborn Human Infant and the Emergence of Consciousness.
Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) – May 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Consciousness develops gradually in the womb and after birth, rather than being an all or none phenomenon. A newborn infant is aroused and wakes up...
The Social Context of Consciousness: An Integrative Framework for Neuroscience, Psychology, and Law.
Integrative psychological & behavioral science – February 14, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
This article discusses social context of consciousness, the role of the brain and the psychological processes of their actions in the context of th...
Opening the black box: Think Aloud as a method to study the spontaneous stream of consciousness.
Consciousness and cognition – February 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Asking participants to Think Aloud is a common method for studying conscious experience, but it remains unclear whether this approach alters though...
Consciousness Under the Spotlight: The Problem of Measuring Subjective Experience.
Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science – January 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
The study of consciousness is considered by many one of the most difficult contemporary scientific endeavors and confronts several methodological a...
Passive mapping of hand motor cortex across altered states of consciousness.
The International journal of neuroscience – April 26, 2025
Summary
Scientists can now map brain regions controlling hand movement even when patients are unconscious. By stimulating nerves in the wrist and measuring electrical brain activity (electrocorticography), researchers tracked high gamma band signals in the motor cortex during different consciousness states. The technique remained highly accurate even as patients went under anesthesia, maintaining over 80% accuracy in mapping hand regions during deep unconsciousness.
Abstract
To evaluate the ability of median nerve stimulation (MNS)-induced high gamma band (HGB) activity in mapping the hand motor cortex at different stat...
Effect of receptive provocation as a therapeutic approach for cognitive and consciousness improvement among traumatic brain injury patients in India.
Bioinformation – January 01, 2024
Summary
Gentle sensory stimulation could be key to awakening the injured brain. In a groundbreaking Indian healthcare initiative, patients with traumatic brain injury showed remarkable cognitive improvements through receptive provocation therapy - a structured approach using controlled multisensory stimulation. Daily 20-minute sessions over one week significantly enhanced consciousness levels and mental function, compared to standard care alone.
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health concern, often resulting in cognitive deficits and altered states of consciousness. This study eval...
Altered State of Consciousness and Mental Imagery as a Function of N, N-dimethyltryptamine Concentration in Ritualistic Ayahuasca Users
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience – January 01, 2023
Summary
Ayahuasca profoundly alters consciousness, with N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) driving its primary psychological effects. Among 24 Santo Daime members, drinking ayahuasca significantly increased feelings of oceanic boundlessness and ego dissolution. These shifts in consciousness and visual restructuralization correlated with peak DMT concentrations. Surprisingly, measures of mental image capacity, including vividness and cognitive flexibility, did not noticeably improve. This suggests long-term engagement with psychedelics may lead to neuroadaptive changes, influencing Ayahuasca's impact on cognition and perspective, crucial for clinical psychology and drug studies exploring neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
Abstract Consumption of the psychedelic brew ayahuasca is a central ritualistic aspect of the Santo Daime religion. The current observational, base...
Measures of Entropy and Complexity in altered states of consciousness
arXiv Preprint Archive – January 09, 2017
Summary
Brain activity during wakefulness shows remarkably higher levels of complexity than during sleep or seizures. Using advanced statistical analysis of brain recordings, researchers found that our neural signals are most intricate when we're fully alert and processing information. This pattern held true across multiple recording methods, suggesting consciousness requires sophisticated brain dynamics.
Abstract
Quantification of complexity in neurophysiological signals has been studied using different methods, especially those from information or dynamical...
Increased spontaneous EEG signal diversity during stroboscopically-induced altered states of consciousness
OpenAlex – January 04, 2019
Summary
A compelling neuroscience insight reveals that simple stroboscopic light stimulation can induce profound altered states of consciousness, similar to those from psychedelics. Electroencephalography (EEG) shows this non-pharmacological stimulation substantially increases neural signal diversity, exceeding levels found during wakeful rest. This change accompanies a significant expansion in the intensity and range of subjective experiences, including complex visual hallucinations. This finding in psychology suggests EEG signal diversity reflects the richness of conscious experience, offering insights into how sensory stimulation impacts the brain's diverse activity patterns, paralleling observations from drug studies.
