Wonder and the sublime

Blurry photo of a supermarket interior with people shopping, bright lighting and shelves filled with products.

Having epileptic seizures gave me newfound respect for the brain

Seizures are often described as both terrifying and enthralling. Mine gave me a wondrous new take on consciousness and agency

by Webb Wright

Photo of a person silhouetted against the Milky Way galaxy in a starry night sky, with a faint horizon glow.

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

A waterfall under a stormy sky with mist and a building on the left cliff surrounded by trees in the background.

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

Photo of sunlit green leaves and branches against a bright blue sky.

The most profound wonder is stirred by what is most ordinary

Rare moments of wonder at the mere existence of things – rather than the dramatic or new – involve perceiving with the soul

by Maria Balaska

Black and white photo of a child watching large fish swim in an aquarium tank illuminated by beams of light.

To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help

Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives

by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang

Photo of a person walking on a log bridge in a dense forest with tall trees and lush green foliage.

Do you find the 21st century overstimulating? Try ‘longstorming’

As the treadmill of life speeds up, sublime outdoor spaces help us tap into timescales that are longer, slower, planetary

by Vincent Ialenti

Photo of a person standing by a window watching a forest sunset, with warm light illuminating their silhouette.

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

Ancient artefact with gold sun, moon, and stars on a dark blue-green background, likely depicting an early astronomical observation.

Bronze Age people looked to the skyscape to navigate their lives

Long before stargazing helped humans navigate the Earth, the skyscape gave Bronze Age people mystery and wonder

by Kata Karáth

Hiker with a large backpack walking along a ridge with misty mountains in the background.

To benefit from wonder, make sure you’ve got the genuine kind

Why the life-long disposition towards wonder – not the momentary experience of awe – is the way to knowledge and discovery

by Lisa Sideris

Photo of a person picking up stones on a pebbly beach with a blue sky and ocean waves in the background.

How to revive your sense of wonder

That childhood urge to ask ‘how’ and ‘why’ usually fades. But we can all learn to rediscover the joys of wide-eyed discovery

by Frank Keil

Close-up of a green parrot with a red forehead and white around its eyes, looking directly at the camera.

The search for life beyond Earth is peculiar, from a parrot’s perspective

Directed by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla

A painting of a woman sitting at a table with a glass of beer, a cigarette, and a contemplative expression in a café setting.
LOVE

Why it can be sublime to love someone who doesn’t love you back

Unrequited love might be bitter and painful, but it is also the ultimate expression of your humanity. Don’t fight it

by Alexandra Gustafson

Illustration of a mythical scene with a person, snakes, and a turtle in a stylised landscape. Traditional Persian art style.
POETRY

The meaning of cowardly dogs and other puzzles of Arabic poetry

In classical Arabic poetry, beauty and wonder lie in the logical unravelling of a metaphor, rather than plot or character

by Lara Harb

Photo of a crowd watching an event at night, faces lit, some taking photos, children in colourful hats by a barrier.

How to experience more wow

Awe might seem an unobtainable luxury to many but, with the right approach, you can enjoy it daily – no mountain required

by Summer Allen

Close-up of an older man in a flat cap and scarf, looking out over a misty rural landscape with blurred farmland in the background.
POETRY

Irish hills, folk music and David Whyte’s poetry form a fleeting, meditative moment

Directed by Andrew Hinton

The Milky Way galaxy over a mountainous silhouette at night, with bright spots resembling searchlights crossing the sky.

Journey into the deep history of the cosmos via the Mauna Loa volcano

Directed by Lance Page