Mind And Body Research Articles

“Anima mundi” environments and psyche: Their unity close connection with change

ABSTRACT The focus of the presentation is to support a phenomenological attitude that overcomes Cartesian dualisms and promotes the dialectic between the assumption of responsibility towards the drama of climate change and a sense of belonging to the “Anima Mundi”. A brief introduction to the idea of “Anima Mundi” [the soul of the world] as formulated in classical philosophy, the Neo-Platonic Renaissance, and more recently explored in Hillman’s Jungian perspective is presented. Comments on the contributions of psychoanalysis to the themes of the relationship with the non-human environment (Searles), the climate crisis (Orange) and the recent formulation—oriented to self-psychology—of the permeability of the self to the more-than-human (Kassouf). In the current historical-cultural context, the specific responsibility of mental health professionals is to highlight how people’s “well-being” cannot be based only on economic and materialistic aspects. The “beyond” we are looking for is to restore a sense of unity with environment and nature (Anima Mundi) and to delve deeper into the meaning of what we are experiencing in order to restore a sense of agency, motivation and creativity towards a profoundly transformative perspective that holds together complexity and vitality in the clinical encounter.

Hypnosis applications to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder

ABSTRACT Current evidence-based therapies considered efficacious for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), and medication treatments. Hypnosis, one of the first mind-body therapies known to Western medicine, has been used for mind-body problems such as conversion reactions, medication-less anesthesia, and wound healing. Because PTSD is a mind-body problem, hypnosis seems especially suited for its treatment. Hypnosis is a state-based treatment that can move PTSD patients into a state of calm, downregulate their emotional reactivity, and facilitate altering maladaptive beliefs. Combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches, hypnosis may magnify their effects. In this article, we present hypnotic techniques applicable to PTSD based on the PTSD symptom clusters they treat. We describe the goals, similarities, and differences between hypnosis and mindfulness, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. We describe how adding hypnosis to PTSD treatment protocols such as PE and CPT boosts their impact. We encourage the use of hypnotic techniques which can enhance the therapeutic palette of the CBT practitioner treating PTSD.

Does the Embodied Cognition Paradigm Have Implications for Learning?

Cartesian dualism, distinguishing mind from body, has significantly shaped our understanding of cognitive functions, often leading to the perception that these processes exist independently of our physical and bodily experiences. This rigid division has also influenced our approach to educational practices, which tend to be based on a theoretical understanding of cognition. However, emerging theories of embodied cognition are challenging this view by highlighting the fundamental connection between cognitive processes and bodily experiences as well as our physical interactions with the environment. These theories are increasingly supported by neuroscientific research, which recognizes the body as a crucial component of the learning process. Indeed, numerous studies indicate that incorporating bodily experiences into educational settings not only enhances learning, but also makes it more meaningful. When students participate in activities that involve movement and direct engagement with their surroundings, their ability to process and retain information improves, enabling them to translate abstract concepts into tangible forms and internalize them more effectively. This article aims to support a shift in our understanding of cognition away from the rigid dualistic paradigm toward a more holistic perspective of the educational process.

A Neuroscientific Image of Human Beings Worth Standing Up For: The Nested Assumptions of 'You Are (Not) Your Brain'

Within the neuroscience of consciousness there are two incompatible views of human beings: you are your brain (neurocentric) and you are not your brain but you have a brain (humanistic). Neurocentric views are trapped in the Cartesian legacy of the mental– physical duality as well as the mind–body dualism that manifests in the mind–brain and brain–body dualisms. A version of physicalism coupled with idealism and scientism wraps these views into modern versions of the Cartesian image they seek to overcome. A humanistic view sees humans as living systems that consist of parts and wholes where the wholes obtain features that do not belong to the parts. As an alternative naturalistic image, it stands outside the dualistic thinking and Cartesian legacy and maintains that a human being is a complex embodied, physical thing. Based on interactive realism that accepts reality is triply contingent, it depends both on how extra-mental reality is and on how living organisms collectively perceive reality. The objective of this article is not to evaluate the merit of each view but a critical analysis of the frameworks that make each view possible.

