Inside the Minds That Never Forget: Exploring Hyperthymesia

Summary: Autobiographical memory allows us to relive experiences, form identity, and project into the future. A rare few, known as hyperthymesics, can recall events from their lives with remarkable precision,…

Breathwork and Music Trigger Psychedelic-Like Bliss in the Brain

Summary: New research shows that practicing breathwork while listening to music can induce profound altered states of consciousness similar to those caused by psychedelics. Using self-reports and brain imaging, scientists…

What Are Thoughts? Exploring the Mystery of the Mind

Summary: The nature of thought remains one of philosophy’s greatest mysteries, with deep implications for neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Two main theories compete: materialism, which sees thoughts as brain states,…

Why Some People Remember Dreams and Others Don’t

Summary: A new study explores why some people vividly recall dreams while others forget them. Researchers found that dream recall is influenced by personality traits, sleep patterns, and even seasonal…

How Altered States of Consciousness Change Time Perception

Summary: Time perception varies depending on context, often slowing in emergencies or unfamiliar settings and speeding up during absorption or as we age. Time expansion experiences (Tees) occur when seconds…

How Conscious Thought Fades Under Anesthesia

Summary: A new study has shown that conscious thought relies on synchronized brain rhythms to maintain communication between sensory and cognitive brain regions. Under general anesthesia, this rhythm-based communication breaks…

Consciousness in AI: Distinguishing Reality from Simulation

Summary: A new study examines the possibility of consciousness in artificial systems, focusing on ruling out scenarios where AI appears conscious without actually being so. Using the free energy principle,…

Mindfulness Can Induce Altered States of Consciousness

Summary: Mindfulness training can lead to altered states of consciousness, such as disembodiment and unity. Researchers found that participants were twice as likely to experience these states compared to a…

Beyond Consciousness: How Meditators Voluntarily Enter Void States

Summary: Experienced meditators can voluntarily induce unconscious states, known as cessations, without the use of drugs. This ability, observed in Tibetan Buddhist practice, allows meditators to experience a momentary void…

How Anesthesia Blocks Consciousness – Neuroscience News

Summary: A new study reveals insights into how general anesthesia affects consciousness and sensory perception. Using animal models, researchers found that while propofol anesthesia allows sensory information to reach the…