Psyche Magazine
@psyche.co
A magazine to help you understand yourself and live well.
Renaissance artists paid uncommon attention to Jesus’ nether regions. What does this breach in modesty reveal about art?
A lesson from the Son of Man’s manhood | Psyche Notes to Self
Renaissance artists paid uncommon attention to Jesus’ nether regions. What does this breach in modesty reveal about art?
psyche.co
November 10, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Renaissance artists paid uncommon attention to Jesus’ nether regions. What does this breach in modesty reveal about art?
Some people watch history pass by. Others high in ‘historical consciousness’ truly live it – and seem to benefit as a result. How does history become part of people’s life stories, and why does it, at times, get left out? psyche.co/ideas/do-you...
Do you weave historical events into your own life story? | Psyche Ideas
Some people watch history pass by. Others high in ‘historical consciousness’ truly live it – and seem to benefit as a result
psyche.co
November 10, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Some people watch history pass by. Others high in ‘historical consciousness’ truly live it – and seem to benefit as a result. How does history become part of people’s life stories, and why does it, at times, get left out? psyche.co/ideas/do-you...
‘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.
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.
As a hospital chaplain, my job was holding hands in the dark | Psyche Turning Points
As a hospital chaplain, I watched lives end, faiths fracture and certainties crumble. My job was holding hands in the dark
buff.ly
November 6, 2025 at 11:30 AM
‘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.
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
From prison, a bank robber and acclaimed author reflects on time | Psyche Videos
Amid an 18-year prison sentence for bank robbery, a member of the Stopwatch Gang reflects on the fluid nature of time
buff.ly
November 5, 2025 at 3:45 PM
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
Why AI’s hallucinations are like the illusions of narcissism | Psyche Ideas
Unable to handle uncertainty, AI mimics the narcissistic compulsion to fill voids with plausible but false narratives
buff.ly
November 5, 2025 at 11:45 AM
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
How I discovered that science itself could be a form of dissent | Psyche Turning Points
When I tested people’s blood after a protest, I discovered that science itself could be a form of dissent
buff.ly
November 4, 2025 at 11:30 AM
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
What I found in one of the tiniest languages | Psyche Notes to Self
The great complexity and extraordinary simplicity of a constructed language with no more than 140 words
buff.ly
November 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM
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
How to tolerate annoying things | Psyche Guides
Hassles are part of life, but the way we react often makes them worse. ACT skills can help you handle them with greater ease
buff.ly
November 3, 2025 at 11:45 AM
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.
October 31, 2025 at 12:45 PM
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
True courage isn’t being fearless, it’s fearing well | Psyche Ideas
Aristotle created the blueprint for the bravery we need to resist injustice and do the right thing, even at our own risk
buff.ly
October 31, 2025 at 10:15 AM
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
How I overcame my phobia to adopt a daddy longlegs called Trixie | Psyche Turning Points
I’ve always been terrified of spiders, yet one day I adopted the daddy longlegs in my bathroom
buff.ly
October 30, 2025 at 10:30 AM
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
One girl’s long, scary route from changing room to swimming pool | Psyche Videos
From changing room to swimming pool, it’s a long and perilous route for one girl approaching the shallows of adolescence
buff.ly
October 29, 2025 at 1:31 PM
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
How to overcome a fear of fear | Psyche Guides
When you become afraid of your own reaction to perceived threats, it creates a vicious cycle. Here’s how to break free
buff.ly
October 29, 2025 at 10:30 AM
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
Reposted by Psyche Magazine
So important to put things in perspective like this.
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’
Despair can help us mourn lost futures and chart new paths | Psyche Ideas
Hope is indispensable. But when false hope blinds us to reality, a short bout of despair might be the antidote we need
buff.ly
October 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
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
One brother dead, the other murderous. How did I survive? | Psyche Turning Points
After my brother Chris died by suicide, my other brother Dave tried to kill me. Here’s how I survived
buff.ly
October 28, 2025 at 1:01 PM
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?
How scary is it really? | Psyche Notes to Self
Research on frightening but fun experiences offers some encouragement for those of us who prefer to know what’s ahead
buff.ly
October 28, 2025 at 11:04 AM
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
When dreams touch reality – the liminal world of sleep paralysis | Psyche Videos
Enter a world between dream and reality in this stop-motion animation on the science – and horror – of sleep paralysis
buff.ly
October 27, 2025 at 1:15 PM
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
The neural reward that makes avoiding your fears feel so good | Psyche Ideas
We’re told that facing our fears can help us overcome them – but this misses the other intoxicating part of the equation
buff.ly
October 27, 2025 at 10:30 AM
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
How a bank blunder led me to jail – and out of the closet | Psyche Turning Points
When a big deposit appeared from nowhere in my account, it changed my life – but not how you’d think
buff.ly
October 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM
‘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’
Despair can help us mourn lost futures and chart new paths | Psyche Ideas
Hope is indispensable. But when false hope blinds us to reality, a short bout of despair might be the antidote we need
buff.ly
October 23, 2025 at 11:01 AM
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’
Reposted by Psyche Magazine
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...
We wrote a piece in @psyche.co magazine about our research on #empathy in infants
@durhampsych.bsky.social
psyche.co/ideas/were-l...
We’re learning just how early in life empathy starts to move us | Psyche Ideas
What contagious crying, comforting hugs and other cute behaviour in infants tells us about the roots of emotional connection
psyche.co
July 24, 2025 at 11:45 AM
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...
We wrote a piece in @psyche.co magazine about our research on #empathy in infants
@durhampsych.bsky.social
psyche.co/ideas/were-l...
Reposted by Psyche Magazine
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...
psyche.co/guides/how-t...
How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow | Psyche Guides
Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time
psyche.co
July 30, 2025 at 2:23 PM
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...
psyche.co/guides/how-t...
Reposted by Psyche Magazine
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!
Jaywalking used to feel rebellious, now it seems like a relic | Psyche Stories of Change
Even before I got hit, I’d come to find unexpected bliss in waiting at street corners
psyche.co
July 31, 2025 at 4:02 PM
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!
Reposted by Psyche Magazine
Wrote for @psyche.co about disinhibition – the trait that brings chaos and frustration, but can also (sometimes) spark charm and boldness. Check it out!
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?
October 7, 2025 at 11:05 AM
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
Hand-drawn animation brings a meeting of ‘voice-hearers’ to life | Psyche Videos
‘If they weren’t there, to whom would I talk?’ In a support group, ‘voice-hearers’ share their unique, inward experiences
buff.ly
October 22, 2025 at 4:45 PM
‘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