Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell
Please forgive me for this one. It is only a few days before our semester begins at the college where I teach. I have been in touch with our new coordinator, looked over my notes from having had the same group last year, and deliberately avoided going into the building. Our first meeting gave us the option to be online, and I was hoping I could continue with this particular conceit for the rest of the course. And on top of this, I have been told that I might possibly - just maybe - have two whole courses at the college to teach!
By Kendall Defoe about a month ago in Psyche
DARVO
I was unfamiliar with this term, DARVO (deny, attack, reverse victim and offender), until today, but I’ve been subjected to this behavior by my sister-in-law, my daughter, and a creator here on Vocal. It’s exhausting, constantly being cast as a villain so others don’t have to look at their own behavior. One thing that makes it exhausting is how easily people buy into it and fall for the rhetorical framing. I’ve had total strangers run campaigns against me because they buy into the narrative presented about me without exercising any cognitive skills to assess the true situation.
By Harper Lewis about a month ago in Psyche
Beyond the White Water. Top Story - August 2026.
When I was a teenager, the ocean pummeled me. I was surfing when the fin of my board sliced through my chest. I came out of the water a bloody mess, and somewhere inside of me, the ocean stopped being a place of freedom.
By Brooke Gallagherabout a month ago in Psyche
Chic toast and sacred water? We've lost it.
Aestheticizing food really isn't anything new. I'm sure plentry of people remember Tasty - those twenty second BuzzFeed videos that could pull just about anyone in. The perfectly styled plates, the bright colors, the food that just looked so fresh, I can't falt anyone for falling for it.
By caitodoesstuffabout a month ago in Psyche
Institutional America, You Got Some 'Splaining to Do
Thirty-Seven Years Later the Lawyer Returns A humid August afternoon found a 75 year old attorney, Kevin Reddington in a Massachusetts courtroom. Seated beside of Reddington is a bereaved mother. She admits to killing her three children before attempting to take her own life on a cold January morning in 2023.
By A.K. Treadwell about a month ago in Psyche
Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds
Facts are often presented as the strongest tool for changing opinions. If someone believes something that is demonstrably incorrect, it seems logical to provide accurate information and expect their position to change. Yet human psychology is far more complicated. People do not always evaluate information objectively, and even strong evidence can sometimes strengthen an existing belief rather than replace it.
By Sagheen Khanabout a month ago in Psyche
THE MILLSTONE FOR THE MANIPULATOR
Congratulations, O Great Hunter of the Vulnerable. You found someone wounded and called it opportunity. You found someone trusting and called it weakness. You gathered intelligence about a stranger’s wounds, family, loneliness, finances, history, hopes, and fears, then used that sacred map not to help her escape the wilderness, but to lead her deeper into it.
By THE HONED CRONEabout a month ago in Psyche
