Skip to content

Berit Singer

Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Clinic Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. berit.singer@gmail.com.

3 papers in the library · 15 citations · publishing 2024-2025

Papers

Psilocybin enhances insightfulness in meditation: a perspective on the global topology of brain imaging during meditation.

Scientific reports March 26, 2024 Berit Singer, Daniel Meling, Matthias Hirsch-Hoffmann et al. 15 citations

Brain activity patterns during meditation shift after a psilocybin-assisted retreat, especially when open-monitoring meditation is practiced. Using functional MRI and a topological data analysis method (Mapper), researchers compared experienced meditators who received psilocybin or placebo over five days. The psilocybin group showed a link between positive derealization—an altered perception that can foster insight—and a greater geometric distance between open-monitoring meditation and resting-state brain activity, as measured by optimal transport distance. This suggests that combining psilocybin with open-monitoring practice enhances meta-awareness and insight. The findings point to possible brain markers for synergistic effects between mindfulness and psychedelics.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55726-x Full text Meditation Psychedelics Neuroscience Consciousness +1

Ayahuasca-inspired DMT/harmine formulation alters creative thinking dynamics during artistic creation.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) August 16, 2025 Dila Suay, Helena D Aicher, Berit Singer et al.

A psychedelic formulation combining DMT and harmine, but not harmine alone, impaired convergent thinking—the ability to find a single correct solution—in 30 healthy men, especially those with higher baseline reasoning. Divergent thinking, the generation of many ideas, showed no overall effect but trended toward reduced fluency and elaboration. In a real-world painting task, both DMT/HAR and harmine reduced transitions associated with incubation, and DMT/HAR uniquely decreased the shift from incubation to illumination, indicating altered pathways to insight. Subjective experiences like altered meaning and insightfulness predicted divergent but not convergent thinking. The effects of DMT/HAR on creativity are not uniform, affecting both cognitive performance and the dynamic creative process.

DOI: 10.1177/02698811251353256 Full text Ayahuasca Psychedelics Art Convergent thinking +2