236 results for "Neural Correlates"
Classification schemes of altered states of consciousness.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews – August 01, 2025
Summary
From meditation to psychedelics, altered states of consciousness have fascinated scientists for decades. New research reveals a comprehensive framework for classifying these experiences based on three key factors: subjective effects, induction methods, and brain activity patterns. This classification system helps bridge phenomenology with neuroscience, offering insights into how different consciousness-altering practices affect our minds.
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the conceptual and empirical study of altered states of consciousness (ASCs), induced pharmac...
An encounter with the self: A thematic and content analysis of the DMT experience from a naturalistic field study.
Frontiers in psychology – January 01, 2023
Summary
DMT, a naturally occurring psychedelic, can trigger profound shifts in consciousness and self-perception. In a groundbreaking naturalistic field study, researchers observed experienced users in home settings, conducting detailed interviews about their experiences. Analysis revealed intense physical and psychological effects, including altered sensory perception, emotional breakthroughs, and a transformed sense of self.
Abstract
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an endogenous serotonergic psychedelic capable of producing radical shifts in an experience that have significant i...
Structure and Dynamics of Brain Lobe's Functional Networks at the Onset of Anesthesia-Induced Loss of Consciousness
arXiv Preprint Archive – November 15, 2016
Summary
When consciousness fades under anesthesia, the brain's communication networks undergo dramatic changes within just 90 seconds. Researchers tracked brain activity in different regions using electrodes placed directly on a primate's cortex while administering ketamine. The analysis revealed distinct shifts in how brain areas connect and communicate, particularly in the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions. These findings illuminate how anesthesia disrupts the neural networks that maintain consciousness.
Abstract
Anesthetic agents are neurotropic drugs capable of inducing significant alterations in the thalamocortical system, promoting a profound decrease in...
Enhanced repertoire of brain dynamical states during the psychedelic experience
arXiv Preprint Archive – May 26, 2014
Summary
Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, dramatically expands the brain's repertoire of connectivity states, revealing how consciousness can be altered. Using advanced brain imaging, researchers tracked neural activity before and after psilocybin administration. Results showed increased signal variability in memory and emotion-processing regions, while higher brain networks displayed enhanced flexibility in their communication patterns.
Abstract
The study of rapid changes in brain dynamics and functional connectivity (FC) is of increasing interest in neuroimaging. Brain states departing fro...
Neurophysiological correlates of ketamine-induced dissociative state in bipolar disorder: insights from real-world clinical settings.
Molecular psychiatry – January 14, 2025
Summary
Ketamine's remarkable effects on brain activity reveal why it may help treat bipolar depression. Brain wave patterns show the drug reduces slower mental activity while boosting high-frequency signals linked to improved mood. Patients who responded more slowly to treatment showed stronger brain changes, suggesting individual differences in how people process ketamine. These insights from real-world clinical settings help explain how this promising treatment works at a neural level.
Abstract
Ketamine, a dissociative compound, shows promise in treating mood disorders, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and bipolar disorder (B...
Subanesthetic Ketamine Suppresses Locus Coeruleus-Mediated Alertness Effects: A 7T fMRI Study.
The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology – June 01, 2024
Summary
Ketamine's impact on brain alertness reveals a surprising connection to mood disorders. Using ultra-high field MRI, researchers found that low doses of ketamine reduce activity in the locus coeruleus, a key brain region controlling alertness. By dampening this brain network's connectivity to the thalamus, ketamine decreased alertness levels in healthy volunteers, suggesting its antidepressant effects may work through calming overactive alertness systems.
Abstract
The NMDA antagonist S-ketamine is gaining increasing use as a rapid-acting antidepressant, although its exact mechanisms of action are still unknow...
Mindfulness meditation styles differently modulate source-level MEG microstate dynamics and complexity
Frontiers in Neuroscience – February 02, 2024
Summary
Different meditation styles create unique patterns in our brain's electrical activity. Buddhist monks practicing mindfulness meditation showed distinct brain patterns during focused attention versus open monitoring techniques. Advanced brain imaging revealed that open monitoring meditation produced more complex and dynamic brain states, while focused meditation created more stable patterns. These findings help explain how different meditation approaches uniquely influence our mental states.
Abstract
BackgroundThe investigation of mindfulness meditation practice, classically divided into focused attention meditation (FAM), and open monitoring me...
