Helena Aicher

Helena Aicher is fascinated by the phenomenology of altered states of consciousness and their underlying neurophysiological correlates, and her work explores the intersections between the theoretical and the practical, between body and mind, basic research, and clinical application.

CV

After studying sports science at ETH Zurich, Helena attained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (with a minor in business administration) from the University of Zurich. She wrote her bachelor’s thesis on values and wellbeing in adolescents at the department of personality and assessment, which opened up the opportunity to work there as research assistant during her master’s in psychology (University of Zurich).

As a doctoral researcher at the University of Zurich, she investigates the influence of altered states of (bodily) consciousness induced by multisensory stimulation paradigms, serotonergic psychoactive substances (e. g. DMT), and other means on affective and cognitive processes and neurophysiological parameters. She aims to integrate this knowledge for the development of novel psychotherapeutic approaches, taking into account contextual factors.

At the psychiatry, she joined the department of neuropsychopharmacology and brain imaging, where she integrated her knowledge on positive psychology concepts while investigating the effects of psychedelic substances and meditation on healthy human subjects with a focus on emotions and other psychological parameters.

She is a member of MIND foundation and a co-founder of reconnect-foundation.org.