A new study published in Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience provides evidence that consciously controlled breathing can enhance communication between the brain and the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate.

These findings suggest that controlled breathing may be a powerful tool for improving emotional and physiological self-regulation.

Thinking About Consciousness

October 22, 2025 Lynne Nardizzi

Our brains trick us into thinking consciousness can reside outside the body, says new research out of Northeastern.

Consciousness and Time Perception

October 21, 2025 Lynne Nardizzi

This article and video looks at how altered states of consciousness change our perception of time.

Psilocybin Extends Cellular Lifespan

July 13, 2025 Lynne Nardizzi

This research paper shows the first experimental evidence that psilocin (the active metabolite of psilocybin) treatment extends cellular lifespan and psilocybin treatment promotes increased longevity in aged mice, suggesting that psilocybin may be a potent geroprotective agent.

Jurema

July 5, 2025 Lynne Nardizzi

Keep reading for more info on the plant jurema. In Brazil, a new line of research is using DMT for treatment-resistant depression.

Interestingly, they were extracting it from a plant called jurema-preta (Mimosa tenuiflora), rather than the DMT found in chacruna used in ayahuasca.

Post-Psychedelic Difficulties

May 23, 2025 Lynne Nardizzi

This study sheds light on which post-psychedelic difficulties last longest and what helps people cope.

The findings suggest that while anxiety and panic are among the most disruptive, issues like existential struggle and diminished self-esteem tend to last the longest—often persisting for over a year.

Right Hemisphere and Psychedelics

May 20, 2025 Lynne Nardizzi

A new theory suggests that psychedelics promote empathy, insight, and psychological flexibility by making the brain’s right hemisphere temporarily dominant over the left.

Known as HEALS—Hemispheric Annealing and Lateralization Under Psychedelics—this model proposes that psychedelics disrupt the typical hierarchy between hemispheres, releasing the more holistic, emotionally intelligent right side from left-brain control.

Psilocybin for Disorders of Consciousness

May 13, 2025 Lynne Nardizzi

Here is the case report of the patient with a disorder of consciousness given psilocybin as a treatment.