Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies

🔬 Exciting new research from our lab on democratizing transformative experiences! Published in PLOS Mental Health. In a study led by Leonardo Christov-Moore, Felix Schoeller, and Nicco Reggente, PhD, we've uncovered something remarkable about those shivers you get from powerful music or moving speeches - they're actually micro-mystical experiences. Studying 5,000 participants across California and Texas, we found that aesthetic chills consistently correlate with the three classical markers of self-transcendence (which co-author Matthew Sacchet prudently turned our heads toward): Ego dissolution Deep connection to self and others Moral elevation and increased compassion Why this matters: In our modern era, many people are too skeptical for religion or hesitant about psychedelics. These ubiquitous "small but special" experiences might be key to democratizing access to meaningful transformative states. Read the blog post and get access to the article via the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/gMQfTFW8 Special thanks to co-author Caitlin Lynch as well for her valuable assistance, thinking, and writing.

Struggling with #burnout and #stress ? With funding from Lumena Inc and the U.S. Air Force, we are running a new study to evaluate the therapeutic potential of using flashing lights inside an infinity mirror cube (Mind Gym) to mitigate stress and burnout. If you or anyone you know is struggling and in #LosAngeles or #SantaMonica, you can learn more and sign up at the link below. Participants are paid $30/hr and the study lasts about 1.5 hours. https://lnkd.in/gPfgyyqS

Our work was featured in Inc. Magazine. Nick Hobson, PhD explores the work we have been doing with Abhi Jain to build the first validated database of chills stimuli and its relevance for the workplace. https://lnkd.in/ecQCn-qN MIT Media Lab, Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies #futureofwork

Our latest PNAS Nexus study (out today!) delves even deeper into the enigmatic world of aesthetic chills. Using 2,900+ participants, social media data mining, and machine learning, we untangle the complex interplay of demographics, personality, and emotional state that influences the experience of chills. Put simply: we can predict whether an individual is going to get chills from certain stimuli based on pre-exposure questionnaires. This work holds promise for understanding how to tailor emotional experiences toward personalized therapeutic applications. By: Felix Schoeller Leonardo Christov-Moore Caitlin Lynch Thomas Diot & Nicco Reggente, PhD https://lnkd.in/gphXgDST

In the latest from IACS, we do a deep dive into the neurobiology of aesthetic chills and ask how bodily sensations shape emotional experiences. If you've ever felt goosebumps listening to a moving symphony or shivers when witnessing something powerful, those are "aesthetic chills". We are finding that they may be far, far more than a physical reaction. In this work, we dive into how they connect to the brain's reward system, the creation of emotions, and even how we understand our own world models. By: Felix Schoeller | Abhi Jain | Diego A. Pizzagalli | Nicco Reggente, PhD https://lnkd.in/g-n_A_mE

Hearing subjective reports from participants in our study on using neuromodulation to deepen meditative states makes all the work well worth it 🙂 Here, Eddy Vaisberg provides a well-grounded portrayal of his experience and his thoughts on the implications of such technology. https://lnkd.in/gPgJgyby

Our first publication of 2024 showcases how aesthetic chills can be used as a therapeutic tool for individuals suffering from depression. The study found that chill-inducing stimuli have the potential to positively influence the core schema of individuals with depression, impacting areas of self-related beliefs. The associated phenomenology triggered by chills appears to share similarities with the altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelic substances like psilocybin. 💡 This is an important stepping stone in the promotion of positive affect vs. blunting of negative affect. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gwvEXb3h 🤼 With MIT Media Lab, Felix Schoeller, Abhi Jain