Wonder and the sublime

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 sunlit green leaves and branches against a bright blue sky.

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The most profound wonder is stirred by what is most ordinary

Rare moments of wonder at the mere existence of things – rather than the dramatic or new – involve perceiving with the soul

by Maria Balaska

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 picking up stones on a pebbly beach with a blue sky and ocean waves in the background.

Wonder and the sublime

guide

How to revive your sense of wonder

That childhood urge to ask ‘how’ and ‘why’ usually fades. But we can all learn to rediscover the joys of wide-eyed discovery

by Frank Keil

Close-up of a green parrot with a red forehead and white around its eyes, looking directly at the camera.

Wonder and the sublime

film

The search for life beyond Earth is peculiar, from a parrot’s perspective

Directed by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla

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 a person standing by a window watching a forest sunset, with warm light illuminating their silhouette.

Altered states

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The small pleasures in life can produce moments of rapture

Rapture is a delight that turns us both towards the object of attention and towards oneself, resulting in a sense of freedom

by Christopher Hamilton

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

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

Close-up of an older man in a flat cap and scarf, looking out over a misty rural landscape with blurred farmland in the background.

Poetry

film

Irish hills, folk music and David Whyte’s poetry form a fleeting, meditative moment

Directed by Andrew Hinton

Ancient artefact with gold sun, moon, and stars on a dark blue-green background, likely depicting an early astronomical observation.

Wonder and the sublime

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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

Hiker with a large backpack walking along a ridge with misty mountains in the background.

Wonder and the sublime

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To benefit from wonder, make sure you’ve got the genuine kind

Why the life-long disposition towards wonder – not the momentary experience of awe – is the way to knowledge and discovery

by Lisa Sideris

Illustration of a woman on a bench by a cityscape with a red sun and blooming branches, conveying serenity and nature.

Thinking and intelligence

guide

How to foster ‘shoshin’

It’s easy for the mind to become closed to new ideas. Cultivating a beginner’s mind helps us rediscover the joy of learning

by Christian Jarrett

The Milky Way galaxy over a mountainous silhouette at night, with bright spots resembling searchlights crossing the sky.

Wonder and the sublime

film

Journey into the deep history of the cosmos via the Mauna Loa volcano

Directed by Lance Page