Syed Rahim

2 papers in the library · publishing 2025

Papers

Complexity as a Potential Neurophysiological Correlate of Awe

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) November 21, 2025 Joseph C. C. Chen, Gabriella Mace, Avery Ostrand et al. preprint

Awe, a positive emotion linked to well-being and social behavior, was studied using EEG and autonomic physiology in 23 healthy older adults watching a nature film. Awe was the dominant emotion reported, though joy was also common. During awe events, skin conductance decreased, and EEG alpha and theta power decreased—changes associated with low arousal and positive emotion. Awe also increased Lempel Ziv Complexity (LZC), a measure of neural signal entropy linked to richer conscious experience. LZC correlated positively with awe intensity and negatively with skin conductance. Three additional datasets using different induction methods (video clips and DMT) showed similar occipital LZC increases, suggesting LZC may be a generalizable neurophysiological marker of awe.

DOI: 10.1101/2025.11.20.689403 Electroencephalography Neurophysiology Neural activity Spectral analysis +4

Cross-species mapping of psychedelic gene expression reveals links to the 5HT2A receptor, cortical layers, and human accelerated regions

Research Square October 3, 2025 Patrick McConnell, Jackson Raffety, Andrew Li et al.

Psychedelic compounds alter gene expression in the brain, and this study maps those changes across species. The gene activity patterns linked to psychedelic action are associated with the 5HT2A receptor, specific cortical layers of the brain, and human accelerated regions—genetic sequences that evolved rapidly in humans and are thought to be important for brain evolution. These findings suggest that psychedelic-induced gene expression may tap into evolutionarily recent and layer-specific brain circuitry.

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7625999/v1 Psychedelics Compounds Psychedelic action Gene expression +11