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

LatestPopular

Photo of green leaves on branches against a bright blue sky with wispy clouds behind.

Wonder and the sublime

idea

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

Bas-relief sculpture depicting the three most important figures of the Eleusianian Mysteries: the goddess of agriculture and abundance Demeter, her daughter Persephone, queen of the Underworld, and the Eleusinian hero Triptolemus, in what appears to be a rite. Triptolemus stands in the centre, the two goddesses stand either side.

Rituals and celebrations

idea

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

Black-and-white photograph of a person in a jacket standing outdoors in a foggy environment, looking up with eyes closed.

Spirituality and religion

guide

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

Two people in a park performing a balancing act on white chairs and a wooden plank, surrounded by pine trees.

Theatre and performance

film

Two gravity-defying performances play with the physics of life on Earth

A film by Bastien Dausse

Classroom of middle-school students sitting at desks with eyes closed, appearing to be meditating or focusing quietly.

Prayer and contemplation

idea

What if we learned contemplation like we do arts or sports?

As with football or violin practice, young people could gain versatile life skills through routine contemplative training

by Michael R Sheehy

Wide, empty urban road flanked by modern apartment buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Creativity

idea

Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough

We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur

by Nick Kabrél

Sepia-toned, blurred image of a woman in a dark dress with a white blouse, sitting outdoors on a cloudy day, hands clasped on her lap.

Grief

guide

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

A man wearing an eye mask lies on a bed while another person observes; a monitor and lamp are on the nearby table.

Emerging therapies

film

What does ketamine-assisted therapy look like? Inside one firefighter’s journey

Directed by Brandon Kapelow

People dining at long tables adorned with blue tablecloths in a narrow, lantern-lit street lined with old buildings and blue-and-white flags.

Community

idea

Take a seat: the long table is an antidote to loneliness

While some consider the long, shared dining table outdated or inconvenient, it is actually a powerful social tool

by Antone Martinho-Truswell

Black-and-white photo of a child standing in front of a large aquarium, watching big fish swim by.

Transcendent experience

idea

To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help

Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives

by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang

A young woman in her bedroom sits at her desk holding flowers and a letter and looks back at us over her shoulder and smiles

Poetry

guide

How to write a love poem

Flirtatious texts are soon forgotten. Learn to express your feelings in a beautiful way that will make a lasting impression

by Dan Simpson

Brightly coloured, psychedelic illustration of a boy in a field holding a prosthetic arm with a blue sky in the background.

Altered states

film

A boy’s universe becomes strange and wondrous in this enchanting short

Directed by Gabriel Gabriel Garble