We've seen it in countless movies: "Hello, my name is so-and-so and I'm an alcoholic." We know the acronym Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and what it represents. But what we might not know is that behind these initials –and this recurring phrase– lies a twelve-step therapeutic method created by two men from Ohio in 1935, which has since helped millions of people worldwide. This method is now applied in 68 countries, including Spain, where there are up to 586 active Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups. A study by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital concluded in 2020 that this AA twelve-step therapy "is more effective than other established treatments for increasing abstinence" and improves outcomes, especially "in the long term," helping people stay sober for longer. The survival and constant global expansion of this system for nearly a century also attest to its effectiveness.

Three-year-old children plugged into a mobile phone screen to distract them (and not bother anyone), eight-year-old children who already carry a smart device in their pocket to which they dedicate hours, teenagers who have made the smartphone another appendage of their body, adults abducted by an infinite scroll watching short videos for hours that, to put it elegantly, offer content of dubious intellectualism. Most of us can identify with some of these profiles, images that have contributed to demonizing smartphones. But, are they really as harmful as they say? Is the problem the screens or the content? Is our brain prepared to respond to all the stimuli that come from the screen? Aarón Fernández del Olmo, a clinical neuropsychologist, doctor of psychology, and philosophy graduate, has thoroughly studied this issue. In his book "El cerebro hackeado" (Editorial Kailas), he proposes to break some myths about the consequences of using smartphones and to offer some tools for healthier use.

Perhaps without realizing it, we spend half our lives surrounded by people with narcissistic behavior, people who are always able to get what they want thanks to their mastery of the art of persuasion, a skill that often makes them irresistible but especially manipulative. This is the profile discussed in his latest book, written in his characteristic irreverent yet precise and reflective style, by psychologist Víctor Amat, who, in The 10 laws to be fucking irresistible (Vergara) aims to give readers the tools to combat narcissists with their own weapons. Amat explains that the book stems from his professional experience as a professor of persuasion techniques for healthcare professionals and from the demands of patients who come to his practice complaining that they have encountered a narcissist at work or in their personal lives. His goal, he states, is for them to understand and apply persuasion in everyday life, but above all, "how to use it for good." And here he wants to differentiate "the narcissist from what would be a malicious narcissist": "I think we all have a touch of narcissism; therefore, the important thing is to distinguish the person's intention," he says. He asserts that the key is to learn from these people to protect ourselves and improve, and he sees persuasion as both a shield and a weapon. Because we have all been deceived by charming people at some point in our lives.

It has just arrived in bookstores I'll prescribe a cat.by the writer Syou Ishida, published by Columna Ediciones. It is a literary phenomenon in Japan and is part of what are known as healing booksOr, healing fiction books, which come mainly from Asian authors and present plots with very common problems and conflicts that are always resolved in the end. They are comforting, unhurried stories with endearing characters. In this case... best-seller In Syou Ishida's work, the solution to the problems presented in the various stories—whether work stress, family conflicts, or personal matters—is cats, but this could be extended to any pet, whose presence has a positive and healing emotional impact on all the characters in the book. According to the review made by New York Journal of Books, It's an "absolutely charming celebration of the healing power of pets." But is that really the case? Do animals have the healing power the book describes? We interviewed psychologists and veterinarians to find out if you can really "prescribe" a cat to cure some of the ills of modern society.

Adriana Jarrín was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was only 26. Luckily, it was detected early and chemotherapy saved her life, but both the shock of the diagnosis and the entire process had a profound emotional impact, in addition to significant physical weakness, she recounts. "A cousin recommended I start doing yoga, and it was truly an incredible encouragement and helped me tremendously." "Above all, the feeling of doing something for myself helped me cope better with the illness," she explains. That was in 2005, and today Jarrín dedicates her life to helping other cancer patients. She not only offers oncology yoga in several hospitals, but also trains teachers of this type of yoga at the Radika Foundation and has written a book. Yoga in times of cancer (Editorial Platform).

The Christmas Lottery, the jackpot, the Epiphany... At this time of year, more than ever, we gamble with chance, if it truly exists, and test our luck. And more than ever, we also ask ourselves—or often answer—whether we are lucky people or if we always fall butter-side down. Well, it turns out that being very lucky or being a harbinger of doom is something that psychology has also studied. The conclusion? It depends primarily on ourselves. Not on supernatural forces moving the pieces around us for or against us, but on our attitude towards life.

What happens inside the brain of a person who creates music? And when they play their instrument or go on stage? Or even more: how can they use their neurobiology to enhance attention and interpretive freedom? Giulia Valle, composer, jazz bassist, teacher, and author of the book, discusses all of this. Brain as a team: neuroscience for performance and motivation in music (and other arts) (Editorial Versos & Reversos, 2025).

Christmas is just around the corner, and most people already know what they'll be doing on Christmas Eve, December 25th, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and even Three Kings' Day. These are dates filled with parties, celebrations, and rituals that are repeated year after year, shared with family and friends. What we eat, with whom, how, and where we eat it is all part of the ritual. And so are the small details: the sprig of mistletoe that's said to bring good luck, decorating the Christmas tree, bringing out Grandma's china that we only use for these holidays, eating grapes to ring in the New Year, the same menu that's been on the menu for decades... all these small gestures carry a strong symbolic weight of community among those who participate. But is this accumulation of rituals in so few days a positive thing, or do we end up overwhelmed by so much excess?

