A mixed-methods approach to psychedelic, religious, self-transcendent and mystical experiences.
Psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, are substances that profoundly affect perception and consciousness. At PRSM lab, we aim to unravel the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the psychedelic experience in humans, using both neuroimaging and…
People of all times and cultures have endorsed religious beliefs and have had encounters with the supernatural. The PRSM lab investigates how these beliefs and experiences come about.
Self-transcendent experiences are characterised by strong feelings of connectedness and a loss of self. These experiences can be induced through vast natural beauty, great works of art or contemplative practices.
Mystical experiences are characterised by feelings of unity, insight and ineffability. A key question in the study of mystical experiences concerns whether these experiences reflect a universal, deeply engrained prototype, or whether they are shaped and…
The research at PRSM lab applies a variety of study designs, including observational field-studies, experimental studies and online studies. We use several techniques such as neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI), self-report and interviews (micro-phenomenology and content analysis), cognitive/behavioral paradigms and physiological measures. Together these techniques provide a mixed method perspective on the multifaceted topic of Psychedelic, Religious, Self-transcendent and Mystical experiences. We are an international group of scholars, coming from more than 8 different countries, with different academic backgrounds including cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, psychiatry, philosophy and medicine.
In this project, we investigate resting-state fMRI connectivity of different pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically induced altered states of consciousness.
The PRSM lab hosts one of sixteen doctoral positions in INTEGRATE, a pan-European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network training the next generation of experts in psychedelic therapy, running from 2026 to 2030 across…
Microdosing is an increasingly popular trend amongst psychedelic communities and refers to a practice where individuals consume sub-perceptual amounts of a psychedelic substance (e.g., LSD or psilocybin) every 2-4 days.
The Mystical Entropy project seeks to develop a new theoretical framework for the scientific study of mystical experiences and spiritual practices.
Using open science practices to assess the effects of psilocybin on the brain, the body and self-perception
To foster openness and transparency in the psychology of religion and spirituality (PRS), together with the joint editors of 3 PRS journals, we have launched a Call for Proposals.
We collaborate with several retreat organizations to investigate the effects of psychedelics in naturalistic / ceremonial settings.
We are actively involved in developing, revising, and translating several psychometric scales.
This project explores the effects of different types of awe experiences (e.g., positive awe, threatening awe) on self-perception and attention (e.g., visual).
The NWO-funded VIDI project ‘Putting Psychedelics in Perspective’ (2021-2026) focuses on conducting basic neurocognitive research to better understand the working mechanisms underlying psychedelic substances.
Several of our studies are looking for participants.