Vidyottama Sanatana International Journal of Hindu Science and Religious Studies • June 30, 2026 • Ni Wayan Sri Prabawati Kusuma Dewi
The article examines the concept of antara (interval/gap) in the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, a text from the Kashmir Śaivism tradition, as a method for recognizing nondual consciousness. Through textual hermeneutic analysis of dhāraṇā verses, it shows that terms like antara, madhya, śūnya, and visrānti function operationally to guide attention to experiential intervals where subject-object duality weakens. The text's linguistic structure is instructive-performative, using aphoristic and paradoxical formulas to encourage experiential realization. A typology of interval techniques—respiratory, cognitive, and sensory—is identified, with breath pauses as the most explicit model for revealing non-conceptual awareness. The concept is placed in critical dialogue with contemporary consciousness studies, such as gap awareness theory and micro-phenomenology. The findings indicate that antara serves as a practical epistemological device for deconstructing duality and recognizing reflexive awareness.
European Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences • June 23, 2026 • Olena Romaniuk
Chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation affect many workers, with women reporting higher rates of occupational stress and burnout. A systematic narrative review of peer-reviewed literature indicates that structured breathwork, somatic movement, and interoceptive awareness practices may reduce perceived stress and support autonomic regulation, as indexed by heart rate variability. The paper introduces the Dotyk method, a body-oriented wellness protocol integrating somatic movement, breath regulation, and body awareness. In an exploratory case-based component, twelve adult female participants aged 20-34 completed a six-week online Dotyk-informed program; 10 of 12 reported reductions in perceived stress and muscular tension, along with improvements in emotional stability, body awareness, energy, sleep quality, and daily functioning. These preliminary observations suggest the method addresses a gap in accessible somatic protocols for women in chronic stress.
JERUMI Journal of Education Religion Humanities and Multidiciplinary • June 12, 2026 • Novita Kumalasari, Julia Surya, Kinanti Dyah Ayu Puspita Retno Putri et al.
Buddhist meditation enhances artistic expression by fostering mindfulness, emptiness, and non-conceptual experience, improving artists' psychological quality, creativity, and performativity. Applications include zazen in performance, insight meditation in painting, breathwork in vocal arts, sonic meditation in music, and movement meditation in martial arts. Challenges include time constraints, cultural barriers, limited empirical evidence, and institutional resistance. Buddhist meditation holds potential as an integrative approach for artistic development and spiritual transformation, though further empirical research and contextual implementation models are needed.
Frontiers in Psychology • June 10, 2026 • Guy W. Fincham, Edward Caddye, Amy A. Kartar et al.
A single session of high ventilation breathwork produced larger altered states of consciousness—including mystical experience, emotional breakthrough, and feelings of oneness—than body scan meditation in 24 healthy adults. One week later, breathwork was associated with greater psychological insight and self-reported behavioral change. Both groups showed improvements in stress, anxiety, depression, and well-being over time. These preliminary findings suggest breathwork can induce psychedelic-like effects and support further confirmatory research.
June 10, 2026 • Theo Tobel, Aidan Cone, Emily Choquette et al.
preprint
Floatation-REST, a therapy involving floating in a tank with reduced sensory input, induces altered states of consciousness in people with anxiety and depression. In a randomized trial, 75 adults who floated reported increased awareness of their heartbeat and breathing, along with feelings of oceanic boundlessness, disembodiment, and unity—a pattern called 'aquahenosis.' These effects were strongest in those who chose longer, flexible sessions. The experiential profile overlapped with those reported for psychedelics like psilocybin and ketamine, particularly in boundary dissolution. The findings suggest Floatation-REST is a non-pharmacological method for inducing specific altered states, with oceanic boundlessness mediating improvements in positive affect.
Front Psychol • June 4, 2026
Meditation in trained Rajyoga practitioners produces a consistent physiological signature: heart rate variability (HRV) increases, respiration slows, and the coupling between breathing and heart rate strengthens, indicating greater parasympathetic nervous system engagement. The study measured 55 practitioners across three 10-minute states—before, during, and after meditation—using multiscale HRV metrics. Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV indices rose during meditation and partially recovered afterward, while non-linear measures also shifted significantly. Exploratory sex-stratified analyses suggested possible differences in effect magnitude that require further study. The findings support multiscale cardiorespiratory analysis as an operational marker of altered consciousness during Rajyoga meditation.
bioRxiv • May 4, 2026
Inhalation of DMT, a serotonergic psychedelic, produces a brief surge in sympathetic nervous system activity—heart rate, skin conductance, and respiration—that closely tracks the intensity of the emotional experience. Nineteen participants received 20 or 40 mg of DMT under a semi-naturalistic blinded design. Higher doses caused heart rate and breathing to increase within the first two minutes, while skin conductance rose only later, indicating a prolonged autonomic response. As the drug's effects waned, feelings of pleasantness and bliss emerged. Combining simple physiological measures with moment-by-moment self-reports offers a way to objectively characterize psychedelic-induced emotional states, which may aid future clinical biomarker research.
CNS Neurosci Ther • May 1, 2026
In patients with disorders of consciousness, the anesthetic esketamine preserved brain electrical complexity and gamma-band functional connectivity better than propofol during spinal cord stimulator implantation. Esketamine was linked to faster recovery of spontaneous breathing (12 vs. 17 minutes on average) and a lower need for blood pressure support during surgery. At three months, esketamine was associated with significantly improved consciousness outcomes. The findings suggest esketamine may offer neuroprotective benefits in this population.
Preprints.org • April 7, 2026 • Luis Miguel Gallardo
preprint
Altered states of consciousness (ASC) are a universal human capacity for accessing and transforming the subconscious mind, employed through diverse contemplative, somatic, pharmacological, ritual, and technological modalities. This review synthesizes evidence from over 25 disciplines, finding converging neurobiological mechanisms including default mode network suppression, autonomic regulation, and neuroplasticity. Clinical evidence is strongest for MDMA-assisted therapy in PTSD (67% response rate in Phase 3 RCTs), psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (60-70% response), EMDR for trauma, mindfulness for depression relapse and anxiety, and neurofeedback for ADHD and anxiety. Transpersonal modalities like Life Between Lives hypnotherapy show preliminary evidence for existential distress but lack rigorous controlled trials. The review proposes an integrative framework positioning ASC as a spectrum from subconscious to superconscious, with diverse modalities as complementary vehicles for consciousness transformation.
ShodhKosh Journal of Visual and Performing Arts • April 3, 2026 • Surendra P. Singh, Lohans Kumar Kalyani, Manju Singh et al.
Yoga and meditation can help performing artists improve physical awareness, cognitive focus, emotional control, and creative engagement, while reducing performance anxiety and building emotional resilience. The paper reviews interdisciplinary literature from performing arts, psychology, and mindfulness studies to discuss how practices such as asana (poses), pranayama (breath control), and meditation support body alignment, breathing performance, and mental clarity. A Mindfulness-Based Performance Framework is proposed that integrates these practices into performing arts training and rehearsal techniques. The findings suggest that yoga and meditation are valuable for the holistic development of artists and their long-term well-being.