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A traditional Chinese painting of a seated woman under a canopy, resting her arm on a chair near a table with a blue bowl.

Creativity

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To be creative, Chinese philosophy teaches us to abandon ‘originality’

Whether grieving a death or connecting to colleagues, creativity enables an artful life, according to Chinese philosophy

by Julianne Chung

A man sits on a vine-covered balcony surrounded by potted plants, absorbed in thought, against a backdrop of lush green foliage.

Thinkers and theories

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For Nietzsche, nihilism goes deeper than ‘life is pointless’

For Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilism is a terrible psychological problem – a coping mechanism with deadly consequences

by Kaitlyn Creasy

Shattered glass fragments scattered on a grey surface with a blurred background. Some pieces are mid-air, capturing the moment of a glass object crashing and breaking. The image portrays motion and impact.

Grief

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Grief is not a process with five stages. It is shattered glass

The five stages describe a grief that’s knowable and controlled. An accident in my kitchen helped me find a truer metaphor

by Joshua Thomas

A classical city under attack with burning buildings, a damaged statue, fleeing people, and chaos on a bridge over the water.

History of ideas

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How the ancient philosophers imagined the end of the world

How the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined the end of the world, and what we can learn from them today about catastrophe

by Christopher Star

Silhouetted person walking a dog on a misty wooded path with sunlight filtering through trees.

Grief

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Seeing grieving as learning explains why the process takes time

Standard features of human memory and learning can help explain the disorientation that follows the death of a loved one

by Saren H Seeley & Mary-Frances O’Connor

A painting of an angel guiding a soul through a tunnel of light towards a bright circular opening.

Spirituality and religion

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Near-death experiences have long inspired afterlife beliefs

Through time and across cultures, near-death experiences share common themes and have inspired beliefs about the afterlife

by Gregory Shushan

Man relaxing on a striped lounge chair with hands behind his head, outside on a lawn, flanked by other coloured chairs and an opened beer bottle nearby.

Grief

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Why do so many of us blame ourselves after a loved one’s death?

After losing my father, I felt the guilt and regret that burden many other bereaved people – and found a way to carry them

by Delaney Rebernik

People walking on a city street bathed in sunlight, with American flags hanging on buildings in the background. Shadows are cast on the pavement, and tall buildings line the street, creating a dramatic, contrasting light and shadow effect.

Death and dying

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Why so many of us see our loved ones after they have died

These experiences – which are more of an illusion than a hallucination – can be a healthy part of the grieving process

by Shayla Love

Black and white photo of seagulls flying over a calm sea with distant hills in the background.

Rituals and celebrations

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Mourning is a leap to freedom, inviting new dreams of living

Mourning is a leap in the dark, but not into darkness. It’s a leap to freedom that invites us to dream of living once more

by Alexander Hirsch

A skull adorned with colourful flowers, butterfly, and foliage, resting on a table with a candle, scroll, and bone.

Meaning and the good life

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The immortalists have got it wrong – here’s why we need death

The immortalists say beating death will lead to peace. But what if mortality is our bittersweet path to love and harmony?

by Susan Cain

A cyclist rides on a curving road through a scenic countryside at sunset, surrounded by trees and greenery.

Death and dying

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I thought I knew everything about death. Then grief struck me

Even though I grew up in Death World, and still live there, it couldn’t prepare me for being my family’s sole survivor

by John Troyer

A dog standing near a wooden fence and shed with sunlight streaming through trees in a mountainous rural setting.

Altered states

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Altered states can help us face death with serenity and levity

Near-death and out-of-body experiences can help us embrace our impermanence, letting us live and face death with serenity

by Sam Gandy, Samantha Treasure, Jade Shaw & Alexander Beiner