Imagination
![Impressionist painting of a family in a garden, with a child learning to walk, assisted by an adult, as another adult crouches down with outstretched arms.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/60d287d7-081f-43bd-8466-bcdefc98fc1f/rt-vincent_van_gogh_-_first_steps_after_millet.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Values and beliefs
idea
A philosophical approach can help you identify what truly matters
We’re often taught to live according to our values, but this is easier said than done without pausing to reflect deeply
by Valerie Tiberius
![Two people look at a scientifically based recreation of a Neanderthal man’s head, adorned with feathers and fur, enclosed in a glass case at a museum. The setting is under strong indoor lighting with a blue wall background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ee5666a1-d75b-4a3e-ad46-8020c4761179/rt-gettyimages-450373548.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Communication and language
idea
This is what a Neanderthal conversation would have sounded like
Neanderthals had language, but it differed from ours in an important way that could help explain our superior art and tech
by Steven Mithen
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/a009f20d-d90b-4d3b-847c-8450dab082fb/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Focus and attention
guide
How to wait well
Instead of fuming in subjugated irritation, turn wait times into chances to connect, muse and think big about the future
by Jason Farman
![Abstract figure with tree-like head, green patterned torso, and outlined suit, against a black background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7e50343f-c0a7-4d5e-a537-b96fea5506e2/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Creativity
film
An improvised animation doubles as an absurdly fun lesson in creativity
Directed by Sasha Svirsky
![Side profile of a bearded person with sunlight creating multicoloured rainbow flares across the image and a blurred garden background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c55d1a4a-de74-4e5a-a169-f7a2a5f08e72/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Neurodiversity
idea
Psychedelics could give a mind’s eye to those who’ve never had one
Case reports suggest psychedelics might reverse aphantasia (a lack of mental imagery), but is that necessarily a good thing?
by Shayla Love
![A grey car is parked next to a purple brick wall with some plants growing at the base. The sky is overcast and buildings are in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2f3afb28-a9f7-4d20-acfd-da583a017243/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mind and brain
idea
This is how your brain distinguishes reality from imagination
In terms of brain activity, imagining something is very similar to seeing it, so why don’t you confuse the two more often?
by Shayla Love
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/e64fd63a-8871-4adc-b015-a880047936fe/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Imagination
film
The street music of Montreal inspires an animator’s psychedelic joyride
A film by Ryan Larkin
![Vintage image of a woman and a man looking fearful in front of sheet music, while a shadowy figure with a gun and bouquet looms in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/320ff21b-91a4-456e-827a-7ec9f433572e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Stories and literature
idea
Why the concept of invisibility so captivates the imagination
From ancient fables to the latest science theory, invisibility represents some of humankind’s deepest fears and desires
by Greg Gbur
![A display of multiple white masks with various facial expressions arranged in rows, with a brick wall visible through an oval gap in the centre.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/37a5606c-419e-4d1c-8afe-cef87de6d036/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Imagination
idea
In the architecture of the mind, where lies human imagination?
In the architecture of the mind, is imagination a built-in structural feature or a result of cognitive remodelling work?
by Michael Omoge
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/768f3283-cf3a-4006-98c2-6afef25d39ac/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Love
film
Making love strange to imagine it anew – a startling, award-winning animation
Directed by Anushka Naanayakkara