Neuroscience of
CONSCIOUSNESS
Discover how brain’s harmonic language reveals neural signatures of consciousness and its altered states
Discover How the Brain Makes Music:
Harmonic Signatures of Consciousness
My research as a neuroscientist explored a fundamental question: How does the structure of the brain give rise to its function and to conscious experience? To address this, I developed a novel mathematical framework called connectome harmonics—a spatial extension of the Fourier basis tailored to the human connectome. This approach reveals that brain activity unfolds in patterns similar to harmonic waves seen in sound, light, and nature. By analyzing brain states as combinations of these harmonic patterns, we uncovered distinct neural signatures for different states of consciousness, including psychedelic states (e.g., under LSD and psilocybin), meditation, anesthesia, sleep, and disorders of consciousness. These studies show that the brain, much like a musical instrument, resonates in spatially organized harmonic patterns, and that shifts in consciousness correspond to changes in the energy, complexity, and coherence of these patterns. Our findings offer a unifying, frequency-specific language to describe brain dynamics across mental states—and bring us closer to understanding the neural correlate of consciousness.
CONSCIOUSNESS | HARMONICS | BRAIN DYNAMICS | ALTERED STATES
Selected Publications
Atasoy, S., Donnelly, I., & Pearson, J. (2016). Human brain networks function in connectome-specific harmonic waves. Nature Communications, 7, Article 10340. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10340
Atasoy, S., Roseman, L., Kaelen, M., Kringelbach, M. L., Deco, G., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2017). Connectome-harmonic decomposition of human brain activity reveals dynamical repertoire re-organization under LSD. Scientific Reports, 7, 17661. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17546-0
Atasoy, S., Deco, G., Kringelbach, M. L., & Pearson, J. (2018). Harmonic brain modes: A unifying framework for linking space and time in brain dynamics. The Neuroscientist, 24(3), 277–293. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858417728032
Atasoy, S., Glomb, K., Deco, G., Hagmann, P., Pearson, J., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2021). Functional harmonics reveal multi-dimensional basis functions underlying cortical organization. Cell Reports, 36(8), 109554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109554
Atasoy, S., Escrichs, A., Stark, E., Terry, K. G. M., Camara, E., & Deco, G. (2023). The meditative brain: State and trait changes in harmonic complexity for long-term mindfulness meditators. bioRxiv (in review at Cerebral Cortex). https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.15.528632
Atasoy, S., Deco, G., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2020). Harmonic waves as the fundamental principle underlying temporo-spatial dynamics of brain and mind. Physics of Life Reviews, 33, 99–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2020.03.001
Atasoy, S., Deco, G., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2019). Playing at the edge of criticality: Expanded whole-brain repertoire of connectome harmonics. In The Functional Role of Critical Dynamics in Neural Systems (pp. 235–256). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20965-0_12
McGovern, H., Aqil, M., Atasoy, S., Carhart-Harris, R., (2025.) Eigenmodes of the deep unconscious: the neuropsychology of Jungian archetypes and psychedelic experience, Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2025, Issue 1, 2025, niaf039, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niaf039
-
McGovern, H., Aqil, M., Atasoy, S., Carhart-Harris, R., (2025.) Eigenmodes of the deep unconscious: the neuropsychology of Jungian archetypes and psychedelic experience, Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2025, Issue 1, 2025, niaf039, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niaf039
Vohryzek, J., Luppi, A. I., Atasoy, S., Deco, G., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2025). N,N-dimethyltryptamine effects on connectome harmonics, subjective experience and comparative psychedelic experiences.Nature Communications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-XXXX-XVan Maldegem, M., Vohryzek, J., Atasoy, S., Luppi, A. I., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2025). Connectome harmonic decomposition tracks the presence of disconnected consciousness during ketamine-induced unresponsiveness.British Journal of Anaesthesia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2025.07.012
Potash, R. M., Yang, W. F. Z., Winston, B., Atasoy, S., & Sacchet, M. D. (2025). Investigating the complex cortical dynamics of an advanced concentrative absorption meditation called jhanas (ACAM-J): A geometric eigenmode analysis.Cerebral Cortex. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaaXYZ
Vohryzek, J., Cabral, J., Timmermann, C., Atasoy, S., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2024). The flattening of spacetime hierarchy of the DMT brain state is characterised by harmonic decomposition of spacetime (HADES) framework.National Science Review. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae072
Van Maldegem, M., Vohryzek, J., Atasoy, S., Alnagger, N., Luppi, A. I., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2024). Ketamine-induced unresponsiveness shows a harmonic shift from global to localised functional organisation.bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.20.589621
