Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Rewiring the Brain, One Barn Owl at a Time.
Writing a research paper was supposed to be mundane. Granted, the word ‘research’ itself implies an informative and somewhat stimulating process, but/however that applies only when the subject being researched is of actual interest. Yet, as I stared at the prompt intensely, scavenging my brain for compelling topics, I couldn’t help but come to a paralyzing realization: what the hell does one write about barn owls? And, better yet, how the hell do I make it interesting enough for the reader to actually finish reading?
By Kristina Hrodz4 years ago in Psyche
Old Man Winter
Barry was on the path he had walked since he was a kid. He knew it like the back of his hand, even though it was covered in an entire season’s worth of snow. He taught his grandchildren the way of the path the season before. Left at the tree that was shaped like a dragon. Right at the boulder that nearly crushed his brother ages ago. Follow the trail of raspberry bushes that lined both the left and the right lane. They haven’t changed in his nine decades of life. If his father was still alive, he would still be able to get around just fine.
By Alexa Calliguri4 years ago in Psyche
Lost in Anxiety
Heading home. You send the outgoing text. You pull out of the driveway, shivering, not giving your car enough time to properly warm up. The winter evening is cold, and you left your coat at home. The only thing between you and the frigid air is your favorite flannel.
By Shelby Larsen4 years ago in Psyche
GP-01
I let the wisp of smoke wash over me. It’s repugnant in smell but I don’t move an inch as it goes up my nostrils, into my lungs, stays there for a breath, and moves out again. I wait. Another hit. Repeat. Karan shuffles, moving from left-foot-over-right to right-over-left. He loves being comfortable while grabbing a smoke. I was scared by the vague comfort that we derived from smoking in a secluded balcony that nobody else was ‘allowed’ into; how easy it was for us to forget that any second someone could walk in on the pile of stubs that had gathered there over the years. The branches on the tree standing fifteen feet away from my balcony sway in the chilly Dehradun wind. It makes me think of the routineness of what we are doing here. I wonder if there ever was another like me. In the same balcony? Thinking the same things? Surely. Yes. There are seven billion people on the planet, a billion and a half in this country, and thousands who had been in this very balcony over the decades; there ought to be someone who wondered the same things I do now. The lights in Mussoorie twinkled an eternity away. We often joked about how the closest galaxy to us was not Andromeda but Mussoorie. On paper an hour’s drive away, but separated from us in actuality by twelve-lightyear high walls, school rules and academic schedules, and the melancholic laziness of teenage existence.
By Sanshray Ghorawat4 years ago in Psyche
Empath Awareness
As a child growing up in the 80's with the ADD Revolution on the rise, parents were desperately trying to figure out why their children were "different". My mother had me evaluated, the doctor said that I had ADD or "ADHD", and I was instantly put on Ritalin. That was a decision that created a divide in the relationship between my mother and her sister. Her sister, my aunt, did not agree with the medication Ritalin. I'm not completely convinced that she even believed in the diagnosis. Today, I am not completely convinced ADHD is what was happening with me or most children in those days. The symptoms that were used to diagnose ADD/ADHD in children and adults in my opinion were the result of Empath tendencies.
By Angela Gerber4 years ago in Psyche
Why Do We Give Up On Ourselves?
One of the attributes that sets us apart from every other living creature is the ability to formulate and execute long term goals that fulfill our passions and desires. So why do precious few of us ever see our goals come to fruition? What keeps us from doing the things we really want? I have come to believe the answer to that question, more often than not, is self-sabotage. I am sure that many of us have experienced this: you have a goal or a dream, and before you know it, you are no longer confident in your ability to see it through. We convince ourselves that our dreams are unachievable. But why? Perhaps my personal experience with this will offer some helpful insight. I would like to explore this topic in greater depth in the future, but I suppose you have to start somewhere.
By Sylas Reid4 years ago in Psyche
