Spirituality and religion

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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Close-up photo of a person with closed eyes and hands pressed together in front of their face against a blurred background.

idea

Spirituality is a brain state we can all reach, religious or not

Neuroscience shows that spiritual experiences are correlated with brain states that we can all aim for, religious or not

by Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan

A man walking by a girl in Amish clothing on a hoverboard near a pink house with a “Dead End” sign in front.

Technology and media

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To be more tech-savvy, borrow these strategies from the Amish

With their focus on values and intentionality, the Amish offer a lesson in thinking critically about digital technology

by Alex Mayyasi

Silhouette of a person in front of a stained glass window featuring a geometric pattern with red, blue, teal, and white shapes.

Change and self-development

guide

How to thrive after leaving your religion

It can be distressing, but liberating too. Use these tips from clinical practice and personal experience to emerge stronger

by Micah Rees

A man with a beard and glasses wearing a wide-brimmed hat and blue clothes stands outdoors near a pond, with trees in the background.

Spirituality and religion

film

When his faith crumbles, an ‘Amish atheist’ rebuilds his world from scratch

Directed by Lance Edmands

Person kneeling on barren land under a cloudy sky, facing away with arms crossed. Sparse vegetation visible in the background.

Spirituality and religion

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Religion gives life meaning. Can anything else take its place?

Religious faith promotes a sense of meaning in life – and it might take more than ‘social glue’ to duplicate the effect

by Michael M Prinzing

Traditional Chinese painting of two figures crossing a bridge in a serene landscape with trees and mountains, signed with two red seals.

Transcendent experience

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To experience Zen-like awakening, try going the headless way

Try to point to your true self as you’d point to a brick wall, and other experiments in Zen-like awakening

by Brentyn J Ramm

Crowded riverbank with numerous people in boats and on the ghats at dusk, celebrating a festival, lights in the background.

Death and dying

film

At India’s ‘death hotels’, devout Hindus seek liberation from cycles of rebirth

Directed by Dan Braga Ulvestad

Silhouette of a person riding a horse up a rocky hill during sunset, with rolling hills in the distance.

Spirituality and religion

idea

Why religion without belief can still make perfect sense

Meet the practising agnostic and the religious fictionalist: people for whom religion can work well without sure belief

by Philip Goff

Spirituality and religion

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This is not the end. Apocalyptic comfort from ancient Iran

Faced with the collapse of their empire, Zoroastrians sought comfort in the apocalyptic – and their literature flourished

by Domenico Agostini & Samuel Thrope

A colourful, textured painting of a forest with dark trees and vibrant foliage against a starry blue night sky.

Spirituality and religion

film

An exquisite Mongolian meditation on the oneness of all beings

Directed by Alisi Telengut