....but a process of inference. I have a confession. As a physicist and psychiatrist, I find it difficult to engage with conversations about consciousness. My biggest gripe is that the philosophers and cognitive scientists who tend to pose the questions often assume that the mind is a thing, whose existence can be identified by the…
Meditation
Few fitness and wellness trends have taken over my feeds as comprehensively as breathwork has in the last few months—it's all guys calmly sitting cross-legged or plunging into ice baths while talking about the Wim Hof Method as far as the eye can see. Now, if you don't know Wim Hof from Wim Wenders, I’ll refrain from…
My partner of two years and I broke up recently. It was an extremely painful process that has led to extremely painful days, which I can only hope gets easier with time—that's what people say, right? Some of that pain came from how unsure we both were that it was the right thing to do.…
A psychedelic experience can be deeply rewarding, but also carries real risks. Here’s how to avoid a bad trip.
Humans have consumed substances with consciousness-altering properties for millennia. Traditional societies used them in healing rituals, initiation ceremonies and to make contact with the gods and the dead, among other practices. Today they are…
Is this just fantasy? Philosophers and physicists say we might be living in a computer simulation, but how can we tell? And does it matter? Our species is not going to last forever. One way or another, humanity will vanish from the Universe, but before it does, it might summon together sufficient computing power to…
I stumbled upon Daphne on the rooftop of a dusky riad in Marrakech. This six-foot Canadienne with man-sized feet was the only other guest there, and she was naked. Or mostly naked, which is startling for me at the best of times, but particularly in Morocco – a conservative north-African Muslim country. “Oh, er, hello!”…
Did you know that Japan’s shrines and temples welcome regular tourists to stay for a night or more? Experience authentic Zen meditation, the traditional, vegetarian cuisine called shojin ryori, and explore a fascinating world so different from anything you know. Staying at a shrine or temple is an experience that even a lot of Japanese people don’t get to have that easily, a…
Worrying about the world keeping you up at night? With the current state of things, there's quite a lot to lose sleep over. And many of us weren't even getting great shut-eye before the novel coronavirus pandemic. Read more courtesy of LiveStrong.com
Centrally located in the Iranian capital Tehran, the Vali-e-Asr Mosque’s most distinguishing aspect is the fact that it does not look like a mosque. Designed by Iranian architects Reza Daneshmir and Catherine Spiridonoff of Fluid Motion Architects, the building eschews the stereotypical typology of large domes and tall minarets in favour of a modest horizontality…
Yoga has such a calming effect, doesn't it? When you can't get to your studio, you can still get the benefits of yoga at home by following along to these videos. Whether you have 10 minutes or 30, stretching and strengthening your muscles will make your body and mind feel grounded and relaxed. Read more…
It had been a packed afternoon of exploring the charming city of Tamba Sasayama, where the vibrant energy of young businesses ran hot through the city. But it was also a relentlessly cold and rainy day. so I was already fantasizing about hot baths and steaming hot pots when we arrived at the 100-year-old traditional Japanese house.…
Rock art, that is paintings and carvings on natural rock formations, is one of the earliest forms of creative expression and a universal phenomenon among prehistoric societies, in this case, Indian. An instrument of communication rather than simply art, it is an assemblage of material culture which provides a glimpse into the lives of people…
A brain glitch? A sign of quantum entanglement? What science says about déjà vu. Roughly two-thirds of people have had déjà vu, or the weird feeling that a new situation has been experienced before. Yet its prevalence belies just how mysterious the phenomenon remains to researchers, despite some extraordinary recent leaps in neuroscience. In part,…
We love vacations. But yes, we love staycations more, especially when weekends are all that you have to cut back on your daily routine. A staycation is what you can have if you do not wish to get lost in arduous sightseeing or going to some 100 places and end with a burnout later on. So yes,…
In the six years since I was diagnosed with both generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder—what can I say, I’m an overachiever—I’ve tried just about everything to manage my symptoms. I’ve been in and out of therapy and took medication for a year, but ultimately decided to taper off the medication because I didn’t like the side…
Work: sometimes it’s all a bit too much, isn’t it? The digital age bombards workers with new tasks from all directions, while the backlog of things that need doing builds and builds. Unfortunately, that feeling of being overwhelmed by emails, colleague interactions and an infinite to-do list only makes it more difficult to make any…
Mexico is as vast as it is diverse. Its 761,600 square miles of land range from arid coastal regions in the west to verdant Rousseau-esque jungles in the south. Long known for its cultural roots in plant medicines and healing temazcal (or sweat lodge) ceremonies, Mexico has always been a wellness haven—a place of ritualized…
One of the most difficult aspects of retirement planning is that you don't know how long you will live and therefore how many years of retirement you need to save up for. Most people plan for retirement using an estimate of their life expectancy. However, if you guess too young an age, you risk spending down your savings…
Yoga seems to be the classic fad exercise regime, everyone is doing it. But there are a whole host of reasons why Yoga is not only amazing for your physical health, but also your mental well-being. Read more courtesy of MobileLifeToday.com
The blood flow in our bodies is the main criteria by which we can assess health. The regular circulation of blood is responsible for delivering oxygen to different parts of the body and for the elimination of waste. Inadequate blood supply or circulation results in dull skin, cold toes and fingers, low energy and tired…