Altered states
![Double exposure image of a person and a landscape, showing a silhouette overlaid with a scenic view of mountains and a river.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3114b1b3-d774-4b89-bb54-ee413f12581e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Depression
idea
Depression is more than low mood – it’s a change of consciousness
Understanding depression as an altered state of consciousness, like a dream or drug trip, could help people awaken from it
by Cecily Whiteley & Jonathan Birch
![Close-up of a cracked oil painting depicting a man’s face in profile, showing the texture and age of the artwork.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/bebef20f-16d5-40c0-b62a-410a06db18e8/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Consciousness
idea
What happens to the brain during consciousness-ending meditation?
Psychologists are studying a form of meditation known as ‘nirodha-samāpatti’ that reportedly ceases all mental function
by Shayla Love
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/0aadb980-2dcc-49b8-9519-b531ed852024/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Rituals and celebrations
film
Rituals and memories animate a day in the serene life of an Italian grandmother
Directed by Maria Piva
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9d858e90-d50a-4354-a232-522ef7aaea27/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
idea
A touch of absurdity can help to wrap your mind around reality
And now for something completely different: how a dose of the surreal or absurd helps to make sense of our place in the world
by David Robson
![A dramatic seascape painting depicts a violent storm with waves crashing against the coast, a wrecked ship submerged, and dark clouds overhead.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ad1e783a-4d21-468b-a981-5d62a8e39cfc/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
idea
Your consciousness has been completely transformed. Now what?
Awakening experiences are spiritual states often believed to unlock life’s mysteries – but sacred knowledge comes at a cost
by Kevin Berryman
![A moody cityscape with dark buildings and bright yellow-lit rooms, featuring silhouetted figures inside.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/a06a551e-2101-4070-973d-6232b9702769/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
film
An odyssey into the Parisian night reflects the allure and anxieties of cities
Directed by Adrien Mérigeau
![Abstract blurred image with predominantly teal and orange hues, featuring indistinct shapes resembling figures and organic forms.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c402ed60-1350-42b0-a3ab-d5b5de9710b5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Psychedelic-assisted therapy
idea
If you want psychedelic healing, your ego may need to die
What do we know about the role of ‘ego death’ and other transformative experiences in psychedelic therapies?
by Natasha Mason, Athena Demertzi & Johannes G Ramaekers
![A stained-glass window depicts two figures: one with a bowed head and white face, and another with a halo, dressed in blue and holding a book.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/dae4b924-b710-4168-8890-12ec022b53e9/v2-rt-dp102833.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
idea
William James was right about our strange inner experiences
Rather than Freud’s cynicism or Jung’s enthusiasm, we need an inquisitive approach to unusual forms of consciousness
by David Yaden
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/74d1c9a0-a2dc-4763-8e1b-cd91b8c7d63a/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
film
A surreal ode to the wee hours when daily anxieties meet sleepless dreams
Directed by Christine Hooper