AXEL CLEEREMANS (Bruxelas) - Presidente
ETZEL CARDEÑA (Lund)
MIGUEL CASTELO-BRANCO (Coimbra)
RUI COSTA (Seattle, WA)
RAINER GOEBEL (Maastricht)
VEENA KUMARI (Londres)
CHRIS ROE (Northampton)
STEFAN SCHMIDT (Freiburg)
HELANÉ WAHBEH (Novato, CA)

ETZEL CARDEÑA (Lund)
MIGUEL CASTELO-BRANCO (Coimbra)
FANNY CHARRASSE (Bruxelas)
AXEL CLEEREMANS (Bruxelas)
RUI COSTA (Seattle, WA)
MAGGIE DOHERTY (Londres)
RAINER GOEBEL (Maastricht)
BÁRBARA GOMES (Coimbra)
JANICE HOLDEN (Denton, TX)
ALLAN KELLEHEAR (Newcastle upon Tyne)
CHRISTOF KOCH (Seattle, WA)
DANIEL KONDZIELLA (Copenhaga)
VEENA KUMARI (Londres)
CHARLOTTE MARTIAL (Liège)
MIRA MENZFELD (Zurique)
MICHAEL NAHM (Freiburg)
MARIETA PEHLIVANOVA (Charlottesville, VA)
YESCHE REGEL (Bonn)
MICHAEL RERA (Paris)
CHRIS ROE (Northampton)
STEFAN SCHMIDT (Freiburg)
MÁRIO SIMÕES (Lisboa)
JIM TUCKER (Charlottesville, VA)
JULIA VERNE (Londres)
HELANÉ WAHBEH (Novato, CA)
MARJORIE WOOLLACOTT (Eugene, OR)

17:00-18:00 - Entrega de documentação

18:00-18:30 - Abertura

18:30-19:15 - Conferência Inaugural

Chairman | Axel Cleeremans: Research Director with the F.R.S-FNRS (Belgium); Director of the Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium. Scientific interests: consciousness; unconscious cognition; computational modelling of cognitive processes; agency; affective neuroscience.

Beyond physicalism - Looking at the world with fresh eyes
Christof Koch: Meritorious Investigator, Allen Institute, Seattle; Chief Scientist of the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, Santa Monica. Former president, Allen Institute for Brain Science; former professor, California Institute of Technology, USA. Scientific interests: the biophysics of electric fields in the brain, the cortex and its circuits, detecting consciousness in behavioral unresponsive patients, consciousness and its substrate.

Abstract: The dominant metaphysical belief of modernity is physicalism/materialism, the thesis that at rock-bottom everything is reducible to observer-independent quantities and interactions among them, such as mass, spin etc. Physicalism goes together with a systematic devaluation of first-person subjective experiences. However, two challenges threaten physicalism. Firstly, physicalism has failed to explain how consciousness emerges from mechanisms (i.e., the explanatory gap or the Hard Problem). Instead, much of modern analytic philosophy argues that people are confused about their subjective experiences and that these do not exist in any meaningful manner (illusionism). Yet consciousness refuses to be cancelled. Secondly, defining the physical has become challenging with the rise of quantum mechanics. A primary characteristic of physical quantities is that they have definite values that do not depend on any observer. Furthermore, reality is assumed to be local, such that only nearby events can influence each other. Both precepts are now being rejected by many physicists (entangled EPR pairs). Defining physicalism with respect to a future physics is a promissory note devoid of content. Indeed, it might even subsume the mental as a fundamental constituent. A third source of unease with physicalism derives from the existence of extra-ordinary experiences – whether religious-conversion experiences, near-death experiences, terminal lucidity, or mystical experiences – from which subjects return with deeply held pantheistic or idealistic views of reality. Subjects routinely describe these as among the most meaningful in their lives. This trilemma suggests the need to reconsider older metaphysical views of reality, such as idealism or panpsychism, that assume the evolution of the world is determined by causal powers entirely within the world and accept the validity of the scientific method as a powerful operational tool.

1^ª sessão - End-of-life processes

09:00 - 09:15 | Abertura

Moderator | Helané Wahbeh: Director of Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Novato, California, USA. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA. Former President and current Board Member of the Parapsychological Association. Scientific interests: complementary and alternative medicine, mind-body medicine, stress and post-traumatic stress disorder, extended human capacities, and channeling approached through a noetic framework.

09:15 - 09:45 | Studying ageing as a two-phase process: the biology of dying

Michael Rera: Research Director, CNRS, Principal Investigator of the research group UTELife (Understanding The End-of-Life), Department of Adaptive and Functional Biology, Université Paris Cité, France. Scientific interests: mathematical modeling of ageing, human health applications and ethics of the two-phase model, evolution of ageing and associated theories.

Abstract: Aging is a complex, multifaceted process influenced by genetic, molecular, and environmental factors that is generally defined as a time-dependent decline of an organism’s physiological functions, ultimately leading to its death. In the past ten years, the breakdown of intestinal barrier function, as demonstrated in Drosophila melanogaster, serves as a critical indicator of systemic aging. The loss of gut integrity dubbed “Smurf phenotype” predicts hallmarks of ageing such as inflammatory responses and metabolic dysregulation better than chronological age, as well as ultimately mortality. Its broad evolutionary conservation across Caenorhabditis elegans, Danio rerio and mice has led us to propose a model of ageing being a two-phase process and assess its role on the evolution of an “ageing function”. Together, these studies illustrate the importance of considering the two-phase model of ageing for better understanding healthspan and identify potential targets for therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing resilience against age-related diseases, in model organisms and beyond.

09:50 - 10:20 | The evolutionary origin of near-death experiences

Daniel Kondziella: Consultant neurologist at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, and Professor of Neurology with special focus on Acute and Critical Care Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lead author, the European Academy of Neurology guideline on the Diagnosis of Coma and Disorders of Consciousness; Co-chair, the European Academy of Neurology Scientific Panel Coma and Disorders of Consciousness; Fellow, the European Board of Neurology (FEBN); Board-certified physician in Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Scientific interests: coma and disorders of consciousness and acute and critical care neurology.

Abstract: Near-death experiences are known from all parts of the world, various times and numerous cultural backgrounds. This universality suggests that near-death experiences may have a biological origin and purpose. We used a pre-registered, systematic and multilayered protocol to investigate the hypothesis that thanatosis, also known as death feigning or tonic immobility and a last-resort defence mechanism in animals, is the evolutionary origin of near-death experiences. First, we constructed a cladogram, ranging from insects to humans, based on NCBI taxonomy. We then systematically reviewed the scientific literature to show thanatosis exists in species from all branches of the cladogram, which suggests that it is a highly preserved phylogenetic trait in living beings ranging from insects to humans. We then showed that thanatosis is associated with a survival advantage in animals as well as modern humans. Finally, we showed that humans under attack by big animals, other humans or ‘modern’ predators can both exhibit thanatosis and have near-death experiences, suggesting that these two conditions not only share important features but are related. We hypothesize that the greater sophistication of the human brain and the acquisition of language enabled humans to record and share their experiences in detail with others, thereby transforming these events from relatively uniform tonic immobility into the rich perceptions that form near-death experiences and extend to non-predatory situations. In summary, we have built a line of evidence suggesting that thanatosis is the evolutionary foundation of near-death experiences and that their shared biological purpose is the benefit of survival.