Vohryzek, J., Luppi, A. I., Atasoy, S., Deco, G., Carhart-Harris, R. L., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2024). Time-resolved coupling between connectome harmonics and subjective experience under the psychedelic DMT.Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-XXXX-X
Atasoy, S., Escrichs, A., Stark, E., Terry, K. G. M., Camara, E., & Deco, G. (2023). The meditative brain: State and trait changes in harmonic complexity for long-term mindfulness meditators.bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.15.528632
Vohryzek, J., Cabral, J., Timmermann, C., Atasoy, S., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2023). Harmonic decomposition of spacetime (HADES) framework characterises the spacetime hierarchy of the DMT brain state.bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.01.551243
Aqil, M., Atasoy, S., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2022). Correction: Graph neural fields: A framework for spatiotemporal dynamical models on the human connectome.PLoS Computational Biology, 18(6), e1010357. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010357
Vila-Vidal, M., Capouskova, K., Atasoy, S., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2020). Uncovering the spatiotemporal scales of common neuro-mental constructs: Comment on “Is temporo-spatial dynamics the ‘common currency’ of brain and mind?”Physics of Life Reviews, 33, 64–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2020.04.005
Atasoy, S., Deco, G., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2020). Harmonic waves as the fundamental principle underlying temporo-spatial dynamics of brain and mind: Comment on “Is temporo-spatial dynamics the ‘common currency’ of brain and mind?”Physics of Life Reviews, 33, 99–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2020.03.001
Atasoy, S., Glomb, K., Deco, G., Hagmann, P., Pearson, J., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2021). Functional harmonics reveal multi-dimensional basis functions underlying cortical organization.Cell Reports, 36(8), 109554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109554
Jobst, B. M., Atasoy, S., Ponce-Alvarez, A., Sanjuán, A., Deco, G., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2021). Increased sensitivity to strong perturbations in a whole-brain model of LSD.NeuroImage, 241, 118413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118413
Naze, S., Proix, T., Atasoy, S., & Kozloski, J. R. (2021). Robustness of connectome harmonics to local gray matter and long-range white matter connectivity changes.NeuroImage, 239, 118315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118315
Escrichs, A., Sanjuán, A., Atasoy, S., & Deco, G. (2019). Characterizing the dynamical complexity underlying meditation.Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 13, 51. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2019.00051
Atasoy, S., Deco, G., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2019). Playing at the edge of criticality: Expanded whole-brain repertoire of connectome harmonics. In M. L. Kringelbach & G. Deco (Eds.), The Functional Role of Critical Dynamics in Neural Systems (pp. 235–256). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20965-0_12
Atasoy, S., Deco, G., Kringelbach, M. L., & Pearson, J. (2018). Harmonic brain modes: A unifying framework for linking space and time in brain dynamics.The Neuroscientist, 24(3), 277–293. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858417728032
Lord, L. D., Expert, P., Atasoy, S., Roseman, L., Rapuano, K., Carhart-Harris, R. L., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2018). Altered trajectories in the dynamical repertoire of functional network states under psilocybin.bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2018.10.19.445352
Atasoy, S., Roseman, L., Kaelen, M., Kringelbach, M. L., Deco, G., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2017). Connectome-harmonic decomposition of human brain activity reveals dynamical repertoire re-organization under LSD.Scientific Reports, 7, 17661. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17546-0
Atasoy, S., Donnelly, I., & Pearson, J. (2016). Human brain networks function in connectome-specific harmonic waves.Nature Communications, 7, Article 10340. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10340
Mateus, D., Wachinger, C., Atasoy, S., & Navab, N. (2012). Learning manifolds: Design analysis for medical applications. In Machine Learning in Computer-Aided Diagnosis: Medical Imaging Intelligence and Analysis (pp. 115–132). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-0897-9.ch006
Atasoy, S., Mateus, D., Meining, A., & Navab, N. (2011). Endoscopic video manifolds for targeted optical biopsy.IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 30(5), 1134–1145. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMI.2011.2107912
Atasoy, S., Mateus, D., Meining, A., & Yang, G.-Z. (2011). Targeted optical biopsies for surveillance endoscopies. In Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2011 (pp. 258–265). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23626-6_33
Atasoy, S., Mateus, D., Lallemand, J., Meining, A., & Yang, G.-Z. (2010). Endoscopic video manifolds. In Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2010 (pp. 420–427). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15705-9_52
Atasoy, S., Mateus, D., Georgiou, A., & Navab, N. (2010). Wave interference for pattern description. In Asian Conference on Computer Vision (ACCV 2010) (pp. 360–371). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12307-8_34
Atasoy, S., Glocker, B., Giannarou, S., & Mateus, D. (2009). Deformable wide-baseline matching using Markov random fields. In ICVSS Summer School on Computer Vision. University of Catania.
