Mudita (sympathetic/empathetic joy) is one of the four brahma-viharas (also known as the sublime attitudes or Four Immeasurables), which are the Buddha’s “heart practices” – those that develop particular emotional states, or virtuous emotions, that help to cultivate happiness in ourselves and others. “Brahma-vihara” literally means “dwelling place of brahmas”, and brahmas are gods who…
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Willoughby Britton, a licensed clinical psychologist, is doing important research into the dangers, or dark side, of meditation. She is also the founder of Cheetah House, an organisation that provides information and resources for those experiencing meditation-related difficulties. In a paper published in Current Opinion in Psychology, she points to evidence indicating that too much…
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How far back in history can we find the presence of the jester? This is a somewhat difficult (if not impossible) question to answer. While we have accounts of jesters, or similar figures (e.g. clowns), from many cultures in the world, extending far back in time, there is uncertainty as to when jesters first emerged.…
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Matt Walsh’s documentary What is a Woman? focuses on one of the most sensitive and controversial topics that exist today: the transgender issue. This issue has made another topic especially pertinent, a question that is the central theme of the film: What is a woman? Before watching this documentary, I was aware that Walsh holds…
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Dr Rick Strassman, currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, is one of the leading pioneers of modern psychedelic research. His studies on DMT, which took place between 1990 and 1995, broke the 20-year gap in psychedelic research. This halting of prolific and promising inquiry was because the US…
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