The Institute for Complexity Studies — the research arm of the Mind Force Society — conducts and promotes interdisciplinary scientific work at the intersection of complexity science, neuroscience, psychology, and psychotherapy. Our research explores how complex systems theory can illuminate human behaviour, health, and change at multiple scales: from the molecular and neurological to the cognitive, relational, and social.

Research Areas

Complexity Science & Psychotherapy

One of our core research streams applies dynamical systems theory to understanding human change in therapeutic contexts. This includes the study of self-organisation, synchrony between therapist and patient, the detection of attractors and phase transitions in psychological states, and the modelling of therapeutic trajectories over time using time-series analysis and differential equations.

Embodied Synchrony & Nonverbal Communication

A growing body of our work focuses on embodied interaction — the nonverbal, physiological, and movement-based dimensions of human connection. We use motion energy analysis, psychophysiological methods, and network modelling to study how bodies synchronise in therapeutic and social contexts.

Mind-Body-Environment Systems

Drawing on the founding vision of the Mind Force Manifesto, we study the bio-psycho-social interdependence of living systems. This includes work on the ecological relationships between organisms and their environments, the emergence of consciousness and cognition from complex neural systems, and the implications of complexity science for healthcare and social policy.

Complexity Science in Education & Youth Development

In collaboration with clinical and educational partners, the Society applies complexity-informed frameworks to understanding the emotional and developmental needs of young people. This includes our ongoing work on complex emotional needs in adolescents, developed in collaboration with Giunti Psicologia.io and the Scuola di Psicoterapia Integrativa Interdisciplinare.

Institutional Collaborations

The Mind Force Society has established research collaborations and partnerships with the following institutions:

University of Siena — long-standing collaboration including hosting of the founding ConVersActions event and the 2019 SPR Methods Workshop at the Certosa di Pontignano.
University of Amsterdam / Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam — research collaboration in complexity science and psychotherapy.
University of Chieti-Pescara — collaborative research activities.
ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) — interdisciplinary research partnerships.
MIUR (Italian Ministry of University and Research) — institutional engagement.
Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) — co-sponsorship of symposia and workshops; affiliated Special Interest Group on Complexity Science in Psychotherapy.
European Academy of Sciences and Arts — co-sponsorship of the 2021 Connect Symposium.
University College London (UCL) — research engagement through founding members.
Giunti Psicologia.io — collaboration on applied complexity science in clinical and educational settings.

Selected Publications & Resources

Members of the Mind Force Society have contributed to a wide body of scientific literature in complexity science, psychotherapy research, cognitive science, and related fields. A curated list of key publications will be added here. If you wish to contribute references or request a bibliography, please get in touch.

Foundational Document

The Mind Force Manifesto (2008) — written at the Certosa di Pontignano, University of Siena, at the founding gathering of the Society. The Manifesto articulates the philosophical and scientific vision of Mind Force: the integrated understanding of matter, mind, brain, body, and society as emerging from the same stream of complexity in nature.

This page will be expanded with a full list of publications, working papers, and research resources. If you are a member with publications to add, please contact us.