Cameron Allan McKean

Editor, Aeon+Psyche

Cameron is a writer, editor and underwater anthropologist in Melbourne, Australia. After a decade in Tokyo working as an arts journalist, he began doctoral studies at Deakin University involving fieldwork with scientists and divers at coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean. Cameron is a former books and culture editor for The Japan Times, and a past contributor to CNN, ArtAsiaPacific, Dwell, Apartamento, and art-agenda.

Edited by Cameron Allan McKean

A person pushing a bike through a muddy landfill with debris under an overcast sky, distant hills and houses.
DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

Despair can help us mourn lost futures and chart new paths

Hope is indispensable. But when false hope blinds us to reality, a short bout of despair might be the antidote we need

by Juliette Vazard

Photo of a man holding laundry in a dimly lit room with shelves, a microwave and a curtain on the left.
MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

What do Japan’s hikikomori reveal about our lonely world?

Unemployed and isolated, the residents of a hikikomori rehab centre hold up a mirror to a society that’s failing them

by Alain Julian

A man in an outdoor ice bath, clasping his hands and wearing a smartwatch.
EVALUATING THERAPIES

Do we really need breathwork gurus to tell us how to breathe?

Breathing was once a natural reflex. How did it become a high-stakes biohacking ritual taught by wellness celebrities?

by Oriana Walker

A red bin overflowing with paper coffee cups next to a wall with powerpoints in an office setting.
FOOD AND DRINK

Why we should treat caffeine like the brain-altering drug it is

Like billions of people, I use caffeine. But there is a glaring double standard in the drugs we stigmatise or celebrate

by Jonathan Simone

A cremation ceremony at night on a riverbank, surrounded by fires, people and historical buildings.
RITUALS AND CELEBRATIONS

They keep the Hindu funeral pyres burning, but at what cost?

For the men and boys of the Dom community in Varanasi, sacred cremations demand a lifetime of exhausting, dangerous labour

by Radhika Iyengar

A marmot peeking from grass in a valley with mountains under a blue sky with clouds.
BEAUTY AND AESTHETICS

What if animals find beauty in the world, just like we do?

Chimpanzees favour the colour red. Junglefowl prefer symmetry. Our shared capacity for aesthetic pleasure is cause for wonder

by Brandon Keim

Monks in colourful robes and hats, forming a circle during an outdoor festival with flags and onlookers in Tibet.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

Complexity science can deepen your mindfulness practice

What if ‘stress reduction’ is the least interesting thing mindfulness does? Complexity science offers new ways forward

by Pavel Chvykov

An otter rolling on a moss-covered rock, eyes closed in a relaxed pose with a blurry background.
ANIMALS

You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain

The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals

by Bryony Tolhurst