An older couple sitting on a bench in a park with a historical building and fountain in the background.
TRAUMA AND PTSD

How to date again after an abusive relationship

You might feel unlovable or find dating daunting, but you deserve connection – and you can find it safely at your own pace

by Charlotte Jarvis

Underwater photo of a swimmer diving into a pool creating a splash against a blue background.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Body of water

In the pool, my softer, heavier self rediscovered motion and power – proof that this body, too, can swim

by Sarah Boon

Blurred photo of American football players in red and yellow uniforms in motion during a game.
BRAIN INJURY AND DEMENTIA

I’m a philosopher trying to make sense of my dad’s delusions

Philosophers debate whether delusions count as genuine beliefs. My father’s storytelling has made the question more personal

by Matthew Parrott

Ideas

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People holding protest signs in French against a stone wall, highlighting feminist and anti-violence messages.
ETHICS

There are times when we shouldn’t be ashamed of public shaming

by James Edgar Lim

A student sleeping on a desk covered with piles of books and papers, surrounded by cluttered desks in a classroom.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY

What helps you feel better might depend on where you grew up

by Mark Chen

Guides

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A cluttered room with books, papers, toys and shelves filled with various items, including a table football game.
FOCUS AND ATTENTION
4

How to reclaim your attention

Psychological minimalism is a way to clarify your life by cutting the mental noise from your environment and routines

by Yousri Marzouki

Close-up photo of a person’s face with closed eyes and freckles on their skin.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
6

How to know if your meditation is working

Traditional and tech-based methods can reveal what your practice is doing – and give you the confidence to stick with it

by Matt Fuchs

Life stories

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Illustration of a man in glasses with a yellow starburst background mosque sketch and abstract patterns
HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUSTICE

‘Each of us has a song’

Burhan Sönmez, now the president of PEN International, was a rising human rights lawyer in Turkey. A brutal assault nearly killed him – and propelled him to a life in literature

by Kaya Genç

Editor’s picks

A person in a cap walking on a residential street with cars parked and bare trees in the background.
COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOURAL THERAPIES

How to take control of your tics – or eliminate them altogether

Whether or not you have a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, a powerful self-help approach can make a difference within a week

by Paul DePompo

Painting of a chaotic ancient city in flames, with a large statue and crowds fleeing across a bridge over a turbulent sea.
HISTORY OF IDEAS

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

Latest videos

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Photo of six illuminated geometric lanterns with various patterns on a dark background.
GRIEF

How queer last rites became unique celebrations of life

Directed by Mariana Leal

A person sitting beside a graphic brain illustration with wave patterns on a green background.
MENTAL HEALTH

Don’t avoid stressors. Learn to navigate the stress spectrum

Black and white photo of two people in a subway station, one walking left, another dancing, station name Dundas West.
Psyche Exclusive
DANCE

Dancing in public is deeply vulnerable. Emma does it anyway

Black-and-white vintage photo of Helen Keller in profile with eyes closed wearing a high-necked dress, hair in a bun.
MUSIC

Helen Keller’s blissful encounter with Beethoven’s Ninth

Close-up photo of a person’s face in profile wearing glasses looking out of a window, with reflections in the lenses.
OCD

Sexual OCD doesn’t fit the stereotypes. That compounds the pain

Abstract painting of hands on a table with a small dish vase and utensils in a stylised kitchen setting.
OCD

Adrift at sea, Nestor struggles to control the chaos within

Notes to self

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Daguerreotype of a seated man wearing an apron and a partially open shirt framed in a gold mat.
ETHICS

How will the future judge us?

by Matt Huston

Popular

Close-up photo of a person’s face with closed eyes and freckles on their skin.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
6

How to know if your meditation is working

Traditional and tech-based methods can reveal what your practice is doing – and give you the confidence to stick with it

by Matt Fuchs

Photo of a crowded event with out-of-focus people in the background and sharply focused green and white flowers in the foreground.
SOCIAL ANXIETY

How to network when you’re socially anxious

Do networking events fill you with dread? Here’s how to manage your fears, show up, and take advantage of the opportunities

by Fallon Goodman

A cluttered room with books, papers, toys and shelves filled with various items, including a table football game.
FOCUS AND ATTENTION
4

How to reclaim your attention

Psychological minimalism is a way to clarify your life by cutting the mental noise from your environment and routines

by Yousri Marzouki

A large statue silhouetted on a yellow wall with a small boy in blue standing nearby on a sunlit street.
IDENTITY

Why we should embrace ‘nepantla’ – the in-betweenness of life

In an age of strong political commitments, a Nahuatl word encapsulates the freedom to let go of what has become oppressive

by Carlos Alberto Sánchez

A large crowd of men in black attire participating in a procession with hands on heads, expressing emotion.
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

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

A white table with a smartphone and a white mug of coffee with a floral design, in a softly lit room.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

Why we’re falling out of love with our AI confidants

Chatbots make us feel uniquely seen and heard, but then the ‘empathy gap’ kicks in and the relationship turns sour

by Joe Mullich

A student sleeping on a desk covered with piles of books and papers, surrounded by cluttered desks in a classroom.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY

What helps you feel better might depend on where you grew up

Research on the common strategies used to deal with emotions suggests their usefulness differs from culture to culture

by Mark Chen

Abstract painting with colourful geometric shapes including circles, stars and crosses in blue, orange, green and yellow.
KNOWLEDGE AND REASON

Why the search for proof can’t be separated from faith

Rather than being an enemy of empiricism, belief in what can’t be known is part of how we gain knowledge, even now

by Adam Kucharski

Explore: Food and drink

Photo of doughnuts with white icing and colourful sprinkles on a pink background.
FOOD AND DRINK

‘Sonic branding’ and other ways food marketing keeps you hooked

Video by the Institute of Art and Ideas

A woman sits at a table with traditional Chinese teacups and teapots. She takes in the aroma of a cup of tea. Behind her are shelves of cylindrical bricks of Pu Erh tea.
FOOD AND DRINK
3

For a Chinese tea master, each sip is a rich expression of memory

Directed by Anna-Claria Ostasenko Bogdanoff

A pair of white trainers with a black tick Nike logo against a wooden floor, sunlight casting a shadow behind.
HABITS AND ROUTINES

Why some healthy habits still take so much effort

by Blair Saunders & Kimberly R More

A dish of roasted chicken garnished with lemon slices, bean sprouts, and fresh mint in a clay pot, with a person arranging lemon slices on a nearby plate.
FOOD AND DRINK

Founding the ‘world’s best’ restaurant made Sally happy. So did selling it

Directed by Ben Proudfoot

An elder woman setting a dining table with patterned cloth, another person in a mask and headphones in the background, plants, and wooden furniture around.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES
3

Mary’s famed ragout is salted with the pains and joys of her family life

Directed by Shaina Feinberg