Transcendent experience
![Painting of hunters with dogs walking through a snowy village; people skate on a frozen lake in the background, and a small group warms by a fire.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/50ac5fbd-bc14-4012-a9ed-83fbea303d86/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Philosophy of art
idea
When art transports us, where do we actually go?
Artworks have the capacity to transport us into other worlds. But where exactly do we go when we are immersed in art?
by Harri Mäcklin
![Traditional Chinese painting of two figures crossing a bridge in a serene landscape with trees and mountains, signed with two red seals.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/d3a34733-08ca-4aec-8a4b-faf33b700de8/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
idea
To experience Zen-like awakening, try going the headless way
Try to point to your true self as you’d point to a brick wall, and other experiments in Zen-like awakening
by Brentyn J Ramm
![](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
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9e64c432-f935-4e5d-a4ad-7560a9995599/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Dance
film
A street dance born amid poverty and violence offers a radical form of self-care
Directed by Maceo Frost
![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/8fff832b-b9a4-4ad3-a418-00a9f8e522b9/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Drugs and psychedelics
idea
Psychedelics show religion isn’t the only route to spirituality
Secular people can have profound psychedelic experiences. What does that say about spirituality and the naturalistic worldview?
by Chris Letheby
![](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
![View of Earth, half visible, rising over the lunar surface against the blackness of space.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/11f97cbb-fb4b-461a-bdcb-dc04d5c60c31/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
film
From the astronauts to humanity itself, ‘Earthrise’ has left an indelible mark
Directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
![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
![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/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
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8e6f0663-55ca-4f80-b12a-405767943a65/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Music
film
With quiet words and devotional music, Alice Coltrane sought transcendence
Directed by St Clair Bourne