Bruce Damer

Chief Scientist, Center for MINDS

Astrobiologist Dr. Bruce Damer is the co-author of a leading hypothesis for two big questions in science: how did life originate on the Earth, and where might we find it in the universe? He has a long career of groundbreaking creative innovations including: coding some of the earliest user interfaces on PCs in the 1980s, catalyzing the birth of avatar virtual world environments in the 90s, and leading a team bringing 3D simulation and design of space missions for NASA in the 2000s. His interest in psychedelics and elevated creative states began during a collaboration with Terence McKenna and moved into high gear experiments in ‘endo’ and ‘exo’ states for problem solving. In 2022 he ‘came out of the closet’ and spoke publicly about his practice, inviting others to do the same, and conceived of the movement being embodied by MINDS.