First-person phenomena. Third-person rigor.

CSCSC Satellite Meeting at the Conference for Complex Systems 2026 · ccs26.cssociety.org October 14 or 15, 2026 · Binghamton, NY, USA

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Complexity science teaches us that the observer is part of the system. Contemplative practice teaches us how to observe with wisdom. This satellite is about what happens when we take both seriously — not as a compromise, but as a more powerful science.

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Call for Abstracts opens April 1, 2026

We welcome abstracts for short talks or for discussions you want to lead. Deadline: May 31, 2026

Submission details coming soon — join CSCSC mailing list to be notified when the call opens.

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About This Satellite Meeting

Most complexity science frameworks assume an observer-independent world.

But the systems we most care about—minds, societies, transformative change—are shaped by agents whose beliefs, intentions, and first-person experiences are part of the causal fabric. The observer is part of the system. Yet complexity science lacks rigorous frameworks for incorporating subjective experience without abandoning scientific rigor.

Contemplative traditions have spent millennia developing rigorous methods for investigating consciousness, attention, and subjective experience from the inside. This satellite brings the two into dialogue:

• Complexity science offers formal tools: dynamical systems, information theory, network science
• Contemplative studies offers something radical: systematic empirical access to first-person phenomena

At the same time, many of the contemplative frameworks often arrive at world-views similar to that afforded by complexity science – making this synergy especially promising.

We welcome contributions that apply complexity methods to contemplative phenomena, or use contemplative insights to challenge and enrich complexity science.

If you've felt the gap between your equations and your subject matter—this satellite is for you.

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This event is designed differently from the rest of the conference: alongside research talks, the day weaves in group reflection moments and community-led practices from diverse contemplative traditions. More below. ↓

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Topics & Research Questions

Some examples of how this synergy applies:

🔭 Observer-Dependence Beyond Quantum Mechanics