Jesse Barrera, B.A.
Pronouns: he, him, his
Doctoral Student
Department of Psychology
SDSU / UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
Bio
I am a PhD student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, advised by Dr. Eric Garland. My research interests primarily concern the role of self-transcendence as a therapeutic mechanism of contemplative and psychedelic-based treatments for addiction. I am particularly interested in applying predictive processing and dynamical systems frameworks to understand how self-transcendent experiences alter high-level priors and attractor states in the brain.
Education
- B.A. in Philosophy, Harvard University
Areas of Specialization
- Addiction, Contemplative Science, Psychedelics
Fun Facts
I enjoy watching baseball, hiking, and playing guitar.
Mentors
Dr. Eric Garland, UC San Diego
Awards & Honors
- 2026 Katzin Fellow, UC San Diego