Consciousness as a Fundamental Aspect of Reality

About the event

Over the last twenty years, it has become more acceptable to discuss the hard problem of consciousness in more than simply materialistic terms. Philosophically, at least, while not yet completely mainstream, panpsychist, idealistic and dual-aspect approaches are now on the table.

In this immersive workshop in the beautiful medieval village of Pari, we will meet and engage with two thinkers who, in their own independent ways, have transcended their materialistic upbringing and early thought to come to the same conclusion: consciousness is not simply some ‘froth’ on the complex electrochemical workings of a material brain, it is a fundamental and irreducible aspect of reality.

During two full days and two half days, there will be presentations, conversations and discussions, all framed so the non-expert can grapple with the issues at stake. Topics will range from establishing that consciousness is fundamental towards starting to explore the consequences of adopting that approach and what it might mean for society and our view of what it is to be human.

All participants will stay in accommodation in and around Pari. Engagement will continue over meals taken together, and potentially long into the evening at the restaurant and bar which forms the nerve-centre and heart of the village. On one of the evenings, we will take a short walk into the nearby olive groves and sit and talk around a fire while watching the stars. Accommodation and all meals are included in the workshop fee.

Program

Friday October 16

• 4:00pm Introductions
• 4:30pm [Session 1] Presentation with Jonathan Allday An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Saturday October 17

• 10:00am [Session 2] Presentation (Jonathan Allday): An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics Pt 2
• Q&A and group discussion
• 12:00pm [Session 3] Presentation: Federico Faggin
• 4:30pm [Session 4] Q&A and group discussion
• 5:30pm [Session 5] Presentation: Donald Hoffman
• Conversation: Faggin, Hoffman and Allday
• Q&A and Group discussion
• 9:30pm Showing: Play Copenhagen

Sunday October 18

• 10:00am [Session 6] Book Launch: Federico Faggin
• 4:30pm [Session 7] Dialogue: Federico Faggin and Jonathan Allday
• Q&A and Group discussion
• 5:30pm [Session 8] Conversation: Faggin, Hoffman and Allday
• 9:30pm Fire and astronomy

Monday October 19

• 10:00am [Session 9] Wash-up discussions
• 1:00pm Lunch and departure

An event at the Pari Center is not akin to a conventional conference in a city hotel or a retreat in an overdeveloped resort. It is an invitation to experience a beautifully preserved medieval village in the Tuscan hills, where life unfolds at a naturally slower pace and where the time and space needed for clarity, creativity, and meaningful connection emerge with ease.

At the Pari Center, learning extends beyond the exchange of ideas—it becomes a lived experience. As David Peat described it: Pari is an ‘alchemical vessel’; a rare environment where reflection and renewal can give rise to genuine transformation. It is a place for those seeking more than the accumulation of knowledge, for it offers the opportunity to cultivate insight, broaden perspective, and inspire lasting change.

Your time here is shaped by shared experience: traditional Tuscan meals, conversation with leading presenters and fellow participants, local wines, and genuine connection with the village community. Set against the quiet beauty of the surrounding countryside, every element encourages you to step away from the demands of everyday life and into a more intentional way of being.

The Pari Center brings together internationally recognised thinkers, scholars, and innovators across disciplines. Its programmes explore the deeper questions of human experience—what shapes us, what connects us, and what is emerging within us and our world. Through rigorous inquiry, dialogue, and participatory engagement, each event is designed to expand understanding and open new possibilities.

If you are looking for more than a conventional learning environment, the Pari Center offers something rare: a setting where ideas become experience, and experience can become transformation.

Discover why so many participants return not just with new knowledge, but with a changed perspective.