10:25 - 10:55 | The puzzle of terminal lucidity in dying children and adults: Exploring permissive vs. productive hypotheses for brain function

Marjorie Woollacott: Professor and member, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA. Past chair, Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon; President of the Academy for the Advancement of Post-Materialist Sciences, Science Committee of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS); Co-Director, Galileo Commission; Research Director, International Association of Near-Death Studies. Scientific interests: the nature of conscious awareness, neural filters to conscious awareness, and the effects of meditation and end-of-life experiences on these filtering capacities.

Abstract: One key strategy for better penetrating the essential characteristics of consciousness, is to augment our understanding of paradoxical phenomena occurring at the end of life. Terminal lucidity (TL), the unexpected return of mental clarity, often in the minutes to hours before death, is one of these paradoxical phenomena. This phenomenon is paradoxical because it often occurs in a child or adult whose mental and physiological deterioration is thought to be irreversible, according to medical diagnosis. For example, in a previous case study, a 3-year-old girl, with an immune disorder and liver and pulmonary failure was no longer speaking or responding to her parents or providers. One evening she awoke, regained the ability to sit up in bed, and spoke with her parents about the important people in her life, indicating her awareness that she was transitioning. She then asked to go to bed, returned to her comatose state and later died peacefully of cardiac arrest in her parents' arms (Rohrs et al, 2023). Thus, both the nature of and the factors underlying TL are not well understood. Though valuable, case studies have not been systematically collected, and this makes the identification of key factors contributing to TL difficult to determine. Our current series of studies explores this phenomenon further, with the aim of identifying both psychological and physiological factors associated with TL in a medically diverse sample of adults and children. Our results suggest that an identified medical diagnosis or physiological condition did not appear to account for the emergence of TL or the characteristics of the episode. The data give support for the hypothesis that the brain is a permissive organ rather than a productive one.

11:00 - 11:30 | Café, sessão de posters e contactos

11:30 - 12:15 | Conferência - On the Banks of the River Styx: An overview of the spectrum of end-of-life experiences

Michael Nahm: Research Associate, Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg, Germany. Scientific interests: end-of-life experiences including terminal lucidity, near-death experiences, coma experiences, reincarnation cases, physical mediumship, theories of parapsychology and their philosophical implications, and the history of parapsychology.

Abstract: Unusual phenomena that occur in near-death states have been reported since centuries. Nevertheless, they have barely been investigated in academic settings until recently. Apart from near-death experiences (NDEs), which were studied increasingly from the 1970s onward, phenomena belonging to the spectrum of end-of-life experiences (ELEs) have only caught the interest of research teams in academia since about the turn of the century. These phenomena include near-death visions, terminal lucidity, the last rally, unusual dreams and premonitions indicative of transition, crisis telepathy and crisis apparitions, shared death experiences, physical anomalies occurring around the time somebody dies, as well as unusual lights, mists, and music perceived by bystanders at the bedsides of the dying. Similar ELEs have also been reported from dying animals. In this lecture, I will introduce examples of these phenomena and demonstrate that they are all interlinked with each other, forming a continuum of experiences with often overlapping phenomenology. Furthermore, the spectrum of ELEs overlaps with aspects of other death-related phenomena such as NDEs, coma experiences, and reincarnation cases. This interrelation between different kinds of ELEs and also between other death-related phenomena signifies that explanatory models for ELEs need to take these interconnections into account. Treating ELEs as different kinds of unconnected death-related oddities is likely to result in an incomplete understanding of their nature.

12:30 - 13:00 | Discussão

13:00 - 14:30 | Almoço

14:30 - 16:00 | Apresentações orais posters - Investigadores apoiados

Moderator | Mário Simões: Retired Professor of Psychiatry and Mental Health and Introduction to Consciousness Sciences, Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon (FML), Portugal. Past Director of LIMMIT - Laboratory of Mind-Matter Interaction with Therapeutic Intention - and of the Post-Graduation Course in Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, FML. Member of the Scientific Committee of the Bial Foundation. Research interests: psychology and psychophysiology of altered states of consciousness, parapsychology, ethnic medicine, human exceptional experiences (NDE) and spirituality.

16:00 - 17:00 | Café, sessão de posters e contactos

2^ª sessão - End-of-life moments

09:00 - 09:15 | Abertura

Moderator | Etzel Cardeña: Thorsen Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Research on Consciousness and Anomalous Psychology (CERCAP), Department of Psychology, Lund University, Sweden. Scientific interests: the psychology of anomalous experiences/non-ordinary mental expressions, including parapsychological phenomena; neurophenomenology of hypnosis, meditation and dissociation; stream of consciousness.

09:15 - 09:45 | Anomalous cognition / Veridical perception during NDEs

Janice Holden: Professor Emerita of Counseling, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA. Past president, International Association for Near-Death Studies. Scientific interests: counseling implications of near-death and related transpersonal experiences, including philosophical and cosmological implications, with particular focus on apparently non-physical veridical perception in NDEs and implications for the relationship between mind and brain.

Abstract: Although most near-death experiences (NDEs) are private subjective experiences, some experiencers’ perceptions can be assessed for their objective accuracy. Under certain circumstances, accurate perceptions indicate apparently non-physical veridical perception (AVP) that point to mind or consciousness functioning lucidly and complexly in the absence of brain function normally considered necessary for such functioning. In this presentation, Dr. Holden will summarize the history and current status of the study of AVP and its implications for the relationship between mind and brain and for the question of the existence of consciousness prior to and following physical life.

09:50 - 10:20 | Neurosciences confronting near-death experiences

Charlotte Martial: Researcher in Biomedical Sciences, GIGA Research Institute, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Belgium. Scientific interests: human consciousness, focusing on conditions in which individuals are outwardly unresponsive such as during general anesthesia or cardiac arrest, with a particular interest in near-death experiences.

Abstract: Near-death experiences (NDEs) are vivid, profound, and transformative mystical experiences that typically occur at the threshold of death. These experiences may initially appear to challenge conventional models of consciousness by demonstrating the occurrence of rich conscious experiences during extreme physiological crises - situations where we would not typically expect consciousness to persist. However, emerging neuroscientific models are offering compelling psycho-neurochemical frameworks for understanding how NDEs arise. In this lecture, Dr Charlotte Martial examines neurophysiological and cognitive markers underlying NDEs, drawing on neurobiological and phenomenological evidence from various neuroscience fields, alongside emerging theoretical models. Building on her recent evolutionary hypothesis, her research challenges the conventional view on NDEs, proposing that they may represent naturally occurring mental states with adaptive functions that enable individuals to better cope with extreme conditions and potentially facilitating profound psychological transformation.

10:25 - 10:55 | Are we failing to provide choice and peace at life’s end?

Bárbara Gomes: Researcher specialized in palliative, end of life and bereavement care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal. ERC Grantee developer of the International Classification of Dying Places. Scientific advisor of the “la Caixa” Foundation Programme of Comprehensive Care for People with Advanced Diseases in Portugal. Scientific interests: dying places, preferences and priorities at the end of life, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in advanced illness, person-centred care, palliative care in different contexts, bereavemen.

