How to plan a pilgrimage
Whether religious or not, you can undertake a special, meaningful kind of journey that could leave you changed forever
by Oliver Smith
Rituals and celebrations
The birthday gift
In the Soviet Union, you’d never wish someone ‘S dnem rozhdeniya!’ without a proper present
by Margarita Gokun Silver
Reflections on mortality can help you live well now – here’s how
For me and many others, contemplating death has clarified what matters. These curiosity-based exercises will get you started
by Joanna Ebenstein
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
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
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While some consider the long, shared dining table outdated or inconvenient, it is actually a powerful social tool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
Every culture dances. So why did humans evolve to get down?
Directed by Rosanna Wan and Andrew Khosravani
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
Together forever: ‘at-home burial’ in southern Vietnam
What might a traveller along the Mekong Delta learn about the beliefs and traditions behind the country’s elevated tombs?
by Gina Elia
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
Digging for answers in a cave filled with Neanderthal skeletons
When a team of researchers returned to an Iraqi cave believed to be a Neanderthal burial site, here’s what they found
by Shayla Love
Why ancient Mesopotamians buried their dead beneath the floor
In an age before photos or audio recordings, people found other ways to stay sensorially connected to their deceased
by Nicola Laneri
More radical and practical than Stoicism – discover Shugendō
As they train for their own deaths, Japan’s mountain priests develop a form of acceptance that goes beyond the Stoics
by Tim Bunting
Come on this painterly journey to Madagascar’s ‘turning of the dead’
Directed by Bastien Dubois
An ancient ritual is a window to Mayan culture’s deep past and vibrant present
Directed by Ricky Lopez Bruni
Voting in person brings democracy to momentous life
Elections are about more than tallying votes – they offer voters a deeply felt connection to democracy and their role in it
by Emilee Booth Chapman