Rosh Hashanah: Unveiling the rich traditions and significance
Today, September 15th, 2023, Jewish communities around the world are preparing for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The Jewish High Holy Days begin with this ancient feast rich in history and ritual. Rosh Hashanah is a significant period of meditation, prayer, and meaningful customs that extends Read More...
The Optimist View: Reflections on activism from Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons
“If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children's birthright.” - Amanda Gorman BY: AMELIA BUCKLEY As we celebrated the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, many Americans contemplated the profound impact of his Read More...
Dogs: 4 spiritual lessons we can learn from our canine friends
We get much more from our relationships with dogs than just companionship. In fact, dogs of every shape and size can be a source of inspiration and support. Below, you’ll find four valuable lessons that dogs can teach us in our spiritual lives. Being present: Sure, canines live in the modern Read More...
The secret history of hallucinogens in Christianity
From The Intelligent Optimist Magazine Summer 2016 The authors’ anthropological journey through European and Middle Eastern churches finds evidence—hidden in plain sight for centuries—that challenges conventional views of the origins of Judeo-Christianity. An excerpt from The Psychedelic Read More...
Optimism Is More Than Positive Thinking
Psychologist Elaine Fox believes optimism isn’t a choice, but a habit. She has some advice on how to develop it—because it’s not just good for you, but for everyone else. By Marco Visscher From The Optimist Magazine Fall 2015 It’s the perfect day for a conversation about optimism. Read More...
The gospel of forgiveness therapy
Can forgiving improve your health? Researchers studying the Forgiveness Therapy model say it can. Forgiveness therapy reduces anger and promotes emotional health through forgiving those who cause psychological injury. Asked how he became the poster child for what he refers to as “forgiveness Read More...
Spirituality associated with thicker brain cortex and protection against depression
Using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to create detailed anatomical images of the brain, the scientists compared people based on whether they reported a low, moderate or high importance of religion or spirituality in their lives. They found that the brains of people for whom religion or Read More...
Sacred Alchemy
How to turn the Seven Deadly Sins into seven divine blessings. Diana Rico | September/October 2012 Issue It’s 2002, and I’m in the tiny dressing room of the midtown Los Angeles studio where I’ve been taking salsa lessons. I’m all wound up, ready to perform in public for the first time. Read More...
The song remains the same
Two tales about the magic of music. Paulo Coelho | April/May 2010 issue The stand-in singer (Sent by Murali) The story goes that tickets were all sold out for the presentation by a famous tenor, but on the big day, with the house filled to capacity, it was discovered that a traffic problem would Read More...
The reason of faith
Religious scholar Karen Armstrong on how we lost the knack for religion—and why we need to get it back. Michael Brunton | Sept/Oct 2009 issue Modern science knows how to fix a hole in the heart. It can diagnose a hole in the ozone layer and prove the existence of black holes at the edge of the Read More...