‘Some say once you’re gone, you’re gone forever Some say you’re gonna come back I think I’ll just let the mystery be.’ In this first-person story, a former hospital chaplain recounts how she served as a sacred hand-holder for the dying, even as aspects of her faith gradually peeled away or evolved.

This short documentary captures the Canadian bank robber and best-selling author Stephen Reid telling his extraordinary life story amid an 18-year prison sentence

Comparing AI hallucinations to the behavioural patterns of ‘narcissistic confabulation’ sheds light on why both humans and machines might generate narratives that feel coherent while remaining unmoored from truth

This piece relates the story of a scientist who left the academy but – following oppressive treatment by authorities – found that she could use her truth-finding tools in the service of activism and myth-busting

Imagine trying to describe everything you see, think or feel with only 120-140 words. The constructed language of Toki Pona poses this challenge, bringing to light enduring ideas about meaning-making and metaphor

Daily hassles happen. But how you choose to respond in those moments determines whether you add to the stress. This Guide gives you practical skills grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy which can help you better handle common annoyances

As Seneca said – ‘we are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality’. During Halloween, we play with fear, turning what is often considered a negative experience into a source of fun and amusement. Discover Psyche’s fear week at the link in our bio.

Is bravery about being fearless or feeling the fear and acting regardless? Aristotle created the blueprint for the bravery we need to resist injustice and do the right thing, even at our own risk

There’s no shortage of things to fear in this world, and often, fear arises less from real threat than from unfamiliarity. This story about an arachnophobe’s adoption of a daddy longlegs spider shows us one way to embrace your fears

From changing room to swimming pool, it’s a long and perilous route for one girl approaching the shallows of adolescence

For some people, everyday fears morph into more intense forms of chronic anxiety. And very often this has less to do with trauma and more to do with a lesson you’ve unintentionally taught your brain – to fear fear itself

So important to put things in perspective like this.

In this hard-hitting and incredibly moving Turning Point, the author Anita Lambert confronts her fear of her abusive brother following their other brother’s suicide. With raw, compelling writing and her own striking artwork, Lambert takes us through trauma, survival and ultimately towards hope

Many situations in life that are supposed to be fun involve a high degree of uncertainty. For those of us who like to be able to see what’s coming, many of these potentially enjoyable opportunities may as well have warning signs hanging over them. But what if research encourages us to take the risk?

This video explores this space between dream and reality, explaining the science and history behind sleep paralysis – a mystifying and often terrifying phenomenon in which dreams intrude upon waking life

In this Idea, neuroscientists explore how the intoxicating relief that comes with avoidant behaviour can eventually become a burden

‘Accidental millionaire’ alternates between comedy and tragedy in its story of a young gay Kenyan for whom a weird event – receiving a bunch of money that wasn’t his, and being prosecuted for it – ultimately led him to connect with LGBTQ community and changed the path of his life

Hope is indispensable. But when false hope blinds us to reality, a short bout of despair might be the antidote we need. ‘If short bouts of despair can help us let go of futures that can no longer be, they also clear space for new visions to take shape’

What contagious crying and comforting in infants tell us about the roots of emotional connection We wrote a piece in @psyche.co magazine about our research on #empathy in infants @durhampsych.bsky.social psyche.co/ideas/were-l...

Hey, I wrote a thing. I (and others) think that our sense of time and mental well-being are linked. Here are my thoughts on it. Thanks @psyche.co for the invite! psyche.co/guides/how-t...

My latest essay for @psyche.co, which also serves as the inaugural essay for their Life Stories section. Special thanks to Pamela Weintraub for the acceptance, support, and patience. Read on!

Wrote for @psyche.co about disinhibition – the trait that brings chaos and frustration, but can also (sometimes) spark charm and boldness. Check it out!

