From Brain Science to First-Person Experience: Starlab at FENS Forum 2026

Aureli Soria-Frisch and Claire Braboszcz from Starlab guiding participants through an interactive mindfulness session during the FENS Forum 2026 Open Theatre.

Every two years, the FENS Forum brings together thousands of neuroscientists from around the world to share the latest discoveries shaping the future of brain research. At this year's edition in Barcelona, Starlab had the opportunity to contribute in a different way: not only by talking about neuroscience, but by inviting people to experience it firsthand.

Over three consecutive days, our researchers led a series of interactive Open Theatre sessions exploring how neuroscience and contemplative practices can deepen our understanding of attention, pain, emotions, and consciousness. Rather than traditional lectures, each session combined evidence from cutting-edge neuroscience with guided mindfulness practices, allowing participants to connect scientific concepts with their own lived experience.

The response from the FENS community exceeded our expectations. Every session reached full capacity, with all available seats occupied each day. The enthusiasm and engagement of participants highlighted a growing interest in approaches that bridge rigorous neuroscience with first-person experience.

Day 1 – The Wandering Mind: Mindfulness of Thought

The first session focused on one of the most familiar yet least understood aspects of human cognition: the wandering mind.

Drawing on research into the Default Mode Network (DMN), mind wandering, and meta-awareness, participants explored how thoughts emerge, evolve, and disappear through a guided mindfulness practice. The session demonstrated how neuroscience can help explain spontaneous thinking while also providing practical tools to observe it without becoming absorbed by it.

The session was facilitated by Aureli Soria-Frisch (Starlab), Edmundo Lopez (University of Oxford), and Claire Braboszcz (Starlab), bringing together expertise in artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience, contemplative science, and cognitive neuroscience.

From left to right: Aureli Soria-Frisch (Starlab), Edmundo Lopez (University of Oxford), and Claire Braboszcz (Starlab) during an Open Theatre session exploring the intersection of neuroscience and mindfulness.

Day 2 – Beyond Sensation: Decoupling Experience from Suffering

The second Open Theatre session explored how the brain processes pain and why suffering extends beyond physical sensation itself.

Grounded in neuroscience research on pain processing and affective brain systems, participants were introduced to the concept of vedana—the pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral feeling tone accompanying every experience. Through guided meditation, attendees experienced how cultivating awareness of these automatic reactions can create space between sensation and habitual emotional responses.

The session illustrated how findings from neuroscience and contemplative traditions can complement one another in understanding human experience.

Day 3 – Mindfulness and Emotional Wellbeing: From Rumination to Compassion

The final session focused on emotional wellbeing and the neuroscience of mindfulness.

Building on evidence from clinical research into depression, anxiety, rumination, and mindfulness-based interventions, participants explored how compassion-focused meditation (metta or loving-kindness meditation) can help interrupt repetitive patterns of negative thinking and foster healthier emotional regulation.

The session highlighted how scientific research increasingly supports the role of mindfulness practices in promoting psychological wellbeing and resilience.

Attendees participating in an immersive experience that combined evidence-based neuroscience with contemplative practices.

Bringing Neuroscience to Life

Throughout the three days, our goal was simple: to make neuroscience something participants could experience, not just learn about.

At Starlab, we believe that understanding the brain requires integrating objective scientific measurement with subjective human experience. Advances in artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience, and neurotechnology are transforming our ability to study the brain, but understanding consciousness, attention, and emotion also benefits from carefully exploring first-person perspectives.

The Open Theatre sessions reflected this philosophy by creating a space where scientific evidence and experiential practice complemented one another, encouraging dialogue between neuroscience, mindfulness, and emerging neurotechnologies.

Thank You, FENS 2026

We would like to thank everyone who joined our sessions throughout the FENS Forum. Seeing every session filled to capacity and experiencing the curiosity, thoughtful questions, and active participation from attendees made this an especially rewarding event for our team.

We also thank the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies for providing a platform that encourages innovative ways of communicating neuroscience beyond traditional scientific presentations.

We look forward to continuing these conversations and exploring new ways to connect cutting-edge neuroscience with meaningful human experiences.