Dear Readers, From post-operative depression to the opioid epidemic to the wild nature of adolescence; from Peru to Geel to Nigeria; from living to 103 and dying of a broken heart, we have covered a lot of ground in our musings on mental health this year. Thank you for opening your minds and imaginations to […]

Christmas is replete with mythical characters. These beloved personages speak to fundamental psychological ideas and ideals – embodying how we think, what we value, and why we feel certain ways. Not simply delightful imaginings for children, Santa and friends are among the most beloved teachers of Psychology 101.   So what can Santa and friends […]

In the northern hemisphere, daylight has been dwindling and next week, December 21st, will mark the winter solstice. In my hometown of New York City, we will have almost six fewer hours of daylight than we had around the summer solstice in June. Enveloped in cold and darkness, it’s no coincidence that this time of […]

Optical illusions are a form of magic show. Part of the delight is that we know we are being fooled. In an optical illusion, the visual information somehow tricks the brain. We know it. We are fascinated by it. All in good fun. But what about the images we see that play with our brains […]

1 in 4. That’s the statistic for how many of us will have a mental illness over the course of our lifetimes – sometimes fleeting, sometimes enduring, always significant. At that rate, if it’s not ourselves, it will be a parent, sibling, partner, child, friend or colleague. Some of us will carry the diagnosis and […]