u-Research

Building a Science of the Social Field

 

Consciousness-based systems science for regeneration

A New Paradigm 

What is the science that can meet the call of our times?


We live in a moment of rupture and regeneration. Ecological breakdown and social fragmentation reveal not only the limits of our current systems, but also the limits of the scientific paradigm that helped to create them.

At the heart of Theory U is the concept of the social field, the quality of relationships and awareness that allow us to co-sense and co-create future possibilities. 

Thus far, this dimension of experience has largely been missing in mainstream science.

We need a science that includes the less visible conditions shaping social systems. 

We need a science of the social field. 

Our intention is to activate a world-wide ecosystem of researchers who co-pioneer new methodologies, research and applications that bring the science of social fields to life.

Explore possibilities below

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LAY THE FOUNDATION

What is the social field, and why does it matter?
                   


Foundational scholarship that names the social field as a scientific domain and outlines the conceptual groundwork for an emerging science.


Explore foundations

EXPERIMENT

How do you study something as subtle and relational as a social field? 


New methodologies and experimental spaces to sense, investigate, and make visible the deep structures of collective experience.


Explore our labs

PUBLISH THE SCIENCE

Where can I find the latest developments in social field science? 


JASC is a peer-reviewed, Scopus-indexed, open-access journal where social field research becomes part of the permanent scholarly record.


Visit JASC

MAKE THE FIELD VISIBLE

Who is contributing to this science? 


A curated, open-access collection of hundreds of publications across disciplines, mapping the wider scholarly landscape of awareness-based systems change.


Explore the u-library

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

How does it bridge to the real world?


Innovative tools, methods, and practices for social change, alongside case studies that document their impact across sectors and geographies.


Explore applications

ACTIVATE AN ECOSYSTEM

How do I become part of this?


A global community of researchers, practitioners, and leaders advancing social field science, the growing edge where new voices expand the boundaries of the field.


Join the movement

While scientific inquiry into individual awareness has moved mindfulness from the margins to the mainstream, the same is not true for collective awareness. 

Building the capacity to see, sense and shift the deeper structures of social systems is more important now than ever.

 

Extending science to include social field awareness is the call of our times. 

Image credit: Pitzer College

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The Presencing Institute, a global non-profit, equips change-makers with innovative tools and methods for leading from the future as it emerges. Using our Theory U approach, we combine science, collective action, and creativity to drive systemic change, with hubs across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. 

 
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Cambridge, MA 02140 - USA
 

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