Atasoy, S., Glocker, B., Giannarou, S., Mateus, D., & Navab, N. (2009). Probabilistic region matching in narrow-band endoscopy for targeted optical biopsy. In Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2009 (pp. 335–342). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04268-3_41
Atasoy, S., Groher, M., Zikic, D., & Glocker, B. (2008). Real-time respiratory motion tracking: Roadmap correction for hepatic artery catheterizations. In Medical Imaging 2008: Visualization, Image-Guided Procedures, and Modeling (pp. 69180A-1–69180A-8). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.770434
Atasoy, S. (2012). Endoscopic video manifolds for scene recognition in targeted optical biopsy [Doctoral dissertation, Technische Universität München]. https://mediatum.ub.tum.de/
Connectome Harmonics
What if the brain could be understood like music—each moment of thought, perception, or awareness composed from harmonically organised patterns? That question sparked the development of connectome harmonics, a framework I introduced with Isaac Donnelly and Joel Pearson in Nature Communications (2016), and later explored in more depth with Morten Kringelbach and Gustavo Deco in The Neuroscientist (2017).
Functional Harmonics
If connectome harmonics reveal the brain’s structural foundations—the natural wave patterns that can emerge from its physical wiring—then functional harmonics illuminate the brain’s actual conversation in motion.
Connectome Harmonic Signatures of Psychedelic State
What happens in the brain when consciousness is radically altered—when the boundaries of the self dissolve, time expands, and the world is perceived with heightened intensity? Using the framework of connectome harmonic decomposition, we explored this question by analyzing brain activity during psychedelic experiences.
Connectome Harmonic Signatures of Loss of Consciousness
What distinguishes a brain that is conscious from one that is not? And how can we understand the subtle boundary between minimal awareness and its apparent absence? Using the connectome harmonic framework, we investigated these questions in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC), such as the vegetative state and minimally conscious state, in collaboration with Andrea Luppi, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Jakub Vohryzek, Morten Kringelbach, and many others (Luppi et al., 2023, Communications Biology).
Meditative Brain
Meditation is often associated with stillness, presence, and inner peace—but what does that look like in the brain? Using the harmonic language of brain activity, our recent work has begun to uncover how meditative practice, particularly vipassana meditation, reshapes the brain’s dynamical landscape across both momentary states and long-term traits.
Archetypes & Harmonics
What if the deepest symbolic patterns of the mind—mythic imagery, universal motifs, and archetypal stories—could be understood not just metaphorically, but mathematically? In our recent paper Eigenmodes of the Deep Unconscious, we explored this question by weaving together Jungian depth psychology, modern neuroscience, and the mathematical framework of connectome harmonics.
Hidden Structures in Complex Data
What if complex data—whether from a camera inside the human body or a scanner observing the human brain—could be translated into an elegant, low-dimensional map that reveals its underlying structure?
know what you’re looking for?
Selected Talks
03/2022: LECTURE AT THE CENTRE FOR EUDAMONIA AND HUMAN FLOURISHING
09/2020: PLENARY TALK AT THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS CONFERENCE 2020, TUCSON, ARIZONA
06/2018: PARADIGM LOST: SYMPOSIUM ON PSYCHEDELICS IN SCIENCE AND THERAPY
04/2018: PLENARY TALK AT THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS CONFERENCE 2018, TUCSON, ARIZONA
04/2017: CONFERENCE TALK AT PSYCHEDELIC SCIENCE 2017, OAKLAND, U.S.A
04/2016: PLENARY TALK AT THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS CONFERENCE 2016, TUCSON, ARIZONA
While my research explores harmony in the brain, my personal journey and therapeutic work focus on experiencing harmony within. If you would like to learn more about this side of my work, please visit my therapy page and