Le lundi 18 mai 2026, Monsieur Larry Douglas FORT, titulaire d'un Master of arts, psychology (Towson University - États-Unis d'Amérique) et d'un Certificat de formation à la recherche en sciences médicales présentera l'examen en vue de l'obtention du grade de Doctorat en sciences médicales sous la direction de Madame Athina DEMERTZI.

Cette épreuve consistera en la défense publique d'une thèse intitulée : "Altered States of Consciousness and Their Neurophysiological Correlates: Toward Phenomenological Engineering and ASC-Psychotherapeutics". 

Le jury sera composé de :

Olivia GOSSERIES (Présidente), Audrey VANHAUDENHUYSE (Secrétaire), Axel CLEEREMANS (ULB), Athina DEMERTZI, Timo SCHMIDT (Univ. Berlin), Gilles VANDEWALLE, Franz VOLLENWEIDER (Univ. Zurich)

Résumé de la thèse

This thesis develops an integrated framework for phenomenological engineering, that is, the systematic design of altered states of consciousness (ASCs) based on their experiential and neurophysiological structure. ASCs are defined as transient, reversible deviations from ordinary experience and reviews existing classification schemes. Eight core features of ASC phenomenology are proposed alongside an ASC phenomenon space, clarifying how invariant experiential dimensions may guide clinical translation.

Three empirical works follow. The first re-analyzed a psilocybin dataset, showing that the drug induces a recurrent hyperconnected neural state associated specifically with Oceanic Boundlessness and unity-related experiences, suggesting a predominantly egotropic rather than hallucinatory profile. 

The second study examined a non-pharmacological induction known as multi-modal Ganzfeld (MMGF). Here, red light selectively increased complex visual pseudo-hallucinations and global alpha1, whereas green light enhanced Changed Meaning of Percepts and produced heart rate decreases. Only red light showed an association between complex imagery and a neurophysiological correlate in heart rate variability (HRV). 

The third is a cross-study comparison that revealed red-light MMGF and moderate-dose psilocybin as producing equivalent levels of complex imagery. The final chapter synthesizes these findings into a clinical strategy, arguing that precise mapping of phenomenology and brain signatures can enable targeted ASC-based psychotherapeutic interventions.