Speakers

International Speakers

Catherine Panter-Brick

“Social Resilience: Exploring Spirituality and Democracy in a World at Risk”

Panter-Brick, Ph.D., has spoken at the United Nations on issues of peacebuilding, resilience, and mental health. She has presented at the World Health Organization, the World Back, and the United States Institute of Peace. Her work with young Syrian refugees in Jordan is an example of research aimed at learning how interventions can alleviate stress, increase resilience, and improve lives in war-affected communities. Panter-Brick has published more than 170 peer-reviewed scientific publications in the biomedical, health, and social sciences. She has co-edited eight books. At Yale University, she directs the Multidisciplinary Academy Program in Global Health Studies at the Jackson School and the Program on Conflict, Resilience, and Health at the MacMillan Centre for International Studies.

Elías Capriles

“Decolonizing Transpersonal Psychology: Insights from the Global South”

Professor, Ph.D. Teacher of Dzogchen, philosopher, meta shamanic facilitator and theorist of transpersonal psychology. Elíashas experientially researched on psychedelics for many decades. He created and managed Refuges for Spiritual Emergencies (Swayambhunathand Anjuna Beach). He received all the transmissions for Dzogchenand practiced that teaching in successive three-months retreats in the higher Himalayas. Then he further delved into philosophy in two Universities and produced a philosophical and psychological system of ecological and egalitarian tendency based on Buddhism and Dzogchen—which he expressed in many books, academic articles and book chapters. In Mérida (Venezuela) he helped create the ―Arturo Eichler‖ ecological coordinating body and actively took part in activities of political ecology. He taught at the Universidad de Los Andes (Department of Filosofía, Cátedrade studios Orientales, Centro de Investigación de Africa Asia) until his retirement, and has offered a great number of lectures in manifold universities in Europe, América and Asia. Currently he teaches Dzogchenin many countries, both within the Internacional Dzogchen Community and outside it. He is part of the Board of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA) and the Association Transpersonal Iberoamericana(ATI), as well as of different academic journals in various countries. His work has been discussed in books on philosophy in France, Spain, Mexico and Venezuela, as well as in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology.

Florent Pasquier

“Artificial Intelligence and Transdisciplinarity: Challenges for the Next Decade”

Ph.D., associate professor at Sorbonne University Letters, President of Ciret, International Centre for Transdisciplinary Research (Paris). Following my university studies in social, environmental and human sciences, I specialized in communication sciences, new technologies and educational sciences. This interdisciplinary approach facilitates my current global analysis of contemporary issues, including digital media and related teaching methods. After several years spent in consulting, research engineering activities and popular education, I am now particularly involved in training of future teachers. I conceive and implement an « integrative and implicative pedagogy ». My current research emphasizes transdisciplinary, transpersonal psychology and digital humanities as technologies.

Harris Friedman

“Transpersonal Psychology in the Next Decade: Challenges for Research and Engaged Practice”

Harris Friedman, Ph.D., serves as associated Distinguished Consulting Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies and as associated Professor at the SalomonsInstitute for Applied Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University, and Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. He retired as Research Professor of Psychology at University of Florida, where he remains as a Courtesy Professor. He has over 200 professional publications, including his most recent books: Transcultural Competence (American Psychological Association, 2015), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology (2015/2013), and The Praeger Handbook of Social Justice and Psychology (3 volumes; 2014). He also is Associate Editor of both The Humanistic Psychologist and the Journal of Humanistic Psychology and serves as Senior Editor of the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies. He is a Fellow of both the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association and serves as Co-President of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology.

Jorge Ferrer

“Embodied Spirituality: Challenges and Opportunities for Education and Health”

Ph.D. He was a professor of psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, where he served as chair of the Department of East-West Psychology. Jorge is the author of many articles and books, including Revisioning Transpersonal Theory: A Participatory Vision of Human Spirituality (State University of New York Press, 2002), Participation and the Mystery: Transpersonal Essays in Psychology, Education, and Religion (SUNY Press, 2017), and Love and Freedom: Transcending Monogamy and Polyamory (Rowman& Littlefield, 2021). Jorge was a member of the Esalen Institute Centre for Theory and Research, where he also taught workshops on embodied spirituality. Jorge received the Fezter Presidential Award for his seminal work on consciousness studies and was selected as an advisor to the Religions for Peace organization at the United Nations.

Mário Simões

“Challenges for Spiritual Awakening”

Mário Simões, Ph.D., was Professor of Psychiatry and Consciousness Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, Portugal. He was Director of the Postgraduate Course un-Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and of the Laboratory of Mind-Matter Interaction with Therapeutic Intention (LIMMIT), and of the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon. Research Interests in: Psychology and psychophysiology of altered states of consciousness, ethnomedicine, exceptional human experiences and the relationship between psychology and spirituality.

