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Meaning in life and nature connectedness are indicators of a healthy life and correlate with health and well-being. We conducted a validation study of German versions of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al. 2006) and Nature Connection Index (Richardson et al. 2019) and assessed mindfulness as a trait and personality (big five personality traits) among participating students (n = 353). Results indicated a significant positive correlation between nature connectedness and presence of meaning in life. Presence of meaning correlated significantly with less neuroticism, more openness to new experiences, greater conscientiousness, and moderately with the two mindfulness subscales, ‘acceptance’ and ‘presence’. Search for meaning was associated with more neuroticism and less acceptance. A higher nature-connectedness score correlated with more presence and acceptance (mindfulness), greater openness, and less neuroticism (personality traits). Furthermore, we introduce a nature-assisted model of meaning fulfilment that can be applied in healthcare practices, counselling, and (psycho-) therapeutic treatment. Our results contribute to growing evidence on the preventive and curative effects of nature connectedness and meaning in life and their role as health-related resources. Nature connectedness and meaning in life are effective resources considering various aspects related to (global) crises such as climate change and the corona pandemic.

The P3b is a prominent event-related potential (ERP) with maximal amplitude between 250 ms and 500 ms after the onset of a rare target stimulus within a sequence of standard non-target stimuli (oddball paradigm). Several studies found reduced P3b amplitudes in patients with schizophrenia compared to neurotypicals. Our work and the literature suggest that temporal imprecision may play a large pathophysiological role in schizophrenia. Here, we investigated whether reduced P3b amplitudes result from reduced neural activity (power) or temporal imprecision (inter-trial phase coherence; ITC) in delta and theta bands, using two EEG datasets from different studies with different oddball paradigms (Study 1: 19 patients with schizophrenia and 17 matched controls, Study 2: 26 patients and 26 controls). Both studies revealed typical P3b ERP components with smaller amplitudes in patients. Reduced ITC in patients was found in the delta band, which correlated with P3b peak amplitudes for all participant groups (ρ = 0.58-0.89). In Study 1, we also found significant differences between patients and controls in ITC in the theta band, which also correlated with P3b peak amplitudes (patients' ρ = 0.64, controls' ρ = 0.54). This was not found in Study 2. The results indicate that P3b amplitude reduction in patients with schizophrenia is linked to a reduction in temporal precision of neural activity. These results expand the notion of imprecision in temporal processing at phenomenological, psychological, and neurological levels that have been related to disturbances of the sense of self. They confirm that temporal imprecision may be more important than the reduction of neural activity itself.

In accordance with Bud (A.D.) Craig's theories, we maintain that ascending physiological signals in their temporal dynamics are a necessary prerequisite for human time judgments. Functional neuroimaging and psychophysiological evidence have increasingly demonstrated that the subjective judgment of time is based on the physical and emotional self. The psychological literature reveals how emotions and related body feelings shape subjective time. Empirical studies of altered states of consciousness, namely meditative states, are also of prime interest as the perception of the physical state is strongly modulated and thereby affects the subjective experience of time. Our conclusion is that the sense of time is strongly embodied.

During visual imagination, a perceptual representation is activated in the absence of sensory input. This is sometimes described as seeing with the mind's eye. A number of physiological studies indicate that the brain uses more or less the same neural resources for visual perception of sensory information and visual imagination. The intensity of visual imagination is typically assessed with questionnaires, while more objective measures are missing. Aim of the present study was, to test a new experimental paradigm that may allow to objectively quantify imagination. For this, we used priming and adaptation effects during observation of ambiguous figures. Our perception of an ambiguous stimulus is unstable and alternates spontaneously between two possible interpretations. If we first observe an unambiguous stimulus variant (the conditioning stimulus), the subsequently presented ambiguous stimulus can either be perceived in the same way as the test stimulus (priming effect) or in the opposite way (adaptation effect) as a function of the conditioning time. We tested for these conditioning effects (priming and adaptation) using an ambiguous Necker Cube and an ambiguous Letter /Number stimulus as test stimuli and unambiguous variants thereof as conditioning stimuli. In a second experimental condition, we tested whether the previous imagination of an unambiguous conditioning stimulus variant - instead of its observation - can have similar conditioning effects on the subsequent test stimulus. We found no systematic conditioning effect on the group level, neither for the two stimulus types (Necker Cube stimuli and Letter /Number stimuli) nor for the two conditions (Real and Imaginary). However, significant correlations between effects of Real and Imaginary Condition were observed for both stimulus types. The absence of conditioning effects at the group level may be explained by using only one conditioning time, which may fit with individual priming and adaptation constants of some of our participants but not of others. Our strong correlation results indicate that observers with clear conditioning effects have about the same type (priming or adaptation) and intensity of imaginary conditioning effects. As a consequence, not only past perceptual experiences but also past imaginations can influence our current percepts. This is further confirmation that the mechanisms underlying perception and imagination are similar. Our post-hoc qualitative observations from three self-defined aphantasic observers indicate that our paradigm may be a promising objective measure to identify aphantasia.