‘If they weren’t there, to whom would I talk?’ Drawing on a recording of a bimonthly support group for voice-hearers, this video by Tristan Thil brings their interactions to life via colourful, hand-drawn animations

How good is your memory? Research shows that having a good memory is less about natural ability and more about practise. This guide will show you how your memory can be improved with the right techniques @lynne-kelly-42.bsky.social

An uncomfortable reminder of the tension between your beliefs and behaviour might give you the push you need to change

A fresh investigation of vast numbers of young people from around the world has thrown up some surprising results and raised an important question: Is narcissism really on the rise among younger generations? buff.ly/PtP8V2k

Modern life demands constant decision-making. This TED-Ed animation introduces the psychology of ‘decision fatigue’ and explains how we might approach choices with greater clarity, conserving energy for the ones that matter most

This Life Story by Katja Pettinen describes what Finnish sauna culture can teach us about taking time to listen, slow down, and feel where the current pulls

Delighted to co-author this piece with Leonie Bossert on the potential benefits and risks of using AI to communicate with animals! 🐋

‘For most of my 20s, I couldn’t brush my teeth, ride public transit, or take a walk without listening to a podcast or audiobook. Silence, I thought, was a waste of time.’ This Note to Self is about finding appreciation in the mundane experiences we prefer to fill with distractions or entertainment

While borderline personality disorder is relatively prevalen, it is often stigmatized and misunderstood. This Guide focuses on this challenging clinical topic, offering reliable, evidence-based information about what the diagnosis means (and doesn’t mean), and the initial steps toward recovery

The human desire to communicate with animals is as old as it is universal. Today, that ancient dream might be closer than ever, thanks to rapidly evolving AI. But the potential for harm might outweigh the benefits

‘The ties we forge in ordinary life can hold us in the worst moments.’ A bike crash left my husband paralysed. What happened next taught me something profound about community.

In celebration of OCD Awareness Week, we're revisiting this Guide from the Psyche archive exploring some therapeutic techniques that can help one build psychological flexibility and cultivate more freedom #OCDAwarenessWeek

Research shows that audiences prefer spending time with immoral characters than good ones. This Psyche original video essay draws on Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and more to explore the appeal of venturing to the far-flung extremes of human behaviour

Hard-to-diagnose illnesses aren’t ‘all in the mind’. But recognising their links to mental health can help reduce the pain

In this short, Janani Sridharan, an activist navigating motherhood for the first time, reflects on the complexity of reconciling these two kinds of caregiving

‘Every time it worked, I felt a quiet power humming under my ribs.’ How a fake accent became a full blown identity experiment

Today is World Mental Health Day, so we’re revisiting this Guide from the Psyche archive on how to stop languishing and get your mojo back #mentalhealth #worldmentalhealthday #mentalhealthcare

This Turning Point about living with 'recurrent pregnancy loss' is an honest piece with emotional depth, throwing up dilemmas around acceptance versus persistence

‘Care, I began to conclude, did not mean comfort, warmth or recognition. It meant obedience. Here, the self was something to be corrected, not understood’

The trait that makes some people so frustrating – and alluring psyche.co/ideas/the-tr... By @jananmost.bsky.social for @psyche.co Conscientiousness is constantly touted as a virtue, so what’s life like for people with the opposite trait – disinhibition?

From the Ukrainian boxing champion Usyk’s recent claim, this Note to Self reflects on why having discipline matters more than having motivation

Being a more adventurous eater is about more than just getting novel foods on your plate or going to a different restaurant for a change. It can mean developing a new relationship with food. Doing even one or two of the steps in this Guide will help you refresh your cache of food experiences

In this layered portrait of life on the streets of Los Angeles, strife is interlaced with moments of joy and solidarity. A film directed by Chung Nguyen. buff.ly/6E7qdPX

Video games are often maligned as addictive, but as this short from @uofcalifornia.bsky.social explains, they offer at least one benefit – reducing anxiety

Learning more about the little-known personality trait of disinhibition could help you better understand some of the people in your life, or maybe even yourself

We like to think our tastes are personal; our style and wardrobe hand-picked and self-crafted. But the luxury business model is structured to shape us – through nudges, scarcity, pricing signals and algorithmic machines

A gay man’s ethical angst over sexuality and faith transforms into a revelatory experience that lifts the burden and leaves behind lightness and hope. Read the story here: buff.ly/74LpEtL

In this video by @letterslive.com, James Earl Jones reads a letter written by Kurt Vonnegut in 2006, where he makes an impassioned case to ‘practise any art’