People holding protest signs in French against a stone wall, highlighting feminist and anti-violence messages.
ETHICS

There are times when we shouldn’t be ashamed of public shaming

When our self-respect, status and social identity are threatened, we ought to defend ourselves and shame our wrongdoers

by James Edgar Lim

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

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 cluttered room with books, papers, toys and shelves filled with various items, including a table football game.
FOCUS AND ATTENTION
2

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

Ideas

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A large statue silhouetted on a yellow wall with a small boy in blue standing nearby on a sunlit street.
IDENTITY

Why we should embrace ‘nepantla’ – the in-betweenness of life

by Carlos Alberto Sánchez

Guides

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MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
5

How to know if your meditation is working

Traditional and tech-based methods can reveal what your practice is doing – and give you the confidence to stick with it

by Matt Fuchs

Photo of a crowded event with out-of-focus people in the background and sharply focused green and white flowers in the foreground.
SOCIAL ANXIETY

How to network when you’re socially anxious

Do networking events fill you with dread? Here’s how to manage your fears, show up, and take advantage of the opportunities

by Fallon Goodman

Life stories

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUSTICE

‘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 person in a cap walking on a residential street with cars parked and bare trees in the background.
COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOURAL THERAPIES

How to take control of your tics – or eliminate them altogether

Whether or not you have a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, a powerful self-help approach can make a difference within a week

by Paul DePompo

Photo of ancient ruins on a rocky hill with a cloudy sky and distant mountains in the background.
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

This is not the end. Apocalyptic comfort from ancient Iran

Faced with the collapse of their empire, Zoroastrians sought comfort in the apocalyptic – and their literature flourished

by Domenico Agostini & Samuel Thrope

Latest videos

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

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

Video by University of the Netherlands

Black and white photo of two people in a subway station, one walking left, another dancing, station name Dundas West.
Psyche Exclusive
DANCE

Dancing in public is deeply vulnerable. Emma does it anyway

Black-and-white vintage photo of Helen Keller in profile with eyes closed wearing a high-necked dress, hair in a bun.
MUSIC

Helen Keller’s blissful encounter with Beethoven’s Ninth

Close-up photo of a person’s face in profile wearing glasses looking out of a window, with reflections in the lenses.
OCD

Sexual OCD doesn’t fit the stereotypes. That compounds the pain

Abstract painting of hands on a table with a small dish vase and utensils in a stylised kitchen setting.
OCD

Adrift at sea, Nestor struggles to control the chaos within

Notes to self

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Portrait painting of a man in a thoughtful pose with hand on head wearing a dark coat and white cravat against a dark background.
POETRY

Existential crisis? Try reading Wordsworth

by Sam Dresser

Popular

Close-up photo of a person’s face with closed eyes and freckles on their skin.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
5

How to know if your meditation is working

Traditional and tech-based methods can reveal what your practice is doing – and give you the confidence to stick with it

by Matt Fuchs

Photo of a crowded event with out-of-focus people in the background and sharply focused green and white flowers in the foreground.
SOCIAL ANXIETY

How to network when you’re socially anxious

Do networking events fill you with dread? Here’s how to manage your fears, show up, and take advantage of the opportunities

by Fallon Goodman

Warm sunlight casting shadows on a wooden chest and a door inside a dimly lit room.
VISIONS AND MYSTICISM

A haunting in Brooklyn

At 25, I saw my grandfather’s ghost. At 52, I think of what it may mean to be a ghost

by Kathleen Donohoe

An overgrown garden with a blue boat surrounded by tall grass, houses in the background and a wooden fence in the foreground.
GOALS AND MOTIVATION
2

Want things to go well? Plan like a defensive pessimist

So often we underestimate the time and effort required to reach our goals. You can avoid that trap with realistic planning

by Julie K Norem

A large statue silhouetted on a yellow wall with a small boy in blue standing nearby on a sunlit street.
IDENTITY

Why we should embrace ‘nepantla’ – the in-betweenness of life

In an age of strong political commitments, a Nahuatl word encapsulates the freedom to let go of what has become oppressive

by Carlos Alberto Sánchez

A large crowd of men in black attire participating in a procession with hands on heads, expressing emotion.
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

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

A silhouette of a person at an airport window watching a plane on the tarmac under a blue sky.
HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH

What mental health campaigns get wrong about silence

Well-meaning campaigns urge openness and conversation about mental health struggles. But there are those who cherish silence

by Dan Degerman

Illustration of a smiling man with long hair, wearing a shirt, with a scenic background featuring buildings and people meditating.
MEANING AND THE GOOD LIFE
2

‘We are all always coming and going’

Steve Schwartzberg’s journey from Harvard psychologist to erotic healer, Buddhist and teacher was always haunted by death. Then he was diagnosed with terminal cancer

by Andrew Lawler

Explore: Food and drink

Photo of doughnuts with white icing and colourful sprinkles on a pink background.
FOOD AND DRINK

‘Sonic branding’ and other ways food marketing keeps you hooked

Video by the Institute of Art and Ideas

A woman sits at a table with traditional Chinese teacups and teapots. She takes in the aroma of a cup of tea. Behind her are shelves of cylindrical bricks of Pu Erh tea.
FOOD AND DRINK
3

For a Chinese tea master, each sip is a rich expression of memory

Directed by Anna-Claria Ostasenko Bogdanoff

A pair of white trainers with a black tick Nike logo against a wooden floor, sunlight casting a shadow behind.
HABITS AND ROUTINES

Why some healthy habits still take so much effort

by Blair Saunders & Kimberly R More

A dish of roasted chicken garnished with lemon slices, bean sprouts, and fresh mint in a clay pot, with a person arranging lemon slices on a nearby plate.
FOOD AND DRINK

Founding the ‘world’s best’ restaurant made Sally happy. So did selling it

Directed by Ben Proudfoot

An elder woman setting a dining table with patterned cloth, another person in a mask and headphones in the background, plants, and wooden furniture around.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES
3

Mary’s famed ragout is salted with the pains and joys of her family life

Directed by Shaina Feinberg