Center for Spirituality and the Mind - Mission

The purpose of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind is to develop, organize, and coordinate research, scholarship, education, and dialogue, both locally and globally, that focuses on the relationship between spirituality and the brain. In the present global setting, the topic of religion and spirituality is crucial since it relates to social, health, and political issues across the globe. Only through an aggressive and multidisciplinary approach can the needed knowledge be brought to the academic and larger public realm.

The topic of the brain and spirituality has received tremendous interest with articles arising in almost every national and international news and information source. While there have been several leaders at the University of Pennsylvania, there is a greater need to formalize work in this field and establish Penn as a world leader. By forming this Center, such goals can be accomplished and can lead to a greater understanding of how spirituality affects human beings in every culture, society, and tradition. The intent is to arrive at a new understanding of spirituality and its relationship to philosophy, anthropology, urban and civil society, religion and ritual, behavior, and mental health.