Recent studies suggest that time estimation relies on bodily rhythms and interoceptive signals. We provide the first direct electrophysiological evidence suggesting an association between the brain's processing of heartbeat and duration judgment. We examined heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) and contingent negative variation (CNV) during an auditory duration-reproduction task and a control reaction-time task spanning 4, 8, and 12 s intervals, in both male and female participants. Interoceptive awareness was assessed with the Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ) and interoceptive accuracy through the heartbeat-counting task (HCT). Results revealed that SAQ scores, but not the HCT, correlated with mean reproduced durations with higher SAQ scores associating with longer and more accurate duration reproductions. Notably, the HEP amplitude changes during the encoding phase of the timing task, particularly within 130-270 ms (HEP1) and 470-520 ms (HEP2) after the R-peak, demonstrated interval-specific modulations that did not emerge in the control task. A significant ramp-like increase in HEP2 amplitudes occurred during the duration-encoding phase of the timing but not during the control task. This increase within the reproduction phase of the timing task correlated significantly with the reproduced durations for the 8 s and the 4 s intervals. The larger the increase in HEP2, the greater the under-reproduction of the estimated duration. CNV components during the encoding phase of the timing task were more negative than those in the reaction-time task, suggesting greater executive resources orientation toward time. We conclude that interoceptive awareness (SAQ) and cortical responses to heartbeats (HEP) predict duration reproductions, emphasizing the embodied nature of time.

Ghost hunting is a leisure activity for amateur researchers. The fascination with the supernatural is a driving force behind them using technical equipment to visit allegedly haunted buildings or ruins at weekends and carry out so-called “paranormal investigations.” The data collected with various measuring devices is examined for anomalies that are not compatible with conventional explanations and compared with subjective perceptions. This article consists of two parts. The first part provides a brief overview of the history of haunting investigations. Furthermore, some social and cultural studies on the current form of ghost hunting as it appears in the 21st century in the USA, Great Britain and Germany are presented. In the second part, co-author Sonja Nowara, an active ghosthunter, offers an insight into the activities of ghosthunters as well as observations of the scene from the perspective of a well-informed insider, taking into account more recent developments such as the increasing commercialization of some parts of the scene.

The electroretinogram (ERG), a non-invasive electrophysiological tool used in ophthalmology, is increasingly applied to investigate neural correlates of depression. The present study aimed to reconsider previous findings in major depressive disorder (MDD) reporting (1) a diminished contrast sensitivity and (2) a reduced patten ERG (PERG) amplitude ratio, and additionally, to assess (3) the photopic negative response (PhNR) from the flash ERG (fERG), with the RETeval® device, a more practical option for clinical routine use. We examined 30 patients with a MDD and 42 healthy controls (HC), assessing individual contrast sensitivity thresholds with an optotype-based contrast test. Moreover, we compared the PERG ratio, an established method for early glaucoma detection, between both groups. The handheld ERG device was used to measure amplitudes and peak times of the fERG components including a-wave, b-wave and PhNR in both MDD patients and HCs. MDD patients exhibited diminished contrast sensitivity together with a reduced PERG ratio, compared to HC. With the handheld ERG device, we found reduced a-wave amplitudes in MDD, whereas no significant differences were observed in the fERG b-wave or PhNR between patients and controls. The reduced contrast sensitivity and PERG ratio in MDD patients supports the hypothesis that depression is associated with altered visual processing. The findings underscore the PERG's potential as a possible objective marker for depression. The reduced a-wave amplitude recorded with the RETeval® system in MDD patients might open new avenues for using handheld ERG devices as simplified approaches for advancing depression research compared to the PERG.

Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) minimizes stimulation of the nervous system by immersing subjects in an environment without sound or light while they effortlessly float in thermoneutral water supersaturated with Epsom salt. Here we investigated the relationship between altered states of consciousness (ASC) and its association with the affective changes induced by Floatation-REST. Using a within-subject crossover design, 50 healthy subjects were randomized to 60 min of Floatation-REST or 60 min of Bed-REST (an active control condition that entailed lying supine on a warm waterbed in a dark and quiet room). Following Floatation-REST, subjects felt significantly more relaxed, less anxious, and less tired than after Bed-REST. Floatation-REST also induced significantly more pronounced ASC characterized by the dissolution of body boundaries and the distortion of subjective time. The loss of body boundaries mediated the loss of anxiety, revealing a novel mechanism by which Floatation-REST exerts its anxiolytic effect.

It is increasingly recognized that cognitive control requires integration across large-scale brain networks anchored in frontal and parietal cortices. While the functional role of individual networks has been studied extensively, their cross-network interactions in the service of cognitive control are poorly understood. Beyond in-the-moment regulation of goal-relevant information processing (e.g., of sensory information), cognitive control encompasses preparatory processes in anticipation of upcoming stimuli and actions. Such preparatory control is often endogenous, that is, it is based on internal representations without relying on external cues or events. Here, we assessed network interactions that support such endogenously driven preparatory control. We recorded fMRI (N = 25) during a perceptual decision task with highly variable intertrial intervals. In half of the blocks, trial onset was cued, while in the remaining blocks, participants maintained readiness without relying on cues. We studied endogenous preparatory control in the intertrial period preceding uncued (vs. cued) trials. Behavioral outcomes confirmed heavier cognitive control demands in the uncued condition. Endogenous preparatory control was associated with increased activity of the dorsal attention network (DAN). This contrasted with in-the-moment control over stimulus-response processing during the trial itself, which was supported foremost by the right-hemispheric fronto-parietal network (FPN). Cross-network interactions were strengthened exclusively during endogenous preparatory control; the default mode network (DMN) showed more positive connectivity with the DAN and to a lesser degree the cingulo-opercular network (CON). Our results demonstrate that cross-networks interactions are particularly important for endogenously driven preparatory control. They further suggest that the DMN may be implicated in internally harnessing resources for cognitive control. This notion extends the DMN’s known role in internally-oriented processing to the domain of cognitive control when preparation cannot be aided by external events.

Since the retina shares its embryological origin with the central nervous system, optical coherence tomography (OCT), an imaging technique frequently employed in ophthalmology to analyze the macula and intraretinal layer thicknesses and volumes, has recently become increasingly important in psychiatric research. We examined 34 autistic and 31 neurotypical adults (NT) using OCT. Autistic adults had reduced overall macular and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness and volume compared to NT. Both macular and ONL thickness showed significant inverse associations with the severity of autistic symptoms measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2). Longitudinal studies across different age groups are required to clarify whether retinal changes may represent a possible trait marker.

