Neuronale Korrelate veränderter Bewusstseinszustände

The definition, description, and explanation of consciousness is one of the great challenges of contemporary science. The exploration of altered states of consciousness, induced by techniques such as hypnosis, meditation, or similar practices, offers an approach to understanding the phenomenon of consciousness. The deviations from the normal state of consciousness that occur in these states allow for inferences about the fundamental mechanisms of consciousness. Based on classical and neurobiological concepts of consciousness and altered states of consciousness, this work has induced trance states during a functional measurement in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. This way, brain regions have been identified whose activation levels differ between trance and normal states.