Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Rising From Hell
The Alchemy of Survival: Turn the gaslight into fuel and fan your own flames 🔥 There’s a misconception that surviving abuse, betrayal, or trauma requires silence, shame, or meek compliance. That somehow, to be “good,” we must shrink into corners, lower our voice, and let the world dictate the terms of our suffering. That somehow, to survive, we must whisper, fold, and diminish ourselves until we fit inside the expectations of others.
By THE HONED CRONE3 months ago in Psyche
The Shrinking of a Man
There are strong men who build, and there are weak men who drain. Some learn that when they can’t stand in their own strength, they can still feel powerful by attaching themselves to someone luminous – a strong, loyal, resilient woman with empathy, creativity, and conscience. They study her light like a blueprint and then set about stealing the source.
By THE HONED CRONE3 months ago in Psyche
Seeing Beyond the Surface
Imagine a man gets a dog. He sees it only as a servant, an object to serve him, a mirror for his ego. The dog validates him when it comes when called, performs tricks, or appears loyal. He does not see the dog as an individual, with its own needs, desires, and dignity. He sees only what benefits him. Much like predatory men see women: as interchangeable objects, vessels, shadows of their ego, rather than fully alive beings.
By THE HONED CRONE3 months ago in Psyche
Report on the Thing, by Clarice Lispector: A Journey into the Abstract and the Real. AI-Generated.
Clarice Lispector is often celebrated as one of Brazil's most iconic literary voices, with her works revealing a deep, philosophical exploration of the human condition. One of her more fascinating, though lesser-known, works is “Report on the Thing”, a story that defies traditional narrative structures and dives into the murky waters of identity, perception, and the very nature of existence. In this story, Lispector challenges the reader to examine not only the world around them but also their relationship with it — and with themselves.
By Fiaz Ahmed 3 months ago in Psyche
Whispers in the Veil
Mara had never believed in fortune-tellers. She believed in spreadsheets, quarterly reports, and the cold certainty of a 9.5% mortgage rate. So when her best friend dragged her into the narrow shop wedged between a vape store and a laundromat, Mara rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw her own brain.
By CEO A&S Developers3 months ago in Psyche
Routines Keep the Mood Clean. Content Warning.
Routines can help keep the mood clean—well, cleaner. I struggle with Bipolar Disorder, and if you do too, then welcome. This is a place to learn something and own it with a great attitude. I won’t lie—it’s hard. The highs, the lows, the mania-fueled spending sprees, and the drawer full of half-baked hobbies. You know the one. Mine is packed with crochet equipment, resin art, an unopened puzzle, and a very expensive art set I bought during a spending spree. I call it my “Kate Middleton Drawer” so many hobbies all the while being a princess —except I look more like Adam Sandler when I’m doing any of those things. (Comfort > couture, every time.)
By Jessica Higginbotham3 months ago in Psyche
Funeral Exclusion. AI-Generated.
The Ethics and Psychology of Funeral Exclusion: Mourning, Belonging, and the Denial of Witness Author Note The author’s interest in this subject arises from direct observation of the psychological and moral harm caused when individuals are denied access to communal mourning. While personal experiences are not detailed, the reflections and analysis are informed by firsthand witness and interdisciplinary research in grief psychology, moral philosophy, and ritual studies. This work seeks to illuminate a largely unexamined form of relational injury and to advocate for more humane, inclusive practices surrounding death and bereavement.
By Harper Lewis3 months ago in Psyche
The metamorphosis
t's not strange that caterpillars change to butterflies. Imagine: golden rays of sun. The small but feisty caterpillar bathes in its' ray. It thinks, "oh, I love it. The sun, the breeze, the friends that I have. The only thing missing: turning into something greater then my nowadays shape. To answer my calling. Bye, fellas, I'm gonna be BETTER." Because what is better, to be bitter or better? It's honestly not better to be bitter. A small pun that was. Anyway. The caterpillar shakes off the lies that it can't transform. That it will always stay the way it is. That it will always be stuck. That the past defines it. We are all stardust. We all have one life to live. We can't waste it. I mean, we can, but for what purpose? The caterpillar waits in its' chrysalis. Waits. It struggles. By struggling, nature makes it stronger. The once caterpillar breaks free. It is now a beautiful butterfly, with iridescent wings. It is happy. More happy then what it was. It now can fly! "Oh, the air in my wings! The birds I hear sing! I feel so light!" It thinks. The butterfly is satisfied now. It changed. The change was its' calling. For now it is free, it has earned the definition of freedom. It broke off the chains. We can break our chains too. We don't need to live lives of enslavement. Think of som of the words that bear the meaning of change, or that share the same essence vicariously: metamorphosis, transformation, evolvement, development, healing. Because changing is healing. Healing is changing. When you heal, something about you is different. New. You are clean, free, healthier, whole. When you respect life, life respects you. When you listen to your own heart, paths unfold before you. Illusions shatter. Patterns reshape themselves. When the false self dissolves, the truth reveals itself. First - heal, lastly - be satisfied with how life has run its' course, with how things are. Breathe. When you breathe, you get calmer. Sit in silence. That's where true revelations come from. Observe, like an artist. Nature. People. Processes. Your own thoughts. Make adjustments. Live boldly. Take one step after the other, and don't ever look down. Look up. Up at the skies, the clouds, the treetops. Up to God. Up where inspiration comes from. Up up up up up. Connect with the universe, with the infinite. Live with all your might. For if you'll hurt who you love, you yourself will get hurt. That's how change is attained. That's how, day by day, step by step, breath after breath, something better unfolds right before you. And you become free. You become the butterfly. Becoming the butterfly doesn't mean giving up on your identity. It only means that you are enhancing your identity. You're not diminishing yourself. You care for yourself. You tend your own garden. Because self care and change are intrinsically connected. When you care for yourself, you change. Washing your face thoroughly - your closed eyes, your neck, your ears, your temples, is a technique that I find helpful. Buying a meditation book and in general reading books is honestly eye opening, heart opening and brain developing. Preparing your own, healthy food. Going to nature. Doing Yoga. Walking on a treadmill. Doing sports. Those are all things that change you, habits that change you, develop a stronger, resilient you that is smarter, better, and in more peace. Those habits will rewire your brain. They will have you living the good life. You'll find richness in every step you'll take. You'll find more contentment in life. The thing is, when you want something that is meant for you, you can have it. People are like butterflies. It's not impossible to change, it's most possible to do so, and it is about respecting life and what it has to offer. It's about respecting yourself. Stay strong.
By Maya Or Tzur3 months ago in Psyche
Do I Blame Myself?. Content Warning.
Do I blame myself? Yes and no. I went with this guy fishing one day. He asked me, and I said yes—believing that my tomboyish style made me just one of the guys. I didn’t think much of it. He was my father’s friend. Not one of the older ones, but still someone I thought I could trust. I didn’t expect him to be so determined—or that he would have everything planned.
By Jessica Higginbotham3 months ago in Psyche
