New Research Suggests Extraordinary Experiences Are More Common—and More Meaningful—Than Expected
A recent study suggests that "nonordinary" experiences involving unusual phenomena may be more universal than previously thought.
Consciousness
The 5,700-Year-Old Psychedelic Drug Mescaline Finally Got a Modern Brain Scan, And The Results Were Unexpected
The first proper brain scan of mescaline found the drug ignoring the regions where psychedelic research has spent a decade, and settling on the one structure no one really expected.
Scientists Find Intense Breathwork Can Trigger Psychedelic-Like States and Lasting Psychological Changes
Breathwork may trigger psychedelic-like states, emotional breakthroughs, and psychological insights without drugs, new study finds.
The Unconscious Brain May Be More Capable Than Scientists Realized
While a patient is fully anesthetized and unresponsive, neurons in the hippocampus continue to process language, distinguish different types of words, and generate neural activity consistent with predicting upcoming words.
Missing a Night’s Sleep Has an Effect on Your Brain You May Not Believe
New experiments have revealed that something unexpected happens inside your brain when you miss a night's sleep.
Scientists Say ‘Timescapes’ Could Unlock the Mystery Behind Non-Human Perception of Time
Researchers say "timescapes" offer a new framework for understanding how species experience the flow of reality.
Could Alien Consciousness Be Unlike Anything We Can Imagine? Non-Human Intelligence May Be Stranger Than We Think, These Experts Say
Consciousness may arise in systems far different than the biology on Earth we are used to, according to new research.
We Need a Way to Detect Conscious AI Before It’s Too Late—Here’s What Has Scientists Sounding the Alarm
Could Conscious AI be closer than we think? Researchers propose a new method to detect machine awareness before the question becomes urgent.
1 Out of 4 Americans Say They’ve Had Near-Death Experiences, According to Major Survey
Near-death experiences (NDEs) might be more common than most would think, according to a groundbreaking new study.
Can AI Be Conscious? Researchers Say Science May Not Yet Know How to Tell
Common experimental methods in consciousness research don't separate subjective experience from general information processing, new research argues.
This Startup is Reviving Human Brains to Explore New Treatments for Neurodegenerative Disease
Bexorg, a Connecticut medical startup, is using disembodied human brains in research targeting neurodegenerative diseases.
Rethinking Consciousness: Could Everything From Animals to AI Be Aware?
A new paper argues that scientists may need a radically new approach to studying consciousness, including in animals and AI.
Scientists Investigate ‘Quantum Consciousness’—But the Brain May Still Defy Physics
Quantum consciousness theories are gaining scientific scrutiny as researchers test whether quantum effects shape awareness.
Lucid Dreaming Could Allow People to Experience Other Genders, or Even Other Life Forms, New Research Suggests
A new peer-reviewed study suggests some lucid dreamers may be able to experience "dream-body transformation" into animals, or even another gender.
Tibetan Buddhism and the Science of Death: New Perspectives on Consciousness and End-of-Life Care
At the 15th 'Behind and Beyond the Brain' Symposium, hosted by the Bial Foundation, experts in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy gathered for three days to examine the science of end-of-life experiences.
No Drugs Required: Brain Scans Reveal the People Who Can Enter a Self-Induced Trance
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brain of a woman who can enter a psychedelic-like trance state on her own, without drugs.
Groundbreaking Research May Reveal How Forgotten Memories Can Be “Reactivated” in the Brain
A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that the brain can reactivate stored memories even without conscious awareness.
Scientists Want to Measure “Pure-Awareness”—But They May Be Studying the Wrong Thing, New Paper Warns
New research warns scientists may be mistaking attention and calm for pure-awareness in the race to map consciousness itself.
New Theory Suggests Consciousness May Come From a Hidden Wave in the Brain—Not Neurons
New theory suggests consciousness may arise from a hidden brain wave, challenging long-held beliefs about neurons and awareness.
How Words Shape Consciousness: New Research Reveals the Deep Link Between Language and Awareness
Recent research from the University of Liège is offering new insight into that question, suggesting a deeper relationship between language and awareness than previously understood.
Did Scientists Just Achieve “Inception”? Experiments Show “Dream Engineering” May Be a Reality
Experiments involving playing music during sleep have revealed a type of dream engineering that doubled subjects' problem-solving abilities.
What Happens to Consciousness After Death? Scientists and Researchers Are Still Debating This Age Old Question
A growing number of professional institutions are seriously looking at questions involving consciousness and what happens to it after we die.
What Happens If Science Finally Explains Consciousness? A New Study Explores the Consequences
Consciousness remains science’s greatest mystery. A new study explores how it arises—and why solving it could reshape existence.
“There Could be a Mushroom Out There Causing Fairytale-Like Visions”: People Eating These Mushrooms Claim to Have the Same Hallucinations
Science is searching for the chemical compound in these Chinese mushrooms that can cause identical hallucinations of little people everywhere
A New Brain-Stimulation Tool Could Help Scientists Trace the Origins of Consciousness
Although researchers can monitor brain activity associated with perception, pain, and awareness, it remains unclear which neural pathways are tied to the origins of consciousness.
Consciousness May Depend on the Physics of the Brain, Not Just Code
A new theoretical study argues that many standard beliefs about consciousness are rooted in a misleading concept of how the brain functions.
