I am currently working on two main projects: (1) a series of papers about Margaret Cavendish's approach to mind and perception, with a special focus on her views on colour (with Jon Shaheen), and (2) a project about Nicolas Malebranche's account of the way our minds keep us alive. Malebranche holds that the senses, imagination, and passions are necessary for survival and the preservation of life. But why does Malebranche think this? Why do we need any of them, and why do we need all three? While at the centre, I will be working on a book manuscript that reconstructs Malebranche's answers to these questions. The guiding thread for my interpretation is that our life-preserving faculties serve psychological needs created by our distinctive form of agency.