The evil eye is irrational. Abandon it at your peril
So many of the world’s superstitions have been supplanted by rational thinking. Why does one of the oldest beliefs persist?
by Timna Abramov
Rituals and celebrations
Articles, Films and practical Guides on rituals and celebrations, part of Psyche’s coverage of spirituality and transcendence.
Why you should talk to your dead ancestors
The simple act of communicating without expecting anything in return can bring you closer to your family – and to yourself
by Mariam Vahradyan
Reclaiming the skull
When my daughter went on her first hunt, I saw how passing down tradition can transform its meaning
by Robin Verble
Spirituality can’t be reduced to what’s happening in the brain
Seeing the ‘mind’ as extending beyond the head can help us better understand the nature of transcendent experiences
by Mohammadamin Saraei
How to be the archivist of your own family
By curating your family’s stories, rituals and relics, you’ll feel anchored – and create a bridge between the generations
by Samantha Ellis
The sauna life
Each cycle of steam and cold brought me closer to the land, my mother, and the version of myself I’d left behind
by Katja Pettinen
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
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
How to plan a pilgrimage
Whether religious or not, you can undertake a special, meaningful kind of journey that could leave you changed forever
by Oliver Smith
The birthday gift
In the Soviet Union, you’d never wish someone ‘S dnem rozhdeniya!’ without a proper present
by Margarita Gokun Silver
Reflections on mortality can help you live well now – here’s how
For me and many others, contemplating death has clarified what matters. These curiosity-based exercises will get you started
by Joanna Ebenstein
Solitude can be profoundly restorative. Here’s how to savour it
Time alone offers unique psychological benefits, once you learn to embrace these quiet moments rather than escape them
by Thuy-vy Nguyen
For Plato, rationalists and mystics can walk the same path
Why did such a keen proponent of reason turn to the Eleusinian Mysteries to explain his ideas about knowledge?
by Sam Woodward
Take a seat: the long table is an antidote to loneliness
While some consider the long, shared dining table outdated or inconvenient, it is actually a powerful social tool
by Antone Martinho-Truswell