Abstract: What matters most to people in their last moments of life? Where are these spent, how and with whom? Dr. Barbara Gomes approaches these questions from an evidence-based and holistic perspective, considering our life’s end is personal, relational and contextual. Grounded on research findings on the livedexperiences of patients with life-threatening illnesses in advanced stage and their caregivers, and routinely collected health data such as death certificates, she queries if we as societies and care systems are failing to provide choice on where to die and a peaceful death. She weights the impacts on patients and also on family caregivers, considering their presence at time of death and bereavement.

11:00 - 11:30 | Café, sessão de posters e contactos

11:30 - 12:15 | Conferência - Children’s reports of past-life memories: A global phenomenon

Jim Tucker: Bonner-Lowry Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, USA. Retired director, Division of Perceptual Studies. Research interest: children’s reports of past-life memories. Clinical interests: child and adolescent psychiatry, ADHD, childhood mood and anxiety disorders.

Abstract: Children’s reports of past-life memories have been the subject of systematic study for the past 60 years. The cases typically involve very young children who spontaneously begin speaking of a life they say they experienced before their current one. Over 2,500 cases of this worldwide phenomenon have been investigated. In numerous examples, the children have given details that proved strikingly accurate for an individual who lived in the past, sometimes at a great distance from the child’s family. This presentation will provide a review of the features seen in the cases, including the types of evidence suggesting an anomalous connection between the child and the deceased individual. Explanations for the phenomenon will then be considered.

12:30 - 13:00 | Discussão

13:00 - 14:30 | Almoço

14:30 - 16:30 | Workshops Paralelos (W)

W1 - Dying within the Buddhist tradition and how to prepare for death

Room Braga; sem tradução.

Moderators | Rainer Goebel and Stefan Schmidt

Rainer Goebel: Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Founding director of the Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (M-BIC). Scientific interests: neuronal representations in the brain and how they are processed to enable specific perceptual and cognitive functions; neural correlates of visual awareness; clinical applications in brain computer interfaces (BCIs) and neurofeedback studies.

Stefan Schmidt: Professor of Systemic Family Therapy and Head of the Academic Section of Systemic Health Research, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre, Freiburg, Germany. Scientific interests: systems approaches in health research, psychophysiology, consciousness research, mindfulness meditation, experimental parapsychology, exceptional experiences and placebo research.

Invited presenter | Yesche Regel: Buddhist meditation teacher and lecturer, Bonn, Germany. Involvement with Buddhist meditation centers in Germany and Europe since 1978. Ordained Buddhist monastic from 1980-1997. Disciple of Tibetan lamas and absolvent of a 3-year-meditation retreat. Interested in Tibetan Bardo-teachings (after-death i.e. cycle of life-and-death-teachings) and specialized in mindfulness, mental calm, and compassion trainings in meditation. Guided many retreats and meditation courses; meditation instructor for physicians and the nursing staff in projects in both cancer and palliative care units in German hospitals.

Abstract: Like other Asian religions, Buddhism considers the mind or consciousness not to be dependent on a physical framework. But the Buddha’s view was special in that he did not consider the mind to be an individual soul or personal unit. The view of a stream of consciousness that enters the body during or after conception, the togetherness of mind and body during a lifetime, and the separation of the two in the process of dying, and even a description of post-mortal states of mind, is unique in Buddhism, particularly in its Tibetan expression as laid down in the Bardo-teachings by Padmasambhava that evolved more than 1000 years after the life of the historical Buddha. These teachings have been presented to Western readers in many publications such as versions of the “Tibetan Book of the Dead” and to meditation students by Tibetan lamas upon encountering Western audiences and have sparked a lot of interest in recent decades. If one does not discard them as mere religion or spiritual phantasies, they may form a challenge to theories of mind and consciousness that are entirely based on the presumption of a functioning brain to be the basis for them. But beyond all teachings and theories, the main purpose and benefit of these teachings may be found in their application when preparing for the actual experience of death and the spiritual and emotional care one may offer to a dying person, both in the process of a terminal illness as well as beyond the moments when a body has stopped its functions. In this workshop, we will first look at the teachings and views that Buddhism can provide here. Then we may have a glance at meditations and actual methods of spiritual support for the time of death and the days and weeks that follow the end of a lifespan.

W2 - Living fully: The wisdom of near-death experiences

Auditório; haverá tradução simultânea.

Moderator | Chris Roe: Professor of Psychology, and Director of the Centre for Psychology & Sociology, University of Northampton, UK. Past-President of the Society for Psychical Research and Parapsychological Association, and past chair of the British Psychological Society Transpersonal Psychology Section. Scientific interests: understanding the nature of anomalous experiences, including experimental approaches to test claims for extrasensory perception and psychokinesis, particularly where they involve psychological factors.

Invited presenters | Marieta Pehlivanova and Etzel Cardeña

Abstract: This workshop will explore some of the fascinating features of near-death experiences and the profound life changes they may elicit. Through first-person accounts from everyday people and artists, as well as exposure to creative works such as songs inspired by near-death experiences, participants may reflect on the lessons of these experiences. Guided reflections on themes like the life review and reduction in the fear of death, combined with discussions in small groups, will illustrate how these experiences can enrich everyday living, deepen one's sense of purpose, and impact one’s relationship with mortality. We will also discuss experiential similarities between near-death experiences and other alterations of consciousness produced by hypnosis, psychedelics, and meditation.

W3 - Enabling everyone to die well - what are the gaps and who is responsible for addressing these?

Room Medicoteca; sem tradução.

Moderator | Rui Costa: President and CEO, Allen Institute, Washington, and Professor of Neuroscience and Neurology, Columbia University, New York, USA. Scientific interests: molecular, cellular and systems mechanisms of action generation, sequence and skill learning, goal-directed actions versus habits, across-level approach to study cognitive and sensorimotor disorders (PD, OCD, and autism).

Invited presenters | Julia Verne and Maggie Doherty

Julia Verne: Visiting Professor of Public Health approaches to Palliative Care and Hepatology, Dame Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King’s College, University of London, UK. Honorary Assistant Chaplain, King’s College University Hospital - hoping to bring spiritual comfort to people approaching the end of their lives. Doctor with special interest in: preventing and ameliorating suffering; palliative care, leading work to improve the quality of end-of-life care - physical, psychological, social and spiritual - through a Human Rights Approach to addressing inequality in access, especially for the most vulnerable groups in society.

Maggie Doherty: Associate Professor, Lead of the Centre for the Art of Living and Dying Well, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London, UK.  She has a background in strategic communications. Trustee of St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney, London, where Dame Cicely Saunders developed the foundations of the modern hospice movement. Co-founder of The Art of Dying Well podcast, which sits within the top 10% of global podcasts.  Research interests: equity at the end of life, digital health, faith and health, and health communication.

