88 results for "Theory of Mind"
Accelerated recovery using magnesium ibogaine: characterizing the subjective experience of its rapid healing from neuropsychiatric disorders.
Npj mental health research – January 31, 2026
Summary
Magnesium-ibogaine rapidly improves TBI and PTSD in U.S. Special Operations veterans. Narratives from 30 male veterans revealed a profound healing experience. Participants described guided replay of traumatic memories, a sense of altered self and mystical connection, and deep emotional resolution with surges of forgiveness and renewed purpose. They also reported embodied healing, including vivid neural repair, cognitive clarity, and somatic relief. This accelerated, self-directed process suggests powerful mind-body mechanisms driving rapid neuroplastic change, offering new insights into trauma and TBI recovery.
Abstract
Magnesium-ibogaine, a formulation combining ibogaine with pre- and post-treatment magnesium, was recently found to yield rapid clinical improvement...
Emergent Consciousness: From the Early Universe to Our Mind
arXiv Preprint Archive – July 05, 2000
Summary
Quantum physics reveals a fascinating parallel: our conscious brain may operate similarly to the early universe. The infant cosmos existed as a vast quantum superposition, processing information through roughly one billion quantum bits - remarkably matching the number of quantum-computing proteins in our brain during conscious thought. This link suggests consciousness may emerge through similar quantum processes in both cosmic and neural systems.
Abstract
In a previous paper (gr-qc/9907063) we described the early inflationary universe in terms of quantum information. In this paper, we analize those r...
Set and setting in microdosing: an oft-overlooked principle.
Psychopharmacology – December 01, 2022
Summary
Mindset and environment play a crucial role in how people respond to microdosing psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin. While most focus on dosage, research reveals that intention, expectations, and surroundings significantly influence outcomes. Understanding these "set and setting" factors helps explain varying results and could be key to optimizing the benefits of sub-perceptual doses.
Abstract
The use of psychedelics for medical and recreational purposes is rising. Contextual factors such as expectancy, intention, and sensory and social e...
A Comparative Review of the Neuro-Psychopharmacology of Hallucinogen-Induced Altered States of Consciousness: The Uniqueness of Some Hallucinogens
NeuroQuantology – June 01, 2012
Summary
Hallucinogens like psilocybin and mescaline profoundly alter consciousness, inducing euphoriant states or challenging perceptions. Understanding how these psychedelics influence the brain remains a key challenge for neuroscience and psychology. While neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior, including systems like Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, offers partial explanations, cognitive psychology and psychoanalysis suggest deeper mechanisms. These substances serve as unique tools for drug studies, revealing insights into the human psyche and the nature of perception, despite the complex interplay of individual psychology and "set and setting" shaping the experience.
Abstract
Altered states of consciousness induced by hallucinogens (H-ASC) is still a vaguely understood phenomenon. Taken the diverse psychological effects ...
Shannon entropy of brain functional complex networks under the influence of the psychedelic Ayahuasca
arXiv Preprint Archive – November 01, 2016
Summary
Psychedelic Ayahuasca increases brain network complexity, supporting ancient wisdom about "mind expansion" with modern neuroscience. Brain scans revealed that this Amazonian brew creates more diverse neural connections while strengthening local brain networks. The changes in brain organization showed higher Shannon entropy, indicating more dynamic and flexible thought patterns during the psychedelic experience.
Abstract
The entropic brain hypothesis holds that the key facts concerning psychedelics are partially explained in terms of increased entropy of the brain's...
Mindfulness meditation and psychedelics: potential synergies and commonalities
Pharmacological Reports – November 06, 2023
Summary
Combining **mindfulness** **meditation** with **psychedelics** offers a powerful new **psychological intervention** for **mental health**. Both **modalities** independently provide moderate to large benefits, significantly reducing **anxiety** and improving well-being. Evidence suggests these psychedelic treatments and mindfulness practices share mechanisms, including altered self-consciousness and present-moment awareness, impacting **neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior**. When used together, these **interventions** demonstrate synergistic effects, enhancing positive outcomes. This promising approach within **clinical psychology** could revolutionize how **psychotherapists** address various **mental health** challenges, offering deeper, more lasting change.
Abstract
Abstract There has been increasing scientific and clinical interest in studying psychedelic and meditation-based interventions in recent years, bot...
