13th Annual Stanford Contemplation By Design Summit Begins Today!
About this event
FREE Contemplation by Design Summit, Oct. 14-25, 2026 Experience how contemplative practices can cultivate the resilience, discernment, and wise compassion that support individual and societal health and well-being, healing, and transformation. Learn evidence-based contemplative practices from secular as well as spiritual traditions to cultivate your capacity to thrive, create, and serve. The Stanford 2026 Contemplation by Design® Summit will offer free sessions, both in person and online, from Oct. 14 to Oct. 25. The 2026 Summit is focused on the important role that contemplative practices continue to play in cultivating and sustaining wisdom and compassion. This year’s Summit sessions will also explore how, in this era of the emerging prevalence of AI, contemplative practices are perhaps more important than ever for developing and sustaining people’s ability to be discerning and to create wise, compassionate responses to meet the moment, solve the challenges of today, and build a better future. Taught by leading contemplative science researchers and teachers, professionals, and ordained religious leaders from diverse traditions, the sessions illuminate the role of contemplative practices in developing skills fundamental to spiritual maturity as well as to social and emotional intelligence—including self-awareness, deep listening, connection to emotions, empathy, compassion toward self and others, values-based intention and motivation, and authentic, effective communication to evolve relationships and systems. The full summit schedule for this year will be posted on the Contemplation By Design Website in the coming months. In the meantime, please see our YouTube channel to watch recordings of sessions from previous years.