Academics Programs

ACADEMICS – PAST PROGRAMS

The Sixth Annual Ratna Ling Conference
on First-Person Methodologies in the Study of Consciousness
June 9-13, 2011

This year’s conference was held at Mangalam Centers in Berkeley. Participation is by invitation only.

Who Is I?– A Panel Discussion
June 11; 7 – 9:30pm
at 2018 Allston Way, Berkeley

Many Western thinkers have questioned the reality of the self. Contemporary neuroscience often agrees, viewing the self as a fiction. The Buddhist tradition sees the self as the source of all suffering. Yet . . . Don’t we need a self to act? Who is happy? Who is sad? Who finds meaning, and who craves it? Come explore these fundamental questions with a distinguished panel of international scholars.
more information (,pdf -240k)

Fourth Annual Ratna Ling Conference:
First-Person Methodologies in the Study of Consciousness
June 11-15, 2009
at Ratna Ling Retreat Center – Sonoma County, CA

This annual conference, open by invitation only, is the world’s leading academic forum for exploration of first-person experiential inquiry into consciousness. Participants include philosophers, psychologists, cognitive scientists, AI investigators, and practitioners of experiential disciplines. The theme this year is first-person contributions to ethical concerns.

Third Ratna Ling Conference on
First-Person Methodologies in the Study of Consciousness
March 31 – April 6, 2010

The conference brings together participants from all over the world, many well-known in the field of consciousness studies. It is open by invitation only. This year’s theme is Space, Time, and Self: The View from Within. There will be a focus on more experiential work than in the previous two conferences.
The Location:
The group will meet again at Ratna Ling Retreat Center, two hours north of San Francisco (www.ratnaling.org). It’s a beautiful site with splendid accommodations and excellent vegetarian meals. Since last year, four new cottages have been built and the conference center/library has been completed.

Bringing Experience out of the Closet:
Reflections on the Conference on First-Person Methodologies in the Study of Consciousness
An article by Walter Truett Anderson – conference participant 2007

Upcoming Programs

The dates and theme of the 2012 Seventh Annual First-Person Methodologies Conference have not yet been determined. Information will be posted here as it becomes available.