Consciousness and Cognition

Language: English

Period: 30 August – 7 September 2025

Deadline: 4 July 2025

NOTICE: the general application deadline was originally set to 11 July 2025 and it has been anticipated to 4 July 2025 for management reasons.

Program Intensity: Full-time

ECTS: 6

Tuition fees: 500€

The enigma of Consciousness is perhaps the most fascinating mystery in the Universe. There are many hypotheses, on the basis of which we try to give an answer to the most difficult problems but, wanting to schematize, all can be traced back to two broad categories: those who consider Consciousness entirely reducible to the electro-chemical-physical processes that take place in the brain, and those who don’t grant for such a solution.
Sharing the first hypothesis means leaning towards the so-called Scientific Materialism, a monist and reductionist approach to the reality, whereas being sceptical towards this possibility and embracing a non-reductionist perspective can decline in very different options, ranging from dualist approaches, postulating the existence of a proto-psychic substance independent from a physical substratum, to non-substantialist views, suggesting an overall reconsideration of the subject-object relation in order to face the problem of consciousness. This latter hypothesis will be investigated from different perspectives, such as quantum physics, biology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, but also and especially from the perspective of contemplative practices. The insights drawn from these fields of enquiry will be thread together within a philosophical framework strongly inspired by phenomenology.

In fact two domains that are apparently very different, such as the one of Quantum Physics and the one of meditation and yoga, on the contrary show, through a phenomenological key of understanding, some surprising convergences. The first constitutes the most advanced approach to the study of the physical world, which also extends to phenomena that take place at the nanoscopic level in biological tissues, while the latter allow for a millenarian profound and accurate exploration of issues that are not accessible with objective methods and that concern the first-person experience. Nonetheless when it comes to consciousness they both seem to point towards a similar direction.

Moreover, answering the question if Scientific Materialism is capable of embracing the totality of Reality, included consciousness, has a lot to do with what is meant by consciousness and what is meant by cognition.
Within ongoing cognitive debate the exploration of consciousness is usually merged and sometimes reduced to the study of the processes through which cognition takes place. But is the mere study of the cognitive faculties sufficient to shed light on the mystery of Consciousness which, itself, is a pre-condition for every single cognition to take place?

In order to start tackling these questions, the summer-school was born with a multidisciplinary vocation that brings neurosciences, but also biology, artificial intelligence, and physics in dialogue with epistemological issue at stake in phenomenology and Eastern philosophies and contemplative practice. For this reason the contribution of highly qualified teachers coming from very different backgrounds is required.

A specific space will be reserved for the experiential aspect in order to integrate the lessons with familiarization sessions with contemplative practices (Yoga and Meditation). The sessions will be conducted by highly qualified teachers with specific experience and will also be usable by the students who will attend the school online.

The 2025 edition of the Summer School Consciousness and Cognition is organized by University of Pisa in collaboration with the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, with the patronage of the Italian Buddhist Union

The School will take place in a residential form at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, 35 Km from Pisa, thanks to a convention between the University of Pisa and the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, renowned for the excellent quality of its study programs of Buddhist philosophy and psychology.

The program will be activated also in distance learning mode (TEAMS platform).