Popular
Psyche’s most popular Ideas, Guides and Films
Emotion regulation
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The Stoics were right – emotional control is good for the soul
Both neuroscience and psychotherapy agree that you can change your mental framework as the Stoic Marcus Aurelius described
by István Darabán
Thinkers and theories
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Learning to be a loser: a philosopher’s case for doing nothing
For Emil Cioran, a life devoid of action, practical ambitions and busyness is a life in which room has been made for meaning
by Costica Bradatan
Creativity
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A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived
Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims
by Joseph M Keegin
Consciousness
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What happens to the brain during consciousness-ending meditation?
Psychologists are studying a form of meditation known as ‘nirodha-samāpatti’ that reportedly ceases all mental function
by Shayla Love
Thinkers and theories
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For Nietzsche, nihilism goes deeper than ‘life is pointless’
For Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilism is a terrible psychological problem – a coping mechanism with deadly consequences
by Kaitlyn Creasy
Stories and literature
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Reading books is not just a pleasure: it helps our minds to heal
Through my own struggles and in teaching bibliotherapy to students, I know that books can help to heal minds and hearts
by Peter Leyland
Sadness and sorrow
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When emotions rot, they compost and transform into something new
A self that fractures through loss or grief marks a psychological shift, beginning a cycle of regrowth through decomposition
by Kelsey Day
The self
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When Nietzsche said ‘become who you are’, this is what he meant
Behind the philosopher’s cryptic phrase is an invocation to sculpt your ideal self out of the hard stone of your psyche
by Ryan A Bush
Emerging therapies
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The reason little noises drive you mad is about more than sounds
Fascinating research into ‘misophonia’ – an intolerance to specific sounds – is revealing an important role for context
by Nathaniel Scharping
Communication and language
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Why it takes humour to sustain a long-term relationship
Maintaining a long and happy relationship requires a specific skillset. Learning to laugh at yourself and together is key
by Enrico Gnaulati
Decision-making
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Do you think more clearly when reading or when listening?
How we take in information has a remarkably significant effect on how intuitive or analytical we are in thinking about it
by Janet Geipel & Boaz Keysar
The nature of reality
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Uncertainty isn’t a human flaw, it’s a feature of the world
They bring contrasting perspectives, but a literary scholar and a physicist agree on the wisdom of embracing uncertainty
by Richard C Sha & Nathan Harshman