Story guidelines

Last updated October 21, 2026

What we publish

• First-hand experiences. Something that happened to you. If it happened to someone else, they need to tell it, or give you permission to.
• True to your memory. We don't ask you to prove anything, but please don't embellish or invent.
• Near-death experiences, awakenings, grief, signs and the lessons they left you with.

What we don't publish

• Fiction, rumours, or stories about other people without their consent.
• Medical claims or advice (for example, telling readers to stop treatment).
• Promotion of products, services, practitioners or paid courses.
• Content that identifies private people without their permission.
• Hate, harassment, or graphic detail of self-harm or suicide methods.

How review works

1. A member of our team reads every submission.
2. We may suggest edits for clarity, length or privacy (for example, removing a surname). We won't change the meaning of your story.
3. We email you the final version. Nothing is published until you approve it.
4. We may decline a story that doesn't fit these guidelines. If so, we'll tell you, and we'll delete it if you ask.

Sharing options

• With your name: shown with the name you choose, which can be a first name only.
• Anonymously: published with no name. Only our team knows who wrote it.
• Private: read only by our team and never published.

Your email address is never published.

Your rights to your story

You keep the copyright in your story. By choosing to publish, you give Higher Self a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish, display and lightly edit it (with your approval) on this website and in our newsletters and social channels, crediting it as you chose. You can withdraw this licence at any time by emailing hello@higherself.example. We'll take the story down from our site promptly, though we can't recall copies others may already have made.

Private stories are never published or shared outside our team. We'll only use them to understand our community better.

Age

You must be 18 or older to submit a story. Higher Self is not directed at children.

Care and safety

Writing about these experiences can bring up strong feelings. Take your time, and save a copy of your story somewhere of your own. Higher Self isn't a crisis or medical service. If you're in danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US, or your local emergency number.