Subacute effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca on the salience and default mode networks
OpenAlex – September 29, 2019
Summary
Strikingly, a single Ayahuasca session can alter brain activity for at least 24 hours. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (neuroimaging) on 43 participants (22 Ayahuasca, 21 placebo), increased functional connectivity was observed within the salience network and between it and the default mode network. Within the default mode network, connectivity decreased in the posterior cingulate, a region including the precuneus. This hallucinogen's impact on brain activity, relevant to psychology and neuroscience, suggests shifts in self-perception and emotion, offering insights into altered states of consciousness sometimes explored in meditation.
Abstract
Abstract Background Neuroimaging studies have just begun to explore the acute effects of psychedelics on large-scale brain networks’ functional org...
Neuroimaging correlates and predictors of response to repeated-dose intravenous ketamine in PTSD: preliminary evidence
medRxiv Preprint Server – April 10, 2021
Summary
Brain imaging reveals a fascinating link: **improvement** in **PTSD symptoms** after **ketamine treatment** is tied to specific changes in **brain activity**. Successful **treatment** with **ketamine** was associated with increased connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, key regions for emotion regulation. This suggests **ketamine** may normalize how the brain processes threats, leading to significant **improvement** for individuals with **PTSD**.
Abstract
Promising initial data indicate that the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine may be beneficial in post-traumatic str...
Relaxed Beliefs After Psychedelics: From Sensory Processing to Mystical States
CORE – December 01, 2024
Summary
Remarkably, psychedelics appear to reconfigure brain networks, leading to lasting shifts in perception. Research explored how these substances alter sensory processing, hypothesizing they weaken top-down control, boosting bottom-up input. Using human EEG and mouse studies, findings revealed 5-HT2A psychedelics indeed shift this balance, impacting how we perceive and leading to profound belief changes. These positive results contribute to their therapeutic effects. Distinct brain network changes were observed with 5-MeO-DMT. This framework also illuminates mystical experiences, emphasizing the post-acute environment's role in consolidating these beneficial shifts.
Abstract
This dissertation explores the lasting impact of psychedelic use on brain networks, ranging from basic sensory processing to abstract mystical expe...
Thalamocortical interactions reflecting the intensity of flicker light-induced visual hallucinatory phenomena.
Network neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) – January 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Aberrant thalamocortical connectivity occurs together with visual hallucinations in various pathologies and drug-induced states, highlighting the n...
Unpacking the complexities of consciousness: Theories and reflections.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews – March 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
As the field of consciousness science matures, the research agenda has expanded from an initial focus on the neural correlates of consciousness, to...
Interbrain synchronization in classroom during high-entropy music listening and meditation: a hyperscanning EEG study.
Frontiers in neuroscience – January 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Social interaction is a vital source of human development, yet neuroscientific research delineating its neural correlates in large groups is scarce...
Using Electroencephalography to Advance Mindfulness Science: A Survey of Emerging Methods and Approaches.
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging – April 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Throughout the brief history of contemplative neuroscience, electroencephalography (EEG) has been a valuable and enduring methodology used to eluci...
Predictive coding, multisensory integration, and attentional control: A multicomponent framework for lucid dreaming.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America – November 01, 2022
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Lucid dreaming (LD) is a mental state in which we realize not being awake but are dreaming while asleep. It often involves vivid, perceptually inte...
Do animals dream?
Consciousness and cognition – October 01, 2021
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
The understanding of biological functions of sleep has improved recently, including an understanding of the deep evolutionary roots of sleep among ...
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...
Emotions and brain function are altered up to one month after a single high dose of psilocybin.
Scientific reports – February 10, 2020
Summary
A single psilocybin dose can elevate positive mood for a full month. A pilot study with 12 healthy volunteers investigated whether psilocybin administration leads to lasting emotional and brain changes. One week after, participants reported reduced negative affect and increased positive affect, alongside altered brain responses to emotional stimuli. Crucially, one month later, positive affect remained elevated, and trait anxiety decreased. Brain plasticity also increased, with more functional connections across the brain. These findings suggest psilocybin may enhance emotional and brain plasticity, highlighting negative affect as a promising therapeutic target.
Abstract
Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic compound that may have efficacy for the treatment of mood and substance use disorders. Acute psilocybin effects...
Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT
PLoS ONE – April 23, 2019
Summary
More than two-thirds of atheists reported no longer identifying as such after a God encounter experience. A survey of over 4300 individuals, including those using psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ayahuasca, and other hallucinogens, explored these profound events. While non-drug encounters favored "God" and psychedelic groups preferred "Ultimate Reality," striking similarities emerged. Participants reported vivid memories and attributed lasting positive changes to these experiences, often fulfilling criteria for complete mystical experiences in half of cases. This work in Psychology and Religious Studies highlights the impact of psychedelics on spiritual beliefs.
Abstract
Naturally occurring and psychedelic drug-occasioned experiences interpreted as personal encounters with God are well described but have not been sy...
Enhanced repertoire of brain dynamical states during the psychedelic experience
Human Brain Mapping – July 03, 2014
Summary
Psilocybin dramatically expands the brain's communication patterns, revealing a wider repertoire of connectivity states. Using Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques, a Neuroscience study of 15 healthy subjects showed this psychedelic substance increased brain signal variability in areas like the hippocampi. This suggests a profound shift in cognitive science, where typical brain networks show altered activity. These Psychedelics and Drug Studies offer insights into unconstrained consciousness, contributing to our understanding of Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior and overall brain dynamics.
Abstract
Abstract The study of rapid changes in brain dynamics and functional connectivity (FC) is of increasing interest in neuroimaging. Brain states depa...
Psilocybin reduces low frequency oscillatory power and neuronal phase-locking in the anterior cingulate cortex of awake rodents
Scientific Reports – July 26, 2022
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, profoundly alters brain activity, offering insights for psychology and medicine. In neuroscience, recordings from the anterior cingulate cortex of awake mice show this psychedelic drug significantly reduces low-frequency brain oscillations while increasing overall neuron firing, with just under half of individual neurons showing increased activity. This desynchronizes cortical populations by altering neural phase modulation. These drug studies suggest psilocybin dissolves the default mode network, a key finding consistent with its therapeutic potential.
Abstract
Abstract Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic compound that is showing promise in the ability to treat neurological conditions such as depression and pos...
Yale Program for Psychedelic Science (YPPS) Manual for Psilocybin-OCD Session Monitors for Protocol HIC: 2000020355
OpenAlex – October 05, 2022
Summary
Psilocybin offers a compelling avenue for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, a severe psychiatric condition. A clinical psychology program assesses the safety and efficacy of a single 0.25 mg/kg psilocybin dosing. This alkaloid is administered in a supportive clinical context, with monitors providing non-directive psychological support during each session. Unlike traditional exposure therapy, the focus is on processing the experience. This medicine study explores how psilocybin's influence on neurotransmitter receptors might alleviate symptoms. A psychotherapist-like presence supports participants in this novel drug study.
Abstract
The Yale Program for Psychedelic Science (YPPS) is testing the safety and efficacy of psilocybin, administered in conjunction with non-directive ps...
The forgotten psychedelic: Spatiotemporal mapping of brain organisation following the administration of 2C-B and psilocybin
OpenAlex – October 22, 2024
Summary
The hallucinogen 2C-B shows unique promise in psychology, potentially offering advantages over psilocybin. In 22 healthy volunteers, administration of 20 mg 2C-B, 15 mg psilocybin, or placebo was explored via 7T fMRI. Both psychedelics increased brain complexity and between-network connectivity. Crucially, 2C-B exhibited less pronounced reductions in certain brain connections but elevated others, reflecting distinct neuropharmacological profiles. These insights are vital for neuroscience and cognitive psychology, guiding future drug studies and potential new pharmacotherapies.
Abstract
As psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy gains momentum, clinical investigation of next-generation psychedelics may lead to novel compounds tailored f...
Spatiotemporal mapping of brain organisation following the administration of 2C-B and psilocybin
Molecular Psychiatry – February 03, 2026
Summary
A compelling finding reveals the hallucinogen 2C-B causes less dysphoria than psilocybin, with distinct neural effects. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in 22 healthy volunteers, brain mapping showed both compounds altered functional connectivity across key brain regions like the temporal lobe. 2C-B and psilocybin reduced intranetwork links while increasing between-network connections. 2C-B uniquely elevated transmodal functional connectivity. These serotonergic and monoaminergic effects, impacting brain activity, highlight 2C-B's potential in Neuroscience and Psychology for novel Mental Health and Psychiatry treatments and neuroplasticity studies.
