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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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An ancient, mud-brick fortress on a rocky hill with mountain ranges in the background and a person walking on a path.

Spirituality and religion

idea

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 prehistoric carved figure with a human body and lion’s head shown from three angles, set against a black background.

Creativity

idea

Our greatest invention was the invention of invention itself

Hypothetical thinking is the key to sustained innovation and creativity: invention drove the evolution of the human mind

by Keith Frankish

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

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

Illustration of animals in human clothing in a courtroom setting. A lion is the judge, and a man is questioning a donkey in the dock, surrounded by other animals.

Animals

idea

What our use of animal-based slurs and endearments says about us

The image of the adorable kitten and the insult of calling someone a ‘pussy’ have more in common than you might realise

by David Egan

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

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

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

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