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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions

Published on: May 23, 2011

Space Oddity: microgravity as a neurocognitive catalyst for transformative consciousness experiences.

Annahita Nezami¹, Elisa Raffaella Ferre¹

¹School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Birkbeck University of London, London, United Kingdom.

Frontiers in Psychology

|June 29, 2026

Summary

Earth's gravity acts as a fundamental brain "super-prior," shaping perception. Microgravity disrupts this, altering consciousness and offering insights into awareness.

Keywords:

consciousness gravity human spaceflight neuroplasticity psychedelics

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Space Biology

Background:

Human consciousness evolved under constant 1G terrestrial gravity.
The role of gravity in perception and awareness is under-theorized.
Long-duration spaceflight necessitates understanding consciousness in microgravity.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize evidence on how microgravity affects human consciousness.
To propose that Earth's gravity acts as a brain "super-prior."
To explore the implications of microgravity for predictive brain architectures.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging evidence.
Theoretical perspective on gravity's role in predictive coding.
Computational parallels with altered states of consciousness.

Main Results:

Earth's gravity (1G) is a deeply entrenched "super-prior" in the brain's predictive architecture.
Microgravity destabilizes this super-prior, causing prediction errors and widespread neural recalibration.
Altered self-location, emotional regulation, and perceptual coherence are observed in microgravity.

Conclusions:

Microgravity acts as a non-pharmacological perturbation, relaxing high-level priors and enhancing global brain integration.
Spaceflight offers a unique experimental paradigm to probe the foundations of human awareness.
Understanding gravity's influence is crucial for human adaptation to space and transforming consciousness.