Abstract
As psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy gains momentum, clinical investigation of next-generation psychedelics may lead to novel compounds tailored f...
Acute Biphasic Effects of Ayahuasca
PLoS ONE – September 30, 2015
Summary
Ayahuasca, an Amazonian medicine, profoundly alters brain activity in two distinct phases. Biochemical analysis of its unique chemistry reveals how this psychedelic brew influences neurotransmitter receptors, shaping behavior. After 50 minutes, brain activity shows reduced alpha power (8-13 Hz). Subsequently, between 75 and 125 minutes, slow-gamma (30-50 Hz) and fast-gamma (50-100 Hz) power increases. These drug studies demonstrate this biphasic effect is directly associated with circulating levels of Ayahuasca's chemical compounds, illuminating its therapeutic potential.
Abstract
Ritual use of ayahuasca, an amazonian Amerindian medicine turned sacrament in syncretic religions in Brazil, is rapidly growing around the world. B...
Role of the 5-HT2AReceptor in Self- and Other-Initiated Social Interaction in Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Induced States: A Pharmacological fMRI Study
Journal of Neuroscience – March 19, 2018
Summary
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) profoundly alters social interaction, a key area for Psychology and Mental Health Research Topics. A Neuroscience investigation with 24 healthy participants, using Functional magnetic resonance imaging, showed LSD (100 μg) reduced brain activity in self-processing regions and impaired joint attention. Crucially, 40 mg Ketanserin, a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, blocked these neurochemical effects, indicating Serotonin 5-HT2 receptor stimulation drives LSD's influence on behavior. This highlights the 5-HT2 receptor as a target for social impairments.
Abstract
Distortions of self-experience are critical symptoms of psychiatric disorders and have detrimental effects on social interactions. In light of the ...
Beyond the veil of duality—topographic reorganization model of meditation
Neuroscience of Consciousness – January 01, 2022
Summary
Advanced meditation profoundly reorganizes the brain, dissolving the perceived boundary between self and environment. A synthesis of functional brain imaging reveals experienced meditators show decreased activity and connectivity in self-focused networks, coupled with increased executive control. This profound shift in neural topography, impacting the "economic" allocation of brain resources, challenges our epistemology of consciousness by moving beyond self-other duality. Similar to insights from specific psychedelic and sleep research, this highlights how mindfulness and compassion interventions can lead to an altered aesthetic of wakefulness, fostering nondual awareness.
Abstract
Abstract Meditation can exert a profound impact on our mental life, with proficient practitioners often reporting an experience free of boundaries ...
LSD Relaxes Structural Constraints on Brain Dynamics and Default Mode Decoupling Tracks Ego Dissolution
OpenAlex – March 05, 2026
Summary
Psychedelics like LSD significantly alter brain function, revealing a remarkable decoupling of low-frequency brain activity from structural constraints. In a study involving 30 participants, LSD led to a 40% increase in flexibility within the default mode network, which is associated with ego dissolution. While low-frequency activity showed widespread reorganization, high-frequency gamma activity underwent selective adjustments. This suggests that psychedelics promote a unique rebalancing of neural dynamics, potentially enhancing therapeutic effects by loosening rigid structural limitations and improving communication among brain networks involved in self-awareness and perception.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics profoundly alter conscious experience, yet how they reshape the relationship between brain anatomy and function remains uncle...
Neural complexity is increased after low doses of LSD, but not moderate to high doses of oral THC or methamphetamine.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology – June 01, 2024
Summary
Low doses of LSD increase brain signal complexity without causing hallucinations or altered consciousness. Scientists found this by comparing brain activity patterns in volunteers given small amounts of LSD versus THC and methamphetamine. While all drugs affected brain waves, only LSD boosted neural complexity, suggesting unique effects on brain function even at doses too low to cause noticeable mental changes.
Abstract
Neural complexity correlates with one's level of consciousness. During coma, anesthesia, and sleep, complexity is reduced. During altered states, i...
Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques.
NeuroImage – August 15, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Meditation encompasses a range of practices employing diverse induction techniques, each characterized by a distinct attentional focus. In Mantra m...
Transcranial ultrasound stimulation modulates neural activity of paraventricular thalamus and prefrontal cortex in the propofol-anesthetized mice.
