A New Initiative at the Intersection of Transpersonal Psychology, Consciousness, and Human-Centered Technology
Sofia University is pleased to announce that Dr. Gordon Montgomery, PhD, has been appointed the inaugural Marshall Chair for AI Alignment and Consciousness Research, effective March 2026.
A Sofia University alumnus, Dr. Montgomery brings decades of interdisciplinary expertise spanning transpersonal psychology, consciousness studies, strategic foresight, executive leadership, and human-centered technology. His appointment marks an important step in advancing Sofia University’s role in shaping a more conscious, ethical, and humanistic future in the age of artificial intelligence.
About Dr. Gordon Montgomery
Dr. Montgomery earned his PhD in Transpersonal Psychology from Sofia University, with a research focus on societal crises including AI. He also holds an MA in Consciousness and Human Potential from Maharishi International University, an MSc in Software Engineering / Computer Science, and a BA in Linguistics.
His professional background includes:
- 20 years as a management consultant with global organizations including Andersen, Staples, Lilly, Nokia, Microsoft, the University of Texas, Harvard University, and the State of Florida
- 10 years as an executive leadership coach
- 5 years as a strategic foresight futurist
- Founder and Executive Director of the Sentience and Intelligence Foresight Initiative (SIFI)
- Honorary Research Fellow at Alef Trust (UK)
Explore Dr. Montgomery’s Work
To gain deeper insight into Dr. Montgomery’s thought leadership and approach to AI, consciousness, and transpersonal psychology, we invite you to explore the following talks:
Watch Videos: Agentic AI Workshop
These presentations offer valuable perspective on the evolving relationship between human consciousness and emerging technologies, and the role of transpersonal psychology in shaping that future.
About the Marshall Chair Initiative
Primarily supported externally by philanthropist Tim Marshall, the Marshall Chair initiative will support open-source research and guidance programs designed to help ensure artificial superintelligence aligns with transpersonal human wisdom and flourishing.
This work reflects Sofia University’s longstanding commitment to whole-person education and to the study of consciousness, meaning, and human potential.
Four Pillars of the Work
Develop ethical, accessible tools and micro-credentials that help individuals and organizations discover transpersonal purpose and launch AI-supported, purpose-driven social enterprises.
Advance mixed-methods research into transcendent states, synchronicity, and meaning-making through practices such as meditation, breathwork, dreamwork, contemplative inquiry, and neurotechnology.
Equip inwardly resilient leaders and social entrepreneurs to navigate the convergent meta-crisis anticipated before 2030.
Release all outputs—including papers, talks, podcasts, webinars, and position papers—as open-source resources for the benefit of Sofia’s community and the wider public.
Why This Research Matters
This initiative responds to the profound psychological and societal changes emerging alongside AI. Its work will examine issues such as the coming paradigm shift in human identity, meaning, and cognition—including concerns around what Dr. Montgomery describes as “AI psychosis”—within a GITA framework:
- Governance
- Industry
- Technology
- Academia
The broader mission is to empower:
- Individual self-sovereignty
- Social entrepreneurialism
- Creative planetary leadership
- Collective resilience amid the AI revolution
Building on Sofia University’s Legacy
This appointment reinforces Sofia University’s 50-year legacy in transpersonal psychology and expands that tradition into one of the most urgent conversations of our time.
By establishing the Marshall Chair for AI Alignment and Consciousness Research, Sofia University affirms its role as a leader in the resilient, humanistic counterbalance to AI—bringing transpersonal insight, ethical reflection, and whole-person wisdom into the future of technology.
The future is rich with opportunity for Transpersonal Psychology
