Press & media

Awe-inspiring psychedelic trips reduce narcissism by boosting connectedness and empathy, study suggests
PsyPost, 15 October 2020

New research suggests that feelings of awe from psychedelic drugs can positively affect narcissistic personality traits. The study, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, found that psychedelic-occasioned experiences of awe are linked to increased feelings of connectedness and empathy, which in turn is related to decreased levels of exploitative-entitled narcissism.

How non-religious worldviews provide solace in times of crisis
The Conversation, 21 May 2020

The saying “There are no atheists in foxholes” suggests that in stressful times people inevitably turn to God (or indeed gods). In fact, non-believers have their own set of secular worldviews which can provide them with solace in difficult times, just as religious beliefs do for the spiritually-minded.

How imagination can help people overcome fear and anxiety
The Conversation, 16 May 2018

Most of us only feel scared when a threat is present. But when the threat fear response happens even when a threat isn’t present, it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, or anxiety. These disorders may often be treated using exposure therapy, but a new study found that something as simple as using your imagination can help people overcome fear.

Is it rational to trust your gut feelings? A neuroscientist explains
The Conversation, 16 May 2018

Relying on your intuition generally has a bad reputation, especially in the Western part of the world where analytic thinking has been steadily promoted over the past decades. Gradually, many have come to think that humans have progressed from relying on primitive, magical and religious thinking to analytic and scientific thinking. As a result, they view emotions and intuition as fallible, even whimsical, tools.

However, this attitude is based on a myth of cognitive progress. Emotions are actually not dumb responses that always need to be ignored or even corrected by rational faculties. They are appraisals of what you have just experienced or thought of – in this sense, they are also a form of information processing.

The secret to creativity – according to science
The Conversation, 3 January 2018

Whether you get mesmerised by Vincent van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night or Albert Einstein’s theories about spacetime, you’ll probably agree that both pieces of work are products of mindblowing creativity. Imagination is what propels us forward as a species – it expands our worlds and brings us new ideas, inventions and discoveries.

But why do we seem to differ so dramatically in our ability to imagine? And can you train yourself to become more imaginative? Science has come up with some answers, based on three different but interlinked types of imagination.

Watching a scary movie this Hallowe’en? This is what happens to our brain and bodies when we view a frightening film
Coventry University news, 27 October 2017

From slasher movies to zombie-fests and ghoulish horrors to tense thrillers, plenty of people will be entering into the spirit of Hallowe’en by watching a scary film this weekend.

But why do we flock to view these frightening flicks when we know they might give us nightmares and leave us wanting to sleep with the light on for the following week. 

What effect do these films have on our brain and body when we watch them and why are some scarier than others?

A cognitive profile of COVID-19 conspiracists
Cognitive Science Society, 16 November 2020

COVID-19 conspiracy theories appeared and spread almost as fast as the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself. While they may appear absurd or ludicrous to some, they are not harmless: COVID-19 conspiracy theories have been linked to a reduced adherence to recommended COVID-19 safety guidelines, hoarding, and reduced vaccination intention, not to mention discrimination, prejudice, and violence. It is therefore paramount that we understand how such conspiracy theories come to be, and why they spread.

Many features of individuals who endorse COVID-19 conspiracy theories are familiar to cognitive scientists. When we better understand them, we may be able to reduce the power of misinformation and keep everyone safer.

Using Neuromodulation to Change Belief – and Unbelief
Methods and Methodologies, Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network (NSRN) Blog, 15 August 2016.

 Valerie van Mulukom introduces cognitive research exploring how religious beliefs can be modulated. She shows how reframing such research as stimulating of ‘unbelief’ open new avenues for new ways of exploring the nature of unbelief and its similarities and dissimilarities to religious and spiritual beliefs.