We can live well, even though we don’t have a higher purpose
The novelist and poet Ursula K Le Guin shows we can reject nihilism and naive optimism by practising our collective freedom
by Alexis Shotwell
Transcend
Finding meaning, wonder and spirituality
Is modern asceticism about conformity or quiet revolution?
From detoxes to slow food, today’s asceticism is often about fitting in. But we can rediscover its transformative power
by Iryna Mykhailova
Psychedelics are philosophical tools for demolishing assumptions
By shaking up our sense of how things are, substances like LSD or psilocybin have the potential to promote deep learning
by David J Blacker
Guides
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How to think about the sublime
An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason
by Nicole A Hall
How to make your life feel more meaningful
Existential psychology offers specific ways to find meaning, giving you a buffer against despair in these anxious times
by Steven Heine
Popular
How to make your life feel more meaningful
Existential psychology offers specific ways to find meaning, giving you a buffer against despair in these anxious times
by Steven Heine
How to think about the sublime
An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason
by Nicole A Hall
Equanimity is not stillness – it is a mobility of the mind
To grasp the power of this lauded quality, think of it less as a mountain than as a flexible, even playful way of seeing
by Michael Uebel
Hollywood’s fixation on the wrong stories won’t help our world
Today’s global problems are caused by broken systems, but the studios still feed us a diet of movies focused on individuals
by Namir Khaliq
Psychedelics are philosophical tools for demolishing assumptions
By shaking up our sense of how things are, substances like LSD or psilocybin have the potential to promote deep learning
by David J Blacker
Is modern asceticism about conformity or quiet revolution?
From detoxes to slow food, today’s asceticism is often about fitting in. But we can rediscover its transformative power
by Iryna Mykhailova
The ‘panzoic effect’: the benefits of thinking about alien life
Reflecting on the potential for extraterrestrial life can inspire awe and have a profound effect on your worldview
by Graham Lau
The barbarians are at the gates in this electric Laurie Anderson performance
Video by All Arts
Popular
View allHow to make your life feel more meaningful
Existential psychology offers specific ways to find meaning, giving you a buffer against despair in these anxious times
by Steven Heine
How to think about the sublime
An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason
by Nicole A Hall
Equanimity is not stillness – it is a mobility of the mind
To grasp the power of this lauded quality, think of it less as a mountain than as a flexible, even playful way of seeing
by Michael Uebel
Hollywood’s fixation on the wrong stories won’t help our world
Today’s global problems are caused by broken systems, but the studios still feed us a diet of movies focused on individuals
by Namir Khaliq
Videos
View all
This sculptor finds deep weirdness – not divinity – in the human form
Directed by Ben Berman
The barbarians are at the gates in this electric Laurie Anderson performance
Beauty is woven into everyday life for the quilters of the American West
Circles possess a defiant beauty in the abstract works of Howardena Pindell
Losing her eyesight, a painter’s art evolves with the way she sees the world
Ride along on a road trip suffused with LSD, petty theft and true love
Nigeria’s first ballet school brings tutus and joy to the streets of Lagos
The birthday gift
In the Soviet Union, you’d never wish someone ‘S dnem rozhdeniya!’ without a proper present
by Margarita Gokun Silver
Equanimity is not stillness – it is a mobility of the mind
To grasp the power of this lauded quality, think of it less as a mountain than as a flexible, even playful way of seeing
by Michael Uebel
Hollywood’s fixation on the wrong stories won’t help our world
Today’s global problems are caused by broken systems, but the studios still feed us a diet of movies focused on individuals
by Namir Khaliq
The ‘panzoic effect’: the benefits of thinking about alien life
Reflecting on the potential for extraterrestrial life can inspire awe and have a profound effect on your worldview
by Graham Lau
Cultural taboos arise from a basic feature of the human mind
Unquestioned community rules on marriage, dining and even black cats often stem from our hunger to explain random events
by Kevin (Ze) Hong
Social comparison is driving us to despair. It doesn’t have to
In the social media age, it seems impossible not to measure ourselves against others – but we can dodge the worst pitfalls
by Wojciech Kaftański
How to tell a better story
Personal stories have the power to connect, entertain, persuade. Use a pro storyteller’s tips to pick and prepare a great one
by Micaela Blei
A minotaur shifts shapes and sexes in this ferociously original animation
A film by Chaerin Im
How to get hooked on opera
Aspects of opera can seem strange. But give it a try and you’ll soon find yourself absorbed in a truly magical experience
by Alexandra Wilson
Works of urban graffiti are not vandalism, but public monuments
They might appear to have little in common with statues or obelisks, but graffiti images serve a vital public function
by Rafael Schacter
Wisdom is a virtue, but how do we judge if someone has it?
Our team explored who is considered wise in cultures with contrasting philosophical traditions. The results surprised us
by Maksim Rudnev & Igor Grossmann
A rural Namibian artist reflects on authenticity in work and in life
Directed by Niklas von Klitzing and Leo Stolz
Your life is not a story: why narrative thinking holds you back
Our stories help us make sense of a chaotic world, but they can be harmful and restrictive. There’s a liberating alternative
by Karen Simecek
A woman summons a stoic calm after accidentally trapping herself in a shower
A film by Tom Schroeder
Greedy people might be frowned upon, but are they the winners?
Some individuals have a persistent tendency to want ever more stuff and status. Psychologists are examining the lives they lead
by Karlijn Hoyer
Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?
The masculinity of medieval knighthood was expansive enough for both graphic violence and the joys of a flower meadow
by Jennifer Saltzstein