Plenary #3: Science from the Inside Out

Presenter: Marilyn Schlitz | Co-hosts: Judi Neal, Jerry Bieberman & Tianyuan Yu This video is part of The 2026 MSR Research Colloquium, The Mystical and Research: Dwelling at the Threshold of Knowing, which took place on June 11–12, 2026. This plenary, facilitated by Tianyuan Yu, explores the relationship between inner experience and scientific inquiry through Marilyn Schlitz’s keynote, “Science from the Inside Out.” Her presentation examines how reflexivity, consciousness, intuition, contemplative practice, and transformative experience may be engaged as legitimate dimensions of rigorous scholarship. The keynote is followed by a dialogue with Flamekeepers Judi Neal and Jerry Biberman, inviting deeper reflection on the implications of participatory and holistic ways of knowing for MSR research and practice. The plenary then opened into a broader community conversation with participants, concluding with a meditative closing. Speaker's Bio: Dr. Schlitz is an acclaimed social scientist, award-winning author, and charismatic public speaker. She has conducted clinical, laboratory and field-based research into consciousness, human transformation, and healing. Her books include Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life; Consciousness and Healing: Integral Approaches to Mind Body Medicine; and Death Makes Life Possible (and companion film by same title). Having taught at Stanford, Harvard, and Trinity University, she is currently Professor of Transpersonal Psychology at Sofia University, CEO/President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Schlitz has published hundreds of articles in scholarly journals and popular publications, and has lectured extensively in diverse venues, including the United Nations, Smithsonian Institution, Commonwealth Club, and community groups across the world.