Abstract: This workshop will start from the point that comprehensive Palliative and End-of-Life Care is a Human Right. It will examine the four domains of suffering classically described in Palliative Care as: physical, psychological, social and spiritual/existential and how suffering in these domains may impact on each other.  The workshop will then consider how governments together with partners in civil society can deliver services which support the dying across these domains. The workshop will also highlight personal responsibility to consider and prepare for our own dying drawing on the works of stoic philosophers and others. During this part of the workshop, participants will be invited to discuss their own reflections and preparations (if any) for approaching death.  Finally, the workshop will discuss the inequalities in access to care for marginalised groups in society and how these might be addressed.

W4 - “End-of-life landscapes” in different cultures and contexts

Room Conferências; sem tradução - traga o seu telemóvel.

Moderator | Miguel Castelo-Branco: Full Professor, University of Coimbra, Portugal. Affiliate Professor, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, where he has held a Professorship in Psychology in 2000. Before, Postdoctoral fellow, Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research. Director of IBILI and Scientific Coordinator of the National Functional Brain Imaging Network. Director of CIBIT and former Director of ICNAS, University of Coimbra. Scientific interests: sensory and perceptual neuroscience, and neurobiology of decision-making; social cognition and reward in health and disease, with a focus on autism research.

Invited presenter | Bárbara Gomes

Abstract: End-of-life moments are deeply personal but also culturally shaped and dependent on circumstances. This interactive workshop uses guided visualisation, drawing, and digital polling (via Slido) to explore how participants imagine, understand, and prioritise aspects of death and dying. Slido questions will invite participants to anonymously indicate what they value most at the end of life - such as feeling at peace, control of symptoms, family presence - and what their preferences are - for example for where to die -, allowing real-time visualisation of collective patterns. Participants will then externalize their personal “end-of-life landscapes” through brief sketching and paired reflection, before collaboratively mapping shared imaginings and priority clusters. These will be placed in dialogue with research on end-of-life from four contrasting countries (Portugal, the US, the Netherlands and Uganda), collected recently in a systematic and comparative manner as part of an ERC-funded project. The session aims to create a reflective, inclusive, and scientifically grounded space in which participants construct meaning and wishes around the end of life, and how these constructions might inform future research, policy and care.

17:00 - 18:00 | Get-together Cheese & Wine

3^ª sessão - End-of-life beliefs and impacts

09:00 - 09:15 | Abertura

Moderator | Veena Kumari: Professor of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience (CCN), Brunel University, London, UK. Scientific interests: cognitive aberrations in psychosis, mood and personality disorders, and the evaluation of current and potential therapies for these disorders; the impact of social and environmental factors on brain function and mental health across the life span.

09:15 - 09:45 | What it takes to die. Intercultural intuitions and ideas on life’s endings

Mira Menzfeld: Principal investigator, University Research Priority Program “Digital Religion(s)”, and senior researcher, Department of Religious Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Religious studies scholar and cultural anthropologist. Scientific interests and main areas of expertise: fieldwork with dying persons in different cultural contexts, heterogeneous concepts of dying, European Salafism, digital religiosities with a special focus on Islam-related conspiracy theories.

Abstract: Dying holds quite different meanings for different groups of people. Our cultural, socioeconomic, gender, historical, and personal experiences all shape the ways we envision our own mortality and the possibilities of what may follow. Drawing upon ethnographic studies from diverse regions and cultural contexts, this presentation seeks to illuminate the rich tapestry of human understandings of "dying." It explores how the process of life's end begins, evolves, and ultimately concludes within varying cultural contexts, offering a glimpse into the many ways death is perceived and experienced across the world.

09:50 - 10:20 | Culture, context, and the mystical: Some anthropological notes

Allan Kellehear: Professor of end-of-life care, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Scientific interests: interdisciplinary study of dying conduct and experiences, anthropology of mystical experiences near-death, sociology of health & illness, public health/health promotion approaches to palliative and end-of-life care, and health humanities.

Abstract: Mystical experiences commonly associated with death - near-death experiences and dreams, terminal lucidity, deathbed visions, and visions of the bereaved - may or may not be hallucinations or glimpses of the afterlife. What is certain however, is that people who have these experiences must make some sense of them, must draw some meaning from them. An anthropological examination of these encounters reveals the importance of two social conditions that must be met in order for such experiences to make sense to a percipient. These prerequisite conditions are: (1) the presence and persistence of cultural rules of engagement and (2) the important role of context in creating perceptual preparedness. When these two conditions are not in place, disbelief, shock, cognitive dissonance, trauma, or anxiety are likely outcomes.

10:25 - 10:55 | Near-death experiences: Glimpses beyond death and the journey back to life

Marieta Pehlivanova: Research Assistant, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia School of Medicine, USA. Member of Expert Advisory Board of International Association for Near-Death Studies. Scientific interests: near-death experiences and children’s purported memories of past lives, including cognitive, personality, and genetic factors contributing to their occurrence, veridical perceptions reported by experiencers, impact and correlates of these experiences, cross-cultural comparisons, and the development of support resources within healthcare settings for those who have such experiences.

Abstract: Although most near-death experiences (NDEs) are described as deeply positive, many individuals struggle afterward to make sense of these profound events and to integrate them into their daily lives. Despite decades of academic research and growing public interest, formal recognition of the need for support - as well as the availability of appropriate resources - remains limited within healthcare settings. This talk draws on key insights into NDEs, including their common features, prevalence across clinical contexts, and their powerful and enduring psychological and spiritual effects. It also examines the clinical and therapeutic implications of NDE-related transformations and why support for experiencers is essential and how clinicians and mental health professionals can more effectively respond to individuals processing these life-altering events.

11:00 - 11:30 | Café, sessão de posters e contactos

11:30 - 12:15 | Conferência - To be or not to be that is not the question. Near-death experiences in ayahuasca ceremonies

Fanny Charrasse: PhD in Sociology from the EHESS - "École des hautes études en sciences sociales". She is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the Université UCLouvain Saint-Louis, Brussels, Belgium. She has published several articles in academic journals, as well as an essay entitled “Le retour du monde magique. Magnétisme et paradoxes de la modernité” (La Découverte, 2023). Scientific interests: contemporary legitimisation of magical practices, the Western interpretation of paranormal experiences and the therapeutic use of psychedelics.

Abstract: Ayahuasca, or ‘liana of the dead’ in Quechua, is a psychedelic Amazonian beverage. Its main component, DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine), was classified by the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, coordinated by the United Nations (UN) in 1971, as a dangerous substance with no real therapeutic value. Its use is prohibited in most European countries. However, over the last two decades there has been a resurgence of interest in it, particularly in disciplines that claim to work on the psyche and mind (psychiatry, psychoanalysis, psychology, etc.). To understand under what conditions these disciplines can consider the use of ayahuasca as therapeutic, this lecture will compare the shamanic and the psychological interpretations of near-death experiences people have lived while taking the beverage. It will conclude with the type of translation required for the European therapeutic use of the “liana of the dead”.