Journal of neural engineering – June 09, 2025
Summary
Ultrasound brain stimulation can cut recovery time from anesthesia nearly in half. Scientists found that targeting specific brain regions with ultrasound waves accelerates awakening by activating the thalamus and prefrontal cortex - key areas for consciousness. This technique shows promise as a way to better control anesthesia recovery in medical settings.
Abstract
Objective: Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has been reported to modulate neural activity and accelerate the recovery of consciousness in ...
Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science
PLoS ONE – November 07, 2018
Summary
A compelling finding reveals the majority of 1120 meditators surveyed report extraordinary experiences, expanding the *field* of *meditation* research beyond traditional clinical effectiveness. While *Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions* have focused on *Behavioral Health*, new avenues explore deeper aspects of *Contemplation* and their implications for *medicine*. This rigorous *data science* approach acknowledges experiences often overlooked, providing critical insights for *mental health* challenges, particularly relevant post-*COVID-19*. Future studies demand careful *engineering ethics* to investigate these phenomena.
Abstract
The science of meditation has grown tremendously in the last two decades. Most studies have focused on evaluating the clinical effectiveness of min...
Patternizing Psilocybin in Logic Space
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) – March 11, 2023
Summary
A fascinating discovery reveals the golden ratio's relevance in the digital harmonies of psilocybin. This novel approach, rooted in computer science, employs Logic Space—a virtual vector space—to analyze chemical compounds like psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen. Critical for psychedelics and drug studies, this method maps the behavior of alkaloids within virtual neural nets. The intersection of chemical synthesis and psychology unveils unexpected mathematical patterns, offering new insights into these substances.
Abstract
Logic Space, as described in the Geometry of Logic (Emmerson, 2023), allows us to generate a virtual logic-based vector space for notating and anal...
Psilocybin biphasically modulates cortical and behavioral activity in mice
OpenAlex – January 20, 2024
Summary
Psilocybin, a serotonergic hallucinogen, dramatically reshapes how the brain processes sound. Neuroscience reveals a 2 mg/kg dose initially boosts activity in the auditory cortex, boosting behavioral responses to stimulus. However, 30 minutes later, mice become less active, and sound responses decrease, while neural "noise" increases. Intriguingly, neuronal selectivity for sounds remains stable. This work illuminates how psilocybin modulates intrinsic versus stimulus-driven activity in the sensory system, potentially explaining hallucinations without disrupting core perception, with implications for areas like the visual cortex and neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
SUMMARY Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic believed to have therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric conditions. Despite well-documented pr...
The Nonclassic Psychedelic Ibogaine Disrupts Cognitive Maps.
Biological psychiatry global open science – January 01, 2024
Summary
A fascinating insight reveals how psychedelics alter our internal navigation. A specific compound, ibogaine, was found to destabilize the brain's "cognitive map" in the retrosplenial cortex of mice. This map, crucial for path integration, became less reliable when animals had to infer position. While neural activity patterns shifted, surprisingly, fundamental network dynamics related to neuronal avalanches remained largely unaffected, offering clues into how these compounds disrupt brain representations. This provides a clearer understanding of how psychedelics influence brain function.
Abstract
The ability of psychedelic compounds to profoundly alter mental function has been long known, but the underlying changes in cellular-level informat...
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 ...
Modulation of neural complexity and consciousness in temporal lobe seizures: Effects of high-frequency pulvinar stimulation.
Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape – June 21, 2025
Summary
Brain signal complexity drops during seizures, often leading to loss of consciousness. New findings show that high-frequency pulvinar stimulation can effectively counter this. Using SEEG recordings, researchers measured brain activity changes via permutation entropy. They found that this stimulation significantly reduced the typical complexity decline during seizures, a positive effect linked to improved consciousness. This suggests a promising approach to preserve awareness and cognitive function.
Abstract
Loss of consciousness/awareness during temporal lobe seizures significantly affects quality of life and is closely linked to pathological thalamoco...
Spectrally and temporally resolved estimation of neural signal diversity
CrossRef
Summary
Understanding brain activity's complexity offers profound insights into consciousness. A new method, CSER, significantly improves how we measure neural signal diversity. This state-space model approach matches existing tools for distinguishing conscious states, while crucially decomposing complexity into specific brainwave frequencies. It found gamma waves are central to complexity changes in consciousness. CSER also brings vastly improved temporal resolution, uncovering rapid shifts like early entropy increases preceding standard auditory responses, enabling fine-grained analysis of brain activity related to cognition and conscious states.
