Consciousness

The 5,700-Year-Old Psychedelic Drug Mescaline Finally Got a Modern Brain Scan, And The Results Were Unexpected

MJ Banias·July 24, 2026

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

Tim McMillan·July 14, 2026

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

Austin Burgess·July 3, 2026

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

Christopher Plain·June 24, 2026

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

Ryan Whalen·June 23, 2026

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

Ryan Whalen·June 17, 2026

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

Tim McMillan·June 5, 2026

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

Chrissy Newton·June 3, 2026

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

Austin Burgess·June 3, 2026

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

Ryan Whalen·May 24, 2026

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?

Tim McMillan·May 18, 2026

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

Tim McMillan·May 13, 2026

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

Chrissy Newton·April 15, 2026

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

Austin Burgess·April 15, 2026

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

Austin Burgess·April 13, 2026

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

Austin Burgess·March 11, 2026

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

Tim McMillan·February 27, 2026

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

Tim McMillan·February 26, 2026

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

Chrissy Newton·February 17, 2026

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

Christopher Plain·February 6, 2026

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

Chrissy Newton·February 6, 2026

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

Tim McMillan·February 3, 2026

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

Christopher Plain·January 30, 2026

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

Austin Burgess·January 19, 2026

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

Austin Burgess·December 31, 2025

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

Micah Hanks·December 28, 2025

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

MJ Banias·December 22, 2025

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

Chrissy Newton·December 9, 2025

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

Austin Burgess·December 9, 2025

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

Austin Burgess·December 6, 2025

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

Tim McMillan·December 1, 2025

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

Tim McMillan·November 26, 2025

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

Tim McMillan·November 16, 2025

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

Chrissy Newton·November 13, 2025

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

Austin Burgess·November 12, 2025

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

Austin Burgess and Ryan Whalen·October 13, 2025

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

Ryan Whalen·October 11, 2025

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

Tim McMillan·October 10, 2025

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

Ryan Whalen·September 16, 2025

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

Austin Burgess·September 3, 2025

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

Austin Burgess·August 31, 2025

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

Chrissy Newton·August 30, 2025

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

Christopher Plain·July 29, 2025

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

Christopher Plain·June 27, 2025

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

Christopher Plain·June 11, 2025

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

Christopher Plain·May 14, 2025

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

Chrissy Newton·May 9, 2025

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

Chrissy Newton·May 8, 2025

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

Chrissy Newton·May 5, 2025

Neuralink and Cognixion are competing to revolutionize speech restoration through groundbreaking brain-computer interface technologies.

I Think, Therefore I Am: Study Pitting Top Theories of Consciousness Against Each Other Reveals Its Findings

Christopher Plain·May 1, 2025

A team of scientists in an 'adversarial collaboration' put two of the top theories of consciousness to the test and this is what they found.