An aeroplane landing at dusk with runway lights glowing, surrounded by a purple sky and silhouetted light poles.

When we fear the past we’re actually still looking ahead

Fear protects us from future harm, so what’s going on when we find ourselves scared of what’s already happened?

by Davide Bordini & Giuliano Torrengo

Silhouette of a person with headphones holding a phone against a twilight sky with streetlamps in the background.

How to write yourself every day

By getting thoughts out of your head and on to a page, you can become the author of your own life, one small page at a time

by Mohsen Askari

A spinning vinyl record with an orange label and a turntable needle in motion on the black grooved surface.
MUSIC
2

You can use music to escape your negative thought loops

Research is uncovering the way music can calm the brain and there are techniques to help you amplify its emotional power

by Stefan Koelsch

Airport terminal with people on moving walkway pulling luggage and others sitting on benches.
LOVE

On loving a clone, or why love can’t be rationally justified

by Idowu Odeyemi

Animated characters posing happily in a red-tiled room, with some applying makeup.

What is Roblox teaching children about capitalism?

by Gabija Tonkunas

Guides

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Black and white photo of a child silhouetted against a brightly lit fountain at night.

How to reconnect with your inner child

The experiences you had as a child influence your emotional life as an adult. Recognising these dynamics can be healing

by Nickan Arzpeyma

An older couple sitting on a bench in a park with a historical building and fountain in the background.

How to date again after an abusive relationship

You might feel unlovable or find dating daunting, but you deserve connection – and you can find it safely at your own pace

by Charlotte Jarvis

Life stories

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Illustration of a man in glasses with a yellow starburst background mosque sketch and abstract patterns

‘Each of us has a song’

Burhan Sönmez, now the president of PEN International, was a rising human rights lawyer in Turkey. A brutal assault nearly killed him – and propelled him to a life in literature

by Kaya Genç

Editor’s picks

A black-and-white photo of a man using a megaphone over the sea with ships in the distance.

How to find your voice

Do you sometimes feel silenced or afraid to speak up? Learn to use your natural voice and be heard for who you really are

by Sophie Scott

Photo of four men embracing on a beach at night with colourful lights blurred in the background.

Too many men lack close friendships. What’s holding them back?

Some masculine norms are a straightjacket, depriving men of the connections they need. It takes bravery to leave them behind

by Angelica Puzio Ferrara

Latest videos

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Photo of a person in a field of tall grass looking at a forested hill under a partly cloudy sky.
Psyche Exclusive

A poet-botanist’s lifelong pursuit of discovery

A film by Alex Darby and Jake Morris

Photo of six illuminated geometric lanterns with various patterns on a dark background.
GRIEF

How queer last rites became unique celebrations of life

A person sitting beside a graphic brain illustration with wave patterns on a green background.

Don’t avoid stressors. Learn to navigate the stress spectrum

Notes to self

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A full moon shining through clouds in a dark night sky above silhouetted treetops.

Stargazing really is good for the soul

by Richard Fisher

Daguerreotype of a seated man wearing an apron and a partially open shirt framed in a gold mat.
ETHICS

How will the future judge us?

by Matt Huston

Popular

A cluttered room with books, papers, toys and shelves filled with various items, including a table football game.

How to reclaim your attention

Psychological minimalism is a way to clarify your life by cutting the mental noise from your environment and routines

by Yousri Marzouki

Silhouette of a person with headphones holding a phone against a twilight sky with streetlamps in the background.

How to write yourself every day

By getting thoughts out of your head and on to a page, you can become the author of your own life, one small page at a time

by Mohsen Askari

Black and white photo of a child silhouetted against a brightly lit fountain at night.

How to reconnect with your inner child

The experiences you had as a child influence your emotional life as an adult. Recognising these dynamics can be healing

by Nickan Arzpeyma

Black and white drawing of three men in hats sitting on a bench, each with distinct expressions and postures.

IQ scores are falling but, no, we’re not growing more stupid

Screens and social media get the blame, but the real problem lies in how we measure intelligence in the first place

by Stuart Jeffries

A student sleeping on a desk covered with piles of books and papers, surrounded by cluttered desks in a classroom.

What helps you feel better might depend on where you grew up

Research on the common strategies used to deal with emotions suggests their usefulness differs from culture to culture

by Mark Chen

A person wearing a futuristic robotic suit walking through a lush green forest.

Finding solace in Murderbot

Why I’ve started describing my feelings in the style of Murderbot, a half-human construct from Martha Wells’s sci-fi series

by Christian Jarrett

An older couple sitting on a bench in a park with a historical building and fountain in the background.

How to date again after an abusive relationship

You might feel unlovable or find dating daunting, but you deserve connection – and you can find it safely at your own pace

by Charlotte Jarvis

Animated characters posing happily in a red-tiled room, with some applying makeup.

What is Roblox teaching children about capitalism?

The popular game platform offers space to create, socialise, even protest. It’s also a realm of extraction and inequality

by Gabija Tonkunas

Explore: Human evolution

Vintage photo of two women in Victorian attire, one in a patterned dress looks at the other who wears a fur-trimmed coat.

You don’t need perfect features to be physically beautiful

by Annett Schirmer

Illustration of an elderly person in a chair holding a baby touching the child’s finger.

Humans are uniquely reliant on caregivers. This isn’t a weakness, but a wondrous gift

Video by Aeon

A group of people outdoors looking serious, with one woman wiping her eyes in the centre. Trees and buildings in background.

The hidden calculations that determine whether you will cry

by Daniel Sznycer & Debra Lieberman

A cheerful picnic by a river with adults and children relaxing on blankets under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

For a happier life, we must balance two old psychological needs

by William von Hippel

A blurred black cat jumps on dirt ground in the foreground, with a distant statue of Pope John Paul II with arms outstretched against the sky in the background

Cultural taboos arise from a basic feature of the human mind

by Kevin (Ze) Hong

Futuristic painting with diverse people on a hill overlooking a cityscape blending nature, ancient monuments and advanced tech.

Let everyone sparkle: psychotechnology in the year 2067

by Eric Schwitzgebel