ISSN 2326-5523
11 papers in the library · 249 citations · publishing 2013-2026
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice June 4, 2020 Spencer W. Wheeler, Natalie L. Dyer 69 citations
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Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice September 22, 2016 James K. Ambler, Ellen M. Lee, Kathryn R. Klement et al. 66 citations
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Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice August 1, 2013 Dieter Vaitl, Niels Birbaumer, John Gruzelier et al. 43 citations
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Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice June 25, 2020 Zoltan Dienes, Peter Lush, Bence Pálfi et al. 42 citations
Hypnotizability reflects a broader trait called phenomenological control, which allows people to create subjective experiences in nonhypnotic contexts to fulfill goals. This control operates as a metacognitive process where intentional actions occur without awareness of specific intentions, known as cold control. Laboratory phenomena such as vicarious pain, mirror-touch synesthesia, and the rubber hand illusion may partly result from phenomenological control. A new theory of intentional binding measures the absence of conscious intentions in hypnosis. No evidence suggests cold control confers abilities beyond changes in metacognitive monitoring, and a negative correlation exists between mindfulness and cold control, viewed as a lack of awareness of intentions.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice January 19, 2015 Rense Lange, Bruce Greyson, James Houran 18 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) have a consistent structure that appears in both standardized scales and people's own verbal accounts. Analyzing a large dataset of NDE narratives with latent semantic analysis, researchers found that accounts from people who scored above the median on Greyson's NDE Scale contained seven distinct linguistic clusters. Four of these clusters involved transcendent or paranormal themes, while three focused on physiological or environmental details. The results confirm that the intensity of an NDE correlates with the content of the verbal report, supporting the concurrent validity of Greyson's NDE Scale. This approach demonstrates how computational text analysis can reveal structure in qualitative data relevant to consciousness studies.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice June 12, 2025 Etzel Cardeña, Aviva Berkovich‐ohana, Katja Valli et al. 11 citations
A multidisciplinary, international group used taxonomic principles and a modified Delphi method to create a taxonomy of altered states of consciousness based on central phenomenological features. They identified eight distinct states, some with subcategories: proto and transitional, delirium, minimal to no awareness, experiential detachment, enhanced physicality, altered identity, imaginary/fantasy/visionary, and unity/mystical. The authors hope this taxonomy will foster conceptual clarity and stimulate research across specializations, helping reveal what is common and different across triggers and antecedents of altered states, and encouraging phenomenological, psychological, cultural, and neuroscientific understanding.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice July 9, 2026 Barbora Decourten, Robert Keith Wallace
A comparative neurophenomenological hypothesis proposes that features attributed to the Vedic concept of Soma—reduced fear, enhanced connectedness, and experiential unity—may correspond to effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin, which modulates social bonding, trust, and stress regulation. The article suggests Soma need not be an external substance but could reflect an internally generated biochemical process during transcendence. It generates testable predictions through endogenous measurement during meditation and experimental oxytocin administration.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice June 4, 2026 Andrea Taylor, Monique Woolerton, Steven J. Lynn et al.
Across three experiments with 1,482 participants, people recalled past dissociative experiences as most often neutral and more often positive than negative, even among experiences linked to psychopathology and among individuals with clinically interesting levels of dissociation. When imagining future dissociative experiences, expectations depended on familiarity: novel experiences were rated as more likely to be negative and less likely positive or neutral than familiar ones. The findings suggest that people may draw less on past dissociative experiences to predict future ones compared to other types of experiences.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice May 11, 2026 Kush V. Bhatt, Adam W. Hanley, Chantal Martin-Soelch et al.
Mindfulness-based interventions reduce chronic pain, and a secondary analysis of two randomized controlled trials (480 patients on long-term opioid therapy) suggests that nondual awareness—a state of attenuated self-other distinction—partly explains this effect. Participants in an 8-week mindfulness program (MORE) showed significantly lower pain severity and interference than a supportive therapy control group, along with greater increases in nondual awareness. Path analyses indicated that gains in nondual awareness mediated the reductions in pain severity and interference, and nondual awareness was a stronger mediator than the mindfulness facet of nonreactivity. The findings link mindfulness-induced nondual awareness to chronic pain relief, and future work should explore neurobiological mechanisms and other interventions that foster nondual awareness.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice March 30, 2026 Donna Thomas, Graeme O’Connor
Children's near-death experiences (NDEs) are far less studied than those of adults. A review of the literature reveals very few studies that directly involve children and no clear research direction for this area. This scarcity poses challenges for researchers aiming to develop studies with children and generate more knowledge about NDEs. From a phenomenological perspective, children may be a crucial group for investigating consciousness at the time of death and should be included more in fields such as NDE and consciousness studies. This article addresses the lack of evidence by reviewing existing studies on children's NDEs and proposes future directions for involving children in near-death research.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice February 26, 2026 Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Karalee Kothe, Michael Nahm et al.
Terminal lucidity—unexpected mental clarity shortly before death—has been reported across cultures and eras, but its characteristics in children had not been systematically studied. Using a 42-item online survey, this study collected case reports of terminal lucidity in 11 children aged 16 years and under. Terminal lucidity typically occurred within the final hours to minutes before death and manifested as notable changes in mental abilities, behavior, and emotions. It was not preceded by any changes in medical regime and often happened despite children being semi- or comatose just before the episode. These results suggest a surge of mental clarity in terminally ill children occurs contrary to medical expectations, which may inform end-of-life care and understanding of consciousness at the end of life.