The Berlin Symposium on Stroboscopic Light is designed as a deliberately synergistic encounter between science and art. It unfolds in two interconnected programs. 

The Scientific Program (invitation-only) brings together researchers from neuroscience, psychology, clinical research, mathematics, and philosophy of mind, alongside industry developers working with stroboscopic light technologies. In this focused setting, participants examine mechanisms, models, and applications of stroboscopic light exposure - from fundamental neural dynamics to translational and therapeutic perspectives.

The Art Program (public) opens the symposium to a broader audience. Three contemporary artists present works exploring the perceptual and experiential phenomena elicited by rhythmic light stimulation, accompanied by a public vernissage and a dedicated science outreach event.

At the heart of the symposium lies the conviction that this field advances through close exchange between disciplines: artists might uncover novel perceptual phenomena - such as flavours of stroboscopically induced hallucinations - that inspire neuroscientific investigations into how the brain generates such experiences. In turn, empirical findings deepen our understanding of the foundations of human consciousness and may inform the development of innovative technological and therapeutic approaches. By fostering sustained dialogue between researchers, artists, and industry innovators, the symposium aims to catalyze new collaborative projects at the frontier of stroboscopic light research and practice.

Connected to the BSSL2026, there will be the Satellite PostDoc Networking Meeting: Causal Mechanisms of Altered Experience 

Please find for download the: 

Program Booklet

Support

Organizers

Dr. Timo Torsten Schmidt  (Local Host)

Dr. David John Schwartzman (Co-Organizer)

Event Management: Zuri Maria Daiß

Volunteers: Kezia Chuaqui, Jessica Schmidt, Sofia Encheva, Arne Bohn, Clara-Marie Schilling Mascarenhas, Upe Ursule Valatkaite

On-site Photography: Johannes Krell

Graphics: The graphics in this booklet were generated using interfaces developed for experimental research into stroboscopically induced visual hallucinations from Hewitt et al., (2026), see: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/2gtsy_v1

Location 

GPS coordinates: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5CftKt5b9iR9iF338 

We are excited to welcome you to the campus of Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) in Dahlem (Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin).

The symposium will take place in the Rostlaube building (literally, “rust arbor”).

You can get to the symposium by public transport, using the U-Bahn (line U3), stop “Freie Universität”. There is also the bus stop “Hittorfstr.“ right in front of the entrance.

Room Plan