Center for Consciousness and Transformation

Initiated in 2009, the Center for Consciousness and Transformation is an interdisciplinary research and teaching center at George Mason University whose mission is to understand the nature and effects of individual and group consciousness and its role in transformative learning and social change.

A central premise of the Center is that human consciousness is a key variable in the process of transformative learning for individuals, which in turn can lead to transformational change on individual, organizational, and societal levels. The Center's approach incorporates traditions and practices with modern scientific methods for full exploration of the vast worlds of consciousness and transformation.

The Center's areas of focus include well-being, leadership, and creativity. The approaches for reaching these areas include positive psychology, social entrepreneurism, the arts, spirituality, and theoretical work, transformative learning, and mindfulness practices. As an interdisciplinary center, the list of contributing disciplines thusfar includes neuroscience, psychology, conflict transformation and resolution, organization development, philosophy, engineering, education, visual and performing arts, sociology, anthropology, communication, and English.

The Center's activities are organized around three primary areas:

1. Research and Scholarship.

2. Teaching and Learning.

3. Outreach.

The Center is housed within New Century College and is made possible by a generous donation by the de Laski Family Foundation to support the Center for its first ten years.