THE NATURE AND POTENTIAL
OF CONSCIOUSNESS

At the beginning of the 21st century, humanity is poised for a revolution in our understanding of consciousness, as the first-person modes of inquiry of the contemplative traditions of the world are integrated with the third-person methods of modern science. Humankind is now facing unprecedented crises that imperil the entire ecosphere, including human civilization itself. In a large part, these problems stem from the industrial revolution that began 150 years ago and the gradual domination of global culture by materialism as a worldview, hedonism as a prime value, and consumerism as a way of life. In response to the catastrophic loss of meaning and degradation of our environment that has ensued from this triad, the mission of the Santa Barbara Institute is to shed light on the true causes of mental distress and genuine well-being by turning inward to observe the mind directly, rather than narrowly focusing on its behavioral expressions and neural correlates.