Mark Geyer

“Mental Health, Entheogens and Psychedelics: Promises, Reality and Limits”

Mark A. Geyer, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and Director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Centre for Mental Illness Research, Clinical and Education at VISN 22. Since receiving his Ph. D. in Psychology in 1972, he has focused his research on psychotic disorders and the neurobiological effects of psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs. For four decades, he has received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to study the behavioural effects of psychedelics and entactogens. In 1993, he co-founded the Heffter Research Institute, named after Dr. Arthur Heffter, a pioneer who supported much of the scientific research that led to the exploration of psychedelics as potential therapeutics. He recently co-founded the UCSD Psychedelic and Health Research Initiative, which is exploring the efficacy of psychedelics in the treatment of pain disorders. He has published over 470 peer-reviewed articles and over 50 reviews. He is the recipient of the 2011 Bleuler Prize for Schizophrenia Research and the 2014 Julius Axelrod Mentorship Award from the ACNP.

Paul Grof

Online
“Perinatal Matrices and Psychotherapy”

Paul Grof, MD, Ph.D., Director, Mood Disorders Centre of Ottawa Board Grof Legacy Training and Holotropic Breathwork. Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (retired). He has run affective disorder clinics throughout his career and has served as a Visiting Scientist at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and as an Expert for the World Health Organization, Mental Health section. In 2015, he was awarded the Mogens Schou Research Prize from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) for his life work in advancing our understanding of mood disorders.

Pier Luigi Lattuada

Online
“Body and Soul: Health, Illness and Spirituality”

Pier Luigi Lattuada is a doctor, psychologist and psychotherapist. director of the School of Training in Transpersonal Psychotherapy, recognized by the MIUR in Italy, and of Higher School of Training in Transpersonal Counselling. President of the Transpersonal Integral Institute (ITI) in Milan. President of the European Transpersonal Association (EUROTAS). Professor at Meridien University in California and head of the Integral Transpersonal Psychology Program at Ubiquity University. He has taught at the University of Sofia and the University of Palo Alto in California. He directed the Lifegate Holistic Clinic. In the 1980s, he founded Biotransenergetics. He has been writing poetry since he was 16 years old, and has written and published several books, essays and short stories on transpersonal psychotherapy, integral medicine and Biotransenergetics.

Roman Gonzalvo

“Palliative Care in Health”

Psychologist, Ph.D. from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain). Founder of the Journal of Transpersonal Research. Since 2006, he has worked with patients in palliative care, investigating their spiritual needs, personal learning and inner transformation. The research based on this work is in the process of being published in three international scientific journals on impact factors. He organized the “1st Symposium on Transpersonal Psychology and Spirituality” in Spain in 2015 and gives seminars on transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy at the University of Zaragoza and the Institute of Psychological Studies. He currently works as a psychotherapist in Madrid and Tudela (Spain). He is President of La Asociacón Transpersonal Iberoamericana and founder of the Grupo de Psicología y Psicoterapia Transpersonal del Colegio Oficial de Psicología de Madrid.

Steve Taylor

Online
“Challenges for Spiritual Awakening”

Ph.D., Senior Lecture in Psychology at Leeds Beckett University and author of several bestselling books on psychology and spirituality. He is a past Chair of the Transpersonal Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society. His books include: “Disconnected: The Roots of Human Cruelty and How Connection Can Heal the World”; “Extraordinary Awakening: The Centre of Calm”; “The Leap and Spiritual Science”. His books have been published in over 20 languages, while his articles and essays have appeared in over 100 academic journals, magazines and newspapers. Steve also writes blogs for Scientific American and Psychology Today.

Steve Taylor

Online
“Desafios para o Despertar Espiritual”

Ph.D., Professor sênior de psicologia na Leeds Beckett University e autor de vários livros best-sellers sobre psicologia e espiritualidade. Foi presidente da Seção de Psicologia Transpessoal da Sociedade Britânica de Psicologia. Alguns de seus livros: “Desconectado: As Raízes da crueldade humana e como a conexão pode curar o mundo”; “Despertar Extraordinário: O Centro da calma”; “O salto e a ciência espiritual”.
Seus livros foram publicados em mais de 20 idiomas, enquanto que seus artigos e ensaios foram publicados em mais de 100 periódicos acadêmicos, revistas e jornais. Steve, também, escreve artigos em blogs para a Scientific American e para a Psychology Today.

Brazilian speakers

Ailton Krenak

Brazilian indigenous leader, environmentalist, philosopher, poet, writer of the Krenak indigenous ethnic group and immortal of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. He is also an honorary professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF). He is considered one of the greatest leaders of the Brazilian indigenous movement and has received international recognition. In 2000, he starred in the documentary Indians in Brazil, which addresses identity, languages, customs, traditions, colonization and contact with white people. Krenak is renowned for his defence of indigenous rights and activism in the socio-environmental movement. Krenak bases his beliefs and philosophies on interaction with the present moment and on experiences shared with the people around him. In his own words, he denounces the construction of Brazil on top of indigenous cemeteries, highlighting the conflict between different concepts of civilization and the displacement of human beings in nature.

