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Expanding Horizons: A Look Back at the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation's Impact

A doctor reviewing x-rays of the skull

It's an exciting time at the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation as we announce our third round of funding! Over the past three years, we've been dedicated to supporting groundbreaking neuroscientific research focused on The Science of Perception Box™, our way of describing the unique lens through which each of us experiences the world, including the self. Our goal is to help expand the walls of that Perception Box to reduce suffering, foster acceptance and openness, and turn challenges into opportunities for growth.

We've been incredibly heartened by the global response to our requests for proposals, receiving hundreds of innovative applications each year, each of which was reviewed in a double-blinded manner - that is, the anonymous referees did not know the identity of the applicants. This enthusiastic engagement from the scientific community truly highlights the widespread desire to better understand how perception shapes our lives and how we can cultivate greater well-being.

Round 1: Pioneering Research (2023)

In June 2023, we announced the funding of our first Science of Perception Box research projects. From the hundreds of proposals we received, we selected eleven studies, each receiving three years of funding for up to $900,000, spanned a diverse range of topics and brought together researchers from the United States, Israel, Germany, Austria, and Taiwan.

Some of the fascinating areas of investigation included:

  • Psychedelics and Perception: Exploring how psychedelics might lead to long-term changes in perception-related brain areas.

  • Mindfulness and Well-being: Investigating the impact of mindfulness interventions on chronic pain, rumination, and even the potential for reducing bias by building compassionate relationships between police and Black community members.

  • Novel Techniques: Examining the effects of heated yoga, breathwork, and neurofeedback-assisted meditation on mental states and self-transcendence.

  • Understanding Emotions: Delving into the neural mechanisms of emotion perception and developing interventions for conditions like depression and anxiety.

This first round laid a strong foundation, reflecting our commitment to understanding the footprints of the Perception Box in the brain and measuring the effectiveness of techniques to expand its boundaries.

Round 2: Expanding the Scope (2024)

Building on the success of our initial efforts, in July 2024 we announced funding for 12 additional innovative neuroscientific Science of Perception Box research projects, again for three consecutive years and up to $900,000 each. Researchers from the United States, Spain, The Netherlands, and Australia joined our growing network of grantees.

This round introduced even more compelling avenues of research, such as:

  • VR for Mental Health: Using virtual reality to help individuals cope with death anxiety.

  • Dream Induction for Trauma: Exploring the transformative potential of anesthesia-induced dream states for trauma recovery.

  • Communication and Connection: Developing interventions to promote open-mindedness and constructive dialogue, and studying the impact of high-quality listening on well-being.

  • Adolescent Development: Investigating how narrative skills training can increase transcendent thinking in minority adolescents and how teenagers' awareness of their body signals affects mental health.

  • Therapeutic Approaches: Examining online therapy combining high-intensity breathing exercises with psychotherapy, and exploring psilocybin-assisted neurocognitive training for reducing negative attention biases.

The sheer variety and depth of these projects underscore the scientific community's dedication to approaching the Perception Box framework from multiple angles, ultimately aiming to help a wide range of individuals and communities lead more fulfilling lives.

We're filled with immense gratitude for the dedicated researchers and the transformative potential of their work. The past three years have been a testament to the power of scientific inquiry and developing practical techniques to foster well-being.

You can read all about the latest round of funding now – [read here]([link to latest funding announcement])! We're eager to continue our mission of helping people understand and expand their Perception Box, paving the way for less suffering, greater acceptance, and more openness, curiosity and joy in the world.