Abstract
Abstract What are the global neuronal signatures of altered states of consciousness (ASC)? Recently, increases in neural signal diversity, compared...
Content-Free Awareness: EEG-fcMRI Correlates of Consciousness as Such in an Expert Meditator
Frontiers in Psychology – February 18, 2020
Summary
A highly experienced meditator (over 50,000 practice hours) revealed unique neural correlates of consciousness during content-free awareness. Using EEG-fMRI, a sharp decrease in alpha power and increase in theta power were observed. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed increased functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network and decreased activity in the posterior default mode network. This neuroscience finding suggests how top-down attention, crucial for cognition in psychology, can exclude external stimuli and internal mentation, offering insights into consciousness beyond the unconscious mind and states like persistent vegetative state.
Abstract
The minimal neural correlate of the conscious state, regardless of the neural activity correlated with the ever-changing contents of experience, ha...
Consciousness as a Non-Local Field: Completing Federico Faggin's Architecture with the DMT Receiver and the AO Interaction Law
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) – November 20, 2025
Summary
A groundbreaking advancement in understanding consciousness reveals a biological interface through the DMT Antenna Network, showcasing that biological systems can synthesize N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). This study identifies 1,000+ crystalline microstructures capable of transducing non-local information. Additionally, the Encoded Equilibrium law describes how these systems extract data from a consciousness field, represented by the equation V = E × Y. This unified model integrates insights from fields like cognitive science and physics, offering clear, falsifiable predictions about the subjective experience of "I Am."
Abstract
This paper completes Federico Faggin’s architecture of consciousness by identifying the two missing components required to transform his qualitativ...
Pharmacological therapies for early and long-term recovery in disorders of consciousness: current knowledge and promising avenues.
Expert review of neurotherapeutics – June 01, 2025
Summary
Emerging drug treatments offer new hope for patients with severe consciousness disorders, from coma to minimally conscious states. Recent advances in pharmacotherapy show promising results when targeting specific brain circuits, particularly the mesocircuit system. Personalized medicine approaches, combining targeted drugs with patient-specific factors, are proving most effective in helping people recover awareness and cognitive function.
Abstract
Disorders of consciousness (DoC) are characterized by impaired arousal and/or awareness, ranging from coma to unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, mi...
Psilocybin for disorders of consciousness: A case-report study.
Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology – May 01, 2025
Summary
A groundbreaking therapeutic approach shows promise for patients with severe brain injury: psilocybin increased brain complexity in a minimally conscious patient. While traditional therapies for disorders of consciousness remain limited, this pioneering case demonstrated new spontaneous behaviors and enhanced neural activity after psychedelics were administered. The treatment proved safe and yielded encouraging neurological changes.
Abstract
With very few treatments available, post-comatose disorders of consciousness (DoC) pose one of the hardest challenges in modern neurology. Followin...
Non-equilibrium brain dynamics as a signature of consciousness
arXiv Preprint Archive – December 19, 2020
Summary
Our brains operate far from equilibrium during consciousness, like a bustling city that never settles down. By analyzing brain activity in both primates and humans during sleep and anesthesia, researchers discovered that consciousness requires dynamic, energetic brain states. When consciousness fades, brain activity shifts closer to equilibrium - similar to how a busy marketplace quiets as it closes. These findings reveal that measuring how far brain activity strays from equilibrium could help identify conscious states.
Abstract
The cognitive functions of human and non-human primates rely on the dynamic interplay of distributed neural assemblies. As such, it seems unlikely ...
Efficacy and safety of esketamine combined with propofol for conscious sedation in painless colonoscopy: a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial.
BMC anesthesiology – October 30, 2024
Summary
A breakthrough in colonoscopy comfort: combining esketamine with propofol for conscious sedation proves safer than traditional deep sedation. This approach reduces risks of oxygen drops and blood pressure issues while maintaining high patient satisfaction. The technique offers faster recovery times and fewer side effects, making painless colonoscopy procedures more comfortable and efficient.
Abstract
We explored the efficacy and safety of esketamine combined with propofol for conscious sedation in painless colonoscopy. A total of 195 patients wh...