Transcendent experience
![Black-and-white photo of a child standing in front of a large aquarium, watching big fish swim by.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cf6bc6b8-ff4d-432b-9493-6129f0f62116/rt-final-par377966.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
idea
To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help
Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives
by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang
![A person walking on a fallen tree trunk in a dense, lush forest with tall trees and abundant greenery.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/66073bad-b4d6-485b-a9f3-25c89662b0e6/rt-this-gettyimages-960978428.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
idea
Do you find the 21st century overstimulating? Try ‘longstorming’
As the treadmill of life speeds up, sublime outdoor spaces help us tap into timescales that are longer, slower, planetary
by Vincent Ialenti
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/f4e5ab54-e116-4178-b8c5-745a8bb7840f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The body and physical health
guide
How to breathe
Whether your aim is improved health, mental calm or achieving transcendence, breathing techniques can help you get there
by Martin Petrus
![A group of people in traditional attire with gold embroidery, holding flowers and smiling while singing.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8ef423f5-8d92-43d8-a8c4-6525428961bb/you_re-all-i-need-to-get-by-landscape-3.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Music
film
Six minutes with a pan-African gospel choir is a shot of joy for the weary soul
Directed by Samuel Bradley
![Black and white photo of a boy walking across a littered street, with signs saying ‘No Hang Out Here’ and ‘Keep Away!’. Behind him, a man lies on the ground under a fire escape.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cbb9da28-f009-49d8-aece-5cab5069340f/rt-final-par157371.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
idea
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
![A hand holds a small, black-and-white school photograph of a smiling young girl with pigtails wearing a polka-dot dress.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/e4e6bac5-2571-4c27-b843-74509abeeef2/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Change and self-development
idea
What can we learn from those who have a moral change of heart?
Stories of sharp adjustments in moral perspective show the potential of unusual experiences to open people’s minds
by Joshua May
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cb43778b-4149-4a7d-9614-acc96d388d9a/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Wonder and the sublime
guide
How to experience more wow
Awe might seem an unobtainable luxury to many but, with the right approach, you can enjoy it daily – no mountain required
by Summer Allen
![A woman sits at a table with traditional Chinese teacups and teapots. She takes in the aroma of a cup of tea. Behind her are shelves of cylindrical bricks of Pu Erh tea.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7ccb1354-4a74-41a2-8735-9f47ad747b53/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Food and drink
film
For a Chinese tea master, each sip is a rich expression of memory
Directed by Anna-Claria Ostasenko Bogdanoff
![A dramatic seascape painting depicts a violent storm with waves crashing against the coast, a wrecked ship submerged, and dark clouds overhead.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ad1e783a-4d21-468b-a981-5d62a8e39cfc/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
idea
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 a person riding a horse up a rocky hill during sunset, with rolling hills in the distance.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/698652e0-d379-443b-b1c3-5baad3619b7e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6432fdda-2bfa-4bd0-b06b-2faec76e31c8/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Drugs and psychedelics
guide
How to have a safe psychedelic trip
A psychedelic experience can be deeply rewarding, but also carries real risks. Here’s how to avoid a bad trip
by Christian Jarrett
![A lone swimmer in choppy waters near a lighthouse on a rocky outcrop, under an overcast sky.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9108bf6f-a567-4de1-ab31-2d737d02cb48/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
film
A record-breaking distance swimmer finds sublime peace in cold water
Directed by Thomas Beug