In the second half of the twentieth century, when psychopharmacology was not developed as we know it today and psychoanalysis was an influential school, various psychiatrists began to develop a ‘pharmacology of consciousness,’ and became interested in hallucinogens as new paths for accessing the unconscious. However, with the psychedelic model, the pharmacology of consciousness turned also into...

OBJECTIVE The serotonin system has long been of interest in biological models of human personality. The purpose of this positron emission tomography (PET) study was to search for relationships between serotonin 5-HT(1A) receptor density and personality traits. METHOD Fifteen normal male subjects, ages 20-45 years, were examined with PET and the radioligand [(11)C]WAY100635. Personality traits...

Even though psychotic disorders can have debilitating effects, many clinicians and researchers have observed that some psychotic episodes result in improvements in an individual’s functioning. Karl Menninger, often recognized as a founder of American psychiatry, noted: “Some patients have a mental illness and then get well and then they get weller! I mean they get better than they ever were. Th...

Background and Objectives: Breast cancer is associated with unique changes and experiences in all physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of one’s life. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the spiritual experiences of breast cancer patients. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. In total, 20 eligible breas...

BACKGROUND Spiritual healing, probably the oldest documented paramedical intervention, is a neglected area of research. In order to conduct further research into the effects of healing, a valid and reliable outcome measure is needed that captures the experience of individuals receiving healing (healees) and is not burdensome to complete. We aimed to develop such a measure. METHODS A mixed met...

BACKGROUND Spiritual well-being has been lauded to exert a protective effect against suicidal behavior. This study examines the characteristics of spiritual functioning and their association with a self-reported history of suicidal thoughts and behavior in a sample of Veterans being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS The sample includes 472 Veterans admitted to a PTSD ...