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 1, 2025 Paul F Cook, Laurra M Aagaard, Lisa Krug Avery et al.
Nursing students who received a single 1-2 hour session of Regenerating Images in Memory (RIM) therapy reported large improvements on 4 of 5 symptom questionnaires (Cohen's d = 1.93-2.75). Participants experienced levels of altered consciousness similar to those in psychedelic drug studies, especially an ineffability linked to symptom improvement. EEG readings showed a shift from frontal to temporal lobe activity during the middle stage of RIM, followed by co-activation of both areas in the final stage—a pattern also seen in psychedelic research. This uncontrolled, exploratory study with 30 nursing students during the late COVID-19 pandemic suggests RIM's proposed mechanism aligns with Two Minds Theory, though no conclusions about treatment efficacy can be drawn.