12:30 - 13:00 | Discussão

13:00 - 14:30 | Almoço

14:30 - 16:30 | Mesa Redonda - Beyond the threshold: Perspectives on experiences surrounding death

Moderator | Axel Cleeremans

Participants | Etzel Cardeña, Janice Holden, Christof Koch, Charlotte Martial, Marieta Pehlivanova

Abstract: This closing event, moderated by Axel Cleeremans, will be an opportunity to directly confront different perspectives about death: its experience, its biological foundations, and its meaning for each of us as mortal human beings. Etzel Cardeña, Janice Holden, Christof Koch, Charlotte Martial, Marieta Pehlivanova will debate with each other, offer their final thoughts, and address pending questions from the public.

A tradução simultânea será assegurada em inglês/português e português/inglês, excluindo os workshops.

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Espaços da Casa do Médico | mapa das salas onde decorrem as sessões e os workshops
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Hotéis

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O 15^º Simpósio será organizado apenas em formato presencial.​

Inscrições encerradas. Atingido o limite do espaço.

€200​
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€80 - para estudantes universitários até aos 25 anos e estudantes de doutoramento (anexar, por favor, fotocópia do cartão de estudante e/ou declaração da universidade/orientador).​
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Estes valores incluem o acesso a todas as sessões do Simpósio, coffee breaks e certificado de participação. Não inclui refeições. Inscrições limitadas.​

Haverá tradução simultânea de inglês para português e vice-versa.

Publicações Revistas por Pares

A Fundação Bial apoiou, desde 1994 até ao presente, o desenvolvimento de 927 projetos de investigação científica. Destes resultaram, até ao momento, 2.320 publicações indexadas (Scopus ou Web of Science), das quais 2.063 foram publicadas em revistas com um fator de impacto médio de 4,1 e 406 em revistas com um fator de impacto igual ou superior a 5. Em fevereiro de 2026, registaram‑se 63.927 citações, sendo que 806 publicações foram citadas mais de 20 vezes.

A listagem completa das publicações com revisões por pares resultantes dos projetos apoiados encontra-se disponível aqui. As publicações podem igualmente ser pesquisadas na base de dados da Fundação Bial, que reúne e disponibiliza ao público informação sobre os projetos e a sua respetiva produção científica.

Projetos – Resultados Finais

Posters com resultados finais apresentados pelos investigadores apoiados pela Fundação Bial e/ou disponíveis em www.bialfoundation.com

2016

269/16 – “Does Ganzfeld stimulation elicit a shift away from normal waking consciousness, and is this associated with ESP task success”
Researcher: Chris Roe
Institution: Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes (CSAPP), Division of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, The University of Northampton (UK)
Estimated duration: 2019/11 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

2018

92/18 – “Attending mindfully: A psychophysiology study of sensory processing in meditators”
Researchers: Veena Kumari, Rakesh Pandey
Institutions: Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge (UK); Department of Psychology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (India)
Duration: 2019/04 – 2024/07
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

104/18 – “Effect of mindfulness on EEG brain activity for cognitive and psychological well-being in the elderly” – only abstract available
Researchers: Samantha Galluzzi, Davide Moretti, Mariangela Lanfredi, Laura Pedrini, Roberta Rossi
Institution: IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia (Italy)
Duration: 2019/02 – 2024/02
Abstract

121/18 – “Effects of subconscious, nonlocal, and retroactive information on participants’ choice/decision and neural activities” – only abstract available
Researcher: Liang Shan
Institution: School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu (China)
Duration: 2019/02 – 2025/02
Abstract

150/18 – “A neuroscience approach to investigating how hierarchy influences moral behaviour”
Researchers: Axel Cleeremans, Emilie Caspar
Institutions: Center for Research in Cognition and Neuroscience, Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium); Department of behavioural sciences, Royal Military Academy, Brussels (Belgium)
Duration: 2019/10 – 2025/03
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

160/18 – “Exploring the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation during sleep on fear extinction learning” – only abstract available
Researchers: Carmelo Vicario, Michael A Nitsche, Vuk Markovic
Institutions: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund (Germany); Department of Cognitive Science, University of Messina (Italy)
Duration: 2019/04 – 2025/02
Abstract

190/18 – “Ganzfeld ESP research: Building on lessons learned”
Researcher: Caroline Watt
Institution: Koestler Parapsychology Unit, University of Edinburgh (UK)
Duration: 2019/10 – 2024/07
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

360/18 – “Dissecting dynamical components of complex decision-making using a computer game-based task” – only abstract available
Researchers: Gautam Agarwal, Zachary Mainen, Alfonso Renart, Mattia Bergomi
Institution: Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisboa (Portugal)
Duration: 2019/01 – 2025/01
Abstract

2020

36/20 – “The role of non-verbal behaviour on placebo and nocebo effects. Psychophysiological experiments” – only abstract available
Researchers: Magne Arve Flaten, Hojjat Daniali, Per Aslaksen, Ted Kaptchuk, Mollie Ruben
Institutions: Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim (Norway); University of Tromsø (Norway); Harvard Medical School, Boston (USA)
Duration: 2021/02 – 2024/11
Abstract

48/20 – “Investigating the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), anomalous experiences, and precognitive performance”
Researchers: Elizabeth Roxburgh, David Vernon, Malcolm Schofield
Institutions: Psychology Department, Canterbury Christ Church University (UK); University of Derby (UK)
Duration: 2021/12 – 2025/06
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

75/20 – “Psychophysiology of highly superior autobiographical memory: Shedding light on the mind of people who never forget” – only abstract available
Researchers: Valerio Santangelo, Sabrina Fagioli
Institutions: Department of Phylosophy, Social Sciences & Education, University of Perugia (Italy); Roma Tre University (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2021/09 – 2026/04
Abstract

80/20 – “Mindfulness meditation state and trait through the eyes of brain computational modelling” – only abstract available
Researcher: Laura Marzetti
Institution: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. d’Annunzion Chieti – Pescara (Italy)
Duration: 2021/10 – 2025/10
Abstract

91/20 – “Mentation report analysis across distinct states of consciousness: A linguistic approach” – only abstract available
Researchers: Giulio Bernardi, Giulia Avvenuti, Michele Bellesi, Valentina Elce, Emanuela Merelli
Institutions: IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca (Italy); University of Camerino (Italy)
Duration: 2021/02 – 2024/01
Abstract

140/20 – “Stimulating compassion: Using transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) to probe compassionate behaviour”
Researcher: Sunjeev Kamboj
Institution: Department Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London (UK)
Duration: 2022/02 – 2024/07
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

146/20 – “The me and the I: Dissociating ownership and agency in sensorimotor processing”
Researchers: Ana Pinheiro, Sonja Kotz, Michael Scwartze
Institutions: Centro de Investigação em Ciência Psicológica – CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia da Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal); Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht (The Netherlands)
Estimated duration: 2021/09 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

150/20 – “A swing between the inner and the outer worlds: Exploring the function of the frontal aslant tract with transcranial magnetic stimulation” – only abstract available
Researchers: Luigi Cattaneo, Sara Parmigiani
Institution: Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento (Italy)
Duration: 2021/09 – 2025/01
Abstract

152/20 – “Investigation of non-inferential perception using a 3D-computer-assisted dowsing task”
Researchers: Jorge Moll, Julie Weingartner, Maria Stewart, Cristiano Junqueira
Institutions: D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Scients Institute, Palo Alto (USA)
Estimated Duration: 2021/09 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