Thoughtseeds: A Hierarchical and Agentic Framework for Investigating Thought Dynamics in Meditative States.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) – April 24, 2025
Summary
During meditation, our thoughts behave like competing agents vying for attention. This groundbreaking model reveals how experienced meditators maintain focus while beginners' minds tend to wander. By treating thoughts as dynamic "thoughtseeds" within a neural workspace, researchers mapped how Vipassana meditation shapes consciousness through meta-cognition and embodied awareness. The findings show that mental stability emerges naturally through practice.
Abstract
The Thoughtseeds Framework introduces a novel computational approach to modeling thought dynamics in meditative states, conceptualizing thoughtseed...
Tulving's (1989) Doctrine of Concordance Revisited.
Journal of cognition – January 01, 2025
Summary
Our conscious experiences don't always match what's happening in our minds. This fascinating insight challenges how we understand memory and awareness. Research shows that while we may feel confident about a memory or experience déjà vu, the brain processes behind these feelings often operate independently from our conscious awareness. This disconnect appears in various memory phenomena, from metacognitive judgments to recognition confidence, revealing that our subjective experiences can be surprisingly unreliable guides to our cognitive processes.
Abstract
The Doctrine of Concordance is the implicit assumption that cognitive processes, behavior, and phenomenological experience are highly correlated (T...
LSD alters dynamic integration and segregation in the human brain.
NeuroImage – February 15, 2021
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Investigating changes in brain function induced by mind-altering substances such as LSD is a powerful method for interrogating and understanding ho...
Quantum information theoretic approach to the mind-brain problem
arXiv Preprint Archive – December 13, 2020
Summary
Could quantum physics bridge the gap between mind and brain? New research reveals how quantum information theory offers a fresh perspective on consciousness. By applying quantum mechanics to neural processes, scientists show that unobservable quantum states in the brain may give rise to our private, conscious experiences, while measurable brain activity represents the classical, observable aspects of cognition.
Abstract
The brain is composed of electrically excitable neuronal networks regulated by the activity of voltage-gated ion channels. Further portraying the m...
Neural Circuits, Microtubule Processing, Brain's Electromagnetic Field-Components of Self-Awareness.
Brain sciences – July 25, 2021
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
The known theories discussing the essence of consciousness have been recently updated. This prompts an attempt to integrate these explanations conc...
Learning to be mindful ─ experiences of mindfulness-based stress reduction for young adults with moderate to severe mental disorders.
Journal of bodywork and movement therapies – October 01, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Mental disorders among young adults are a major health challenge. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has in previous research shown positive...
Relative Reality
arXiv Preprint Archive – February 08, 2025
Summary
Our perception of reality may be more relative than absolute - this groundbreaking analysis bridges quantum mechanics and consciousness studies. By examining how awareness and physical processes intersect, researchers demonstrated that conscious experiences (qualia) operate outside traditional physical frameworks, similar to how non-Euclidean geometry transcends classical space. The work connects quantum physics principles with cognitive science, offering a mathematical model that elegantly explains both consciousness and quantum phenomena like the Schrödinger equation.
Abstract
The ``Hard Problem" of consciousness refers to a long-standing enigma about how qualia emerge from physical processes in the brain. Building on ins...
Dreaming is a conscious experience in its own right: proponents of non-cognitive and non-executive theories of dreaming suffer from a retrospective illusion of their waking extended self.
Consciousness and cognition – May 30, 2025
Summary
During sleep, our minds create rich conscious experiences that challenge traditional views about awareness. Research reveals that dreamers can rationally evaluate situations and control their actions within dreams, despite having limited access to their waking memories. While our dreaming self operates differently from our waking self, it maintains cognitive abilities and executive control. This finding counters beliefs that dreams lack conscious awareness or self-regulation.
Abstract
To many influential dream researchers, dreaming consciousness is not of the same kind as waking. In its most radical and paradoxical form, this the...
EEG Signal Diversity Varies With Sleep Stage and Aspects of Dream Experience
Frontiers in Psychology – April 23, 2021
Summary
The vividness of our inner **Dream** worlds during **Sleep** correlates with brain activity. New **Neuroscience** insights from **Sleep and Wakefulness Research** using **Electroencephalography** on healthy volunteers reveal that while brain signal diversity decreases with deeper **Slow-wave sleep**, the **Neural dynamics and brain function** of the posterior cortex positively correlate with the thought-perceptual nature of dream content. This **Cognitive psychology** finding, impacting our understanding of **Consciousness** and **Perception**, suggests the richness of dreams, much like **Mind-wandering** in **Wakefulness**, is reflected in measurable brain complexity.
