Indian Knowledge Systems Meet Modern Neuroscience at Landmark IIT Mandi Consciousness Conference
The third Mind, Brain, and Consciousness Conference (MBCC) is convening this week at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, bringing together over 200 neuroscientists, philosophers, Sanskrit scholars, and contemplative practitioners to explore the nature of consciousness through an unprecedented fusion of Indian Knowledge Systems with modern cognitive science.
Running from June 3 to June 6, MBCC 2026 — organised by IIT Mandi's IKSMHA Centre — features plenary lectures, invited talks, and technical sessions spanning neuroscience, yoga and meditation research, Sanskrit linguistics, brain-computer interfaces, and consciousness studies. The conference builds on the success of its 2023 and 2025 editions, which together produced four volumes of peer-reviewed papers published by Springer.
"MBCC 2026 will bring together leading researchers, scientists, and practitioners from India and around the globe to explore consciousness through a distinctive interdisciplinary lens," the conference organisers state. Themes include Indian Philosophy, Ayurveda, contemplative psychology, and transformative practices such as yoga and meditation, offering perspectives on cognitive enhancement and mental health that extend beyond conventional biomedical models.
A distinctive feature of this year's programme is its dedicated track on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), examining how Sanskrit textual traditions, yogic physiological models, and Ayurvedic frameworks can inform modern cognitive neuroscience. Sessions also cover performing arts therapy — exploring music, dance, and drama as tools for cognitive enhancement and emotional well-being — and material science in ancient Indian traditions, from traditional pigments and metals to Ayurvedic healing materials.
The conference occurs against a backdrop of growing institutional interest in bridging contemplative wisdom and empirical science globally. In 2026 alone, Harvard's Meditation Research Program published landmark telomere studies, Duke's Center for Spirituality released clinical data on contemplative prayer, and MIT advanced ultrasound-based consciousness probes. MBCC 2026 positions IIT Mandi as a central hub in this expanding international conversation, uniquely anchored in India's philosophical heritage.
The event offers hybrid participation options, with select sessions streamed online for international attendees who cannot travel to the Himachal Pradesh campus.
— Editorial Dept
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