Consciousness Studies

A free online event hosted by the Department of Transformative Inquiry.

Consciousness is the curious phenomenon that we all share, yet know little about. The study of consciousness spans many disciplines—from humanities to science to various practices—and this special salon explores both the breadth of the field and the ways our curriculum addresses the understandings and disputes within consciousness studies.

Faculty in the Transformative Inquiry Department will frame significant contributions and concepts needed for any inquiry into this mysterious phenomenon. As part of the department's initiative to create a series of salons around pressing contemporary questions, this discussion invites interdisciplinary dialogue.

All are welcome to attend and bring their perspectives from biology, psychology, cosmology, physics, or other fields of inquiry.

Meet the Speakers

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Constance A. Jones, Ph.D. is a sociologist of religion who joined CIIS in 1994, having taught at several colleges and theology schools. Beginning with her doctoral dissertation on the caste system in India, she has pursued a long interest in the cultures and religions of the East, including the adoption of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and practices in the West. She researches spiritual teachers as well as the evolution of new religious movements around the world.

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Julie Gardner is a student in the Transformative Studies doctoral program, where her research centers on play consciousness and its role in emergence and transformation. She is especially interested in how playful presence and collaborative imagining might foster re-enchantment and deeper connection across human and more-than-human relations. Her professional work and personal life have been enriched by the magic of play; parenting a child with a terminal illness brought into sharp focus the transformative possibilities of play for joyful presence in the many moments that make up a life well shared. Julie’s background in clinical social work and psychotherapy, along with an ongoing exploration of kinship with the more-than-human world, together inform her research.

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Fernando Ona is a methodologist, medical anthropologist, and minister, originally from the Northeast. He began his career in local and State public health and social services before joining the faculties at several public and private universities. He is also a somatic psychotherapist who has supported refugee and asylum-seeking communities who are survivors of torture. He is a certified 500-hour yoga instructor and an ordained minister.

Reserve Your Spot