Psychedelic
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
Welcome
to PRSM lab
We investigate PRSM experiences in accordance with rigorous scientific standards and open science principles.
Our lab is based at the Cognitive Psychology Unit at Leiden University, Faculty of Social Sciences. Here we study Psychedelic, Religious, Self-transcendent and Mystical (PRSM) experiences using a variety of methods and according to open science principles. Check out our publication and ongoing projects below!
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What are the subjective and neurocognitive mechanisms underlying PRSM experiences?
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.
Religious
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
Self-transcendent
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
Mystical
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
Research projects
Scale Development
We are actively involved in developing, revising, and translating several psychometric scales.
Our lab is based at Leiden University, where we meet every Wednesday at 16:00 CET with a broader network of students and researchers to discuss related publications, develop project ideas, and collaborate. If you are interested to join one or more of our meetings, please contact us at [email protected].