175/20 – “The role of nucleus accumbens in the perception of natural rewards”
Researchers: Carina Soares-Cunha, Ana João Rodrigues, Nivaldo Vasconcelos, Rodrigo Oliveira, Bárbara Coimbra, Ana Verónica Domingues, Gabriela Martins
Institutions: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute – ICVS, University of Minho, Braga (Portugal); Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York City (USA)
Duration: 2021/06 – 2025/01
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

181/20 – “Sleep and dreaming after a near-death experience. An exploratory study using wrist actigraphy” – no oral presentation
Researchers: Nicole Lindsay, Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Rosemary Gibson
Institution: School of Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North (New Zealand)
Duration: 2021/11 – 2025/09
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

186/20 – “Exploring the use of floatation tanks as a means to induce psi-conducive states of consciousness”
Researchers: Glenn Hitchman, Callum Cooper
Institution: Research Centre for Psychology & Social Sciences, University of Northampton (UK)
Estimated Duration: 2021/07 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

191/20 – “Understanding the brain mechanisms of death-denial for fostering mindfulness-based existential resilience”
Researchers: Aviva Berkovich-Ohana, Yair Dor-Ziderman
Institutions: The Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa (Israel); Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University (Israel)
Duration: 2022/01 – 2024/01
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

201/20 – “The control of attentional diversion: A psychophysiological approach” – only abstract available
Researchers: John Marsh, Federica Degno, Robert Hughes
Institutions: Perception, Cognition and Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology and Computer Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston (UK); Royal Holloway University of London, Egham (UK)
Estimated duration: 2021/10 – 2026/04
Abstract

238/20 – “Decoding sound symbolism in visual cortex” – only abstract available
Researchers: Petra Vetter, Carolyn McGettigan
Institutions: Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg (Switzerland); University College London (UK)
Estimated duration: 2021/11 – 2026/04
Abstract

241/20 – “The premotor roots of musical beat perception and imagery: A neurophysiological investigation”
Researchers: Carlotta Lega, Virginia Penhune, Luigi Cattaneo
Institution: Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (Italy)
Duration: 2021/09 – 2026/02
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

252/20 – “Neurophysiological bases of decision-making processes: Dissociating risk and uncertainty in the human brain”
Researchers: Tiago Paiva, Carina Fernandes, Fernando Barbosa, João Marques-Teixeira, Fernando Ferreira-Santos, Carlos Seixas, Rita Pasion, Carlos Campos
Institution: Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto (Portugal)
Estimated duration: 2021/06 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

272/20 – “Advancements on the aware mind-brain: New insights about the neural correlates of meditation states and traits”
Researchers: Antonino Raffone, Vasil Kolev, Peter Malinowski, Juliana Yordanova, Roumen Kirov
Institutions: Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy); Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria); Liverpool John Moores University (UK)
Duration: 2021/03 – 2024/09
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

288/20 – “The origin of the sublime power in the brain: An integrated EEG-TMS study”
Researchers: Eleonora Maggioni, Paolo Brambilla, Giandomenico Schiena, Alice Chirico, Andrea Gaggioli, Maddalena Mazzocut-Mis
Institutions: Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan (Italy); Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan (Italy); Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy)
Duration: 2021/04 – 2025/05
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

293/20 – “Closing the loop: Using real-time EEG to mutually enlighten first and third-person perspectives on the self”
Researchers: Fynn-Mathis Trautwein, Lukas Hecker, Stefan Schmidt
Institution: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg (Germany)
Estimated duration: 2021/10 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

315/20 – “Non-conscious influences on expected and subjective value in economic decisions”
Researchers: Fredrik Bergström, Jorge Manuel de Albuquerque Almeida, Johan Eriksson, Bruno de Sousa
Institution: Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Estimated duration: 2021/10 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

316/20 – “The psychology of the living and the dead: Interpersonal psychology in the afterlife”
Researcher: André Mata
Institution: Centro de Investigação em Ciência Psicológica - CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia da Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal)
Estimated duration: 2021/02 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

333/20 – “Mindfulness and psychedelics: A neurophenomenological approach to the characterization of acute and sustained response to DMT in experienced meditators” – only abstract available
Researchers: Milan Scheidegger, Daniel Meling, Michael Kometer, Dario Dornbierer
Institution: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich (Switzerland); University Medical Center Freiburg (Germany)
Duration: 2021/10 – 2024/05
Abstract

358/20 – “Study of end-of-life paranormal phenomena recognized by palliative care health professionals in Portugal” – no oral presentation
Researchers: Úrsula Dalcolmo, Manuela Bertão, Francisca Rêgo, Luísa Castro
Institution: Departamento de Medicina da Comunidade, Informação e Decisão em Saúde - MEDCIDS, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
Duration: 2021/03 – 2025/09
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

380/20 – “Neuroanatomical correlates of wellbeing in a mindfulness and religious exercises program”
Researchers: Paulo Dias, Ângela Leite, Bruno Nobre, Bruce Fischl
Institutions: Centre for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Braga (Portugal)
Duration: 2021/11 – 2026/03
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

387/20 – “AECKO: Towards a science of anomalous experience field studies” – only abstract available
Researchers: Bryan Williams, Gerald Solfvin
Institution: Psychical Research Foundation, Texas (USA)
Estimated duration: 2021/10 – 2026/04
Abstract

391/20 – “Illuminating the dreamer's perceptual experiences”
Researchers: Delphine Oudiette, Ken Paller, Susan Florczak, Karen Konkoly, Saba Al-youssef
Institution: Institut du Cerveau, Paris (France); Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Northwestern University, Evanston (USA)
Duration: 2022/02 – 2025/10
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

“Mind-to-Mind Experiment: A multi-phase talent selection program and a potential enhancement technique for testing the hypothesis of interconnected minds”
Researchers: Dean Radin, Helané Wahbeh
Institution: Institute of Noetic Sciences, California (USA)
Duration: 2024/03 – 2026/03
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

2022

06/22 – “Generating psi with enchanted spaces: A confirmatory study” – only abstract available
Researcher: James Houran
Institution: Integrated Knowledge Systems - IKS, Chatham (USA)
Duration: 2023/02 – 2024/03
Abstract

11/22 – “The relationship between temporal lobe lability and anomalous cognition”
Researchers: Lance Storm, Scott Coussens, Jacob Sevastidis
Institutions: School of Psychology, University of Adelaide (Australia); Cognitive Neurosciences Laboratory, University of South Australia (Australia)
Estimated duration: 2024/04 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

27/22 – “EEG and behavioral correlates of forward and backward priming”
Researchers: Marc Wittmann, Jürgen Kornmeier, Mareike Wilson, Azadeh Mozhdefarahbakhsh
Institution: Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg (Germany)
Estimated duration: 2023/04 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

33/22 – “The influence of emotions on actions: Boosting brain network plasticity to ameliorate action control” – only abstract available
Researchers: Sara Borgomaneri, Vincenzo Romei
Institution: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna (Italy)
Duration: 2023/05 – 2025/05
Abstract

