How do we experience our bodies and our sense of self in extraordinary situations? Why can seemingly similar changes be perceived as enriching at one time and as stressful or even pathological at another?

The IDEE project investigates so-called (dis-)embodiment experiences—moments in which our usual experience of the body and self changes. Such experiences occur, for example, during meditation, flow, intensive media use, or in connection with depression, anxiety, or eating disorders.

We bring together perspectives from psychosomatics, linguistics, philosophy, and neuroscience to better understand these experiences. The goal is to identify similarities and differences between positive and distressing forms of altered bodily experience and to develop a new, integrative understanding of these phenomena.

These findings are intended to contribute to a better understanding of mental health, highlight opportunities for well-being and personal development, and help shape future human-technology interactions in a responsible manner.

Workshop Announcement:

From Life to Mind – The Return of Hylemorphism in Embodied Cognition

The conference will take place September 2–3, 2026, at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

Can the ancient doctrine of form and matter shed light on the contemporary science of embodied, enactive minds?

The workshop is dedicated to exploring the extent to which the ancient philosophical doctrine of hylomorphism—the view that living beings can be understood as the interplay of form and matter—opens up new perspectives for current approaches in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science. The focus is on whether and how hylomorphic models can contribute to a better theoretical understanding ofembodied andenactive forms of the mind.

International scholars from the fields of philosophy and cognitive science will discuss how ancient concepts can be related to contemporary debates on life, the mind, corporeality, and consciousness.

With contributions by: Oliver Casper, Klaus Corcilius, Anna Marmodoro, Erasmus Mayr, Gustav Melichar, Tobias Schlicht, Simon Schüz, Vanessa Triviño, Barbara Vetter

Registration:
Please register via the following link:
https://rptu-anmeldungen.procampus.de/de/registration-for-from-life-to-mind-the-return-of-hylemorphism-in-the-embodied-mind

Microphänomenology Workshop: In April and May 2026, PD Dr. Prisca Bauer and Dr. Fynn-Mathis Trautwein led a 20-hour online workshop that introduced participants to the micro-phenomenology interview method.

We are planning a project conference in mid-2027; more information will be posted here on this website