Essential readings to understand our community's mission and vision

Core Perspectives

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Why Honest Science is Spiritual

A complexity view on scientific research itself, exploring how rigorous inquiry, when done sincerely, becomes a spiritual endeavor.

Pavel Chvykov

Read the essay

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Ecology, Complexity, and the Trinity

Understanding how Trinitarian Christianity's relational ontology naturally necessitates complexity science and ecological thinking, informing our community's integration of scientific and contemplative perspectives.

Robert Marsland

Read on Substack

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Living Things Are Not Machines

Demonstrating that agency, goal-directedness, and intelligence are causal explanations at every biological scale—from cells to organisms, counter to the usual perspective of mechanistic reductionism. By studying purpose as real and measurable, a formal empirical research of intentionality and awareness becomes possible. This allows expanding our intellectual horizons to include contemplative traditions without abandoning traditional scientific explanation.

Read on Noema

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Beyond Computational Models of Mind

Examining the limitations of familiar ontologies about minds as computational systems, pointing toward richer frameworks that honor both contemplative wisdom and scientific rigor.

Jager, Riedl, Djedovic, Vervaeke, Walsh

Read on Frontiers

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📖 Book

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Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being

An accessible exploration of how complexity science illuminates questions of consciousness, interconnection, and the nature of being—bridging scientific and contemplative understanding.

Neil Theise

Get the book

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📚 Shared Vocabulary

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Our Language

Building a common vocabulary across complexity science and contemplative studies. This glossary includes key terms from philosophy, contemplative studies, complexity science, game theory, cognitive science, and sociology.

Essential for joining the conversation and understanding how different traditions speak about similar insights.

Our Language

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🔍 Explore Further

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Research Programs

Discover current and emerging research directions at the intersection of complexity science and contemplative studies. Learn about our community's core questions and active projects.

Research Programs

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Stay in touch for updates

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