Ancient Psychology

The digital era is beset by distraction, and it feels like things are only getting worse. At times like these, the distant past beckons as a golden age of attention. We dream of recapturing the quiet of a world with less noise. We imagine retreating into solitude and singlemindedness, almost like latter-day monks. But although we think of early monks as master concentrators, a life of mindfulness did not, in fact, come to them easily.

De nouvelles découvertes en biologie et en neurosciences révèlent comment la structure du langage peut véritablement changer les relations entre nos neurones, nos cerveaux et nos coeurs. Déjà, il y a des millénaires, nos ancêtres comprenaient intuitivement cette relation. Ils ont créé des modèles verbaux précis destinés à procurer confort, guérison, force et puissance intérieure en période difficile, et encodé ces paroles efficaces dans des prières, des psalmodies, des mantras, des hymnes et des Ecritures saintes, à l'intention des générations futures.

Sapiens meets Why We Sleep in an evolutionary romp through the science of sleep—and how we can get better rest—by one of the world’s leading sleep scientists. We spend roughly a third of our lives in bed, but for millions of us, not all of that time is spent sleeping. We strive for eight...

The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius compared children to tender sprouts, shaped by soil, sunlight, water, and, importantly, the efforts of patient farmers and gardeners. At times, children require our protection, other times we must take a step back and allow them to grow. A practical parenting manual, philosophical reflection on the relationship between parent and child, and necessary response to modern stereotypes of Eastern parenting, Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting reconsiders cultural definitions of success....