What Is and What Should Be: Albert Einstein on the Dichotomy of Science and Religion and the Essential Qualities of a Pious Person

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space,” Albert Einstein wrote in a beautiful letter of consolation to a grieving father. “He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving … Read more

Spiritual Journaling: Christina Baldwin on Bridging Our Inner and Outer World Through Writing

“We call spirituality a journey and speak in metaphors of travel, yet many of us never leave the neighborhood. The journal becomes the metaphor made real, a travelogue of the mind,” Christina Baldwin writes in the opening chapter of her book Life’s Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Practice. “On days when I’m not sure … Read more

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on Flow and Wider Community

I cannot stress enough the importance of finding your flow. Once you do, almost every other activity will fade in comparison. You’ll have access to a constant source of enjoyment that gives meaning to everything you do. But it doesn’t have to stop there. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (September 29, 1934–October 20, 2021), the author of “Flow: … Read more

The Second Self: Sherry Turkle on The Human Spirit in a Computer Culture

“Technology catalyzes changes not only in what we do but in how we think. It changes people’s awareness of themselves, of one another, of their relationship with the world,” writes Sherry Turkle in her book The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit. “The new machine that stands behind the flashing digital signal, unlike the … Read more