Transcendent experience
Philosophy of art
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When art transports us, where do we actually go?
Artworks have the capacity to transport us into other worlds. But where exactly do we go when we are immersed in art?
by Harri Mäcklin
Transcendent experience
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To experience Zen-like awakening, try going the headless way
Try to point to your true self as you’d point to a brick wall, and other experiments in Zen-like awakening
by Brentyn J Ramm
Spirituality and religion
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Why religion without belief can still make perfect sense
Meet the practising agnostic and the religious fictionalist: people for whom religion can work well without sure belief
by Philip Goff
Drugs and psychedelics
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Psychedelics show religion isn’t the only route to spirituality
Secular people can have profound psychedelic experiences. What does that say about spirituality and the naturalistic worldview?
by Chris Letheby
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
The self
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The question therapy doesn’t answer: who are we really, really?
Therapy is a valuable tool for self-understanding. But spiritual practices can unlock a more expansive view of the self
by Eric Jannazzo
Altered states
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A spiritual emergency can be wild. This is how to ride the wave
Ecstasy can be messy. But there is a way to ride the wild wave of a spiritual emergency to greater wholeness and growth
by Jules Evans
Nature and the environment
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Why awesome natural beauty drops the jaw and lifts the spirit
Experiencing awe in nature can transform our sense of connectedness to other people and help maintain a spiritual vitality
by T Ryan Byerly
Music
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The jazz singer’s mind shows us how to improvise through life itself
Be more jazz: by letting go and embodying the present, you can learn to transform the mundane into the transcendent
by Melissa Forbes
Altered states
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Immersive art opens a window on the mystery of other minds
Immersive art lets us safely explore the altered minds of others, changing how we view ourselves and humanity in general
by Joe Barnby
Change and self-development
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What can we learn from those who have a moral change of heart?
Stories of sharp adjustments in moral perspective show the potential of unusual experiences to open people’s minds
by Joshua May
Nature and the environment
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Look past the woods – each tree is an individual to be cherished
Try to look past the woods and see the trees: there’s nothing as elemental as the human relationship with an individual tree
by Sarah Boon