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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A painting of a woman sitting at a table with a glass of beer, a cigarette, and a contemplative expression in a café setting.

Love

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Why it can be sublime to love someone who doesn’t love you back

Unrequited love might be bitter and painful, but it is also the ultimate expression of your humanity. Don’t fight it

by Alexandra Gustafson

Vintage photo of a young girl seated, resting her chin on her hand, with other children blurred in the foreground.

Learning and education

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Why good teachers allow a child’s mind to wander and wonder

The experience of wonder is essential to the task of education – it opens up the world. That’s why teachers should foster it

by Anders Schinkel

Illustration of an Oriental woman on a bench, gazing at a city skyline with a red sun above, framed by blooming branches and leaves.

Thinking and intelligence

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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

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

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

Directed by Andrew Hinton

A person walking on a fallen tree trunk in a dense, lush forest with tall trees and abundant greenery.

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

A dark ocean under a stormy sky, with three lightning bolts striking the water, illuminating the scene with a purple hue.

Wonder and the sublime

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Is the sublime a hopelessly old-fashioned Euro-Romantic ideal?

The sublime is not only for the Romantics, nor just about gender or overcoming nature. It’s in the thrills-and-chills of emotion

by Robert Clewis

Person in a coat bends to pick up a stone on a pebbly beach with a view of the ocean under a blue sky.

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

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

Photo of green leaves on branches against a bright blue sky with wispy clouds behind.

Wonder and the sublime

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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

Photo of a crowd at night gazing upwards, including children in winter clothing and a woman with a camera, in a city setting.

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

Black-and-white photo of lava running down a rocky landscape towards three blossoming white trees under a cloudy sky.

Sleep and dreams

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From landscape to dreamscape, using the medium of Hawaiian lava

Directed by Kurtis Hough