Mind

Health Tip: Find Purpose in Life

The growing science on how a body imbued with meaning becomes physically healthier

• James Hamblin
• November 3, 2014

The Psychological Comforts of Storytelling

Why, throughout human history, have people been so drawn to fiction?

• Cody C. Delistraty
• November 2, 2014

How Halloween Makes Kids More Monstrous

Don't blame the candy-induced sugar highs. Blame psychology.

• Cari Romm
• October 31, 2014

The Psychology of Irrational Fear

Why we're more afraid of sharks than car accidents, and of Ebola than flu

• Olga Khazan
• October 31, 2014

The Religious Lives of Finnish Mind Readers

In a study about the sources of spiritual belief, researchers investigated the role of "affective and cognitive empathy," or the ability to figure out what other people are feeling and thinking.

• Emma Green
• October 29, 2014

The Psych Ward for People Who Broke Into the White House

For hundreds of years, people with mental illnesses have tried to visit the president—with many ending up in the same Washington hospital.

• Aaron Labaree
• October 25, 2014

Let the Body Rest, for the Sake of the Brain

Sleep deprivation can take a heavy mental toll.

• Cody C. Delistraty
• October 23, 2014

Pulling Teeth to Treat Mental Illness

The Knick finale reveals how little we used to know about how the brain works. There's still a lot we haven't figured out.

• Olga Khazan
• October 22, 2014

Battling Ageism With Subliminal Messages

When seniors were led to subconsciously absorb positive stereotypes about old age, their physical health improved along with their self-esteem.

• Cari Romm
• October 22, 2014

When Health Ignorance Is Bliss

Why do so many people avoid taking medical tests?

• Jon Fortenbury
• October 21, 2014

For a Better Brain, Learn Another Language

The cognitive benefits of multilingualism

• Cody C. Delistraty
• October 17, 2014

Optimism Is the Enemy of Action

Positive thinking can hinder more than it helps by zapping people's motivation to work toward their goals.

• Maggie Puniewska
• October 17, 2014

The Importance of Sharing Experiences

Two new studies suggest that extraordinary adventures are overrated—unless you have them with someone else.

• Olga Khazan
• October 16, 2014

Bed-Bug Madness: The Psychological Toll of the Blood Suckers

Researchers are starting to explain the anxiety many victims feel.

• Rose Eveleth
• October 16, 2014

Walking for a Better Brain

When a 70-year-old man walked the length of the United States in 1909, he sparked a conversation that ultimately changed medicine's ideas about the value of exercise in old age.

• Wayne Curtis
• October 15, 2014

The Power of Drug Color

A pill's hue can affect how it's judged by patients, how it's marketed, and even how well it works.

• Tessa Fiorini Cohen
• October 13, 2014

Trusting Your Doctor to Stop Ebola

A surprising amount of support for Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, which made at least one major error in the handling of its Ebola case, reveals why we trust medical institutions so much.

• Olga Khazan
• October 10, 2014

An Inexplicable Illness Among Pakistani Women

In a country where women often have few outlets for emotional expression, many develop conversion disorder, characterized by pain, paralysis, and other psychosomatic symptoms in response to stress.

• Beenish Ahmed
• October 10, 2014

Dating While Formerly Obese

For many, the stigma remains even after the weight is lost, complicating their self-esteem and their love lives.

• Sarah Varney
• October 9, 2014

When Do Babies Learn Self-Control?

A new study looks at when kids are able to use social cues to regulate their behavior.

• Cari Romm
• October 8, 2014