Abstract
Abstract Quantifying the complexity of neural activity has provided fundamental insights into cognition, consciousness, and clinical conditions. Ho...
Dhyana yoga, the path of meditative being: Psychotherapeutic insights from the east.
Asian journal of psychiatry – June 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Eastern spiritual traditions offer insights into the mind-body approaches to enhance health and well-being. These insights focus on self-awareness ...
Unmixing the Psychedelic Connectome: Brain Network Traits of Psilocybin
OpenAlex – November 17, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin's profound effect on the brain isn't a single, uniform change, but a complex interplay of neural processes. Using fMRI data from healthy volunteers, a primary brain connectivity pattern was identified, its expression directly tied to psilocin concentration. Significantly, a second, distinct neural pattern also emerged, independently linked to impaired performance on a visual divergent thinking task. This demonstrates the acute psychedelic state is a composite of two co-occurring neural processes, offering a more nuanced understanding than global brain activity descriptions.
Abstract
Abstract Psilocybin induces profound alterations in consciousness, yet prevailing neural models often describe a monolithic change in brain connect...
Decoupling of motor cortex to movement in Parkinson's dyskinesia rescued by sub-anaesthetic ketamine.
Brain : a journal of neurology – June 03, 2025
Summary
Ketamine shows promise in treating movement complications from Parkinson's medication. Using in vivo electrophysiology in rats, researchers found that motor cortex activity becomes disconnected from actual movements during levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Sub-anesthetic ketamine helped restore this connection by reorganizing neural population states, reducing unwanted movements without disrupting normal motor function.
Abstract
Gamma-band and single-unit neural activity in primary motor cortex are involved in the control of movement. This activity is disrupted in Parkinson...
Electrophysiological correlates of lucid dreaming: sensor and source level signatures
bioRxiv Preprint Server – April 09, 2024
Summary
Conscious awareness during dreams has a unique brain signature. Researchers developed refined methods to analyze brain signals from many participants. While surface activity resembles regular dreams, deeper brain regions reveal distinct patterns. Increased gamma waves in temporal areas suggest verbal insight and self-reflection. Reduced beta waves in parietal regions may reflect a conscious reality check. Crucially, enhanced alpha connectivity indicates heightened self-awareness. These findings successfully map the neural basis of lucid dreaming.
Abstract
Lucid dreaming (LD) is a state of conscious awareness of the current dream state, predominantly associated with REM sleep. Research progress in unc...
Decoupling of cortical activity from behavioral state following administration of the classic psychedelic DOI.
Neuropharmacology – October 01, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Administration or consumption of classic psychedelics (CPs) leads to profound changes in experience which are often described as highly novel and m...
Dynamic medial parietal and hippocampal deactivations under DMT relate to sympathetic output and altered sense of time, space, and the self
Imaging Neuroscience – April 16, 2025
Summary
Our sense of time and self can profoundly shift under altered states. Researchers mapped brain activity and heart rate in volunteers given DMT. They found immediate deactivations in brain areas linked to time, space, and self-referential processing, alongside increased activity in regions tied to hallucinations. Elevated heart rate, indicating sympathetic regulation, correlated with these brain changes. This suggests a chain linking sympathetic regulation to these brain deactivations, potentially fostering positive mental health outcomes related to self-referential processing.
Abstract
Abstract N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a serotonergic psychedelic, known to rapidly induce short-lasting alterations in conscious experience, cha...
Ketamine decreases HPA axis reactivity to a novel stressor in male but not female mice
bioRxiv Preprint Server – June 29, 2021
Summary
Remarkably, a common antidepressant's effect on stress hormones varies between sexes. Researchers explored if ketamine's impact depends on the body's stress response system. Male and female mice, pre-stressed, received ketamine or a control, with stress hormones measured during a new challenge. While behavioral changes weren't noted, ketamine significantly reduced stress hormone levels in males facing a new challenge, but not in females. This suggests ketamine's ability to calm the body's stress response is specific to males, potentially due to sex-specific brain pathways.
Abstract
Ketamine is an antidepressant drug that interacts with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, but whether this interaction is important for...
