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Process Explorations

Process Explorations, formerly John Cobb & Friends, is a weekly gathering on Tuesdays at 10:00am Pacific to engage in conversations that matter. We come together to hear presentations and engage with fascinating speakers – scholars, activists, and artists – across a wide range of ideas and interests. We invite you to participate in these lively discussions of critical questions, pathways to transformation, and process ways of thinking and living. 

The origins of the Cobb Institute can be found in the living room of our dear friend, colleague, and mentor John B. Cobb, Jr. The Institute was conceived and organized by a small group who met with him each week on Tuesday mornings in the latter part of 2018 and early part of 2019. These gatherings regularly included a presentation from and conversation with a special guest. This tradition of gathering weekly to learn about and discuss important topics continued after the organization’s founding and eventually became known as John Cobb & Friends. It has been the longest-running program and played a vital role in furthering the mission of the Institute.

With John’s passing and the loss of his personal presence, we felt it would be appropriate to rename the program. After careful consideration and deliberation, our leadership team decided that Process Explorations: Conversations the Matter eloquently expresses what we do. While the name has changed, our aim to provide a space for gifted individuals to present insightful ideas and engage in meaningful conversations about matters that truly matter continues.

Up Next

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Recent Presentations

Experiences of Presence | Ann Taves

Ann Taves, Distinguished Professor (Emerita) of Religious Studies at University of California at Santa Barbara

Meeting Date: April 7, 2026

Applying Integrative Metatheories to the Most Pressing Challenges of Our Time | Robb Smith & Brendan Graham Dempsey

Brendan Graham Dempsey, Director at Sky Meadow Institute
Robb Smith, Founder at Institute of Applied Metatheory

Meeting Date: February 17, 2026

Imagination, Ritual, and Non-Ordinary Experiences | Jared Morningstar

Jared Morningstar, Communications Director at Center for Process Studies

Meeting Date: February 10, 2026