Popular
Psyche’s most popular Ideas, Guides and Films
Wonder and the sublime
guide
How to think about the sublime
An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason
by Nicole A Hall
Human nature
idea
For a happier life, we must balance two old psychological needs
Personal autonomy is abundant in the modern world. As a result, many of us get what we want but not what we need
by William von Hippel
Worry and rumination
idea
What if your worry problem is really a planning problem?
Clinicians have long recognised the link between worry and planning. New research asks what this means for managing anxiety
by Paul B Sharp
Love
guide
How to make a long-distance relationship work
Whether an hour or an ocean apart, there will be challenges, but this therapist shows how to make the most of the upsides
by Charlie Huntington
Compassion and empathy
idea
How do we start learning to ‘read’ other people’s minds?
Studies of young children give us insight into the building blocks of an ability that most of us use every day
by Josephine Ross & Martin Doherty
Death and dying
idea
Reflections on mortality can help you live well now – here’s how
For me and many others, contemplating death has clarified what matters. These curiosity-based exercises will get you started
by Joanna Ebenstein
Love
idea
There’s no good reason to love each other – and that’s a relief
Loving is an unreasonable decision (we are all extremely unpleasant little beasts) and that’s what allows it to survive
by John Kaag
Communication and language
idea
For this unsung philosopher, metaphors make life an adventure
Susanne K Langer understood the indispensable power of metaphors, which allow us to say new things with old words
by Sue Curry Jansen & Jeff Pooley
Addiction
idea
My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition
In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction
by Rebecca Lester
Wonder and the sublime
idea
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