Photo by Jason Abdilla  on Unsplash Why does Christmas hold the meaning that it does? We can easily form an answer about what it means, to ourselves and to others, but never why  it means what it means. Tradition, family and joy may spring to mind, but this time of year can also bring forward feelings of grief, tension, obligation, loneliness. In both cases, the rituals remain… but does the meaning? What is revealed about identity, social belonging and change through the eye

Photo by Nathan Anderson  on Unsplash   There’s a quiet tension over the Christmas period, a time marketed as joyful and restorative, impossible to avoid lifted spirits through ritualistic cheer, but this doesn’t quite ring true for everyone. In fact, the festive season is not universally joyful, but can be a catalyst for psychological distress; a wellbeing test disguised as a holiday. When we look deeper, as research by Randy and Lori Sansone, 2011, suggests, the cultural na

Photo by Tyler Delgado  on Unsplash Optimised calendars. Optimised parenting. Optimised relationships. Even love must now justify its return on investment. But what about repetition? Tradition? According to new research, we are not bound together by efficiency, novelty or constant improvement, but by ritual. It’s families bonding together over the same meal, routine, walking route, a joke told by the same uncle every year  – rituals that look suspiciously like stagnation –

Photo by Soroush Karimi  on Unsplash We are not the autonomous, self-contained individuals we assume to be, not psychological, emotionally or even neurologically. New research in Neuroscience poses inquisitive understanding about the advantages of human connection, or true mutuality. This is connection not through physical touch or reassurance, but from understanding. When we feel deeply understood by others, our brains react differently to danger.  Going beyond attachment th