The SRI Livestream will stream live daily from Monday, June 2, 2025 to Thursday, June 5, 2025. Note that there are not livestream sessions on Wednesday, June 4 as this is the day of the in-person all-day contemplative retreat, or Friday June 6. 

• Monday, June 2 | Sessions will begin at 7:00 a.m. and will conclude before 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (New York, USA) | Daily Check-in via Zoom Meeting: 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (New York, USA)
• Tuesday, June 3 | Sessions will begin at 7:00 a.m. and will conclude before 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (New York, USA) | Daily Check-in via Zoom Meeting: 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (New York, USA)
• Wednesday, June 4 | no livestream sessions
• Thursday, June 5 | Sessions will begin at 7:00 a.m. and will conclude before 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (New York, USA) | Daily Check-in via Zoom Meeting: 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (New York, USA)

The exact times of each livestream session will be announced in May. We recommend www.thetimezoneconverter.com to calculate the time in your location. Please keep in mind that the live sessions will be recorded, allowing you to view as is most convenient for you.

The live sessions will be recorded, allowing you to view as is most convenient for you. Recordings of each session will be available within 24 hours following the livestream. Recordings will be available for at least six months following the live session.

Live stream archives will be available immediately following the end of a session. Within 48 hours of each live session, an edited version of the recording will be available. The edited version will remove any extended live pauses or glitches, preserving the main content.

Live translations into other languages will not be available. Optional English captions will be added to the edited recordings.

To allow broader access to the content of the Summer Research Institute, we are offering a synchronous livestream of the plenary, panel, and morning meditations sessions of SRI. The livestream is designed for anyone interested in hearing the plenary content of Reimagining Contemplative Education: Shaping a Collective Future. Whereas the in-person SRI is an application based, competitive program, all are welcome to register for the Summer Research Institute Livestream. No application is necessary for the livestream.

Registrants of the Summer Research Institute Livestream will get live access to, and recordings of the plenary talks, panel discussions, and daily morning meditation sessions from our 2025 in-person SRI. Livestream registrants will have a daily opportunity to engage with other livestream attendees during the Daily Check-In, a 30 minute Zoom meeting where the livestream community can gather to share thoughts about the day’s sessions. This is not a hybrid event and there will not be engagement with any in-person attendees or faculty.

In-person attendees will enjoy the following additional elements (these are not available to Livestream registrants): engagement with the other in-person attendees and presenters; participation in the in-person Q&A and breakout sessions; contemplative movement sessions; the full-day contemplative retreat; additional sessions including the Varela Grants session, networking, and traditional talent show night; plus general social time throughout the week during meals and unscheduled times.

Please note: Registering for the Summer Research Institute Livestream does not fulfill eligibility requirements to apply for the Mind & Life Francisco J. Varela Research Grants. You must attend the in-person SRI to be eligible.

No, only those faculty members who are delivering plenary talks, panel discussions, and/or daily morning meditation sessions will be part of the Summer Research Livestream. A detailed schedule will be available in May.

Since 2004, Mind & Life has held the Summer Research Institute, a weeklong immersive program typically held at the beautiful Garrison Institute in New York. Unlike traditional academic conferences, the program provides opportunities for deep dialogue across disciplines as well as inquiry through first-person reflection and contemplative practice. It moves away from hierarchies of knowledge to foster an integrative, richer, and fuller understanding of the mind and society, focusing on current issues and positive actions that lead to real-world outcomes. Stay tuned for next year’s theme and participation options. 

In-person attendees of the Summer Research Institute who are New Investigators become eligible to apply for the Varela Grant. Grants of up to $25,000 are awarded annually through a competitive application, review, and selection process. For more information see our Varela Grants webpage. Attendees of the Summer Research Institute Livestream are not eligible to apply.

Please contact programs@mindandlife.org for more information.