Transcendent experience

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

Altered states Drugs and psychedelics Mindfulness and meditation Prayer and contemplation Rituals and celebrations Sacred places Spirituality and religion Symbols and myth The irrational and uncanny Transcendent experience Visions and mysticism Wonder and the sublime

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Photo of a bee on a vibrant orange flower with a blurred background, highlighting the intricate flower details.

Drugs and psychedelics

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Psychedelics are philosophical tools for demolishing assumptions

By shaking up our sense of how things are, substances like LSD or psilocybin have the potential to promote deep learning

by David J Blacker

Photo of a person silhouetted against the Milky Way galaxy in a starry night sky, with a faint horizon glow.

Wonder and the sublime

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The ‘panzoic effect’: the benefits of thinking about alien life

Reflecting on the potential for extraterrestrial life can inspire awe and have a profound effect on your worldview

by Graham Lau

Black and white photo of a child watching large fish swim in an aquarium tank illuminated by beams of light.

Transcendent experience

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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 group of people in traditional attire with gold embroidery, holding flowers and smiling while singing.

Music

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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 child watching large fish in an aquarium tank with rocks and smaller fish in the background.

Transcendent experience

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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

Photo of a person walking on a log bridge in a dense forest with tall trees and lush green foliage.

Transcendent experience

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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

Photo of two swimmers in orange caps at sunset in open water, with a cloudy sky in the background.

The body and physical health

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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 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.

Food and drink

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For a Chinese tea master, each sip is a rich expression of memory

Directed by Anna-Claria Ostasenko Bogdanoff

Black and white photo of a man with a ball on a littered street, graffiti and a fire escape visible on a brick building.

Transcendent experience

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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

Black and white photo of a hand holding a small portrait of a smiling girl wearing a polka dot dress with braided hair.

Change and self-development

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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

Photo of a crowd watching an event at night, faces lit, some taking photos, children in colourful hats by a barrier.

Wonder and the sublime

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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 lone swimmer in choppy waters near a lighthouse on a rocky outcrop, under an overcast sky.

Transcendent experience

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A record-breaking distance swimmer finds sublime peace in cold water

Directed by Thomas Beug