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Altered states

Wide, empty urban road flanked by modern apartment buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Creativity

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Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough

We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur

by Nick Kabrél

A person walking a dog along a tree-lined path during sunset, with a warm orange glow illuminating the scene. The person wears a white and green top with a blue jacket tied around their waist. The dog is walking slightly ahead on a leash.

Emerging therapies

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Could dreams during anaesthesia help to heal life’s trauma?

Scientists are studying the dreamlike states produced by anaesthesia – and their potential benefits for people with PTSD

by Shayla Love

A marble figurine seated in a chair plays a harp

Music

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Ancient Greek ideas of attunement can breathe new life into music

In Athenian philosophy, attunement is important not only in music, but also for moods, attitudes and states of mind

by John Bagby

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.

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

Altered states

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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

A joyful woman in a white hat and blue dress laughs with others playing drums and people watching in the background at an outdoor event.

Dissociation and detachment

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The therapeutic potential, and addictive lure, of losing yourself

In ketamine therapy and other contexts, dissociation is seen as an unwanted side-effect. But what if there’s more to it?

by Shayla Love

Consciousness

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What happens to the brain during consciousness-ending meditation?

Psychologists are studying a form of meditation known as ‘nirodha-samāpatti’ that reportedly ceases all mental function

by Shayla Love

Aerial view of a city with prominent castle in foreground, numerous buildings, and distant hills shrouded in mist under an overcast sky.

Sleep and dreams

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Five ways to take control of your dreams

Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started

by Christian Jarrett

Change and self-development

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Personal transformation can start with a whisper, not a bang

To understand personal transformation, we should listen to the incessant whispers in our stream of consciousness

by Jennifer Windt

Painting of a stormy sea with a shipwreck, dramatic waves and a dark sky, conveying intense motion and chaos.

Transcendent experience

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Your consciousness has been completely transformed. Now what?

Awakening experiences are spiritual states often believed to unlock life’s mysteries – but sacred knowledge comes at a cost

by Kevin Berryman

Abstract painting with blurred figures in teal and orange tones suggesting motion and mystery.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy

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If you want psychedelic healing, your ego may need to die

What do we know about the role of ‘ego death’ and other transformative experiences in psychedelic therapies?

by Natasha Mason, Athena Demertzi & Johannes G Ramaekers

Abstract painting featuring bold black lines, geometric shapes, and colourful forms in red, blue, and earth tones.

Psychosis and schizophrenia

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Psychosis can be a personal hell. It can also inspire growth

From a new sense of purpose to improved relationships, there are hopeful signs of post-traumatic growth after psychosis

by Gerald Jordan, Robyn Thomas & Veenu Gupta