Affective neuroscience studies how the brain deals with feelings, and new study suggests that this is a lot more complicated than we thought. A group from UC Berkeley used fMRI brain scans and machine learning in 2024 to show that they could guess how someone would feel about natural visuals, whether they were pleasant, negative, or neutral, and how strongly they would feel.  They found that the occipital-temporal cortex, which lies at the rear of the brain, not only tells th

“Item Memory” Neurons: A New Discovery in the Study of the Brain Neuroscientists have discovered specialized brain cells responsible for remembering the “what” of an event—a breakthrough that significantly advances our understanding of how memories are stored. In 2024, a study identified neurons in the lateral entorhinal cortex  that activate when recalling specific items, effectively creating a neural “map” of the details associated with an experience. When tested on mice, t

Research in developmental psychology underscores that early social contexts can exert enduring influences on interpersonal relationships. A longitudinal study conducted in the Netherlands in 2024 revealed that infants exposed to a diverse range of individuals—such as through daycare settings with various caregivers and peers—showed significantly greater capabilities in transcending social prejudices by late adolescence. At the age of 17, these individuals participated in an e

Using MDMA-assisted therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could transform how clinical psychology and psychiatry function. A landmark phase III research published in Nature Medicine in 2023 found that patients with severe PTSD who had controlled MDMA sessions combined with therapy made great progress. About 71% of the participants who took MDMA no longer had PTSD at the end of the study. Only 48% of the people who received a placebo and treatment still ha

Classic social psychology says that betraying other people makes you look untrustworthy. But new research shows that there is one exception: you might still trust the person who betrayed you if it helps you. In a 2025 study, participants evaluated an individual who deceived another for their own advantage as extremely trustworthy, as if the betrayal had not transpired. In various tests involving friendships, sexual relationships, and a professional espionage context, the cons

Trends in the Global Suicide Rate About 700,000 to 740,000 people die by suicide every year worldwide—that’s about one person every 40 to 43 seconds [techexplorist.com]. Suicide was the 21st most common cause of death globally in 2021, now ranking above HIV/AIDS [techexplorist.com]. The global (age-standardized) suicide rate has been declining for decades, dropping by nearly 40% over the last 30 years—from about 15 per 100,000 in 1990 to about 9 per 100,000 in 2021 [techexplo

A Desolate Shade Without Meaning Can a man without meaning truly be called human? Since the point of birth we’d either lived for something or never began to contemplate what we lived for in the first place. Many people avoid the overcomplexity of introspection, leaving the question “What is it that I truly find valuable, what defines my existence?” until it plagues them on their deathbed. Either that or only during their midlife once everythings already been solidified throug

Empirical evidence that is inspired through reference of the contemporary material or culture, cannot claim to be omniscient or objective, as external empiricism in such a prejudiced form is not sufficient evidence to be deemed holy or let alone rational from an observational standpoint. The proclaimed objectivity in God's commandments should not be constrained to the prophets' contemporary culture. The belief in what is moral, sinful or holy are only labeled through its alig

Technology has revolutionized our understanding of human behavior. People faced with conformity no longer need to confront their impulses in the material world; Instead, our debauchery is able to transcend into the hyper-real space of the digital world. While this may seem like a healthy alternative to physical indulgence, it allows the individual to become exposed to its boundless potential in its infinite obscenity, leading people towards transgression, desensitization and

Radical Bereavement  Death and life has forever been inextricable. It is not uncommon to find those who cope with such a primal force through disenfranchised methods of grief. Eros and sex serves as a taboo outlet for those who are struggling on the existential level with death. For some it may feel as a state of catharsis that releases them from the drowning feeling of sorrow. While for others it may serve as a radical liberation when faced with its uncommon dichotomy. The O

It is irrational to assume that the idea of a soul is manifested in development through any other means but the collective processing of the material world. The ‘proof’ of a soul is reliant on one's expression of it. If we consider ourselves to be inherently animals with souls and testify that non-human creatures are soulless, then what is the defining criterium that separates us from animals and divinity? Is it our ability to restrain ourselves from emotional impulsivity? Is

This sort of existential nausea and severed connection cannot usually be fixed through standardized means of treatment. No antidepressant will fix their rebellion against conformity or their dissonance with the soul and their newfound insipidity of life. No guided therapy sessions can delude them into philanthropy or provide an answer to life's meaninglessness. This is something that needs to be dealt with by the individual themselves. One must embrace their destruction if th

Planetary Alignment Venus - Venus is mythologically associated with emotions of love, devotion, faith and pleasure. It is not simply coined into one of the common Greek concepts for love such as eros, storge, philia or agape. Rather it serves as an encompassing umbrella for all the interpretations. The highest form of love and devotion is faith to something higher than oneself, whether it is in relation to a person, a goal or even to one's fulfillment. This form of love reach