Should the neuropsychoanalytic approach to the mind–body problem be re-framed in terms of transcendental idealism?

ABSTRACT The alignment of neuroscientific research with psychoanalytic theory and practice has led researchers in the emerging field of neuropsychoanalysis to scrutinize their metaphysical assumptions with respect to the relationship between mind and matter. The position which has achieved prevalence is dual-aspect monism. However, this trend is naïve to the fact that no consensus has been reached on the mind–body problem in the philosophy of mind literature. Moreover, like all metaphysical positions, dual-aspect monism contains conceptual flaws and is inconsistently defined, but these issues have not been sufficiently addressed in the neuropsychoanalytic literature. The present study reviews materialism, dual-aspect monism and transcendental idealism as candidate positions on which to ground neuropsychoanalytic thought. Whilst materialism holds that mind is ultimately reducible to material processes and dual-aspect monism holds that mind and matter are two irreducible perspectives on one underlying ontological domain, Kantian transcendental idealism views both mental and physical processes as subjective representations of a numinous reality which cannot be experienced directly. Instances are highlighted where neuropsychoanalytic dual-aspect monism slips into tacit forms of materialism and transcendental idealism. Transcendental idealism is conceived of as an epistemologically modest position which holds that inquiry into the mind–body relationship can only begin through exploring the boundaries of representation. It is submitted that the neuropsychoanalytic approach to the mind–body problem is implicitly aligned with transcendental idealism, and that this should be stated explicitly. Some clinical implications of these variations in metaphysical framing are discussed.

Unlocking the mind-body connection: An HRV-based assessment of cardiac autonomic responses to yogic postures

The cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS) plays a crucial role in regulating cardiovascular health. While yoga is considered an effective lifestyle intervention for enhancing autonomic regulation, most existing studies focus on the effects of meditation or breathing practices. Limited research exists on the influence of specific yogic postures on heart rate variability (HRV), a sensitive indicator of cardiac autonomic function.: This study aimed to investigate the immediate impact of specific yoga asanas, namely Padahastasana (PD), Ardha Chakrasana (AD), Ardhkatichakrasan Right (AKRD), Ardhkatichakrasan Left (AKLD), Trikonasana Right (TRD), Trikonasana Left (TLD), and Sarvangasana (SD) on HRV in healthy individuals. This observational pilot study was conducted with 30 healthy male volunteers aged 18–30 years. HRV was recorded for 15 minutes for each participant during the pre, during-, and post-asana phases. The frequency and time-domain components of HRV were analysed using SPSS 21.0. Significant changes were observed in the frequency domain parameters such as the LF/HF ratio, LF power, and HF power post-intervention. Notably, backward and inversion asana significantly increased vagal modulation, suggesting a shift towards parasympathetic dominance. The findings of this study indicate that specific yoga asana significantly modulate cardiac autonomic regulation, underscoring their potential utility in cardiovascular health and rehabilitation. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term impact of these postures on cardiac autonomic function.

Art Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy, Wellbeing and Meaning in Life of Retired Community-Dwelling Older Adults

This article reports a study on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) sessions on wellbeing and meaning in life outcomes of urban community-dwelling retired Indian older adults versus art therapy (AT) sessions. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Results suggested that MBAT participants reported higher posttest scores on wellbeing and meaning in life measures versus the AT cohort wherein no statistically significant posttest change was observed. Participants’ gender and MBAT compliance were robust predictors of outcomes. Findings practically imply that MBAT, which combines art, meditation and mind-body connection, could enhance wellbeing and meaning in life for retired older adults.

Stress, microbiota, and the gut-brain axis in mental and digestive health.