INTRODUCTION: We tested and validated the German version of a new instrument for measuring "wakefulness," defined as "an expansive, higher-functioning, and stable state of being in which a person's vision of and relationship to the world are transformed, along with their subjective experience, their sense of identity and their conceptual outlook" (Taylor, 2017, p. 22). METHODS: In order to test the construct validity of the new instrument (Inventory of Secular/Spiritual Wakefulness; WAKE-16), we performed a parametric comparison between a group of expert meditators (n=36) with a history of predominantly meditating in silence and demographically matched non-meditators (n=36) for the WAKE-16 and two conceptually related questionnaires of mindfulness and emotion regulation. RESULTS: Significantly higher scores for the meditators on the WAKE-16 indicate construct validity of the new instrument. Meditators scored higher on the two mindfulness subscales "presence" and "acceptance," as well as on the SEE subscales of emotion regulation and body-related symbolization of emotions. Within the group of meditators, there were significant correlations between wakefulness and mindfulness, accepting one's own emotions, and experiencing overwhelming emotions. The only significant correlation in non-meditators was found between wakefulness and accepting one's own emotions. DISCUSSION: The new instrument shows construct validity by discriminating between the two groups. Correlations between wakefulness and related psychological constructs indicate convergent validity. Future studies could attempt to increase discriminatory accuracy of the definition of wakefulness, as well as finding objective methods of measuring.

Zusammenfassung Psychospirituelle und bewusstseinsmodulierende Praktiken, vornehmlich Meditation, erfreuen sich in den westlichen Gesellschaften zunehmender Beliebtheit. Dabei werden derartige Praktiken unter einem breiten Spektrum an sowohl säkularen als auch spirituellen Zielsetzungen eingesetzt. Die wachstumsfördernden und salutogenen Wirkungen von Meditationspraktiken sind durch empirische Forschung gut belegt. Während der Fokus der Forschung lange Zeit nahezu ausschließlich auf den positiven Wirkungen solcher Praktiken lag, wächst allmählich das Bewusstsein, dass diese nicht unter allen Kontextbedingungen und für jeden förderlich sind. Krisen und Probleme dieser Art wurden bereits in den 1980er und 1990er Jahren unter der Bezeichnung „spirituelle Krisen“ diskutiert. In jüngerer Zeit hat die Thematik unter Fokussierung auf die Meditationspraxis unter dem Begriff „unerwünschte Wirkungen von Meditation“ erneutes Forschungsinteresse geweckt. Auf Grundlage eines Sammelbandes zum Thema Spiritualität und spirituelle Krisen sowie einer empirischen Studie zu den unerwünschten Wirkungen von Meditation wurden von den Autoren des Beitrags und Kollegen wesentliche theoretische, praxisorientierte therapeutisch-beraterische sowie empirische Grundlagen rund um den Themenkreis „spirituelle und meditationsinduzierte Krisen“ erarbeitet. In einem weiteren Schritt galt es, den Transfer der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse in die therapeutisch-beraterische Praxis voranzutreiben, um hierdurch zu einer Verbesserung des Versorgungsangebotes für Betroffene beizutragen. Zu diesem Zweck wurde am Freiburger Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene ein neuer Beratungsschwerpunkt „Spirituelle und meditationsinduzierte Krisen“ eingerichtet. Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die Zielsetzungen dieses Beratungsangebotes, beschreibt typische Anliegen, mit denen sich Ratsuchende an uns wenden, sowie das konkrete Vorgehen in der Beratungsarbeit. Abschließend werden einige exemplarische Beratungsfälle vorgestellt.

In an earlier study, Rupert Sheldrake, Pam Smart, and Michael Nahm reviewed accounts of end-of-life experiences (ELEs) involving non-human animals. They showed animal ELEs to be similar to human ELEs, suggesting common underlying processes. Here, we consider apparent after-death communications (ADCs) from non-human animals and compare them to accounts of ADCs from humans. We collected 442 accounts of animal ADCs from our own appeals and from reports in the literature. We found a close resemblance between ADCs from animals and from humans in the types of experience—dream visitations, a sense of presence, visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory apparitions, and psychokinetic effects. As with human ADCs, the great majority of animal ADCs were reported to have occurred in the first hours or days after death, with a dramatic falling off over time. Moreover, our data show that people grieve their pets in much the same fashion as they grieve their human loved ones, suggesting that human bereavement studies would do well to take into account the animal data to which we draw attention. Doing so may help clarify issues regarding the fundamental nature of the experiences—determining whether they are best regarded as internal hallucinations, as living-agent-psi-mediated subjective or objective phenomena, or as actual contacts with the deceased—which in turn carries implications not only for academic studies of bereavement but for clinical practice with the bereaved.