ASPEN, Colo. (March 15, 2025) – On Saturday, September 13, join an amazing collection of world-renowned speakers for Frontiers of Knowledge, a day-long symposium conceived by Candice Olson and co-produced by Aspen Public Radio, Center for MINDS, California Institute for Integral Studies and the Mays Family Foundation at the historic Wheeler Opera House in the heart of Aspen, Colorado.

Spend a day with the big questions and new answers that can shift the way we see our world —and our way forward. For over three hundred years, our institutions, our businesses, our religions —our very motivations and psyches— have been built around an understanding of the world that has brought us material progress at the cost of a growing sense of spiritual isolation in a vast universe.

Over the last century a new universe story has emerged, of the origin of life, of howour minds relate to the world around us and within us, indeed a new story of the very nature of reality —all restoring our sense of wonder and wholeness Symposium Passes are available now at aspenshowtix.com. Complimentary copiesof Journey of the Universe by Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker will be available for all ticket holders, while supplies last.

Symposium: $100 per person for the full, day-long event; attendees under 40years of age can use the code “UNDER40” to receive 25% off.

Symposium + Patron’s Dinner: $350 per person for the full, day-long event, followed by a speaker’s dinner at Sant Ambroeus in Aspen, where patrons will dine with symposium speakers and enjoy intimate conversation over a multi-course meal; guests will be able to select which speaker to dine with based on date of purchase. Limited seats available; a full table can be purchased for $2,400 here.

Join us for a fast-moving, mind-blowing, and game-changing day, engaging with internationally-acclaimed scientists and scholars sharing and debating the implications of discoveries in cosmology, the origin of life, neuroscience, quantum physics, altered states of consciousness —and how these implications change everything.

Preview Interviews with Candice Olson, Brian Swimme, and Bruce Damer are available upon request. Produced by Aspen’s Candice Olson, Emmy-winning executive producer, media and community entrepreneur and CEO; Olson is currently pursuing a doctorate in Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness, and has created an agenda which will include:

9:00am: Welcome and Introductory Remarks

9:15am: “The Journey of the Universe” with Brian Swimme, Mary Evelyn Tucker,and Jude Currivan

As one reviewer of Journey of the Universe wrote, “the co-authors managed to fit 14 billion years of grandeur along with humanity’s most fundamental questions into small spaces…” Go on the ride of a lifetime, from the beginning of this universe to the present, with each chapter—atoms, stars, galaxies, plants, animals, and humans all making their dramatic appearance, each expressing the unfolding intelligence of the cosmic process. Learn how quantum physics unveils a more deeply interconnected universe in which mind and matter cannot be understood as separate, and in which humanity is called to step into a wider and deeper perspective and sense of care.

11:00am: “The Origin of Life” with Bruce Damer and Matthew David Segall

Dr. Bruce Damer, an origin of life scientist, has helped develop a leading hypothesis on life's emergence—a model that moves beyond simplistic "lightning strikes primordial soup" scenarios toward processes involving community dynamics and emergent complexity. His collaborator, process philosopher Matt Segall, places this empirical research in a cosmological context that allows us to understand how consciousness and agency evolved. Together, they exemplify a paradigm shift across scientific disciplines that transcends traditional boundaries between physics, chemistry, and biology while addressing both the "how" and "why" of life's origins—a collaboration where empirical investigation and metaphysical inquiry integrate to form a more complete understanding of our cosmic story.

1:30pm: “Mind, Brain and the Unfinished Journey of the Western Mind” with Iain McGilchrist and Richard Tarnas

Richard Tarnas, author of the acclaimed and highly entertaining work on Western intellectual and cultural history, reveals the profound richness of our heritage even as our civilization seems to be falling off-course. Tarnas draws from both traditional and contemporary sources that can help us rediscover a sense of wonder and belonging in a fragmented world. Psychiatrist and philosopher Iain McGilchrist extends Tarnas' narrative by exploring the hemispheres of our brain and how they evolved to afford us different ways of being in the world. McGilchrist demonstrates how these complementary ways of engaging with reality, when properly balanced, foster both our sense of wholeness and our remarkable problem-solving abilities.

3:15pm: “Consciousness and the New Worldview” with Jeff Kripal, Jake Sherman, and David Abram

Pioneering scholars Jeff Kripal, Jake Sherman, and David Abram invite us into a profound exploration of consciousness that challenges brain-bound theories. As the field of consciousness studies experiences unprecedented expansion—with over 100 theories now in academic circulation—these visionaries examine how our conception of consciousness is undergoing radical transformation. More theorists are taking seriously the possibility that consciousness is a pervasive feature of existence—not confined to human minds, but extending throughout the non-human world. The speakers articulate how this emerging paradigm suggests consciousness is participatory in nature, weaving humans into an intimate relationship with our earthly companions and the broader cosmic community.

4:30pm: Closing Remarks

5:00pm: Patron’s Dinner at Sant Ambroeus