It is said that in current times there is a A veritable "epidemic" of sleep problemsScreens, stress, anxiety... Falling asleep has become a true act of resistance. However, sleep has been an essential act in the evolution ofHomo sapiens Since the dawn of humanity, only during these hours of deep rest can we repair the brain, consolidate memory, or reorganize our emotional circuits.

Complex and mysterious, consciousness is that state of mind we have when we are not asleep or under anesthesia. All the rest of the time we are conscious. But what exactly is consciousness? Scientifically, there are still many unanswered questions. For now, it can only be stated that it has a series of characteristics, being a personal and subjective state: your consciousness is solely yours, and no one else can enter it, nor can you enter the consciousness of others. That is why it is such a unique element for each individual.

"This doesn't concern me," "I have more serious problems," "everyone should sort out their own issues," "I don't want to watch the news," "I don't want to know anything." It seems we live in a world where we care less and less about what happens to others and focus only on our own well-being and that of our closest circle. Pope Francis spoke about this phenomenon during his first Mass in Lampedusa following the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. He said that the world is suffering from the globalization of indifference, a message that was very well received, and not only within the religious world. In fact, historians and sociologists such as Christopher Lasch and Gilles Lipovetsky had already spoken about this global trend toward narcissism long before. "They said that we have moved toward a type of society where people only worry about themselves: their work, their apartment, their leisure time... And at most, their partner, children, and parents," explains Professor and philosopher Francesc Torralba.

One summer day, Elsa found a small sparrow in front of her house that had just fallen from its nest. Despite its fragility, the bird displayed a strength and a natural instinct for survival that moved her deeply. She, who was also going through a period of transition and recovery, decided to care for it until it could fend for itself.

Can we learn to think better? This is the challenge posed by philosopher Javier López Alós and physicist Vicent Botella y Soler in their new book. Why do we think what we think? (Arpa, 2025), a more complete version of its predecessor in Catalan, Why do we think what we think? (Printed Letter, 2024). According to these two writers, just as someone who practices yoga learns to pay more attention to their breathing or someone who goes running can improve their technique, one can also learn to think and make decisions "more consciously and less automatically."

Every day we make more than 35,000 decisions, and more than 99% of them occur unconsciously. In other words, we use intuition practically without realizing it. And beyond what we might think, intuition has nothing to do with magic or hunches; it is a real, precise, and cultivable ability. Mikel Alonso, researcher and expert in applied behavioral neuroscience, and author of the book, "Intuition and the Intuition," discusses all of this. The value of intuition (Ariel, 2025).

We all know someone who exaggerates everything that happens to them, who drowns in a glass of water, who sees everything from the negative side, and who, in short, is a drama king or queen. Every little thing that happens to them in their daily life is exaggerated and dramatized to the point of excessive intensity. They seem to have a constant need for attention, and being around them can be, to say the least, exhausting.

We live surrounded by mistrust. We don't trust governments, speeches, or promises. We don't trust politics or political parties because "they don't represent us." We don't trust AI because, despite the advantages it offers, we're afraid it might affect our privacy. We don't trust the media because they can be a source of fake newsWe don't even trust each other, or our own decisions. And yet, we continue to live together, share public spaces, and have the same need for mutual aid, although many of us may have forgotten. How can we live in a world where many of us no longer believe in the common good? Professor of moral philosophy Victoria Camps discusses all of this in her new book, The society of distrust (Arpa, 2025), born from a reflection made after the pandemic.

It seems there are words that, just by speaking them, have the power to free us. As if opening a gap of fresh air amidst the mental noise that often accompanies us, especially when it comes to living with the opinions, criticisms, or judgments of others, these words can act as an unexpected balm. For Mel Robbins, author best-seller American, these words are so simple: "Let them do it."

One day, many of us forgot what it was like to live outdoors, surrounded by forests and woodlands. Now we are far from the shades of green and the sounds of nature, a world we replaced with asphalt and neon lights, traffic jams and endlessly ticking clocks. And, along the way, we forgot all the teachings that nature offered us. Even what the plants taught us, who, as Zen masters, for centuries had helped us find the path to healing, both physical and spiritual.

It is and has been the dream of many childhoods. Building a little treehouse, making a fortification under the dining room table with pillows and sheets, hiding in small, sheltered spaces... The creation of all kinds of cabins and shelters has accompanied us throughout childhood, and later, as adults, many of us have been drawn to those little houses. They are spaces that evoke a peaceful escape from the world around us, where we can return to ourselves, far from prying eyes.

Who wouldn't want to return to those endless afternoons of games, where imagination was the main ingredient and nothing was more important than having fun and improvising? When we're young, playing is a primal instinct that comes naturally to us and becomes a key tool for our development. It happens that, as we get older, we forget the pleasure that play brings us and all the associated benefits.