The Dark Side of the Mind: Examining the Neurocognition of Aberrations in Self-Consciousness

Hallucinations and associated aberrant experiences can and do occur in the neurotypical population - though little is known about their underlying mechanisms.  Such fascinating instances can illuminate contemporary theories of consciousness and the brain-mind interface.  In this talk I will cover findings from my laboratory examining the underlying neurocognitive correlates of out-of-body experiences, depersonalization-like experiences, and the presence of cortical hyperexcitability underlying these striking experiences (and the tools we have devised to examine them).  I will conclude the talk with a short primer on exciting new developments with computer-modelled 'optimised' transcranial direct-current brain stimulation and how we have used it in the laboratory.