Find meditation really boring? You’re not the only one
Other practices like sermons, yoga and retreats can also trigger ‘spiritual boredom’. Here’s why it’s normal and even useful
by Thomas Goetz
Spirituality and religion
Confessions of a teenage fundamentalist
My world was dark and scary. But beautiful things crept in, and threats of hell just couldn’t compete
by Liz Boltz Ranfeld
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
There is nothing new about gender fluidity and nonconformity
From Mesopotamia and ancient Greece to precolonial India and medieval London, gender has always been more than a binary
by Chris Wheatley
For Hutterites, ‘love thy neighbour’ is both gospel and practical necessity
Directed by Colin Low
A Navajo creation story illustrates why humans must forge their own path
Directed by Dallin Penman
A monk showed me that spirituality needs more space in medicine
As a doctor, I’ve seen how brain diseases can become entwined with spiritual pain. Who is responsible for addressing it?
by Michael P H Stanley
Our days are both rough and slippery. Hope brings traction
I want to defend and buoy hope – it’s a fragile, quirky thing, but it has the power to help us act in the face of finitude
by John Lysaker
Six minutes with a pan-African gospel choir is a shot of joy for the weary soul
Directed by Samuel Bradley
Sarah recalls how sex, religion and shame have intertwined in her mind
Directed by Lori Malépart-Traversy
UFO belief is a modern outlet for ancient spiritual yearnings
Even when it’s not explicitly religious, belief in alien visitors resembles our oldest ways of making sense of the world
by Francesco Dimitri
Why Indian Buddhism has gardens, not monasteries
Wishing trees, jewels, unfading flowers – what place do these sensual pleasures have in the ascetic life of Buddhist monks?
by Simran Agarwal
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
Why religious belief provides a real buffer against suicide risk
Under-recognised as a protective force against suicide, religious faith has multiple features that help to save lives
by David H Rosmarin
The Quechua idea ‘pacha’ urges us beyond narrow self-concern
The Quechua term ‘pacha’ embodies an Andean worldview that sees everything as related, transcending narrow self-interest
by Jorge Sanchez Perez
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