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Psychology

Human behavior is fascinating — and we still have a lot to learn. Keep up with news and updates from the field of psychology.

The world’s most mysterious psychedelic is already inside your brain
The HighlightMember Exclusive

DMT, “the nuclear bomb of the psychedelic family,” explained.

By Oshan Jarow
Nitrous, one of the oldest mind-altering drugs, is backNitrous, one of the oldest mind-altering drugs, is back
Future Perfect

Whippets on TikTok are just a re-run of inhaling nitrous on stage in the 1800s.

By Oshan Jarow
How zapping the brain can supercharge meditationHow zapping the brain can supercharge meditation
Future Perfect

New brain stimulation techniques could help scientists understand how meditation changes the mind.

By Oshan Jarow
What if the panic over teens and tech is totally wrong?What if the panic over teens and tech is totally wrong?
Technology

The collective freakout about the youth mental health crisis has reached a tipping point.

By Adam Clark Estes
MDMA therapy didn’t get FDA approval. Now what?MDMA therapy didn’t get FDA approval. Now what?
Future Perfect

The end of psychedelic prohibition will have to wait a little while longer.

By Oshan Jarow
How the seasons screw with your moral compassHow the seasons screw with your moral compass
Future Perfect

Your morality isn’t as stable as you might think.

By Sigal Samuel
What if absolutely everything is conscious?
Science

Scientists spent ages mocking panpsychism. Now, some are warming to the idea that plants, cells, and even atoms are conscious.

By Sigal Samuel
The world’s emotional status is actually pretty good, a new global report findsThe world’s emotional status is actually pretty good, a new global report finds
Future Perfect

But which country comes first in happiness completely changes depending on how you measure.

By Oshan Jarow
Will AI ever become conscious? It depends on how you think about biology.
Future Perfect

The debate that will steer the future of consciousness — and us.

By Oshan Jarow
How Inside Out 2 tackles the science of teenage emotionsHow Inside Out 2 tackles the science of teenage emotions
Culture

Talking with the psychologists who brought the real science of emotion to the Pixar film.

By Allie Volpe
Language doesn’t perfectly describe consciousness. Can math?Language doesn’t perfectly describe consciousness. Can math?
Future Perfect

Even the most poetic words can’t capture the full richness of our minds. So scientists are turning to numbers.

By Oshan Jarow
Who gets to flourish?
Even Better

The paths — and barriers — to a flourishing life.

By Allie Volpe
China’s emerging psychedelic scene looks a lot like Silicon ValleyChina’s emerging psychedelic scene looks a lot like Silicon Valley
Future Perfect

Anthropologists are now showing how culture impacts psychedelic experiences.

By Oshan Jarow
Why we fear uncertainty — and why we shouldn’tWhy we fear uncertainty — and why we shouldn’t
Audio
The Gray Area

Expert knowledge is useful for problem-solving. So is adapting to new challenges.

By Sean Illing
A new approach to measuring what’s going on in our mindsA new approach to measuring what’s going on in our minds
Future Perfect

Quantifying the “complexity” of consciousness can tell us how rich our experiences are.

By Oshan Jarow
Why psychedelics produce some of the most meaningful experiences in people’s livesWhy psychedelics produce some of the most meaningful experiences in people’s lives
Future Perfect

Everything seems profound on psychedelics. Scientists are starting to ask why.

By Oshan Jarow
Robin Carhart-Harris studies psychedelics to understand the mind
The 2023 Future Perfect 50

Carhart-Harris shows how psychedelics can shed light on the nature of consciousness, and treat mental illness.

By Oshan Jarow
Psychedelics can have enormous benefits, but the risks shouldn’t be ignoredPsychedelics can have enormous benefits, but the risks shouldn’t be ignored
Future Perfect

As access grows, we need better research and education on bad trips.

By Oshan Jarow
Real mindfulness would transform the economyReal mindfulness would transform the economy
Future Perfect

Mindfulness without worker power is capitalism at its worst.

By Oshan Jarow
Meditation is more than either stress relief or enlightenment
Future Perfect

The new science of meditation is just getting started.

By Oshan Jarow
Psychedelics might revolutionize therapy. What happens if you remove the trip?Psychedelics might revolutionize therapy. What happens if you remove the trip?
Future Perfect

“Tripless” drugs might open more opportunities for psychiatry. Just don’t call them psychedelics.

By Oshan Jarow
The psychedelic renaissance is at risk of missing the bigger picture
Future Perfect

What we lose when psychedelics are medicalized.

By Oshan Jarow
Why the news is so negative — and what we can do about it
The Highlight

We can break the cycle of negativity bias in the media and get a more balanced view of the world.

By Dylan Matthews
What keeping secrets does to youWhat keeping secrets does to you
Audio
Science

We can keep a secret — but should we?

By Sean Illing
The case for regretThe case for regret
Audio
The Gray Area

Regrets, I’ve had a few, and they’re good actually.

By Sean Illing
A survey on global mental well-being shows that the kids are not all rightA survey on global mental well-being shows that the kids are not all right
Science

The Mental Health Million project queried over 220,000 people on well-being — and the results are worrying.

By Miranda Dixon-Luinenburg
Why you (probably) won’t finish reading this storyWhy you (probably) won’t finish reading this story
Audio
The Gray Area

We live in the most distracted time in human history. Can we reclaim our attention spans?

By Sean Illing
22 things we think will happen in 202222 things we think will happen in 2022
Future Perfect

Forecasting what’s shaping up to be another bumpy year.

By Dylan Matthews, Kelsey Piper and 1 more
A good life is painfulA good life is painful
Audio
The Gray Area

Psychologist Paul Bloom on the importance of suffering, the shortcomings of hedonism, and why he would never plug into the Matrix.

By Sean Illing
How to deal with (even more) Covid uncertaintyHow to deal with (even more) Covid uncertainty
Science

If you’re struggling to “wait and see” how bad omicron might be, here are productive ways to cope.

By Allie Volpe
The status games we all play
Audio
The Gray Area

Author Will Storr on our universal obsession with status and how it distorts so much of human behavior.

By Sean Illing
What an enormous global study can tell us about feeling better during the pandemic
Science

Hundreds of psychologists looked for ways to make people feel better during the pandemic — and they found one.

By Brian Resnick
We admire these do-gooders. We just don’t want to date them.We admire these do-gooders. We just don’t want to date them.
Future Perfect

A neuroscientist’s studies show that altruism isn’t always attractive.

By Sigal Samuel
How to walk away from an awkward conversationHow to walk away from an awkward conversation
Science

A psychologist explains why we want conversations to end sooner but usually get stuck.

By Sean Illing
The replication crisis devastated psychology. This group is looking to rebuild it.The replication crisis devastated psychology. This group is looking to rebuild it.
Audio
Science

The Psychological Science Accelerator could be the future of the field around the globe — if they can sustain it.

By Brian Resnick
How to make this winter not totally suck, according to psychologistsHow to make this winter not totally suck, according to psychologists
Future Perfect

This one idea may help you conquer pandemic winter.

By Sigal Samuel
How we can encourage people to wear masks — for others’ sakeHow we can encourage people to wear masks — for others’ sake
Politics

My research shows that people think highly of others who conform to rules out of benevolence, which is a good way to sell mask-wearing.

By Shai Davidai
2020 was a time warp
Science

Was it a year, a day, or a millennium? Science offers clues to why it feels like all of the above.

By Shannon Stirone
“Reality” is constructed by your brain. Here’s what that means, and why it matters.
Science

What the science of visual illusions can teach us about our polarized world.

By Brian Resnick