Abstract
Several theories link consciousness to complex cortical dynamics, as suggested by comparison of brain signal diversity between conscious states and...
How is a psychotherapeutic process like a psychedelic drug? Neurocognitive evidence for a novel mechanism of action with Regenerating Images in Memory.
Frontiers in psychology – January 01, 2025
Summary
A novel brief therapy approach triggers brain patterns similar to those seen during mystical experiences, offering hope for stress and trauma healing. Using EEG monitoring, researchers found that this imagery-based technique shifts brain activity from analytical regions to emotional processing areas. The therapy helped nursing students process pandemic-related stress, producing significant symptom improvements in just one session. Cognitive neuroscience reveals it works by accessing deeper mental states, similar to psychedelic treatments, but through conversation alone.
Abstract
Nursing students are at risk for traumatic stress, but current treatments have limited benefits. Regenerating Images in Memory (RIM) is a verbal ps...
Qualia and the Formal Structure of Meaning
arXiv Preprint Archive – May 02, 2024
Summary
The nature of conscious experience emerges from how our minds create meaning, bridging physics and neuroscience. Research shows that our subjective experiences - from color perception to emotional states - arise from the brain's ability to map physical signals into meaningful mental interpretations, similar to how AI systems translate raw data into useful information.
Abstract
This work explores the hypothesis that subjectively attributed meaning constitutes the phenomenal content of conscious experience. That is, phenome...
An energizing microintervention: How mindfulness fosters subjective vitality through regulatory processes and flow experience at work.
Journal of occupational health psychology – February 01, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Can adopting one's morning routines influence employees' experiences throughout the day? To answer this focal question, we examine the daily effect...
Consciousness and the fallacy of misplaced objectivity.
Neuroscience of consciousness – January 01, 2021
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Objective correlates-behavioral, functional, and neural-provide essential tools for the scientific study of consciousness. But reliance on these co...
Serotonin, psychedelics and psychiatry
World Psychiatry – September 07, 2018
Summary
In Psychiatry, just one or two psychedelic treatment sessions can yield therapeutic effects lasting several months for mood disorders and addiction—an unprecedented outcome. Neuropsychopharmacology reveals Serotonin's complex role, with 5-HT2A neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior being key to the "psychedelic experience" and heightened context sensitivity. This shift in Medicine and Drug Studies, moving beyond traditional psychoanalysis and simple Serotonin deficiency models, highlights new Psychology avenues exploring how these compounds, often alkaloids, profoundly impact mental health.
Abstract
Serotonin is a key neuromodulator known to be involved in brain development, perception, cognition, and mood. However, unlike as with dopamine for ...
Effectiveness of Psilocybin on Depression: A Qualitative Study
Electronic Journal of General Medicine – April 27, 2021
Summary
Psilocybin shows powerful potential in clinical psychology for anxiety and mood disorders. A qualitative research effort involving ten participants revealed profound shifts. Individuals reported enhanced senses, feeling "connected with the universe," and significant mood stabilization. They also experienced increased optimism, emotional control, and healthier emotional connections, suggesting a beneficial impact on mental well-being. This work, relevant to Psychiatry and Psychedelics and Drug Studies, highlights how psilocybin, an alkaloid, may foster new neural perspectives, offering a promising avenue for psychotherapist-guided Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Abstract
Introduction: Psilocybin mushroom use is well documented in spiritual and religious ceremonies globally. This drug is now the most popular in Europ...
Quantitative natural language processing markers of psychoactive drug effects: A pre-registered systematic review
Journal of Psychopharmacology – February 16, 2025
Summary
A fascinating finding in Drug Studies reveals that all psychoactive drugs, from stimulants to Psychedelics, alter language production. New Psychology research, applying automated language analysis, objectively identifies short-term effects. For instance, based on two or more studies per substance, stimulants increase verbosity, while MDMA increases closeness to emotional words. Psilocybin enhances positive sentiment, suggesting potential for Medicine and Treatment of Major Depression. One study even validated identifying MDMA intoxication. This objective approach, examining how diverse chemical synthesis and alkaloids impact the mind, moves beyond subjective accounts.
