General anesthesia and normal sleep affect brain in an amazingly similar way as consciousness fades

What happens in the brain when our conscious awareness fades during general anesthesia and normal sleep? Scientists studied this question with novel experimental designs and functional brain imaging. They succeeded in separating the specific changes related to consciousness from the more widespread overall effects, and discovered that the effects of anesthesia and sleep on brain activity were surprisingly similar. These novel findings point to a common central core brain network fundamental for human consciousness.

First meta-analysis shows promise for yoga, meditation, mindfulness in concussion

Chronic concussion symptoms are notoriously difficult to treat. But a researcher who is also a yoga instructor and has been teaching yoga for 17 years - is hoping that a recent study, the first-ever meta-analysis looking at the use of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness-based interventions for the effective treatment of chronic concussion symptoms, will offer hope to those still struggling with their symptoms.

Why experiences are better gifts for older children

What should we get for our kids this holiday? As children get older, giving them something they can experience (live through) instead of material things makes them happier, according to new research.

Being alone and socializing with others each contributes differently to personal growth

Researchers analyzed self-generated text from more than 1,700 participants who performed a sentence-completion task regarding their experience alone and their social experience when in the company of others. The results showed that a combination of constructive alone and social experiences best contributes to the formation of an integrated self.

Be mindful: Study shows mindfulness might not work as you expect

If dispositional mindfulness can teach us anything about how we react to stress, it might be an unexpected lesson on its ineffectiveness at managing stress as it's happening, according to new research. When the goal is 'not to sweat the small stuff,' mindfulness appears to offer little toward achieving that end.

Do consumers enjoy events more when commenting on them?

Generating content increases people's enjoyment of positive experiences.

Smartphone surveys find a connection between daily spiritual experiences and well-being

Using smartphone check-ins twice a day for two weeks, sociologists in a national U.S. study have found a link between individuals' daily spiritual experiences and overall well-being, say researchers.

Yoga and meditation reduce chronic pain

A mindfulness-based stress reduction course was found to benefit patients with chronic pain and depression, leading to significant improvement in participant perceptions of pain, mood and functional capacity, according to a new study. Most of the study respondents (89%) reported the program helped them find ways to better cope with their pain while 11% remained neutral.

Meditation for mind-control

Scientists have discovered that mindful meditation can help subjects learn and improve the ability to mind-control brain computer interfaces (BCIs).

People's life goals relate to their personality type

A new study suggests that for the most part, people formulate goals consistent with their personality traits.

Emotion vocabulary reflects state of well-being

The vast way in which you describe your emotions can reveal your lived experience and wellness status.

Unconscious learning underlies belief in God, study suggests

Individuals who can unconsciously predict complex patterns, an ability called implicit pattern learning, are likely to hold stronger beliefs that there is a god who creates patterns of events in the universe, according to neuroscientists.

Atheists are more likely to sleep better than Catholics and Baptists, study finds

A new study of sleep, religious affiliation, and perceptions of heaven found that atheists and agnostics are significantly more likely to be better sleepers than Catholics and Baptists.

When it comes to supporting candidates, ideology trumps race and gender

Voters who express prejudice against minorities and women are still more likely to support candidates who most closely align with their ideologies, regardless of the race or sex of such candidates, according to new research.

Meditation-relaxation therapy may offer escape from the terror of sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis -- a condition thought to explain a number of mysterious experiences including alleged cases of alien abduction and demonic night-time visits -- could be treated using a technique of meditation-relaxation, suggests a pilot study published today.

Brain waves can be used to predict future pain sensitivity

Rhythms produced by the brain can reliably be used to predict how sensitive we are to pain, new research shows.

Meditation linked to lower cardiovascular risk

Meditation was linked to lower cardiovascular risk in a large database study. The team looked at data on more than 61,000 survey participants.

Life-hack: Rituals spell anxiety relief

Researchers are examining the important roles rituals play in reducing our anxiety levels.

Mindfulness combined with hypnotherapy aids highly stressed people, study finds

A new treatment for stress which combines mindfulness and hypnotherapy has shown positive results.

Repetitive negative thinking linked to dementia risk

Persistently engaging in negative thinking patterns may raise the risk of Alzheimer's disease, finds a new UCL-led study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Psychedelic drug psilocybin tamps down brain's ego center

To see how psychedelics impact the claustrum, a mysterious region of the brain believed to control the ego, researchers compared the brain scans of people after they took psilocybin with their scans after taking a placebo.

Study in twins finds our sensitivity is partly in our genes

Some people are more sensitive than others -- and around half of these differences can be attributed to our genes, new research has found.

Regularly attending religious services associated with lower risk of deaths of despair, study finds

People who attended religious services at least once a week were significantly less likely to die from 'deaths of despair,' including deaths related to suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol poisoning, according to new research.

The placebo effect and psychedelic drugs: Tripping on nothing?

A new study suggests that, in the right context, some people may experience psychedelic-like effects from placebos alone. The researchers reported some of the strongest placebo effects on consciousness in the literature relating to psychedelic drugs. Indeed, 61% of the participants in the experiment reported some effect after consuming the placebo.

Spending on experiences versus possessions advances more immediate happiness

Consumers are happier when they spend their money on experiential purchases versus material ones, according to new research.

Antidote to pain and negativity? Let it be

Merely a brief introduction to mindfulness helps people deal with physical pain and negative emotions, a new study shows. The effect of mindfulness was so pronounced, they found, that even when participants were subjected to high heat on their forearm, their brain responded as if it was experiencing normal temperature.

Some surprisingly good news about anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of psychiatric illness, yet researchers know very little about factors associated with recovery. A new study investigated three levels of recovery in a large, representative sample of more than 2,000 Canadians with a history of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).