The Scientific, Spiritual, and Practical Approach
The initial funding from the John Templeton Foundation (2001–2005) allowed the Institute to provide support for the study of the seven questions above, and others that are closely related, to more than 50 research universities across the United States. The dialogue on Unlimited Love at the interface of science and spiritual thought has grown dramatically and achieved recognition in the United States, England, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Canada.
Many people think of love as something that cannot be defined, something so “soft” or personal that it defies description. The Institute studies the ways in which love shapes human health, development, motivations and actions. The daunting challenges faced globally due to increased social fragmentation and the spread of fear-based human behaviors make it clear that there is an immense need to thoroughly understand love as the root of human flourishing. The Institute seeks this point of convergence—i.e., where spirituality, evolution, neurology, social science, biomedicine, religious and moral traditions, and human development become a gateway to the moral vision of a shared humanity.