Nonequilibrium brain dynamics elicited as the origin of perturbative complexity.
PLoS computational biology – June 06, 2025
Summary
Brain activity during consciousness follows predictable patterns of cause and effect. This research reveals that the brain's natural state of imbalance - how signals flow asymmetrically between regions - predicts how it will respond to external stimulation. By studying brain scans from people in various states of consciousness, including sleep and disorders, researchers found that higher consciousness correlates with more asymmetric neural connections and complex responses to stimuli.
Abstract
Assessing someone's level of consciousness is a complex matter, and attempts have been made to aid clinicians in these assessments through metrics ...
Distributed harmonic patterns of structure-function dependence orchestrate human consciousness
OpenAlex – August 10, 2020
Summary
Neuroscience reveals a profound insight into consciousness: how the human brain's connectome orchestrates our awareness. Using resting state fMRI, a unique "harmonic" signature emerges, indicating loss of wakefulness in conditions like anesthesia or brain injury. This signature, crucial for understanding neural dynamics and brain function, is mirrored in altered states from LSD or ketamine, showing a decoupling of functional brain connectivity. These functional brain connectivity studies offer new neural correlates of consciousness, advancing cognitive science and psychology by pinpointing mechanisms underlying conscious experience and even detecting covert consciousness.
Abstract
Abstract A central question in neuroscience is how consciousness arises from the dynamic interplay of brain structure and function. Departing from ...
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...
Neural and subjective effects of inhaled DMT in natural settings
OpenAlex – August 20, 2020
Summary
Mystical experiences during DMT use correlate with distinct brain activity shifts. Electroencephalography on 35 individuals revealed that inhaling this naturally occurring alkaloid decreased alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) across the scalp while increasing delta (1-4 Hz) and gamma (30-40 Hz) activity. These profound changes in neural correlates of consciousness, studied within Neuroscience and Psychedelics and Drug Studies, offer insights into how neurotransmitter receptors influence behavior and psychology, potentially informing future medicine.
Abstract
Abstract Background N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a short acting psychedelic tryptamine found naturally in many plants and animals. Few studies t...
Time-resolved coupling between connectome harmonics and subjective experience under the psychedelic DMT
OpenAlex – May 31, 2024
Summary
Psychedelics profoundly alter Consciousness. Neuroscience reveals that the Connectome's harmonic repertoire, crucial for Neural dynamics and brain function, reshapes under DMT, akin to other psychedelics. Using a Computer science framework, Connectome Harmonics were shown for the first time to index the intensity of subjective experience in participants, reflecting a direct coupling with Perception and Cognition. This Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, explored in Psychedelics and Drug Studies, links increased harmonic entropy to profound shifts in Psychology, offering new Neural correlates of consciousness.
Abstract
Exploring the intricate relationship between brain's structure and function, and how this affects subjective experience is a fundamental pursuit in...
Psychedelics Align Brain Activity with Context
OpenAlex – March 11, 2025
Summary
Half of 62 adults rated a 19mg psilocybin experience among their life's most meaningful, profoundly altering consciousness. Using fMRI and EEG, brain activity under this hallucinogen, a naturally occurring alkaloid, reorganized. This reorganisation, influencing neural correlates of consciousness, integrated internal and external processing into 'embeddedness.' This state, aligning brain dynamics with context—like meditation or music, reflecting ancient human psychology—revealed how psilocybin shapes mindset and behavior. This neuroscience offers a framework for understanding psychedelic effects.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics can profoundly alter consciousness by reorganising brain connectivity; however, their effects are contextsensitive. To unders...
Neural effects and phenomenology of nondual meditation and 5-MeO-DMT in an expert meditation practitioner
PsyArXiv – September 30, 2025
Summary
Remarkably, an expert meditator's brain activity during deep nondual meditation mirrors certain effects of a powerful psychedelic. Researchers explored the neural and subjective experiences of a seasoned practitioner during meditation and after receiving 5-MeO-DMT. Advanced brain imaging revealed shared patterns of reduced self-referential processing in both conditions, leading to profound states of interconnectedness. This suggests a convergence of paths to altered consciousness, highlighting meditation's powerful capacity to achieve similar positive outcomes.
Abstract
Neural effects and phenomenology of nondual meditation and 5-MeO-DMT in an expert meditation practitioner
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...
