Ruben Laukkonen

Biography

Ruben is a Principal Investigator and Lecturer at Southern Cross University and holds honourary fellowships at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and The University of Queensland. For more information, please visit: https://rubenlaukkonen.com/

Research

Ruben’s research uncovers empirically grounded and experientially authentic models of meditation, insight, and awareness. He has a special interest in understanding advanced stages of meditation from a Bayesian or predictive brain perspective. Ruben is also fascinated by false insights and "Aha!" moments, which can happen in every day life, under intoxication, due to misinformation, or mental illness. Ruben uses a combination of methods including behaviour, neuroimaging, machine learning, and phenomenology to investigate some of the rarest states of consciousness available to human beings. Ruben’s research is deeply theoretically driven and traverses multiple levels of explanation, from neurons to psychology. He has published articles in leading journals, regularly speaks at international conferences, consults for the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, and has written on topics that range from artificial intelligence to education and psychedelics.