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
Altered states
Ride along on a road trip suffused with LSD, petty theft and true love
Directed by Aric Allen
A woman summons a stoic calm after accidentally trapping herself in a shower
A film by Tom Schroeder
Two gravity-defying performances play with the physics of life on Earth
A film by Bastien Dausse
A boy’s universe becomes strange and wondrous in this enchanting short
Directed by Gabriel Gabriel Garble
Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough
We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur
by Nick Kabrél
Every culture dances. So why did humans evolve to get down?
Directed by Rosanna Wan and Andrew Khosravani
Could dreams during anaesthesia help to heal life’s trauma?
Scientists are studying the dreamlike states produced by anaesthesia – and their potential benefits for people with PTSD
by Shayla Love
Ancient Greek ideas of attunement can breathe new life into music
In Athenian philosophy, attunement is important not only in music, but also for moods, attitudes and states of mind
by John Bagby
William James was right about our strange inner experiences
Rather than Freud’s cynicism or Jung’s enthusiasm, we need an inquisitive approach to unusual forms of consciousness
by David Yaden
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
The therapeutic potential, and addictive lure, of losing yourself
In ketamine therapy and other contexts, dissociation is seen as an unwanted side-effect. But what if there’s more to it?
by Shayla Love
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
Five ways to take control of your dreams
Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started
by Christian Jarrett
Personal transformation can start with a whisper, not a bang
To understand personal transformation, we should listen to the incessant whispers in our stream of consciousness
by Jennifer Windt
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