Opening Remarks of the SENSEmaking: A Symposium on Contemplative Technologies
Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia.
October 9-10, 2025
See the full program. Watch each session of the SENSEmaking symposium on YouTube.
This keynote opening frames the 2-day symposium on contemplative technologies and the human senses. The driving questions of the symposium are: “How can contemplative practices and emerging technologies be coupled to revitalize the human capacity for sensemaking?” And, “What new paradigms for human consciousness and flourishing might emerge from this encounter?” These remarks set the stage by discussing the research model at CIRCL, Contemplative Innovation + Research Co-Lab, the extent of human senses, what we mean by contemplation, the power of transformative technology, and some thoughts to cast a contemplative future.
