LSD blurs line between ourselves and others

LSD blurs line between ourselves and others

“Our interpretation is that LSD reduces your sense of integrated self,” said Katrin Preller, a psychologist who worked on the study. “In this particular case, the drug blurs the boundary between what is you and what is another person.”

Ayahuasca Increases Acceptance

As compared to an 8 weeks MBSR mindfulness program, "the present results suggest that "the 'acceptance' domain of mindfulness capacities is particularly sensitive to improvement by ayahuasca, and potentially other psychedelics."  Sounds similar to the changes in openness observed with psychedelics.

Not surprisingly, the MBSR training was better at increasing mindfulness.

Photic Stimulation for Alzheimers

An hour a day of strobe lights flashing at 40hz (gamma) resulted in a reduction in amyloid plaque in mice.  An initial trial is being done in humans.  If validated, this would be as easy as using simple light goggles ala a light and sound machine.

Psychedelics Change Your Personality

A review of studies shows that psychedelics can change aspects of personality such as openness and self-transcendence.

Novice Buddhist Monks are unenlightened idiots

A surprising study found that fear of the annihilation of the self was most intense among the monastic Buddhists, and that the monastic Buddhists were less willing than any of the other groups to sacrifice years of their own life for a stranger.

Strangely, the researchers chose to survey something more along the lines of novices rather than experienced practitioners.

Emotional Empathy increased by Psilocybin

According to Effect of Psilocybin on Empathy and Moral Decision-Making, psilocybin significantly increased explicit and implicit emotional empathy.

Are You Sleepwalking Now?

In a dense piece, neuro-philosopher Thomas Metzinger explores fundamental questions of the self, and the need for mindfulness to achieve "mental autonomy".

There can be no politically mature citizens without a sufficient degree of mental autonomy