Psychedelics may lessen fear of death and dying, similar to feelings reported by those who've had near death experiences

In a survey study of more than 3,000 adults, researchers compared psychedelic experiences with near-death experiences that were not drug related and found notable similarities in people's attitudes toward death.

Religiousness, spirituality linked to better heart health among African Americans

In a study of nearly 3,000 African American adults, those who reported more frequent church attendance, private prayer and 'feeling God's presence' were more likely to meet the American Heart Association's key metrics for optimal cardiovascular health, compared to others reporting less frequent religious participation or no such beliefs. Researchers note this is the first evidence that strong religious beliefs and spirituality may have beneficial effects on the heart health of African American men and women.

Study with military suggests 'blended' individual and team mindfulness is at least as effective as standard mindfulness training

New study suggests that a 'blended' eight-week mindfulness program that adds Team Mindfulness Training (TMT) to a shortened version of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course for individual mindfulness is just as effective as the standard MBSR course alone. It may even offer further benefit by increasing collective stress management skills.

Risk of premature death in adulthood influenced by patterns of early childhood adversity

Poverty, combined with other types of adversity in early childhood, is associated with greater chances of premature death in adulthood, compared to other adverse childhood experiences, according to a study of more than 46,000 people.

Seeing through someone else's eyes: Proposing objective criteria to examine subjective experiences

Researchers propose objective criteria to examine subjective experiences and reveal their neuronal basis.

Pinpointing consciousness in animal brain using mouse 'brain map'

Science may be one step closer to understanding where consciousness resides in the brain. A new study shows the importance of certain types of neural connections in identifying consciousness.