One of the most striking phenomena of contemporary times, emerging over the past half-century in the West, is the rediscovery and return of what was designated in Latin Antiquity, following Plato and Aristotle, as vita contemplativa, which modernity overlooked due to the unilateral development of active life (Nietzsche, Hannah Arendt, Byung-Chul Han). In its current form, this translates into a growing interest in exercises aimed at developing attention, as well as pacifying and silencing the verbal and conceptual mind to support the opening of consciousness to insight or direct understanding of its own deep nature and that of reality. While the rediscovery of these exercises is largely influenced by Eastern traditions (meditation, yoga, tai chi chuan, chi kung, etc., originating from Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist traditions), there is also a growing awareness that similar exercises were and continue to be part of indigenous cultures and Greco-Latin philosophical culture (Pierre Hadot), as well as Jewish, Christian, and Islamic spirituality.

This rediscovery of silent contemplation as an experience that, being an end in itself, brings peace, happiness, profound self-knowledge, and an expanded sense of connection with others and the world, manifests itself in various domains. At the core of a renewed interest in spirituality (also secular and independent of traditional religious frameworks), it gains particular visibility and appeal due to the multiple benefits it has demonstrated in central areas of human experience such as culture, education, health, business life, and social and environmental awareness. What stands out from the late twentieth century to this first quarter of the twenty-first is the increasing scientific recognition and validation (particularly in the field of neuroscience) of the effects of regular contemplative practices (Daniel Goleman, Richard Davidson, Andrew Newberg, etc.), especially meditation and its mindfulness-based version (Jon Kabat-Zinn), which has led to its gradual introduction into institutions such as hospitals, schools, and businesses, among others. Contemplative practices also serve as a source of literary and artistic creativity, a reorientation of philosophy towards wisdom, and a deepened social and environmental consciousness and ethics, reducing the sense of separation and disconnection from oneself, others—both human and non-human—and nature.

For these reasons, it is timely to hold the first international congress that addresses this theme in an interdisciplinary way, reflecting on the fertility of contemplative knowledge and practices in finding positive solutions and alternatives to many aspects of the contemporary cultural and civilisational crisis. These include the fragmentation of knowledge, mental health issues (stress, anxiety, depression) and their physiological consequences, chronic attention deficits and their impact on learning, the devastation of the natural world, increasing polarisation, conflicts and social and international malaise, a growing sense of disconnection from oneself, others, and the world, and the diminishing sense of meaning and purpose in life, among others.

Beyond the theoretical dimensions of this issue, the aim is to explore practical applications of contemplative methods that could help make their scientifically proven benefits more present in people’s lives and institutions. The intention is to examine whether contemplative life and active life, rather than ignoring or opposing one another, can harmonise and mutually enrich each other, possibly depending on this balance for the future of human endeavour on Earth.

Key Dates

Submission of proposals for free communications: March 31, responses by April 11

Submission of Proposals

Proposals should be structured for a 15-minute oral presentation and include an abstract in Portuguese or English, with a maximum of 300 words. They must also be accompanied by a short biography of the author(s) (max. 150 words), including their affiliation and contact information. Proposals must be submitted here in PDF format by 31 March 2025. Results will be communicated to authors on 11 April 2025. For any queries, please contact us at isamb-com@medicina.ulisboa.pt.

Registration

Organizing Committee

Paulo Borges (FLUL)

Miguel Barbosa (FMUL)

Ricardo R. Santos (FMUL)

Fabrizio Boscaglia (CFUL)

Paula Morais (FLUL)

Manuel Sanches (FLUL)

Laura Maria Monteiro Viegas (ESEL)

Patrícia Vinheiras Alves (ESEL)

Scientific Committee

Paulo Borges (FLUL)

Mário Bastos (FLUL)

Miguel Barbosa (FMUL)

Ricardo R. Santos (FMUL)

Olga Maria Martins de Sousa Valentim (ESEL)

Sandra Cristina da Silva Neves (ESEL)

Margarida Pedroso de Lima (FPCEUC)

Albertina Oliveira (FPCEUC)

José Meirinhos (FLUP)

Celeste Natário (FLUP)