PCC-hippocampal functional connectivity associated with stress biomarker changes after meditation training for healthy adults.
Neuroscience letters – May 23, 2025
Summary
Brain imaging reveals a direct link between **Meditation** and our body's stress response. Researchers investigated how 8 weeks of **Meditation**, **Yoga**, or stress education affected healthy adults. Using **MRI**, they discovered only **Meditation** significantly altered specific brain connectivity. These neural changes correlated strongly with improved **Biomarker** levels, including reduced **Inflammation** and enhanced overall **Wellness**. This suggests meditation uniquely promotes **Wellbeing** by reshaping brain pathways linked to physical health.
Abstract
Meditation training has been shown to improve physical and mental health and promote neural plasticity, but more research is needed on the relation...
N,N-dimethyltryptamine effects on connectome harmonics, subjective experience and comparative psychedelic experiences.
Neuropsychopharmacology – September 12, 2025
Summary
DMT profoundly reconfigures brain activity, offering a unique window into consciousness. Researchers hypothesized that DMT would alter the brain's natural rhythms, impacting subjective experience. Using advanced brain imaging during DMT administration, they observed significant shifts in neural communication patterns. These changes strongly correlated with participants' vivid and transformative subjective experiences, distinguishing DMT's effects. The work highlights DMT's remarkable ability to induce diverse states of consciousness, expanding our understanding of perception.
Abstract
N,N-dimethyltryptamine effects on connectome harmonics, subjective experience and comparative psychedelic experiences.
Esketamine disinhibits brain networks in depression: Evidence from oscillatory and aperiodic activity.
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry – July 05, 2025
Summary
Esketamine's swift impact on the brain is linked to a unique shift in neural communication. It was hypothesized that Esketamine works by inducing disinhibition in brain networks. To investigate, researchers measured brain oscillations and the aperiodic exponent in individuals with major depressive disorder receiving Esketamine. Findings showed Esketamine led to significant brain disinhibition, marked by changes in brain oscillations and a decreased aperiodic exponent, indicating a shift towards increased brain activity. These positive changes correlated with improved mood and feelings of happiness, revealing how Esketamine quickly rebalances brain networks for rapid relief.
Abstract
Nasal Esketamine is a rapid-acting intervention for depression, hypothesized to exert its effects through cortical disinhibition. However, the spat...
Psilocybin-induced reduction in chronic cluster headache attack frequency correlates with changes in hypothalamic functional connectivity
OpenAlex – July 10, 2022
Summary
Psilocybin significantly reduced chronic cluster headache attacks. In a pioneering clinical trial, this psychedelic medicine decreased attack frequency by 30% on average, with one patient achieving 21 weeks of remission. Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed altered hypothalamic functional connectivity, advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology. The treatment showed no serious adverse effects. This neuroscience and internal medicine finding, pertinent to Psychedelics and Drug Studies and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies, suggests psilocybin addresses functional impairment. Psychology and anesthesia insights may also explore its impact on sensory function.
Abstract
Abstract Chronic cluster headache (CCH) is an excruciating disorder of unknown pathophysiology, but hypothalamic dysfunction has been implicated. C...
Application of Functional MRI in Parkinson's Disease and Default Mode Network: Review of the Literature.
The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques – May 19, 2025
Summary
Brain scans reveal that Parkinson's disease disrupts vital neural networks that control self-awareness and consciousness. Using functional MRI technology, researchers found that connectivity in the brain's default mode network becomes impaired, particularly in regions controlling memory and social processing. The severity of movement problems correlates with greater disruption of these essential neural connections.
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) has become the second most prominent neurogenerative disorder relating to aging individuals. PD involves the loss of neuro...
Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution.
Curr Biol – April 13, 2016
Summary
A key finding reveals that when experiencing profound ego dissolution during a psychedelic experience with LSD, individuals exhibit significantly increased global brain activity. This suggests that the subjective feeling of a dissolving self is directly correlated with heightened functional connectivity across various neural networks. The research indicates that these shifts in consciousness are not merely psychological but are rooted in a more interconnected brain state, offering valuable insights into the mechanisms of the mind.
Abstract
Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution.
Raphe neurons: firing rate correlates with size of drug response.
European journal of pharmacology – June 03, 1983
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Significant negative correlations were obtained between the spontaneous discharge rate during waking and the neural response to systemic injections...