Spirituality can’t be reduced to what’s happening in the brain
Seeing the ‘mind’ as extending beyond the head can help us better understand the nature of transcendent experiences
by Mohammadamin Saraei
Painting myself back to life
I’d dealt with many illnesses. But when lupus left scars on my face, my suffering was suddenly visible
by Krystal Sital
Want things to go well? Plan like a defensive pessimist
So often we underestimate the time and effort required to reach our goals. You can avoid that trap with realistic planning
by Julie K Norem
Ideas
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Guides
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Life stories
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‘We are all always coming and going’
Steve Schwartzberg’s journey from Harvard psychologist to erotic healer, Buddhist and teacher was always haunted by death. Then he was diagnosed with terminal cancer
by Andrew Lawler
Editor’s picks
How to think like a detective
The best detectives seem to have almost supernatural insight, but their cognitive toolkit is one that anybody can use
by Ivar Fahsing
What dream characters reveal about the astonishing dreaming brain
Such stuff as dreams are made on: the characters who populate your dreams have their own minds, separate from yours
by Antonio Zadra
Latest videos
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The questions we can’t ask our therapists, but are dying to
Directed by Josephine Sittenfeld
The relentless work behind the poise of a world-class dancer
What’s a girl to do about leg hair? A playful exploration
How Bobby McFerrin draws out mesmerising music from any audience
Why you lose your cool during arguments, and how to reclaim it
A no-nonsense New York driving instructor’s rules of the road
Perception is a process of inference, not an account of ‘reality’
Notes to self
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Popular
No, willpower isn’t a muscle – here’s a better way to think of it
The muscle metaphor based on ego-depletion theory hasn’t survived scrutiny. But there’s an alternative that holds promise
by Alberto De Luca
How to cope with disruptive change
You can’t stop life from throwing changes your way, big and small. But you can get a lot better at dealing with them
by David A Clark
A haunting in Brooklyn
At 25, I saw my grandfather’s ghost. At 52, I think of what it may mean to be a ghost
by Kathleen Donohoe
Heidegger knew that we are always outside, weathering the storms
We aren’t safe inside separate minds. Being-in-the-world means we’re entangled and vulnerable – and that’s how we flourish
by Katherine Withy
How cultural outsiders cope with the pain of feeling different
In therapy with people from immigrant families, I’ve seen the side effects of adaptation – and what it takes to break free
by Dennis Portnoy
Explore: Virtues and vices
From prison, a bank robber and acclaimed author reflects on time
Directed by Jason Young
Guilty pleasures are more than just giving in to temptation
by LaCount ‘JJ’ Togans
Is narcissism really on the rise among younger generations?
by Jakob Pietschnig & Sandra Oberleiter
A simple morality tale finds rich depth in the hands of a master animator
A film by Georges Schwizgebel
