Altered states

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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Double exposure photo of a person silhouetted against the sea with clouds overlapping their figure.

Depression

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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

Consciousness

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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

A waterfall under a stormy sky with mist and a building on the left cliff surrounded by trees in the background.

Wonder and the sublime

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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

Older woman on a stationary bike in front of a painting near a fan in a living room. There are flowers and sofas in the background.

Rituals and celebrations

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Rituals and memories animate a day in the serene life of an Italian grandmother

Directed by Maria Piva

Photo of a person admiring art in a gallery framed by a large red sculpture, with a wooden floor and a dark wall background.

Altered states

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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

Painting of a stormy sea with a shipwreck, dramatic waves and a dark sky, conveying intense motion and chaos.

Transcendent experience

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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 wide empty road with buildings on either side under a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.

Creativity

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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

A moody cityscape with dark buildings and bright yellow-lit rooms, featuring silhouetted figures inside.

Altered states

film

An odyssey into the Parisian night reflects the allure and anxieties of cities

Directed by Adrien Mérigeau

Stained glass artwork depicting two figures in medieval attire, one seated and sleeping, the other standing, on a blue background.

Altered states

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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

Abstract painting with blurred figures in teal and orange tones suggesting motion and mystery.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy

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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

Aerial black and white photograph of a biplane flying over Edinburgh Castle and cityscape with dramatic clouds.

Sleep and dreams

guide

Five ways to take control of your dreams

Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started

by Christian Jarrett

Photo collage of a surreal bedroom scene from the perspective of a person in bed, featuring floating books, striped bedsheets, wall art, a window, and a bedside lamp.

Altered states

film

A surreal ode to the wee hours when daily anxieties meet sleepless dreams

Directed by Christine Hooper