"Tomorrow is Nor for Sale"

Aidda Pustilnik

Aidda Pustilnik is a Brazilian psychologist and educator, known for her work in the field of Dynamic Energy of the Psyche (DEP). She was one of the founders of the Cultural Institute Dynamic Energy of the Psyche (ICDEP), created in 1999, which seeks to promote the expansion of consciousness through courses, lectures and workshops. She introduced the Pathwork methodology in Brazil after her training in the USA at the International Pathwork Center in New York, and brought Pathwork to Brazil in 1990, starting study groups in Bahia. Since then, she has been one of the main promoters of Pathwork in Brazil, sharing her experience and knowledge through lectures, videos and events.

"The Embodied Cosciousness"

Aurino Lima Ferreira

Associate Professor, UFPE. He holds the following academic qualifications: Ph.D. in Education, UFPE (2005-2007), Master’s in Cognitive Psychology, UFPE (1996-1999), bachelor’s degree in psychology, Faculdade Frassinetti do Recife (1989-1993) and Post-doctorate, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France (2017). He works in the areas of: Psychology and Transpersonal Education, Social/Community Psychology, Non-formal Education, Integral Emotional Education, Resilience, and Phenomenology (Merleau-Ponty) and has experience as a professor and researcher in the Postgraduate Program in Education, UFPE and as Project Coordinator at the Educational Center Irmãos Menores de Francisco de Assis (NEIMFA). He has extensive bibliographic production on topics such as resilience, psychosocial interventions, and spirituality.

"Spiritualities in the Face of the Falling Sky: Ethical-Aesthetic-Cosmopolitical Challenges of Transpersonality"

Alexander Moreira de Almeida

Full Professor of Psychiatry at UFJF. He has the following academic background: Medical Degree from the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Residency and PhD in Psychiatry from the University of São Paulo (USP) and Post-doctorate in Psychiatry from Duke University, USA. He works in the areas of Psychiatry, Parapsychology, Semiology, and Religious Studies. He has experience as Founder and Director of the Center for Research in Spirituality and Health (NUPES), UFJF, Coordinator of the Spirituality Section of the Latin American Psychiatric Association (APAL), Former Coordinator of the Spirituality Section of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), and Coordinator of the Anxiety Disorders Program at HU-UFJF. He edited the book “Spirituality and Mental Health Across Cultures” (Oxford Univ Press, 2021), is co-author of the book “Science of Life After Death” (Springer, 2022) and is the author of more than 200 scientific articles and chapters. He received the “Oskar Pfister Award” from the American Psychiatric Association (2025).

"The Mind Beyond the Brain"

Francisco Fialho

Full Professor at UFSC. His academic background is as follows: Bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (1973), Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (1999), Master’s degree in Production Engineering and Ergonomics from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (1992), and PhD in Production Engineering and Knowledge Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (1994). He works in the areas of Knowledge Engineering, Knowledge Media, Eco-ergonomics, Knowledge Management, and Cognitive Ergonomics. He has experience as a Full Professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Leader of the Center for Studies and Developments in Knowledge and Consciousness (NEDECC), Leader of the Center for Research in Complexity and Cognition (NUCOG), Participant of the Center for Integration Engineering and Knowledge Governance (ENGIN) at UFSC, and Participant of the Responsible Management Laboratory (LGR). He is the author of several scientific articles and book chapters on ergonomics, knowledge management and knowledge engineering.

"Artificial Intelligence and Transdisciplinarity: Challenges for the Next Decade"

Eliana Bertolucci

Full Professor, PUC-SP. She holds the following academic qualifications: Ph.D. in Educational Sciences, Université de Paris VII – Université Denis Diderot (1978-1982), Specialization in Educational Sciences, Université de Paris VII – Université Denis Diderot (1976-1977) and a degree in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (1970-1975). She works in the areas of Social Psychology, Interpersonal Relationships and Developmental Psychology and has experience as a Full Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) since 1980. She has published the following books: “Psicologia e Yoga” (1996), “Psicologia do Sagrado” (1991), “Floresta do Acaso” (1977) and several interviews and articles in specialized magazines.

"Ego, Pain and Pleasure"

Francisco Fialho

"Artificial Intelligence and Transdisciplinarity: Challenges for the Next Decade"

Vera Pizzichini Saldanha

Psychologist and Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology. She has the following academic background: PhD in Transpersonal Psychology, UNICAMP, Specialization in Psychopathology and Adolescent Psychotherapy, UNICAMP, International Master in Transpersonal Psychology from the Al Gharb Institute and Nora Cavaco Institute, certified by DGERT. She is the author of Transpersonal Didactics and the Transpersonal Integrative Approach and works in the areas of Transpersonal Psychology, Transpersonal Integrative Approach (AIT), and other approaches in Psychology. She has experience as Founder and Director of the Vera Saldanha Institute, President of the Luso-Brazilian Transpersonal Association (ALUBRAT) having held eleven international congresses, Coordinator of the first postgraduate course in Transpersonal Psychology in Brazil with in-person and online classes, and as a teacher of courses and conferences in Transpersonal Psychology in Brazil and abroad since 1985. She is the author of several books and articles on Transpersonal Psychology and the Transpersonal Integrative Approach.