The prevailing mind-body dualism in contemporary medicine, rooted in reductionism and the fragmentation of knowledge, has impeded the development of a conceptual model that can adequately address the complexity of illnesses. Integrating biomedical data into a cohesive model that considers the mind-body-context interconnections is essential. This integration is not merely theoretical; rather, it has significant clinical implications. This is exemplified by chronic stress-related mental and digestive disorders. The onset and development of these disorders are intimately linked to chronic psychological stress via the brain-gut-microbiota axis. The present article examines the evidence and mechanisms indicating that stress is a primary factor and a potentiator of symptom severity in common mental health and digestive diseases, with a particular focus on human studies. However, due to space limitations, only a very general overview of preventive and therapeutic clinical strategies is provided. It is hoped that the recurring phrase, "Everything that happens to you is due to stress," will become more comprehensible to the physician after reading this manuscript.

Interoceptive ageing and the impact on psychophysiological processes: A systematic review.

Interoception, the perception and response to internal bodily states, significantly influences physical and mental wellbeing. While ageing is associated with interoceptive decline, research has primarily examined selective dimensions of interoception. Understanding these changes is vital as the global population ages, addressing age-related health issues and sustaining psychological wellbeing. This systematic review synthesised findings from 22 studies on age-related interoceptive changes and their impact on psychophysiological processes. Results showed age-related declines (48.4%), no age differences (32.3%), an age-related increase (16.13%), and an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship (3.23%) in interoceptive sensitivity across age groups and interoceptive dimensions. Three patterns emerged regarding psychophysiological processes in older adults: altered mind-body connections with age were associated with reduced high-arousal and increased positive emotional experiences, cognitive protective effects, and improved body representation that correlated with better interoceptive sensitivity. These patterns indicate the complex relationships between interoceptive ageing and psychophysiological processes, showing both, aspects of decline and compensatory mechanisms. We propose future research avenues to elucidate the functional significance of different interoceptive dimensions across the lifespan for optimised psychological wellbeing and health behaviours in older adults.

Effect of Dance Movement Therapy on Physical Well-Being of Cancer Patients

Cancer treatment often poses significant physical, emotional, and psychological challenges, leaving patients struggling with pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and a disconnect from their bodies. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) provides an innovative, body-centred approach that helps cancer patients navigate these challenges by fostering emotional expression, enhancing physical well-being, and promoting psychological resilience. DMT uses movement as a therapeutic tool to help patients reconnect with their bodies, improve their emotional health, and alleviate treatment-related stress. It encourages patients to explore feelings and experiences non-verbally, offering a safe space for emotional release and creative self-expression. By focusing on the mind-body connection, DMT aids in restoring a positive body image, enhancing mobility, and reducing physical discomfort. Research suggests that DMT can improve the quality of life for cancer patients by reducing anxiety, depression, and emotional distress. Additionally, the group nature of many DMT sessions fosters social support and combats the isolation often felt during cancer treatment.

Proofs for the Existence of God: A Discussion with Richard Swinburne

Over the last 50 years, the English philosopher Richard Swinburne (b. 1934) has been a very influential proponent of philosophical arguments for the existence of God (natural theology). His major philosophical contributions lie in the areas of philosophy of science and philosophy of religion. From a general philosophical point of view, Swinburne stimulated much discussion with his early work in the philosophy of religion. He has also played a role (a) in the recent debate over the mind-body problem, and (b) in the debate on libertarian free will. Swinburne is also noted as one of the foremost current Christian apologists, arguing that faith in Christian God is rational and coherent in a rigorous philosophical sense. My discussion with Richard Swinburne revisits the analytic and non-analytic philosophy of religion. Above all, however, it aims at shedding light on Swinburne’s thought regarding some important philosophical issues, such as the Kantian arguments on the existence of God, the relationship between ratio and one’s immediate experience of God (empireia), “strong possibilities” the problem of the existence of evil in the world, but also the theological significance and value of Orthodoxy in contrast to other Christian creeds or even religions.

Healthcare seeking for people diagnosed with severe mental illness: Sensations, symptoms and diagnostic work.

