With communication faster and easier than it's ever been, we are better informed than ever about cultures from every corner of the earth. But rather than merely observing other societies - from books, documentaries, and internet sites - award-winning author Tahir Shah believes we must learn about them in a deep-down way.

As he says, 'Only by studying the ancient methods of cultures that have endured for millennia do we have a hope of solving the problems we ourselves face.'

Our society is constantly bombarded with trials and tribulations of all kinds - dilemmas that never existed before globalization propelled us into the frantic 'hyper zone' in which we live.

Perhaps most worrying of all is that the predicaments and problems that face us are now endemic in fragile cultures that we have influenced and changed.

The fascinating papers in Cultural Research illustrate a sense and a sensibility that we have lost, but which we can and must re-learn.

Through reading of the experiences of others, we can understand our own society and the challenges it faces - so as to seek answers, not only to our own problems, but to those of the wider world.