Synchronicity
Long ago, I gave a boy a greenfinch. That moment followed me in ways I’m still puzzling over
by Katia Ariel
Understand
The inner workings of the mind: emotions, memory, decision-making and more
What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology
Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can
by Tyler W Watts
Does progress seem slower when you constantly check on it?
Research on how we perceive the rate of change shows how you can be strategic about goal tracking and boost your motivation
by André Vaz
Jaywalking man
Even before I got hit, I’d come to find unexpected bliss in waiting at street corners
by Lawrence Everett Forbes
How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow
Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time
by Martin Wiener
Guides
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To resist dogma and accept uncertainty, think like a pragmatist
Founded in 19th-century America, the philosophy of pragmatism promises imaginative ways of coping with our circumstances
by Michael Bacon
How to find inner peace like Saint Teresa of Ávila
The 16th-century ‘spiritual rock-star’ shows how seeing your soul as a castle can be a source of strength and consolation
by Skye C Cleary
Popular
Is being single a happier experience for women or men?
More people than ever are going solo. We identified a gender difference that hints at the ingredients needed to enjoy it
by Elaine Hoan & Geoff MacDonald
‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84
Video by Face to Face
How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow
Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time
by Martin Wiener
When memories from fiction become part of who you are
Scenes from books, movies and games sometimes carry as much weight as events from people’s own lives. We’re finding out why
by Osman Görkem Çetin
Uncertainty is stressful, but here’s why we need to feel it
As much as people struggle with not knowing, we live in an uncertain world – and there are advantages to embracing that
by Jessica Alquist
Why we choose to avoid information that’s right in front of us
Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic
by Jeremy L Foust
Plato warned that some pleasures separate us from reality
The contemporary obsession with feeling good might mean we’re losing sight of what makes life genuinely meaningful
by Derek van Zoonen
I was sceptical about breathwork so I did my own research
Breathwork changed my life, but I heard the sceptics. Several studies later, I’m more convinced than ever of its benefits
by Guy W Fincham
Popular
View allIs being single a happier experience for women or men?
More people than ever are going solo. We identified a gender difference that hints at the ingredients needed to enjoy it
by Elaine Hoan & Geoff MacDonald
‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84
Video by Face to Face
How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow
Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time
by Martin Wiener
When memories from fiction become part of who you are
Scenes from books, movies and games sometimes carry as much weight as events from people’s own lives. We’re finding out why
by Osman Görkem Çetin
Notes to self
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Videos
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There’s joy in doing a job right. Just ask this artisanal pencil-sharpener
Directed by Kenneth Price
The (surprisingly new) science of aphantasia – the inability to ‘see’ mental imagery
A former office worker charts his own path, herding sheep high into the Pyrenees
Humans are uniquely reliant on caregivers. This isn’t a weakness, but a wondrous gift
How increasing short-term pleasure can help you achieve your long-term goals
‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84
Growing pains, bras, size, sex – a group of women get candid about all things boobs
Why we choose to avoid information that’s right in front of us
Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic
by Jeremy L Foust
Plato warned that some pleasures separate us from reality
The contemporary obsession with feeling good might mean we’re losing sight of what makes life genuinely meaningful
by Derek van Zoonen
The hidden calculations that determine whether you will cry
We think of tears as an overflow of emotion, but an evolutionary lens shows they’re a rational form of social signalling
by Daniel Sznycer & Debra Lieberman
How much you ‘body-wander’ could affect your mental health
Some people tune into bodily sensations while daydreaming, others don’t – with implications for anxiety, depression and ADHD
by Leah Banellis
Plato’s challenge to the meaning of manliness still resonates
Even in ancient Greece, Plato questioned whether gender norms around masculinity were good for men’s individual freedom
by Yancy Hughes Dominick
Through Zuri’s eyes
She was a young gorilla, sitting alone in the Calgary Zoo. Once our eyes locked, I was in for a life-long connection
by Keriann McGoogan
After four decades in prison, Big D contemplates the brave new world that awaits him
Directed by Laura Tejero Núñez
Uncertainty is stressful, but here’s why we need to feel it
As much as people struggle with not knowing, we live in an uncertain world – and there are advantages to embracing that
by Jessica Alquist
A way to enjoy more positive mental images
Psychologists have tested a way to seed ‘involuntary positive mental images’ in the brain. You can try it for yourself
by Christian Jarrett
Is being single a happier experience for women or men?
More people than ever are going solo. We identified a gender difference that hints at the ingredients needed to enjoy it
by Elaine Hoan & Geoff MacDonald
What style of curiosity do you practise?
New research shows that people satisfy their curiosity in different ways. Are you a hunter, a busybody or a dancer?
by Richard Fisher
Mindie is a talented singer. She also doesn’t have legs. As a teen, it got complicated
A film by Megan Griffiths and Mindie Lind
The ancients dreamt the same dreams as us
There is something comforting about realising that, even in Homer’s day, people wondered what the hell their dreams meant
by Sam Dresser
Perhaps the weirdest experience you’ll have sober, what exactly is déjà vu?
Video by BBC Ideas
Love, shame and 325 bags of trash
In my mother’s hoarding house, I found something I wanted to keep
by Deborah Derrickson Kossmann