For people with mental and somatic illnesses, the interpretive process of attending to a multitude of bodily sensations and recognising them as potential symptoms represents daily and 'chronic homework'. Based on 16 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark, this study explores diagnostic work and healthcare seeking among people with severe mental and somatic illnesses. As multiple studies have shown, the transformation process for a perceived sensation to become a symptom is a socially constructed interpretative process highly dependent on social legitimisation and shaped by prior cultural knowledge. We found that people with severe mental and somatic illnesses often struggle to 'read' the body and its boundaries and to define and distinguish when a symptom becomes a potential sign of illness. Furthermore, they often lack opportunities for social recognition of symptoms due to the absence of social relations. Finally, lifelong experiences with the healthcare system have taught them that they must distinguish between 'mental' and 'somatic' symptoms to fit the systemic organisation of the healthcare system. This deeply rooted mind-body dualism in the organisation of healthcare services and the daily struggles of diagnostic work to comply with this organisation impacted the interlocutors' healthcare seeking strategies. Moreover, even though they 'make up their minds' to seek healthcare, they risk being met with diagnostic overshadowing and reductionist clinical approaches.

Physiological Entrainment: A Key Mind-Body Mechanism for Cognitive, Motor and Affective Functioning, and Well-Being.

The human sensorimotor system can naturally synchronize with environmental rhythms, such as light pulses or sound beats. Several studies showed that different styles and tempos of music, or other rhythmic stimuli, have an impact on physiological rhythms, including electrocortical brain activity, heart rate, and motor coordination. Such synchronization, also known as the "entrainment effect", has been identified as a crucial mechanism impacting cognitive, motor, and affective functioning. This review examines theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on entrainment, with a particular focus on the physiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon and its role in cognitive, motor, and affective functions. We also address the inconsistent terminology used in the literature and evaluate the range of measurement approaches used to assess entrainment phenomena. Finally, we propose a definition of "physiological entrainment" that emphasizes its role as a fundamental mechanism that encompasses rhythmic interactions between the body and its environment, to support information processing across bodily systems and to sustain adaptive motor responses. We reviewed the recent literature through the lens of the "embodied cognition" framework, offering a unified perspective on the phenomenon of physiological entrainment. Evidence from the current literature suggests that physiological entrainment produces measurable effects, especially on neural oscillations, heart rate variability, and motor synchronization. Eventually, such physiological changes can impact cognitive processing, affective functioning, and motor coordination. Physiological entrainment emerges as a fundamental mechanism underlying the mind-body connection. Entrainment-based interventions may be used to promote well-being by enhancing cognitive, motor, and affective functions, suggesting potential rehabilitative approaches to enhancing mental health.

Prana An Important Link in Mind-Body Connection: Conceptual Analysis on Role of Pranic Healers

Prana An Important Link in Mind-Body Connection: Conceptual Analysis on Role of Pranic Healers

Quantum consciousness: A synthesis of SOC and Orch-OR

Despite the advances in the neuroscience field, the nature of consciousness and the mind-body problem are still unsolved. No conventional neurophysiological method has been able to explain consciousness, other than focusing on neural signals. Various theories, such as Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR), Higher Order Theory, Global Workspace Theory, and Integrated Information Theory, also have serious limitations. To better understand the nature of consciousness, the present work explores the connection between Quantum Mechanics and Statistical Physics, in particular through the Orch-OR theory and Self-Organized Criticality (SOC). SOC provides an explanation of how complex systems naturally tend toward critical states, whereas Orch-OR posits that consciousness arises from quantum computations in neuronal microtubules. Here, an integration of these hypotheses is pit forward, proposing that microtubules function as quasi-critical systems that undergo second-order phase transitions, thus generating objective reduction and, consequently, a conscious experience. This idea provides a theoretical framework for the interpretation of how microtubules may contribute to the orchestration of consciousness by integrating quantum coherence and criticality. Future research will be directed toward the biochemical constituents that maintain the essential aspects of microtubule quantum states, their connection to cognitive functions, and experimental verification of these states. This synthesis provides a novel perspective on the role of microtubules in the brain and the quantum foundations of consciousness.