50/22 – “The steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) tool as a marker of subjective visibility” – only abstract available
Researchers: Adélaïde de Heering, Axel Cleeremans
Institution: Center for Research in Cognition and Neuroscience, Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
Estimated duration: 2023/11 – 2026/04
Abstract

51/22 – “Enhanced well-being and psychological adjustment: The psychological benefits of paranormal endorsement” – only abstract available
Researchers: Neil Dagnall, Kenneth Drinkwater
Institution: Health, Psychology and Communities, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK)
Duration: 2023/06 – 2025/03
Abstract

65/22 – “Unintended returns of awareness during cardiopulmonary resuscitation”
Researchers: Charlotte Martial, Pauline Fritz, Alice Clerget
Institution: Coma Science Group, University of Liège (Belgium)
Estimated duration: 2023/02 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

68/22 – “Can a silent mind know thyself? The role of inner speech in self-awareness” – only abstract available
Researcher: Bo Yao
Institution: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University (UK)
Duration: 2023/03 – 2025/09
Abstract

69/22 – “Psychometric validation of a questionnaire for assessing paranormal health beliefs and statistically modelling the effects of the construct on health outcomes longitudinally” – only abstract available
Researcher: Andrew Denovan
Institution: Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University (UK)
Duration: 2023/06 – 2025/07
Abstract

70/22 – “An investigation into the nature of children's extra sensory experiences across various cultural contexts” – no oral presentation
Researchers: Donna Thomas, Chris Roe, Callum Cooper, Kirsty Allan, Kate Adams
Institutions: School of Social Work, Care and Community, University of Central Lancashire (UK); Centre for Psychology and Sociological Sciences, University of Northampton (UK)
Duration: 2023/03 – 2025/11
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

92/22 – “An integrative biopsychological model to explain associations between trauma history, paranormal experience and belief”
Researchers: Alexander Sumich, Nadja Heym, Stephanie McArdle
Institution: NTU - Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University (UK)
Estimated duration: 2023/07 – 2026/07
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

101/22 – “I am where I believe my body is” – only abstract available
Researcher: Giorgia Tosi
Institution: Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (Italy)
Duration: 2023/05 – 2025/05
Abstract

106/22 – “Gaze-centered decision making” – only abstract available
Researchers: Rubén Moreno Bote, Benjamin Hayden, Demetrio Ferro
Institutions: Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain); Neuroscience Department, University of Minnesota (USA)
Duration: 2023/02 – 2026/03
Abstract

126/22 – “In search of experienced time: How does the heart-brain coupling support the perception of time?” – only abstract available
Researchers: Manos Tsakiris, Irena Arslanova
Institution: Psychology Department, Royal Holloway University of London (UK)
Estimated duration: 2023/10 – 2026/04
Abstract

129/22 – “Mapping the characteristics and impacts of terminal lucidity in children”
Researchers: Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Karalee Kothe, Marjorie Woollacott, Michael Nahm, Sara Gunnoe, Philip Roehrs, Allan Kellehear
Institution: School of Psychology, Massey University (New Zealand)
Estimated duration: 2023/10 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

142/22 – “The eternal movement of a still mind: Exploring the properties of dynamic brain networks in meditation practices”
Researcher: Roberto Guidotti
Institution: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti - Pescara (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2023/11 – 2026/11
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

149/22 – “After-death communication with cell phones” – only abstract available
Researcher: Imants Baruss
Institution: Department of Psychology, King's University College at Western University, London (Canada)
Duration: 2023/05 – 2025/10
Abstract

153/22 – “Blinded by our thoughts? Testing the universality of perceptual decoupling”
Researcher: Sophie Forster
Institution: School of Psychology, University of Sussex (UK)
Estimated duration: 2023/10 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

171/22 – “Investigating physician barriers to acceptance of near-death experiences”
Researchers: Marieta Pehlivanova, Bruce Greyson
Institution: Division of Perceptual Studies - DOPS, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville (USA)
Estimated duration: 2024/10 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

174/22 – “Manipulating consciousness: The role of arousal and attention on conscious perception” – only abstract available
Researchers: Pietro Avanzini, Maria Del Vecchio, Enrico Salemi, Annalisa Cassisi, Alice Giorgi
Institutions: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - CNR, Institute of Neuroscience, Parma (Italy)
Duration: 2023/03 – 2026/03
Abstract

178/22 – “Probing body and soul stress-related reactivity through Ingestible capsules” – only abstract available
Researchers: Giuseppina Porciello, Vanessa Era, Maria Serena Panasiti
Institution: Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2023/07 – 2026/04
Abstract

179/22 – “Exploring aphantasia and exceptional experiences”
Researchers: Christine Simmonds-Moore, John Kruth
Institutions: Department of Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology, University of West Georgia, Carrollton (USA); Rhine Research Center, Durham (USA)
Estimated duration: 2023/08 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

191/22 – “Psychophysical interactions in an optical diffraction system”
Researchers: Dean Radin, Helané Wahbeh
Institution: Institute of Noetic Sciences, California (USA)
Duration: 2023/03 – 2025/03
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

192/22 – “Gut brain telepathy: A pilot study with food cues”
Researcher: Garret Yount
Institution: Institute of Noetic Sciences, California (USA)
Duration: 2023/06 – 2026/03
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

265/22 – “Predicting the future to make sense of the present: Predictive brain mechanisms for speech perception”
Researcher: Ediz Sohoglu
Institutions: School of Psychology, University of Sussex (UK)
Estimated duration: 2023/09 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

268/22 – “Event segmentation and time perception: Understanding why time feels like flying” – only abstract available
Researchers: Lucia Melloni, Darinka Trübutschek
Institution: Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
Estimated duration: 2023/03 – 2026/04
Abstract

284/22 – “Slow wave sleep reduces emotion: A multilevel approach combining the monitoring of brain, neurovegetative and dream activities"
Researchers: Pascal Hot, Jean Baptiste Eichenlaub, Sophie Schwartz, Jessica Bourgin, Sonia Pellissier, Sylvain Delplanque
Institutions: Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, Université Savoie Mont Blanc (France); Sleep and Cognition Neuroimaging Laboratory, Geneva University NeuroCenter (Switzerland)
Estimated duration: 2023/06 – 2026/04
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

286/22 – “Extended recalled death experiences: "Becoming alive after you are cold and long dead" – only abstract available
Researchers: Adrian Parker, Annekatrin Puhle
Institutions: Scandinavian International University, Örebro (Sweden); Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg (Sweden)
Estimated duration: 2023/09 – 2026/04
Abstract

304/22 – “Boosting and hindering action imitation by modulating spike-timing dependent plasticity”
Researchers: Alessio Avenanti, Chiara Spaccasassi, Sonia Turrini, Antonio Cataneo
Institution: Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna (Italy)
Duration: 2023/11 – 2025/11
Abstract | Oral presentation - slide

318/22 – “Decoding of LSD-induced perceptual changes in visual and auditory modalities" – only abstract available
Researchers: Sidarta Ribeiro, Luiza Mugnol-Ugarte, Dráulio Araújo, Daniel Brandão, Stanislas Dehaene, Ghislaine Lambertz, Lucie Berkovitch, Fosca Al Loumi, Dayane Lima, Marina Reis, Fernanda Fontes, Sérgio Arthuro Rolim
Institutions: Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology - 2Bio, Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil); Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte - UFJF (Brazil)
Estimated duration: 2023/05 – 2026/04
Abstract

2024

327/24 – “Charting the phenomenology of under-researched transcendental lysergic-acid-diethylamide (LSD) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) psychedelic experiences in healthy individuals: A qualitative project" – only abstract available
Researchers: Kurt Stocker, Matthias Emanuel Liechti
Institution: Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel (Switzerland)
Estimated Duration: 2025/02 – 2026/04
Abstract

Projetos – Resultados Preliminares

Resumos dos projetos em curso apoiados pela Fundação Bial disponíveis em www.bialfoundation.com

Caso necessite de mais informações sobre algum destes projetos, por favor entre em contacto com o Secretariado e teremos muito gosto em apresentá-lo ao investigador presente no Simpósio.

