Spirituality and religion

Black and white photo of a person wearing a jacket, eyes closed, with a foggy forest background and tree branches above.

How to find new spiritual practices

Even if religion isn’t for you, there’s a world of rituals and tools to lift yourself up and connect to something greater

by Morgan Shipley

Ancient marble statue of a headless Hermaphroditus, draped lower garment, against a plain background.
GENDER

There is nothing new about gender fluidity and nonconformity

From Mesopotamia and ancient Greece to precolonial India and medieval London, gender has always been more than a binary

by Chris Wheatley

Black and white photo of three children standing outdoors under a cloudy sky. The boy on the left wears a flat cap and checked shirt with trousers, while the two girls on the right wear patterned headscarves and dresses, smiling and looking into the distance.

For Hutterites, ‘love thy neighbour’ is both gospel and practical necessity

Directed by Colin Low

A stylised figure drawn in glowing red lines stands on a cliff reaching towards a dark sky full of stars above a calm sea. The scene has a mystical atmosphere.

A Navajo creation story illustrates why humans must forge their own path

Directed by Dallin Penman

Photo of a person in a white robe on a sunlit stone staircase with large windows and ornate railings.

A monk showed me that spirituality needs more space in medicine

As a doctor, I’ve seen how brain diseases can become entwined with spiritual pain. Who is responsible for addressing it?

by Michael P H Stanley

Black and white photo of a man with a ball on a littered street, graffiti and a fire escape visible on a brick building.

Our days are both rough and slippery. Hope brings traction

I want to defend and buoy hope – it’s a fragile, quirky thing, but it has the power to help us act in the face of finitude

by John Lysaker

A group of people in traditional attire with gold embroidery, holding flowers and smiling while singing.
MUSIC

Six minutes with a pan-African gospel choir is a shot of joy for the weary soul

Directed by Samuel Bradley

Illustration of two people holding hands while walking in the sea, with a sunset in the background. One wears a pink shirt; the other a skirt.

Sarah recalls how sex, religion and shame have intertwined in her mind

Directed by Lori Malépart-Traversy

Photo of a man in white with a medallion standing in front of a building labelled “UFOland,” looking upwards confidently.

UFO belief is a modern outlet for ancient spiritual yearnings

Even when it’s not explicitly religious, belief in alien visitors resembles our oldest ways of making sense of the world

by Francesco Dimitri

Black and white photo of ancient stone carvings with a central female figure, ornate patterns and a reclining animal.

Why Indian Buddhism has gardens, not monasteries

Wishing trees, jewels, unfading flowers – what place do these sensual pleasures have in the ascetic life of Buddhist monks?

by Simran Agarwal

Photo of a man walking a dog past a motorcycle shop with large windows brick exterior and illuminated interior.

When mindfulness meets capitalism, it loses its way

The modern business of mindfulness strips the practice of both its spiritual meaning and much of its practical value

by Chris Wheatley

Photo of a man praying next to a large religious painting in a church with ornate columns in the foreground.

Why religious belief provides a real buffer against suicide risk

Under-recognised as a protective force against suicide, religious faith has multiple features that help to save lives

by David H Rosmarin

Aerial photo of a vast, misty mountain range with soft lighting and shadowed valleys in the distance.

The Quechua idea ‘pacha’ urges us beyond narrow self-concern

The Quechua term ‘pacha’ embodies an Andean worldview that sees everything as related, transcending narrow self-interest

by Jorge Sanchez Perez

Painting of a stormy sea with a shipwreck, dramatic waves and a dark sky, conveying intense motion and chaos.

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

People in traditional costumes and masks dance while musicians play instruments in an outdoor setting.

An ancient ritual is a window to Mayan culture’s deep past and vibrant present

Directed by Ricky Lopez Bruni

Engraving of a winged figure with a spear over figures in flames, against a backdrop of a burning structure and swirling clouds.

The Devil you don’t know: the Satan of the 19th century

Satan wasn’t always a wicked, horned figure. The Romantics imagined the Devil as a resourceful and well-spoken gentleman

by Erik Butler