Between philosophy and medicine: on Kant’s overcoming of the Cartesian mind-body dualism

The aim of the study is to show that one of the essential motifs of Kant’s critical philosophy is the issue of human health. Its starting point is therefore Kant’s reflections in the Metaphysics of Morals (1797) and the Conflict of the Faculties (1798), where Kant presented his concept of so-called “universal medicine,” which focuses on the problem of a healthy regimen. Since its basic assumption is that the body and mind of a person, however different they might be, are mutually connected so that the diseases of the body can be cured by way of the mind, it is the author’s interpretation that this concept is a peculiar attempt to overcome the substantive dualism of mind and body seen in Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy (1641). At the same time, however, Kant follows on from what Descartes himself attempted.

Historical Depictions of the Brain: The Origins from the Non-Western World.

Any written work concerning the history of neuroanatomy would be difficult to imagine without acknowledging the pioneering works of Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Camillo Golgi. Cajal improved upon Golgi's staining technique at the turn of the 20th century. He implemented it to deliver the world's first incredibly detailed visualizations of cellular networks of the nervous system. Dating further back to the 15th century, most students of neuroanatomy or of the philosophy of science are familiar with René Decartes' depiction of mind-body dualism which illustrates the passing of visual information to the brain. These illustrations (i.e., mostly Cajal's) have gone on to significantly influence future research, commonly featured as visual aids in neuroscience presentations. Like most of the historical depictions of the brain, including medieval illustrations of trepanning, these drawings are of western European origin. Little, if any work has attempted to compile or assess historical depictions of the brain from outside of the western world. It is very likely that non-western historical depictions of the brain exist, but are less popularized and have been scarce in the circulating historical literature. Thus, more historical investigations are required to balance these views for a complete historical lens on neuroanatomy. Since early civilizations existed far across the globe, it is likely that depictions of the nervous system have existed before the aforementioned scholars who make up the mainstream approach to neuroanatomy history education. The present work aims to introduce students and instructors of neuroscience, and particularly neuroanatomy, to other early illustrated neuroanatomical works which may be less popularized. Additionally, this assessment seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the historical emergence of neuroscience and more specifically, neuroanatomy. This article attempts to start this conversation, utilizing what are thought to be the first modern neuroanatomical analyses of some of the cited illustrations from the non-western world.

The Soul-Body Relation from the Perspective of the Wujūdiyyah Ṣūfī Metaphysics with a Special Focus on Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas’s Metaphysical Framework

This paper draws from the works of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas to elaborate three aspects pertaining to the nature of the soul-body relation that can be taken as a genuine solution to the problem of their interaction. The methodology employed is philosophical analysis to elaborate such aspects as derived from the tradition of the Wujūdiyyah Ṣūfī metaphysicians, that is to say, the discussion on the soul’s ontological nature as nonexistence (ʿadam); the soul as a spiritual “subtlety” (al-laṭīfah al-rūḥāniyyah); and man as a new creation (muḥdath or khalqan ākhar). The first two provide the metaphysical and epistemological bases for the positing of man as a new creation consisting of both the spiritual aspect (insān) and the bodily aspect (bashar). Both supply a holistic understanding of the nature of man which includes not only his spiritual and the metaphysical aspect, but also his ethical and societal aspect. These are contrasted with similar discussions from the Western intellectual tradition such as the Cartesian dualism and the Hegelian conception of the Absolute Spirit.

Merleau-Ponty's phenomenal body and the study of religion

ABSTRACT In opposition to dualism of mind over against body and matter, Maurice Merleau-Ponty offers his experiential, lived, or ‘phenomenal’ body. Meaning, in the sense of both knowledge and value, arises from our embodied engagement and mutual constitution with our natural-social world. This article argues that two types of understandings of the nature of the body are still common in religious studies, which reinscribe Cartesian dualism by opting for one side or the other. Using Merleau-Ponty's language, these are the ‘intellectualist’ body and the ‘empiricist’ body, the first reducing meaning to mind or language that controls or inscribes bodies, the second minimizing or eliminating meaning through reductive, mechanistic, physiological causation. The constructive portion of this article engages with scholars in accord with Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenal body, who work on ways to study religion as embodied, expounding upon enactive, emplaced cognition and meanings, religious or extraordinary experiences, ritual, and the evolution of religion.

Correction to: Grounding, conceivability, and the mind-body problem

Correction to: Grounding, conceivability, and the mind-body problem