Psychology

Beyond the senses: COVID-19’s influence on brain maturation and the aging process

Biology, Health, Psychology / /

For millions of people around the world, COVID-19 was not just a week-long scare; it became a chronic condition. The most familiar symptoms of COVID-19 resemble those of the common cold, but it had a much farther reach than respiratory or muscular difficulties, especially in adolescent communities. Newer concerns are coming to light regarding how […]

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The nature of pseudoscience

Psychology / /

Articles, blog posts, and Instagram accounts sometimes tell us that the world will end on a particular date, evoking a strong sense of panic. Some people frantically change their behavior altogether due to sudden news that the world will be ending. Concerned individuals may prepare for this time period by nestling in their basements with

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The spirit molecule: Our body’s natural psychedelic

Biology, Health, Psychology / /

DMT earned its nickname as the “spirit molecule” in the 1990s when over half of Dr. Rick Strassman’s research subjects vocalized experiencing something extraordinary. His experimentation had initially concerned the physiological effects of the molecule, but he couldn’t ignore its inherent psychoactive influences after about 200 of his participants reported undergoing a “religious” transformation with

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Deep brain stimulation study provides biomarker to track recovery from severe depression

Health, Psychology / /

Like the bottom of the ocean, major depressive disorder (MDD) is widespread, often dangerous, and yet largely shrouded in mystery. MDD impacts about 5% of the population — 280 million people worldwide — and its symptoms include the lack of ability to feel pleasure, extreme fatigue, and sleep and appetite disturbances. These symptoms cannot be

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Awake or asleep? The science behind lucid dreaming

Psychology / /

Everybody dreams. Whether we remember their intricate plots or feel them slipping away the second we wake, sleep science has long known that all humans dream. Many have experienced the dread of sprinting at a snail’s pace through hellishly personalized nightmares, others discovering fantasy worlds where human flight and super strength are made possible. However,

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The magic behind misinformation

Psychology / /

Social media’s individualized, instant, and streamlined communication provides users with up-to-date information on world events, community opinions, and trending memes. However, with the uptick in AI-generated content and extremist views, social media can be incredibly deceptive, with the gap between fact and fiction looming larger and larger. Most recently, the New York Times reported that

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Yes, being ‘delulu’ is normal: Mechanisms of hallucinations

Health, Psychology / /

Everyone is capable of hallucinating. Some illnesses and the use of psychedelics may increase the frequency and likelihood of hallucinogenic episodes, but this does not mean hallucinations make one mentally ill or a drug addict. The human brain is faulty at best — it makes mistakes, and hallucinating is only one of many. There are

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Mind over medicine: The placebo effect

Health, Psychology / /

The placebo effect is a phenomenon observed in many experiments, most often medical. This peculiar occurrence is when patients are given a control treatment, such as a sugar pill rather than the true medication being tested, yet have considerable positive gains in their condition. In other words, patients’ conditions are improving despite not receiving any

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Why won’t they speak?

Psychology / /

For Matt Holdback, the symptoms started when he began shaking and sweating at the possibility of being called on in class, he wrote in a personal essay for the Selective Mutism Information & Research Association. When there was any confrontation, Holdback would try to get away with a small nod or a hand in the

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