Something fundamental is changing in our 21st century global society. People are recognizing the need for meaning: for giving meaning to events, to organizations and to their lives. As a result, the attention we give to our awareness is increasing: we are increasingly aware, and aware that we are aware. That is what we call sentience: our being aware, and becoming aware that we are.

At the same time, the way in which our society understands reality is deterministic. Science strives for objectivity: a neutral stance on who observes, who is doing science, and on their interpretation of the observations. Such scientific neutrality is an illusion. In science, as elsewhere, the role of the observer and their point of view determine the outcome.

Our way of life is being challenged by geopolitical, manmade crises. In order to create a safe world where human lives have meaning, we need a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between our awareness and reality. An understanding that allows for not knowing, uncertainty and playing with that uncertainty.

The Sentience and Science Foundation aims to close the gap between science and sentience, both in terms of our intuitive and our scientific understanding. The Foundation aims to stimulate the synergy between those two realms, to connect science and sentience. This connection is more powerful than either approach by itself. These two forms of knowing are complementary and equal, and can be explored in parallel in playful exploration. That is what we stand for.

Events →

The Tony Durston Maverick Fellowship Programme →