Thinkers and theories
![Daniel Kahneman standing on a balcony, arms crossed, with New York City skyline and buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2a89b365-e5d4-4f91-b913-36959c83859b/rt-final-gettyimages-529705704.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Thinkers and theories
idea
Why I’ll never forget the day I met Daniel Kahneman for lunch
He was an octogenarian Nobel-winning psychologist, I was a nervous 20-something film producer. Here’s what struck me most
by Namir Khaliq
![A child in a red shirt sits at a desk with a black and white cat. Sunlight and shadows create an intricate pattern through the window.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/a9b12cb5-1fd7-456c-a243-16555035d66f/rt-gettyimages-1455081876.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Psychoanalysis and the unconscious
idea
Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self
Jung believed we all have a Shadow self. Facing up to it could help you live more fully and be more forgiving of others
by Ruth Williams
![A clear glass, half-filled with water, placed on a wooden surface. The background is a plain, soft beige. The image has a warm, sepia tone.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/0b77e1c9-8d6c-44f0-bb50-00345a19f5d8/sq-final-gettyimages-963774520.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Meaning and the good life
guide
How to appreciate what you have
To better face an imperfect world, try a deeper reflection on the things, people and legacies that make your life possible
by Avram Alpert
![A monochrome photograph from above of a man looking out to sea. His hands are in his pockets and a dog waits some metres away](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8b7a1496-1e2d-4882-978e-eecfcdfdab46/rt-nyc71263.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Thinking and intelligence
idea
Philosophical reflection often begins with a disruptive mood
For many of our greatest philosophers, it was their moods, from wonder to estrangement to anxiety, that first inspired them
by Steven Segal
![Two performers are dancing on a stage in front of an audience. The scene is vibrant, featuring red and purple lights, with spectators taking photos and videos.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/77c82997-e590-4127-a5a3-7c4999417be7/gigurtis-rt.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Dance
idea
How dance taught me to embrace my deformity
In the raw style of Tanztheater, I found a way to take my poetry into the physical world and express myself authentically
by Billy Gigurtsis
![Black-and-white photo of two people in a small rowboat on a calm, open water body under a cloudy sky. The boat and its occupants are reflected clearly in the still water.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cd3e58b1-bdde-486e-b9c4-7331d9d1c486/par320074.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The nature of reality
guide
How to think about time
This philosopher’s introduction to the nature of time could radically alter how you see your past and imagine your future
by Graeme A Forbes
![A stained-glass window depicts two figures: one with a bowed head and white face, and another with a halo, dressed in blue and holding a book.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/dae4b924-b710-4168-8890-12ec022b53e9/v2-rt-dp102833.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
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William James was right about our strange inner experiences
Rather than Freud’s cynicism or Jung’s enthusiasm, we need an inquisitive approach to unusual forms of consciousness
by David Yaden
![A woman seen from behind and bathed in dawn light is looking out through a window to a forest](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/e6642217-6221-485e-a5b6-5d2e73066b21/rt-nn11498334.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
idea
The small pleasures in life can produce moments of rapture
Rapture is a delight that turns us both towards the object of attention and towards oneself, resulting in a sense of freedom
by Christopher Hamilton
![Painting of an elderly man with a white beard, shirtless, looking upwards with a dark, textured background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/d1b39a8e-c778-42fe-8899-334dd899d2fb/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Thinkers and theories
guide
How to live like a Cynic
Take inspiration from Diogenes, the philosopher in a barrel, and transform your negativity into a liberating force for good
by Ansgar Allen