Our mission is to connect different disciplines, from philosophy, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, to physics, with cultural perspectives across the globe, to develop a shared understanding of what consciousness means to all of us. We’re conducting a comprehensive survey across the globe to bring together different viewpoints, clarify what consciousness means, and start a worldwide discussion. Join us in tackling the complexities of consciousness and expanding what we know.

Phase 1: Project Launch

Phase 2: Open-ended survey ← you are here

Phase 3: Comprehensive structured survey

The concept of “consciousness” captivates everybody’s curiosity – from scientists to philosophers to you, whatever it is you do and whoever you are. That’s why you’re here, reading this page.

But what is consciousness? From a scientific point of view, we have some consensus, but many questions remain and many viewpoints remain underrepresented or entirely missing from the conversation. This is why we have launched the “What is Consciousness?” project: an interdisciplinary collaboration spearheaded by scientists and philosophers across neuroscience, psychology, artificial intelligence, physics, and more. Our goal is to transcend the traditional boundaries of research and cultural understanding to create, launch, and then explore a comprehensive survey that reflects the rich tapestry of global perspectives on consciousness.

This project goes beyond mere inquiry; it aims to integrate knowledge across various fields—artificial intelligence, psychology, physics, philosophy, and others—into a unified story. By including perspectives from non-WEIRD cultures and covering both scientific and spiritual viewpoints, we strive to create a comprehensive and inclusive understanding of what consciousness means to all of us. 

Our main outputs—a thoroughly analyzed report and an accessible open database—are set to make significant contributions to our understanding. They will provide a new way to see both the common ground and differences in how we understand consciousness, using detailed analyses and easy-to-understand summaries. By sharing our results with all of you here on this website in addition to sharing all our data openly, we hope to reveal the way consciousness is viewed across various fields and cultures.

Join us as we explore what consciousness means to as many of us as possible, all around the world.