An early form of psychotherapy, hypnosis has been tarnished by a checkered history: stage shows, movies and cartoons that perpetuate specious myths; and individuals who unabashedly write 'hypnotist' on their business cards. Hypnosis is in the twilight zone alongside a few other mind-body exemplars. Although scientists are still unraveling how hypnosis works, little is mystical about this powerf...

The myth of quantum consciousness holds that quantum mechanics provides a scientific basis for ancient notions in which the human mind is connected to a universal consciousness and is able to exert control over the very nature of reality. This is shown to be a misreading of the significance of some interpretations of quantum mechanics. Furthermore, other interpretations exist which suggest no s...

Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin are often claimed to be capable of inducing life-changing experiences described as mystical or transcendental, especially if high doses are taken. The present study examined possible enduring effects of such experiences by comparing users of psychedelic drugs (n = 88), users of nonpsychedelic illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, amphetamines) (n = 29) and...

The Roshnites (Illuminati) also called “Rokhanian” in Pashto, a sixteenth century religiopolitical movement in the Pashtun dominated regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, effected social mobilization on an unprecedented scale. The movement aimed at doctrinal reforms but soon it turned out to be a political movement. The leader of the Movement, Bayazid Ansari (also called “Pir Rokhan” by his devo...

This article aims to explore, through established scientific research and documented accounts of personal experience, the similarities between religious mystical experiences and some effects of D-lysergic diethylamide or LSD. LSD predominantly works upon the serotonergic (serotonin-using neurons) diffuse neuromodulatory system, which projects its axons to virtually all areas of the brain includ...