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From 2021 onward, my relationship with RBSGROUP has grown into one of the most significant and enduring collaborations of my intellectual journey. Long before my work found a stable place in academic conferences and university seminars, RBSGROUP was the first to welcome me as a lecturer, offering a stage on which to share ideas that were still taking form. Their trust gave me the freedom to articulate research paths that might otherwise have remained confined to academic circles, and it allowed me to speak within a space that had hosted some of Italy’s most insightful contemporary thinkers. Over the years, this collaboration has become much more than a series of invitations; it has evolved into a genuine philosophical companionship.
The first encounter took place on a warm evening in July, in the intimate setting of their studio in Milan’s Isola district. I presented aspects of my research on the relationship between Eastern and Western philosophical categories and introduced some of the themes that would later become central in my work on the archaeology of meditation. The atmosphere was informal yet intellectually vibrant, and the conversation extended far beyond the scheduled time. It was a remarkable experience, not only because it marked my debut in their prestigious cultural program, but because it revealed how deeply these themes resonate with people navigating the philosophical and existential challenges of contemporary life.
Following the enthusiasm of that first event, RBSGROUP invited me again a few months later to offer a second lecture dedicated more specifically to the historical and anthropological genesis of meditation. This topic, now widely recognised in clinical and popular settings, is rarely understood in its original cultural and philosophical depth. During that evening, I traced the emergence of contemplative practices in the Indian world, reflecting on how Western interpretations have often transformed or simplified these traditions. What I appreciated most about this meeting was the attentive curiosity of those present, who engaged with questions touching not only on the past of meditation but on the shape it might take in the future of psychological and spiritual life in the West.
Over time, our collaboration expanded further. Alessandro Rossi moderated every evening with generosity and insight, and the discussion unfolded into reflections on the prehistory of human thought and the ways in which ancient worldviews can still illuminate the contemporary search for meaning.
These encounters at RBSGROUP Italia were always held in an intimate architectural studio, and yet they carried the energy of much larger philosophical gatherings. Each event brought together people from different backgrounds, united by a shared desire to explore the intersections of anthropology, linguistics, philosophy, and contemplative traditions. For me, these meetings have never been mere presentations. They have been moments of genuine intellectual exchange, opportunities to test new ideas, refine ongoing research, and witness the resonance that these themes evoke across diverse audiences.
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