Ravi Ravindra – Wise Scientists – Panel Discussion

Thursday, 11 December 2025
5:00 – 7:00 PM (GMT)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82267355751?pwd=pRnj4z8RZCX8caxd4GRZhbaWbaEttl.1

Meeting ID: 82267355751
Passcode: 796112

Philosopher-physicist Ravi Ravindra notes that according to all the sages, there are many levels of reality subtler than the mind. So, any enterprise wholly driven by the mind—including science, philosophy, and theology—cannot connect with these subtler levels of reality.  In order to relate with these subtle levels one needs to rely on direct perception, not on thought.

Hence, the need to open up and enhance the quality of perception and being among scientists. Then they are more likely to attain knowledge which is closer to wisdom. A wise scientist is interested in truth – which is a subtle combination of knowledge and compassion.

By focusing solely on the mind at the expense of the heart, science seems to have lost its humanity. Wisdom requires practices to assimilate the material into one’s being. It is one thing to know that one should be empathetic and another to incorporate a habit of empathetic practices into one’s science.

Each panellist will give their own take on how to promote wisdom in science and enhance the quality of knowing and being among scientists, followed by a panel and discussion.

Professor Ravi Ravindra PhD is Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he served for many years as a professor in three Departments: Comparative Religion, Philosophy, and Physics. He was a Member of the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton, a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Simla, and Founding Director of the Threshold Award for Integrative Knowledge. He has been a member of the Board of Judges for the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. He is an honorary member of the Scientific and Medical Network. Ravindra’s spiritual search has led him to the teachings of J. Krishnamurti, G. Gurdjieff, Yoga, Zen, and a deep immersion in the mystical teachings of the Indian and Christian traditions. He is the author of many books on religion, science, and spiritual disciplines.

Dr. Filippo Dal Fiore is an unconventional social scientist and spiritually inspired philosopher who teaches at the School of Economics of the University of Bologna. With a diverse academic background in Communication Sciences and Applied Economics, and experience in the entrepreneurial and consulting world, Filippo brings together intellect, intuition, and real-world insight. His lifelong journey has been one of integration—of disciplines, of the personal and the professional, and most recently, of science and spirituality. Filippo envisions a “Science with a Heart,” calling for a new academic paradigm rooted in humility, inner wisdom, and service. Over the past decade, he has embraced inner work as a crucial complement to social inquiry, engaging deeply with multi-faith and contemplative communities such as the Spirit of Humanity Forum, the Inner Development Goals, the Brahma Kumaris, and the World Community for Christian Meditation. He currently serves as a connector and facilitator across an emerging global network of spiritually informed leaders.

William Keepin, PhD, is a mathematical physicist with extensive training in contemplative meditation and transpersonal psychology. His research on sustainable energy to mitigate climate change influenced international environmental policy, and he was a whistleblower in nuclear science policy. Will co-founded Gender Equity and Reconciliation International which has conducted 300 trainings in 14 countries on gender equality, and also Satyana Institute which organizes conferences to bring contemplative mystics together across the religions and science. His books include Song of the Earth: A Synthesis of the Scientific and Spiritual Worldviews  (co-editor, 2012), Belonging to God: Science, Spirituality, and a Universal Path of Divine Love (2016), and Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family (2023).

David Lorimer is Chair of the Galileo Commission, Global Ambassador and Programme Director of the Scientific and Medical Network, and Editor of Paradigm Explorer. His book most relevant to this event is A Quest for Wisdom. 

Marjorie Woollacott, PhD, is an Emeritus Professor of Human Physiology, and member of the Institute of Neuroscience, at the University of Oregon. She is Research Director for the International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and is President of the Academy for the Advancement of Postmaterialist Sciences (AAPS). She has published more than 200 scientific articles and written or co-edited eight books. Her latest book, Infinite Awareness (2015) (winner of eight awards) her research as a neuroscientist with her self-revelations about the mind’s spiritual power. Between the scientific and spiritual worlds, she breaks open the definition of human consciousness to investigate the existence of a non-physical and infinitely powerful mind. She is Co-Chair of the Galileo Commission, co-editor of Spiritual Awakenings and an Honorary Member of the SMN.