cassandravieten

Research

My research at UC San Diego explores imagination, consciousness, contemplative science, and the transformative potential of human experience. I collaborate across disciplines to investigate how psychological, contemplative, and psychedelic practices shape well-being, meaning, and human flourishing.

Research Centers & Labs

Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination

A transdisciplinary center exploring imagination as a fundamental human capacity across science, technology, arts, and culture.
🔗 https://imagination.ucsd.edu/

Center for Mindfulness at UC San Diego

Advancing the scientific understanding and clinical application of mindfulness and contemplative practices.
🔗 https://cih.ucsd.edu/mindfulness

Center for Psychedelic Research at UC San Diego

Investigating the therapeutic, psychological, and neuroscientific dimensions of psychedelic experiences.
🔗 https://cpr.ucsd.edu

Project Highlights

Spiritual and Religious Competencies Project

Recently completed, the Spiritual and Religious Competencies Project aims to improve mental health care and promote human flourishing by ensuring every mental health professional possesses the basic competencies to attend to their clients’ religious faith or spirituality in clinical practice.

UCSD REACH Center for Translational Science in Whole Person Health

Dr. Vieten serves as Co-PI of the NCCIH-funded UCSD REACH Center, which unites integrative health institutions to expand research capacity, develop clinician-scientist research careers, share knowledge, and advance the field of whole-person, integrative health.