Mindfulness and meditation

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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Green spiky thistle plants with purple flowers against a blurred grey background.

Evaluating therapies

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In therapy or meditation, is it normal to feel worse at first?

A ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality might make sense when striving for change – but don’t confuse discomfort and distress

by Nicholas Van Dam

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

A knitted grey toy mouse holds a needle and repairs its own dress. Three balls of yarn lie nearby, alongside a small blue open book.

Pleasures and pastimes

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A whimsical ode to the reparative power of knitting, rendered in wool

Directed by Samantha Moore

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

Photo of a classroom with students meditating at their desks, surrounded by posters and bright natural light.

Prayer and contemplation

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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

Photo of a lone tree in a lake with mountains in the background, under a cloudy sky.

Mindfulness and meditation

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How to think like a phenomenologist

Doing Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological reduction will transform your view of the world and your own consciousness

by D J Hobbs

A Chinese woman with long hair wearing a white top and pink skirt with arms outstretched against a backdrop of mountains and sky.

Spirituality and religion

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China’s young people who trade parties for peace at a mountainside hermitage

Directed by Ellen Xu

Photo of two people meditating on a road in front of a police van in an urban setting with a few bystanders.

Mindfulness and meditation

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Here’s what to know about using meditation to be a better person

Meditating has long been thought to enhance morality. But the type of meditation – and the aspects of morality – matter

by Jakob Hohwy & Kevin Berryman

Photo of a man walking a dog past a motorcycle shop with large windows brick exterior and illuminated interior.

Mindfulness and meditation

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When mindfulness meets capitalism, it loses its way

The modern business of mindfulness strips the practice of both its spiritual meaning and much of its practical value

by Chris Wheatley

Painting of a man relaxing against a large leafy tree in a grassy field.

Meaning and the good life

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How to be useless

Follow the Daoist way – reclaim your life and happiness by letting go of the need to produce, strive or serve a purpose

by Helen De Cruz & Pauline Lee

Illustration of legs immersed in water, with the lower half submerged, showing blue hues and ripples on the surface.

Mindfulness and meditation

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A leaf, a bird and a fisherman animate Heraclitus’ aphorism on flux

A film by Michelle Brand