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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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Photo of ancient ruins on a rocky hill with a cloudy sky and distant mountains in the background.

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

Ivory sculpture of a lion-human figure shown from three angles on 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 sculpture of a serene figure in draped robes with a halo 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 a courtroom with animals as participants, a lion as the judge, and various creatures in the jury box.

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

Photo of two people stargazing in a field under a starry sky with mountains and 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

Painting with surreal figures including a fish-headed person and abstract human forms with a dark sky.

Communication and language

idea

Let me open a treasure chest to explain how metaphor works

Once maligned by philosophers, metaphors are a key communication tool for extending the power of literal speech

by Elek Lane

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