Conference Theme

Evidence & Encounters – Two Paths to Exploring the Unexplained

The Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE) invites you to join us in Westminster, Colorado—nestled between Denver and Boulder—for our 44th Annual Conference. This year’s theme, Evidence & Encounters, explores two complementary approaches to frontier science:

• Evidence – grounded in empirical data, rigorous analysis, and theoretical insight
• Encounters – based on personal experiences that challenge conventional scientific paradigms

Together, these tracks aim to deepen our understanding of anomalous phenomena, their cross-disciplinary relevance, and their potential real-world impact.

Opening Keynote Announced

We are excited to announce that the Conference will start on Jun 18, 2026 with the Keynote Talk by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris.

How Psychedelics Work: Illuminating the Hidden Mind.

There's no agreed upon definition of "psychedelic" yet its etymology suggests that it is principally an adjective for describing altered states characterized by increased access to the mind's ordinarily hidden content. This talk offers a model for how this occurs, centered on the "entropic brain principle" (EBP)— that the entropy of spontaneous brain activity encodes the depth or richness of experiential content. It explains how the EBP relates to the impact of psychedelics on the mind-and-brain's basic predictive mode of operation, decreasing the influence of encoded assumptions, a phenomenon referred to as "Relaxed Beliefs Under Psychedelics" or "REBUS". Finally, I'll discuss how both EBP and REBUS can shed light on the nature of mental illness as well as how psychedelics can be used to treat it. 

Why Participate?

The SSE fosters bold inquiry, spirited debate, and hands-on investigation of scientific controversies in an era of accelerating technological innovation. This conference brings together scholars, researchers, practitioners, experiencers, and curious minds to examine how empirical data and lived experiences shape scientific understanding.

Want to Present?

The Call for Abstracts is open until February 20, 2026. 

Important Dates

• Abstract Submission Deadline: February 20, 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: March 23, 2026
• Confirmation Deadline: April 6, 2026

Questions?

Contact Program Chair:

Daching Piao

Email: conference@scientificexploration.org

Subject line: Questions on SSE-2026 Abstract Submission