Spirituality and transcendence

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

Altered states Drugs and psychedelics Mindfulness and meditation Prayer and contemplation Rituals and celebrations Sacred places Spirituality and religion Symbols and myth The irrational and uncanny Transcendent experience Visions and mysticism Wonder and the sublime

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Painting with surreal figures including a fish-headed person and abstract human forms with a dark sky.

Communication and language

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Let me open a treasure chest to explain how metaphor works

Once maligned by philosophers, metaphors are a key communication tool for extending the power of literal speech

by Elek Lane

An otter rolling on a moss-covered rock, eyes closed in a relaxed pose with a blurry background.

Animals

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You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain

The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals

by Bryony Tolhurst

A person watering plants in an urban garden with buildings in the background on a cloudy day.

Meaning and the good life

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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

Colourful illustration of a surreal scene featuring a circus, a marching band, dancing animals, a tree with legs, a crowd huddled in a circle, naked figures, and various unusual objects scattered around.

Altered states

film

Cacophony flanked by the abyss – one artist’s take on life itself

A film by Sumito Sakakibara

Photo of a yellow bird singing while perched on a branch with a blurred green background.

Animals

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Learn to tune into birdsong – respite and fascination await

Listening deeply to the sounds of birds is a powerful form of meditation and a first step towards a rewarding new hobby

by David M Logue

Painting of a woman alone in a closed café with chairs upturned on tables viewed through a window.

Emotion regulation

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Solitude can be profoundly restorative. Here’s how to savour it

Time alone offers unique psychological benefits, once you learn to embrace these quiet moments rather than escape them

by Thuy-vy Nguyen

Black and white photo of a person wearing a jacket, eyes closed, with a foggy forest background and tree branches above.

Spirituality and religion

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How to find new spiritual practices

Even if religion isn’t for you, there’s a world of rituals and tools to lift yourself up and connect to something greater

by Morgan Shipley

Desert with a blurred yellow road sign and distant hills under a blue sky.

Altered states

film

Ride along on a road trip suffused with LSD, petty theft and true love

Directed by Aric Allen

Photo of sunlit green leaves and branches against a bright blue sky.

Wonder and the sublime

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The most profound wonder is stirred by what is most ordinary

Rare moments of wonder at the mere existence of things – rather than the dramatic or new – involve perceiving with the soul

by Maria Balaska

Ancient Greek marble relief showing three figures in a carved scene.

Rituals and celebrations

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For Plato, rationalists and mystics can walk the same path

Why did such a keen proponent of reason turn to the Eleusinian Mysteries to explain his ideas about knowledge?

by Sam Woodward

Sepia-toned photo of a woman outdoors with eyes closed and hands clasped, wearing a dark shawl against a blurred landscape.

Grief

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How to express your grief

The initial shock might be over. But you need time and space to ‘ride the wave’ of grief if you are to find a sense of peace

by Sue Morris

Sketch of a bathroom with a vanity unit and mirror. An illustrated nude woman stands in the centre, reflected in the mirror.

Altered states

film

A woman summons a stoic calm after accidentally trapping herself in a shower

A film by Tom Schroeder