About

Humanity is entering a critical inflection point. Despite unprecedented global connectivity—with over 5.25 billion people linked through social media—rates of loneliness, polarization, and psychological distress continue to rise. This paradox points to a deeper crisis: while our technologies connect us at the level of information, they often fail to connect us at the level of experience. To support human flourishing in the 21st century, we must design technologies that cultivate felt connection—connection to self, to others, and to something greater than ourselves.

Synchrony Labs is a transdisciplinary design studio dedicated to developing interactive technologies and immersive experiences that facilitate meaningful human connection. Our central inquiry is this: How can we harness emerging technologies—biosensing, AI, immersive media—in ways that support emotional attunement, embodied awareness, and collective healing?

Our approach is grounded in the belief that technology is not neutral; it shapes perception, attention, and behavior in profound ways. As such, it must be developed with intention and care. We situate our work at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, contemplative practice, and engineering, drawing from both ancient wisdom traditions and contemporary scientific frameworks. We believe that technological systems—when guided by compassion and insight—can function as catalysts for individual transformation and collective awakening.

At present, our core initiative is the GroupFlow Project, a collaboration with Dr. Jonathan Schooler and researchers at UCSB. GroupFlow is a multi-modal platform for studying and enhancing group synchrony, combining real-time physiological biofeedback, immersive audio-visual environments, and experience sampling methodologies. Through this work, we aim to investigate the neurophysiological correlates of connection and explore how designed experiences can foster trust, empathy, and prosociality at scale.

Synchrony Labs operates from a 45-acre site in Ojai, California, which includes a full fabrication and prototyping facility. Our studio supports multi-day design and build sprints, with access to 3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking, metalworking, and other rapid prototyping tools. This hands-on infrastructure allows us to move quickly from concept to deployment in real-world environments.

A key feature of our site is The Temple, a 33-foot diameter, 20-foot tall architectural structure built on the principles of polar zonohedral geometry. Outfitted with over 500 individually addressable LEDs woven into its framework, the Temple serves as a dynamic research environment and performance space. Its lighting system can be driven by real-time physiological data streams, enabling embodied, ambient representations of internal and collective states.

Our broader vision is to contribute to a new paradigm of technology design—one that prioritizes human connection, emotional intelligence, and shared presence. At Synchrony Labs, we are not merely building tools; we are prototyping futures in which technology is aligned with the deepest capacities of the human spirit.