The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Art of Living Foundation to strengthen collaborative research in the fields of consciousness and mental well-being. This significant step was taken during the closing day of the prestigious Mind, Brain, and Consciousness Conference (MBCC 2025), held from June 4–7 at IIT Mandi. Organized by the Indian Knowledge System and Mental Health Applications (IKSMHA) Center, MBCC 2025 brought together a global array of scientists, scholars, spiritual leaders, and thinkers to explore the intersection of neuroscience, Indian philosophy, mental health, and consciousness studies.
The conference featured a keynote address by spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who joined virtually. He stated, “Science now agrees that spirituality plays a vital role in mind and consciousness. Happiness is a concept of consciousness, nurtured through meditation, sattvic food, and pranayama.”
Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director of IIT Mandi and General Chair of MBCC, emphasized that consciousness is at the heart of both scientific discovery and self-realization. “Without consciousness, the body is nothing. MBCC 2025 opens new paths for education, innovation, and interdisciplinary research rooted in India’s ancient wisdom,” he said.
Prof. Arnav Bhavsar, Chair of the IKSMHA Center, shared the center’s achievements, including the development of a sleep research lab and active collaborations with institutions such as DRDO and the Ministry of AYUSH. Renowned Indologist Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami described the event as a “yagya of knowledge,” led by students and powered by the light of consciousness.
Over the four days, MBCC 2025 hosted more than 110 full paper presentations and 60 poster sessions. The conference included 12 thematic sessions on cutting-edge topics such as cognitive biomarkers, neuroimaging and AI, Ayurvedic psychiatry, and reincarnation studies. It featured four keynote speeches and three plenary talks by eminent speakers like Prof. B. N. Gangadhar, Prof. Gautam Desiraju, Prof. Shrinivasa Varakedi, Prof. Nirmalya Chakraborty, and HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami. Additionally, six invited talks, two expert panels on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and cognition, two immersive workshops on Indian storytelling traditions and sattvic cooking, and three cultural evenings celebrating Indian arts were also held.
The MoU signed with the Art of Living Foundation marks a significant milestone in integrating spiritual practices with scientific research. MBCC 2025 concludes with sessions on yoga and mental health, meditation and neurocognitive therapies, AI and consciousness, and the continuum of consciousness in Indian thought. This landmark event has reinforced India’s position at the forefront of merging ancient philosophical traditions with cutting-edge science.