2022

20/22 – “From psychiatric disorder to spiritual gift: Phenomenology and cerebral correlates of hearing voices”
Researcher: Giulia Prete
Institution: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti - Pescara (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2023/06 – 2026/05
Abstract

124/22 – “Efficacy of targeted memory reactivation in modulating attentional bias”
Researchers: Aurora D'Atri, Giulia Amicucci
Institution: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2023/11 – 2026/04
Abstract

127/22 – “The empathic heart: An interoceptive predictive processing framework of empathy”
Researchers: Carlos Campos, Simone Schütz-Bosbach, Rita Pasion, Tiago Paiva, Nuno Rocha, Carina Fernandes, Mariana Pereira, Fernando Barbosa, Fernando Ferreira-Santos
Institutions: COFAC, Cooperativa de Formação e Animação Cultural, Lisbon (Portugal); Digital Human-Environment Interaction Lab, Lusófona University, Lisbon (Portugal); Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Germany); School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Porto (Portugal)
Estimated duration: 2023/10 – 2026/09
Abstract

133/22 – “Neurocognitive basis of misinformation sharing across the political spectrum”
Researchers: Clara Pretus, Salvador Soto-Faraco, Mireia Torralba
Institution: Fundació Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona (Spain); Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain)
Estimated duration: 2023/10 - 2026/09
Abstract

195/22 – “Accuracy and neural correlates of blinded mediumship: A large-scale replication”
Researcher: Arnaud Delorme
Institution: Institute of Noetic Sciences, California (USA)
Estimated duration: 2024/10 – 2026/04
Abstract

244/22 – “Autonomic signatures of mind wandering and its consequences on attention and positive emotions in individuals with different levels of expertise in mindfulness meditation”
Researchers: Cristiano Crescentini, Susanna Feruglio, Alessio Matiz
Institution: Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2023/09 – 2026/09
Abstract

264/22 – “Existential neuroscience investigations with long-term meditation practitioners”
Researchers: Elisa Puvia, Antonino Raffone, Luca Simione
Institutions: Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy); Italian National Research Council - CNR (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2024/10 – 2027/10
Abstract

273/22 – “Modulating the brain rhythm of religious and political conflicts: theta-transcranial alternating current stimulation (theta-tACS) studies”
Researchers: Gabriele Fusco, Salvatore Maria Aglioti, Biagio Dell'Omo
Institution: Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2023/10 – 2026/04
Abstract

277/22 – “Anger in the mind and body: From unconscious cognitive mechanisms to psychophysiological and neural substrates”
Researchers: Liliana Capitão, Catherine Harmer, Stefan Van Duijvenboden, Marlene Nogueira, Anna Pelliet, Marieke Martens, Adriana Sampaio, Joana Coutinho, Susana Capela, Catarina Fagundes, Fátima Saraiva
Institutions: Psychology Research Center - CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga (Portugal); Psychopharmacology and Emotion Research Laboratory, University of Oxford (UK)
Estimated duration: 2023/04 – 2026/04
Abstract

313/22 – “Switching on and off the insula by means of non-invasive brain stimulation changes the spiritual self”
Researchers: Francesca Strappini, Francesco Di Russo, Sabrina Pitzalis
Institution: Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of “Foro Italico” (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2024/01 – 2026/07
Abstract

322/22 – “Mapping experiences of invisible others: Talent and training in a virtual reality psychomanteum”
Researchers: Marilyn Schlitz, James Thompson, Jennifer Crane, Lincoln Nguyen
Institution: Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, Sofia University, California (USA)
Estimated duration: 2024/10 – 2027/10
Abstract

2024

05/24 – “A robust AI-test of enchanted psi”
Researchers: Jim Houran, Brian Laythe
Institution: Institute for the Study of Religious and Anomalous Experience - ISRAE, Charlestown (USA)
Duration: 2025/02 – 2026/03
Abstract

81/24 – “EEG correlates of unusual bodily sensations and out-of-body experiences across the wake-sleep cycle”
Researchers: Gustavo Deco, Teresa Campillo-Ferrer
Institution: Department of Engineering, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain)
Estimated duration: 2025/04 – 2026/05
Abstract

85/24 – “Investigating the role of interoceptive processing in multisensory integration during time perception”
Researcher: Alice Teghil
Institution: Department of Psychology, "Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2025/05 – 2026/10
Abstract

106/24 – “Personal affective evaluation of paranormal belief and positive (hedonic & eudaemonic) wellbeing”
Researchers: Neil Dagnall, Rob Demsey
Institution: School of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK)
Estimated duration: 2025/06 – 2027/06
Abstract

140/24 – “Neuro-anthro-phenomenology of healing: A hyperscanning study of Mexican curanderos”
Researchers: Aviva Berkovich-Ohana, Antonella Fagetti, Clemens Bauer, Roberto Mercadillo
Institutions: The Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa (Israel); Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities "Alfonso Vélez Pliego", Autonomous University of Puebla (Mexico); Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston (USA)
Estimated duration: 2025/07 – 2027/06
Abstract

166/24 – “Investigating the time courses of intentions using a mock brain-reading machine”
Researchers: Aaron Schurger, Lucas Jeay-Bizot, Tomáš Dominik
Institution: Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, Irvine (USA)
Estimated duration: 2025/02 – 2027/02
Abstract

351/24 – “Understanding the interaction of compassion and mindfulness meditation in shaping self-other interactions”
Researchers: Luca Simione, Salvatore Chiarella, Shaun Gallagher, Antonino Raffone
Institutions: University of International Studies of Rome (Italy); Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome (Italy)
Estimated duration: 2025/02 – 2027/01
Abstract

390/24 – “Out-of-body experiences: Distinguishing connected consciousness from disconnected consciousness in comatose intensive care survivors”
Researchers: Anne-Françoise Rousseau, Charlotte Boveroux
Institutions: Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Liège (Belgium); GIGA-Research Center, University of Liège (Belgium)
Estimated duration: 2025/03 – 2027/09
Abstract

396/24 – “Mapping the circumstances, phenomenology and impact of After-Death Communications (ADCs): Analysis of new case collections and extension to other cultures”
Researchers: David Lorimer, Evelyn Elsaesser, Sophie Morrison
Institution: The Scientific & Medical Network, London (UK)
Estimated duration: 2025/02 – 2027/04
Abstract

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