Samueli Institute, European Office
Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Epidemiology
University Hospital Freiburg
Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg

This interdisciplinary group of researchers and graduate students in psychology, biology, physics, and medicine joins together to consider issues in the biology of healing and to bridge the gap between science, healing, healing traditions, and spirituality. Through dialogue initiatives, research into clinical studies of mindfulness and healing practices, and through the development of relevant works, publications, student initiatives, and public events, this society collaborates actively and intends to broaden the scope of its interdisciplinary considerations. In the effort to develop the “theoretical underpinnings” for their work, they continue to seek membership from a broad array of disciplinary perspectives. Publicized weekly meetings, often inviting prestigious thinkers in the field, are open to students and other interested individuals and support the development of a syllabus. Regular seminars are being offered at the university, complemented by an international conference. In addition to committing to the publication of two books and a series of articles generated through their collaborative efforts, a postgraduate training program, entitled “Psychology of Consciousness,” is being implemented at the university – “integrating spiritual practice into postgraduate psychology teaching” – and available on a national level. Matching funds are provided by the Samueli Institute in Corona del Mar California.