Imagination

Blurry photo of a coastal scene with sandy beach rocks ocean and cloudy sky conveying a sense of motion or abstraction.
NEURODIVERSITY

I have no mind’s eye: let me try to describe it for you

With aphantasia, my mind’s eye sees only darkness, not images. It’s like missing a sense, and only imagination can compensate

by Neesa Sunar

Black and white photo of a woman leaning out of a window in a building with closed shutters.
FOCUS AND ATTENTION

How to wait well

Instead of fuming in subjugated irritation, turn wait times into chances to connect, muse and think big about the future

by Jason Farman

Painting of large trees with exposed roots in a forest, sunlight filtering through leaves, house visible in the background.
IMAGINATION

Aphantasia can be a gift to philosophers and critics like me

Aphantasia veils the past and the future from the mind’s eye. That can be a gift to philosophers like Derek Parfit and me

by Mette Leonard Høeg

Photo of a blue sky with scattered white clouds and larger clouds forming on one side.
IMAGINATION

See faces in the clouds? It might be a sign of your creativity

Long considered a sign of mental illness, ‘pareidolia’ or seeing patterns in randomness might be a useful measure of creativity

by René Müri & Nicole Göbel

Photo of a man playing a violin in a columned, mosaic-tiled hall with people walking in the background.
MUSIC

Music is a philosophy, rich in ideas that language cannot say

Musical thinking offers a means for composing our lives and a philosophical foundation that embraces both sound and silence

by Xenia Hanusiak

Impressionist painting of a family in a garden, with a child learning to walk, assisted by an adult, as another adult crouches down with outstretched arms.
VALUES AND BELIEFS

A philosophical approach can help you identify what truly matters

We’re often taught to live according to our values, but this is easier said than done without pausing to reflect deeply

by Valerie Tiberius

Medieval manuscript illustration of a monk embracing a woman near a house surrounded by text and decorative elements.
STORIES AND LITERATURE

Get medieval on your haters: lessons from Beowulf and Chaucer

When your reputation is at stake, get medieval on your haters: lessons from Beowulf, Margery Kempe and Geoffrey Chaucer

by Irina Dumitrescu

Large projection of a painting’s cracked surface with a person standing in front, focusing on a close-up of a smiling mouth.
PHILOSOPHY OF ART

Engaging with an artwork leaves you and the art transformed

When you engage with an artwork, a form of cognitive coupling takes place in which your mind and the art are transformed

by Miranda Anderson

Photo of two people observing a museum display of a Indigenous head with feathers and fur in a glass case.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

This is what a Neanderthal conversation would have sounded like

Neanderthals had language, but it differed from ours in an important way that could help explain our superior art and tech

by Steven Mithen

Close-up of a colourful, abstract wool sculpture resembling a face with various textures and fibres extending outward.
LOVE

Making love strange to imagine it anew – a startling, award-winning animation

Directed by Anushka Naanayakkara

Photo of a grey car parked by a purple brick wall on a rainy day with an industrial building in the background.
MIND AND BRAIN

This is how your brain distinguishes reality from imagination

In terms of brain activity, imagining something is very similar to seeing it, so why don’t you confuse the two more often?

by Shayla Love

Mosaic art with colourful broken ceramic tiles featuring floral and abstract patterns.
THE SELF

You’re not a computer, you’re a tiny stone in a beautiful mosaic

Let’s ditch talk of computers and bank accounts. Positive mind-metaphors emphasise our embodied inter-connectedness

by Anna Katharina Schaffner

Photo of a man’s side profile with sunlight creating rainbow flares across his face, blurred greenery background.
NEURODIVERSITY

Psychedelics could give a mind’s eye to those who’ve never had one

Case reports suggest psychedelics might reverse aphantasia (a lack of mental imagery), but is that necessarily a good thing?

by Shayla Love

Poster of “The Invisible Man’s Revenge” showing a woman at a piano, a man in a suit and an invisible figure with a gun.
STORIES AND LITERATURE

Why the concept of invisibility so captivates the imagination

From ancient fables to the latest science theory, invisibility represents some of humankind’s deepest fears and desires

by Greg Gbur

Photo of an athlete in a white jacket with a gold medal, smiling with hands on face against an Olympic rings backdrop.
GOALS AND MOTIVATION

Here’s how to use your imagination to prepare for any task

From sport to public speaking, the link between mental imagery and actual performance is undeniable – and you can harness it

by Jonathan Rhodes

Vintage painting of a man by a window with yellow flowers looking at a woman in a pink dress lying on a bed.
STORIES AND LITERATURE

Young women were the true originators of the Grimms’ Tales

Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella – the old fairy tales are full of female lust and hope, and most were told by women

by Christine Lehnen