Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
January 22, 2026
Fredrik K Andersson, Bisrat Ezra, Kenney Roy Roodakker et al.
Seizure-related experiences with supernatural, religious, spiritual, mystical, or ecstatic features—termed 'numinous-like symptoms'—are not uncommon among epilepsy patients and those with insular tumors. In a survey of 200 epilepsy patients and 40 with resected insular tumors, 6.0% of epilepsy respondents and 8.7% of tumor respondents reported such symptoms. Interviews identified ecstatic seizures, out-of-body experiences, and sensed presence. Three sensed-presence patients had seizure origin in the right hemisphere. These phenomena are often underreported due to patient reluctance, but actively assessing them aids seizure evaluation and differential diagnosis. Neuroscientifically, ecstatic seizures and out-of-body experiences involve distinct nodes in self-processing networks, while sensed presence requires further analysis.
BMC Psychology
January 21, 2026
Christina Chwyl, Angelica Spata, Will Lucas et al.
Psychological context, or 'set,' is more strongly linked to the outcomes of psychedelic experiences than the specific substance used, suggesting a 'mindset-over-molecule' pattern. The findings indicate that the mental state and expectations of the user play a more influential role than the chemical properties of the drug alone.
Psychedelic Medicine
January 12, 2026
Kelsey T. Laird, Prabha Siddarth, Ashley Ramos et al.
In psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, the intensity of mystical experiences is linked to several psychological and environmental factors. Spirituality and spiritual intentions were strongly associated with mystical experience intensity, especially during the first dosing session. Positive mindset and positive perceptions of the treatment setting were more strongly linked to mystical experiences during the second session. Mystical experience intensity increased from the first to the second session, while the precursor factors did not change significantly across sessions. The findings suggest that both internal factors (spirituality, intentions, mindset) and external factors (the treatment environment) may predict how intense a mystical experience a person has during psychedelic therapy.
Journal of Applied Consciousness Studies
January 1, 2026
G. Raj, Hemant Bhargav
1 citation
Among 46 people who had a mystical experience (35 from psychedelics, 5 naturally, 6 during meditation), higher mystical experience scores correlated with lower scores on several yoga-based personality traits considered obstacles to inner peace: Asmita-Tamasic, Dvesha, Abhinivesha, and VPI-Rajas. Positive mood during the experience correlated with higher Asmita-Gunateeta scores. Psychedelic users who meditated had lower scores on Swapna consciousness, Asmita-Tamasic, and Abhinivesha than those who did not meditate. People with a current mental health diagnosis scored higher on VPI-Rajas and VPI-Tamas and on Kapha constitution. The findings suggest a yogic framework could inform psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in India.
General hospital psychiatry
January 1, 2026
Rebeca Cohen, João Bastos, Catarina Cunha et al.
1 citation
A case series of 12 patients with treatment-resistant depression treated with a novel protocol combining ketamine injections (0.5-1.5 mg/kg intramuscularly, 5-8 sessions) and brief psychodynamic psychotherapy found that 67% responded and 58% achieved remission. Half of the patients maintained remission at 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. Ego dissolution during the third ketamine session correlated with symptom improvement and psychological insight. The results suggest that combining ketamine with psychotherapy may enhance and prolong antidepressant effects beyond ketamine alone.
Philosophical Psychology
January 1, 2026
Juensung J. Kim, Kadi Tulver, Jaan Aru et al.
1 citation
Mystical-type experiences and insight problem solving both belong to a family of "realization experiences" where information suddenly becomes experienced as real or true. Both can be modeled using behavioral entropy and graph theory. When novel information conflicts with prior representations, the mind destabilizes its representational network, entering a state of altered salience and enhanced associations. After restructuring sensitive to environmental cues, the agent forms new beliefs or revises its entire framework. The phenomenology depends on the size and content of the updated network and environmental affordances. This shared vocabulary aims to facilitate discussion across these phenomena.
The International journal on drug policy
January 1, 2026
Guy Simon, Nir Tadmor, Demian Halperin
2 citations
Psychedelics can produce lasting changes in attitudes and behavior, with outcomes shaped by both the drug and the context of use ('set and setting'). As these substances move from traditional settings into clinical environments, a tension arises between authenticity and standardization. Drawing on Walter Benjamin's concept of 'aura,' this article examines what may be lost or gained when psychedelic experiences are reproduced in institutional settings. It explores how set and setting contribute to authenticity, analyzes the implications of medicalization, and considers the roles of ritual and commodification. The authors propose ways to integrate traditional context with clinical approaches to preserve psychedelics' transformative potential.