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THERAPEIAEUDAIMONIAPOIESIS

Symbols and myth

Creativity and the artsSpirituality and transcendence
Altered statesDrugs and psychedelicsMindfulness and meditationPrayer and contemplationRituals and celebrationsSacred placesSpirituality and religionSymbols and mythThe irrational and uncannyTranscendent experienceVisions and mysticismWonder and the sublime
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A dimly lit painting depicting four people gathered around a dining table in a rustic interior, illuminated by a warm light source.

Stories and literature

idea

Ovid’s tales of mutual love show he was more than a poet of rape

Ovid’s epic poem explores two sides of the Roman idea of love: one led by violence and domination, the other by mutual desire

by Stephanie McCarter

Ancient artefact with gold sun, moon, and stars on a dark blue-green background, likely depicting an early astronomical observation.

Wonder and the sublime

idea

Bronze Age people looked to the skyscape to navigate their lives

Long before stargazing helped humans navigate the Earth, the skyscape gave Bronze Age people mystery and wonder

by Kata Karáth

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

Various coloured stone rings of different sizes arranged on a blue background.

Rituals and celebrations

idea

Far-flung ancient communities forged bonds through broken rings

What can the fragments of Neolithic slate rings found in Finland tell us about social relationships 6,000 years ago?

by Marja Ahola, Elisabeth Holmqvist & Petro Pesonen

Two people sitting on a blanket under a starry night sky, with mountains and tall trees in the background.

Nature and the environment

idea

Why people across the world see constellations, not just stars

Orion, the Big Dipper and the rest reflect shared features of human perception – but also diverse cultural interpretations

by Simon J Cropper, Duane W Hamacher, Daniel R Little & Charles Kemp

Illustration of cupped hands holding a golden artefact with intricate patterns against a textured background.

Traditional arts

film

A Bronze Age pendant links lives centuries apart in this wondrous short

Directed by Samantha Moore

Stone statue of Buddha with serene expression and draped robes, backs onto a circular halo, displayed against a dark background.

Symbols and myth

idea

Why the first Buddhas in art wore finely folded Greek tunics

How the iconography of Greek art influenced the development of an increasingly standardised image of the Buddha in India

by Garrett Ryan

Abstract painting of a kneeling, distressed figure inside a colourful, cavernous space with purple, red and green organic shapes.

Psychiatry

idea

This isn’t just art, but a supercharged act of meaning-making

Psychiatric art is crammed with meaning yet it actively resists interpretation. This paradox lies at the heart of its appeal

by Shruti Ravindran

Abstract illustration of a face with closed eyes and black-tipped fingers covering the mouth. Blue and purple splashes and a butterfly adorn the image.

Memory and nostalgia

film

Butterflies are reborn as memories of a past love in this striking visual poem

Directed by Sofia El Khyari