Science of Consciousness: The Most Intriguing Discoveries in 2025 Involving Neuroscience and the Mind
Questions about the nature of consciousness remain among the most perplexing areas of modern scientific research, with implications for both the human mind and our broader concept of reality.
Are AI Systems Truly Conscious? This Researcher Says Humanity May Never Know—and Explains Why That Matters
What if we simply cannot know whether an artificial intelligence is conscious, and what if that uncertainty itself is the real danger?
University of Virginia Researchers Identify Support Gaps for People Recovering from Near-Death Experiences
Recent research from the University of Virginia offers insights into how to support individuals who report having near-death experiences.
Your Brain Rewrites Your Memories Each Time You Recall Them, New Study Finds
A recent neuroscience review questions the long-held belief that memories are unchanging records of past events.
New DMT Study Reveals How the Brain Loses Its Sense of Self Under the Psychedelic Compound’s Influence
A new neuroscience study reports that the psychedelic compound DMT disrupts a key brain rhythm linked to self-awareness.
New Study Claims “Universal Consciousness” Existed Before the Big Bang—and Still Shapes Our Reality
A new theory proposes "universal consciousness" as a fundamental field shaping space, time, matter, and the emergence of awareness.
Scientists Say Consciousness Is Far Older—and More Widespread—Than We Ever Realized
New studies reveal consciousness is older and more widespread than believed, with birds showing signs of awareness and self-perception.
MIT Neuroscientist Proposes Brain Waves are the Hidden Engine Behind Thought and Consciousness
An MIT neuroscientist proposes that brain waves perform analog computations that give rise to thought and consciousness.
Self-Guided Hypnosis Cuts Menopausal and Perimenopause Hot Flashes by Over 50%, New Study Shows
A new clinical study reports that self-guided hypnosis can reduce the frequency and intensity of menopausal symptoms by more than half.
Lost in Thought: New Research Reveals How Meditation Can Potentially Unsettle the Mind
Many people view meditation as a way to achieve a calm state of well-being, but a recent study led by psychologist Nicholas Van Dam at the University of Melbourne suggests the effects can vary from person to person.
‘Cyberdelics’ Enable Researchers to Produce Mind-Altering VR Hallucinations that Mimic the Effects of Psychedelic Drugs
Scientists have found that immersive virtual reality may offer a way to replicate some of the psychological benefits associated with psychedelic substances, but without the use of any drugs.
Generating Younger Versions of People’s Faces, This Digital ‘Mind Hack’ Allows Adults to Retrieve Lost Memories from Childhood
Human self-perception could be the key to retrieving the hidden memories of childhood amnesia, says new research.
Do Trees Think? Philosopher Maps a New Route Through the Consciousness Debate
Philosopher Jonah Branding’s “decision tree” explores a new road map for identifying consciousness in living things.
Bombarding Brain Cells with Lasers, Scientists Pinpoint the Source of Illusions, Revealing New Insights Into Schizophrenia
New research into how the brain processes illusions has bombarded mouse neurons with lasers, artificially reproducing the brain activity.
Psychedelics Can Quickly Reorganize Our Brain Functions, Offering Promise for Lasting Therapeutic Approaches
New studies reveal how psychedelics can reorganize brain function, offering stronger, longer-lasting benefits than conventional approaches.
45 Years of Psychedelic Research Reveals the Deeper Threads of Human Connection, Researcher Says
Psychedelic research sheds light on experiences such as empathy and unity that cross cultural boundaries and speak to shared human qualities.
Ancient Breathwork Meets Modern Neuroscience, Offering Psychedelic Therapy Without Substances, Study Finds
New peer-reviewed research reveals how breathwork may contribute to inducing altered states of consciousness with potential therapeutic benefits.
Experiments Show Mental “Time Travel” Trick Can Improve Recall and Restore Lost Memories
Experiments show mental "time travel" recreating the circumstances of the original memory can improve recall and restore lost memories
Scientists Say Deep Sleep Likely Increases Odds of “Eureka” Moments
Scientists trying to unlock the brain mechanisms behind so-called "eureka" moments of clarity gave found a possible connection to deep sleep.
A Rabbi, a Minister, a Monk, and a Priest Took Magic Mushrooms. Here’s What Happened
When a team of scientists asked over 30 leaders of the world's four major religions to take magic mushrooms, this is what happened.
Does ‘Minecraft’ Have Free Will? Expert Says Game’s Voyager Agent Meets All Three Conditions
A Finnish philosophy professor says the generative AI 'Voyager' agent in Minecraft meets the three primary criteria for free will.
Neuralink Patient with ALS Edits and Narrates Video Using Only His Brain in Historic First
The first nonverbal patient to receive Neuralink’s brain implant has edited and narrated a video online using only his brain signals.
From Blockchain to Brainwaves: Coinbase Co-Founder Fred Ehrsam Enters the Neurotech Race with Non-Invasive BCI Startup Nudge
Co-founder of Coinbase Fred Ehrsam is unveiling Nudge, a non-invasive brain-computer interface that modulates brain activity with sound waves.
FDA Grants Breakthrough Status to Neuralink’s Speech-Restoring Brain Implant
Neuralink and Cognixion are competing to revolutionize speech restoration through groundbreaking brain-computer interface technologies.