Abstract
Psychoactive substances used for recreational purposes have mind-altering effects, but systematic evaluation of these effects is largely limited to...
Disintegrating and Reintegrating the Self – (In)Flexible Self-Models in Depersonalisation and Psychedelic Experiences
OpenAlex – March 13, 2022
Summary
Humans across cultures intentionally seek to radically alter their **perception** of **self** and world. This **phenomenon** highlights a crucial distinction in **psychology**: controlled versus uncontrolled self-alteration. **Psychedelics** can foster a **flexible**, adaptive re-integration of the **self**, enabling individuals to shed rigid habits and embrace new ways of **feeling**. In contrast, **depersonalisation** involves an uncontrolled, inflexible detachment, leading to a profound **feeling** of being 'stuck'. Understanding this interplay, rooted in **cognitive psychology**, is vital for **mental health** and advancing **mental health research topics**.
Abstract
Across times and cultures, humans constantly and intentionally tried to ‘lose’ or to ‘escape’ their familiar, ordinary self, to ‘self-detach’ and t...
Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion Following Ayahuasca Use in a Satanic Ritual: A Case Report
Cureus – April 20, 2022
Summary
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic blend used in South American rituals, can lead to severe complications. A case involving a patient who consumed large amounts over three days revealed alarming effects: he experienced demonic hallucinations, nausea, and vomiting, ultimately becoming unresponsive with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3. Laboratory tests indicated hypoosmolar hyponatremia due to syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Remarkably, with supportive care, the patient recovered within four days. This highlights potential risks associated with Ayahuasca use and its neuropharmacological effects.
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic blend originating from South America that has been used for hundreds of years by local tribes in ritualistic ceremonies....
Invisible Gorillas in the Mind: Internal Inattentional Blindness and the Prospect of Introspection Training.
Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science – January 01, 2025
Summary
Just as we can miss a gorilla walking through a basketball game, we often overlook our own thinking processes. Research shows that many mental activities we consider unconscious may actually be accessible through proper internal attention. Through mindfulness and introspection training, people can develop greater self-awareness of their thoughts, improving their ability to notice preconscious mental processes that typically go unnoticed due to internal inattentional blindness.
Abstract
Much of high-level cognition appears inaccessible to consciousness. Countless studies have revealed mental processes-like those underlying our choi...
Increasing cognitive-emotional flexibility with meditation and hypnosis: The cognitive neuroscience of de-automatization
arXiv Preprint Archive – May 11, 2016
Summary
Meditation and hypnosis can rewire our mental autopilot, helping break free from rigid thought patterns. Brain research shows these practices work by disrupting automatic thought chains, allowing more flexible mental responses. Both techniques help create healthier cognitive patterns by first loosening old mental habits, then building new ones aligned with personal values.
Abstract
Meditation and hypnosis both aim to facilitate cognitive-emotional flexibility, i.e., the "de-automatization" of thought and behavior. However, lit...
Reality in quantum mechanics, Extended Everett Concept, and consciousness
arXiv Preprint Archive – August 31, 2006
Summary
Quantum physics reveals a mind-bending possibility: consciousness itself may be key to how we experience reality. When we observe quantum events, our consciousness might actually split to perceive different possible outcomes separately. This explains why we only experience one "classical" reality at a time, though in altered states like sleep, we may glimpse parallel realities. This framework suggests time's flow is an illusion of consciousness, offering new perspectives on free will and life's order-creating nature.
Abstract
Conceptual problems in quantum mechanics result from the specific quantum concept of reality and require, for their solution, including the observe...
Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default
Frontiers in Psychology – May 23, 2022
Summary
Cognitive behavioral therapy offers the strongest rationale for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, a key insight in Psychology. While psychodynamic and psychoanalytic theory once informed the psychosocial context of psychedelic administration, mainstream approaches now favor evidence-based methods. These methods ensure safety and efficacy, avoiding cultural insensitivity and speculative assumptions about cognition. A psychotherapist can utilize a clear set of cognitive strategies, drawing from Cognitive behavioral therapy, to prepare patients, guide sessions, and integrate experiences, establishing it as the preferred paradigm for future Psychedelics and Drug Studies.
Abstract
The acute subjective effects of psychedelics are responsive to users’ expectations and surroundings (i.e., “set and setting”). Accordingly, a great...