U.S. Marines take up Mindfulness training

US Marines studying mindfulness-based training
The U.S. Marine Corps, known for turning out some of the military's toughest warriors, is studying how to make its troops even tougher through meditative practices, yoga-type stretching and exercises based on mindfulness.

Facing a record suicide rate and thousands of veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress, the military has been searching for ways to reduce strains on service members burdened with more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Psilocybin use in end of life care: Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Opening doors of perception: psychedelic drugs and end-of-life care.

Macready N. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012 Nov 7;104(21):1619-20. Epub 2012 Oct 25. No abstract available. PMID: 23104218
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Results of this ongoing study at New York University that has involved 12 patients given 0.3mg/kg of psilocybin.  Study goal is 32 patients.  Patients received 9 months of psychotherapy as well as psilocybin.

· all subjects experienced rapid clinical improvement (Psychiatric)

· there was significant reduction or resolution of death anxiety

· there was a decrease in depression/anxiety in general

· patients became more spiritual/philosophical and more connected with others

· they reported feeling interconnected with other forms of energy and that their consciousness was a part of a larger consciousness

· they felt connected to transcendental forces and a sense of sacredness

Dr. Anthony Bossis stated "Every patient I've worked with says the drug has allowed them to live more fully in the present, to be less concerned with yesterday and tomorrow and whether tomorrow will bring more suffering."

"One patient, now deceased, said he realized that consciousness doesn't end, it doesn't die, it continuous and that his body is one aspect of life, that physical death is part of the life experience, but there is a broader continuum."

Self-Transcendence

Link to a slideshow that discusses varies aspects of Self-Transcendence.  Some of the links are to videos that are related directly or indirectly to Self-Transcendence.  Others are links to scientific articles or sections of various texts.

Self-Transcendence

Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin

Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin

Katherine A. MacLean, Jeannie-Marie S. Leoutsakos, Matthew W. Johnson, Roland R. Griffiths. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Vol 51 Issue 4. Article first published online: 4 Dec 2012

A large body of historical evidence describes the use of hallucinogenic compounds, such as psilocybin mushrooms, for religious purposes. But few scientific studies have attempted to measure or characterize hallucinogen-occasioned spiritual experiences. The present study examined the factor structure of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), a self-report measure that has been used to assess the effects of hallucinogens in laboratory studies. Participants (N = 1,602) completed the 43-item MEQ in reference to a mystical or profound experience they had had after ingesting psilocybin. Exploratory factor analysis of the MEQ retained 30 items and revealed a four-factor structure covering the dimensions of classic mystical experience: unity, noetic quality, sacredness (F1); positive mood (F2); transcendence of time/space (F3); and ineffability (F4). MEQ factor scores showed good internal reliability and correlated with the Hood Mysticism Scale, indicating convergent validity. Participants who endorsed having had a mystical experience on psilocybin, compared to those who did not, had significantly higher factor scores, indicating construct validity. The four-factor structure was confirmed in a second sample (N = 440) and demonstrated superior fit compared to alternative models. The results provide initial evidence of the validity, reliability, and factor structure of a 30-item scale for measuring single, hallucinogen-occasioned mystical experiences, which may be a useful tool in the scientific study of mysticism.