wisdom

Drawing the Field: Art, Embodiment, and the Science of Group Dynamics

| Marc Santolini

Over several days, I joined a group of approximately thirty educators, artists, and researchers for the Crafting Pedagogies of Togetherness residency—a prototype initiative investigating how embodied awareness practices can inform both educational pedagogy and collaborative methodologies. The residency was designed and facilitated by Studio Atelierista as part of a project co-funded by Erasmus+, and took place in a rural studio context, functioning as a site of transdisciplinary experimentation. Together, we articulated and tested new forms of learning that are relational, affectively attuned, and somatically grounded.

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The Art & Science of Collective Intelligence: Podcast interview on R&D Unplugged

| Marc Santolini

How can we foster collective intelligence in times of uncertainty, fragmentation, and crisis?

I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the R&D Unplugged Podcast by the Learning Planet Institute, where we explored how collaborative intelligence emerges—not just from technology or data, but from the quality of our relationships, processes, and ways of being together. We discussed how psychological safety, participatory methodologies, and even wisdom traditions can inform how we organize, learn, and navigate complexity—whether in research, education, or systemic change.

If you’re interested in how science, facilitation, and social healing intersect, I invite you to tune in:
🎙️ Listen to the episode


Relational Infrastructures for Collective Sensemaking and Action

| Marc Santolini

How can we design containers that support relational development, foster collective intelligence, and cultivate the conditions for systemic transformation?

On March 20, I had the pleasure of presenting our work at the 11th edition of R&D Unplugged, hosted by the Research Unit Learning Transitions at the Learning Planet Institute. In this talk, I explored the intersection of network science, participatory methodologies, and wisdom traditions, highlighting how multi-level group practices and process-aware monitoring can help track and enhance relational quality over time.

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What Would a Citizen Science of Wisdom Look Like?

| Marc Santolini

How can contemplatives and scientists come together to co-create knowledge—not just about the world, but about how we live in it?

Last September, I had the privilege of co-organizing and facilitating the first Contemplative Citizen Science Residency at the Life Itself Praxis Hub in Bergerac. Together with Liam Kavanagh and a diverse group of practitioners, researchers, and citizen scientists, we explored how contemplative practice and scientific inquiry can mutually enrich one another.

This unique residency invited participants to imagine what an extreme citizen science of contemplation could look like. We questioned how contemplatives—those deeply trained in attention, compassion, and non-dual inquiry—could meaningfully shape research agendas and methodologies. Through collective practice, discussion, and self-research, we aimed to bridge the gap between subjective experience and scientific rigor.

As Thich Nhat Hanh envisioned, humanity needs a form of spirituality rooted not in dogma, but in evidence and interbeing. This residency was one step toward building that bridge.

If you’re curious to learn more about the motivations and vision behind this initiative, you can watch our introductory conversation and find more information about the program here:
🌐 Residency Details

Participatory Science and the Cultivation of Collective Awareness

| Marc Santolini

What if citizen science could not only help us understand the world—but also ourselves?

Last week, I had the pleasure of giving a talk at Life Itself, where I explored how contemplative practices and participatory science can come together to foster new ways of knowing and collaborating.

In this session, I discussed how the inclusion of contemplative and relational practices in citizen science projects can support impact-driven initiatives and enhance collective well-being. Drawing from my work at the Learning Planet Institute and the Life Itself Praxis Hub, I proposed a vision of contemplative citizen science—an emerging framework where contemplatives and scientists collaborate from the ground up, co-producing knowledge and creating spaces for reflective, embodied, and participatory research.

We examined how relational well-being and perspectival knowing can be integrated into scientific methods through participatory approaches, self-research, and community-based experimentation. Ultimately, I argued for a metamodern epistemology—one that recognizes diverse ways of knowing and invites contemplative inquiry alongside scientific rigor.

If you’re curious about how mindfulness, science, and collective action can converge, you can access the slides here:
👉 Slides