Frontiers of the Mind

I doubt I’m the only person who feels that we are living in a time when emotions are heightened. I mean, the stakes sure do feel a lot higher than they did just a few years ago. We’re on the brink of profound change, and the whole universe can feel it. In these times, we…

You’d think that in the 21st century, with all our science, psychology, and supposed rational thinking, we would have collectively outgrown the idea that someone can ruin your life just by looking at you funny. And yet… the Evil Eye is alive and well. What’s wild is that this isn’t some niche, regional superstition. It’s…

Getting restful, restorative sleep is the perfect way to refresh your mindset throughout the day. Sadly, so many of us have trouble sleeping or don’t get the necessary amount of rest to go about our days effectively. I’ve found myself, recently, having nightmares or feeling as if the sleep I do get isn’t restful, as…

We humans are particularly sensitive to the concept of luck. For all our science and technology, deep down, most of us are still operating with the same instincts as a medieval peasant. We knock on wood, cross our fingers, and avoid stepping on cracks, just in case. We tell ourselves we’re rational, but we’d rather…

There’s something deeply healing about staring up at the clouds during meditation. The nostalgic, peaceful nature that comes with cloud-watching can be incredibly restorative. I experienced this recently during a meditation session that used ambient sounds, acoustic instruments, and gentle audio loops. I conducted it this afternoon while lying outside, and it brought forth one…

With the next coast-to-coast solar eclipse spanning the US not occurring until August 12, 2045, it’s more than safe to say that we just witnessed a special moment last year that won’t be back for several decades. Spiritually, as with many big astronomical moments, the solar eclipse is said to be a time of great…

If you ever find yourself driving through Iceland and notice that the road suddenly swerves for no apparent reason (with no tree, no hill, no endangered puffin in sight), there’s a solid chance the detour wasn’t for anything visible at all. It might have been for elves. Iceland is one of the only places on…

Welcome to the New Year! Okay, it’s been here for a little while now, but now is as good of a time as any to stop floating through the same old routine and create a refreshing start to your year. What better way is there to do that than by conducting a several-day journey into…

An essential element for my meditation practice is connecting to the present moment, which doesn’t always equate to mindfulness. When I’m in the zone of a meditation exercise, one of the most frustrating obstacles for me is when I get distracted or stop being present and allow myself to wander from the exercise. I’m not…

Sometimes, we can be too hard on ourselves, especially those of us who are hypercritical. We tend to notice the details in everything, and that can make us exceptionally hard on ourselves above all else. I identify as this type of person, and I see these little judgments come through about myself in my meditation…

While I love the idea of exploring new meditation techniques and I truly love learning more about different approaches to consciousness, I will admit that I sometimes have a hard time initially with unfamiliar meditation styles or practices that seem outside my comfort zone. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m usually excited to try new…

Something that has been very prevalent in my life recently, that continues to bubble and rise to the top of my attention time and time again, is the idea that we all set expectations in life. Sometimes, they can be huge—such as planning a surprise for someone and seeing the experience going exactly the way…

Astrology today is mostly vibes. It’s meme accounts, ChatGPT analyzing your birth chart, and people blaming Mercury retrograde for everything. And sure, some granola folks take it more seriously, but in general, astrology is seen as fun, personal, maybe a little spooky. But not something you’d take into, say… a court of law. Unless you…

When I began a meditation focused on finding my “peaceful heart,” I found it to be a truly emotional experience that both surprised and enlightened me. Generally, within meditation, when I visualize something close to my heart, it comes with strong passions. For instance, I’ve seen myself manifesting great things with a glowing energy that…

If you’ve been meditating for a while or even if you’ve just been exploring from the sidelines, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about healing through meditation. One of my favorite aspects of meditation is that it not only teaches healing from different states of consciousness, but it also offers opportunities for self-healing on an…

I can honestly say that I hold a lot of stress in my neck and shoulders. This is partly because I work at a computer all day and also partly because I’m pretty bad at managing my stress overall. I hold onto it much more often instead of healthily releasing it. I know that’s not…

Tucked into a hillside above Lake Skadar in southern Montenegro, there’s a small, quiet cave you wouldn’t notice unless someone told you where to look. It’s not in your average travel guide. But if you ask the locals, especially the older women, they’ll tell you it’s sacred. They’ll also tell you something else: for generations,…

We don’t always realize how loud the world has gotten until we finally step away from it. The notifications, the deadlines, the constant Zoom calls. Honestly, it builds up. Especially if you’re an introvert like me. So, why not take one day out of your week, month, or even your year to lose yourself deep…

Most people don’t come to the Balkans looking for ancient pagan temples. The region is better known for its mix of Ottoman architecture, Orthodox monasteries, and Roman ruins. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find something else: the fading traces of the region’s oldest spiritual roots.Before Christianity, before Islam, before even the Romans, the…

If you’ve ever stared into a mirror for too long, you probably know the feeling: that weird, subtle shift in your own reflection. The way your face almost seems to melt or change shape, the longer you look. It’s unsettling. Familiar, but not. Like your brain suddenly isn’t quite convinced it’s seeing what it’s supposed…

There are retreats, and then there are retreats. The kind where you’re not just unplugging from your inbox—you’re climbing a rickety rope ladder above a canyon, sailing across icy fjords, or hiking up whimsical staircases. These monasteries weren’t built to be easy. They were carved into cliffs and hidden behind waterfalls for one reason: to…

There are places in the world that don’t just exist on maps, they exist between worlds. In Japan, one such place is a quiet riverbank where people bring letters. Not to lovers, not to politicians—but to the dead. This is the Sanzu River, a spectral boundary in Buddhist tradition. A river of no return, they…

Sometimes, the most unbelievable moments in history don’t happen in secret—they happen in broad daylight, in front of tens of thousands of people, and leave behind more questions than answers. One such moment unfolded in a sleepy field in Portugal in 1917, when the sun reportedly zigzagged across the sky, spun like a pinwheel, and…

You’ve probably seen a photo. A man in a tall felt hat, white robes flaring like a bell, arms extended — and spinning. That’s a Whirling Dervish, and no, this isn’t some historical oddity tucked into the footnotes of Ottoman history. They’re still spinning today, not as performance, but as devotion. This is what meditation…

There’s something alchemical that happens when you step into the unknown, alone. Not just in the “eat-pray-love” kind of way — though there’s nothing wrong with that — but in the way the world stretches before you, stripped of distractions, asking only one question: Who are you when no one is watching? Solo travel isn’t…