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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Photo of a person with closed eyes and hands clasped, appearing thoughtful or in prayer, set against a dim 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

Photo of a man walking and a child on a hoverboard near a pink house and a ‘Dead End’ sign on a suburban street.

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

Black-and-white photograph of a person in a jacket standing outdoors in a foggy environment, looking up with eyes closed.

Spirituality and religion

guide

How to find new spiritual practices

Even if religion isn’t for you, there’s a world of rituals and tools to lift yourself up and connect to something greater

by Morgan Shipley

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

Photo of a person kneeling on a barren landscape under a cloudy sky, capturing a sense of isolation and vastness.

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

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

Silhouette of person against a colourful stained glass window with geometric patterns in a photo.

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

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

Ancient painting of two figures under a pine tree with mountains in the background, in traditional East Asian style.

Transcendent experience

idea

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

Photo of a person riding a donkey on a rocky hill at sunset with a wide, expansive sky and distant rolling hills.

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

A stylised figure drawn in glowing red lines stands on a cliff reaching towards a dark sky full of stars above a calm sea. The scene has a mystical atmosphere.

Symbols and myth

film

A Navajo creation story illustrates why humans must forge their own path

Directed by Dallin Penman