Fear and Loathing…in Las Vegas: A Journey of Fun and Folly in the Face of FOBO (Fear of Becoming Obsolete).

March 29 – April 1, 2026

Get ready to experience the exhilarating spirit of Las Vegas as its iconic zest for life fuses with an engaging exploration of deeper themes at the 2026 annual conference of the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness!

Beyond the Glitz

The “Las Vegas” themed meeting is not just about the glitz; it’s about exploring the underlying principles that make for a vibrant, thriving, and truly connected community. The Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness is dedicated to studying consciousness phenomena in cultures around the world. This electrifying event, made possible by the dedication and support of our community, aims to delve deeper into themes such as:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): The conference will examine the relationship between AI and consciousness, exploring how the development of AI challenges or deepens our understanding of ourselves. It will also consider the impact of AI on human learning and wisdom in this new era of AI knowledge.
• The interplay of individual and collective consciousness in spaces designed for entertainment and spectacle.
• The anthropological roots of play, celebration, and risk-taking across cultures, drawing on research into how different cultures engage with these elements of human experience.
• How to build radical inclusiveness in diverse groups, drawing lessons from unexpected places.
• Dealer’s Choice. After all, it’s Vegas and you can talk about what you want, whether it stays here or not!

Embrace the Unexpected

Come ready to embrace the unexpected, share unique perspectives, and discover how to cultivate both joy and meaningful connection in your life and work. Join us in 2026 for a conference that promises to be both intellectually stimulating and personally enriching.

This meeting description was brought to you in collaboration with AI.

While we know that you may excited to share your latest research, we would like to encourage panel discussions and workshops. It is during the interactions and discussions that follow the presentation where the audience and presenter truly come alive and the sparks of creativity fly. So, we welcome members, collaborators, and those new to the conference to engage in discussions.

If you do choose to present on your own, there are a few things to keep in mind. Quickly get to the meat of your topic. To make sure everyone scheduled to present has time as well as leave time for Q&A, time is short. The most common issue presenters run into is that they have spent too much time on the background and don’t have time to get to what they really came to the conference to share! Make sure that you get to the good stuff as quickly as you can. We can read all about the background when you publish.  Another tip is to practice. Whether you are good at extemporaneous speaking or just plan to read your presentation*, practice it. Giving your presentation a few run throughs will help you know how to keep on track and show you where the most important parts are.

*Please do not to read your presentation. SAC has a long-standing rule that is: don’t read to us about it, tell us about it. Notes and outlines are fine, but story time is for bedtime. Engage with your audience. Talking about your topic shows your enthusiasm and gets your audience enthusiastic about your work!  If you have a finished paper, make us want to read it. Engagement leads to exchange ideas. We are a gentle and supportive group and completely understand any nerves you may have whether this is one of your first academic presentations or not. We have all been there and will treat you with interest and respect.

Please take note of the following accessibility guidelines when preparing your presentation.

• All presentations and any accompanying slides must adhere to the AAA’s accessibility guidelines.
• SAC will also provide an online session on accessible presentations. A recording and additional resources will be available for those unable to attend.
• Any PowerPoint/Google Slides/Canva presentations will be due approximately mid-March (final date TBD) to a shared Google Drive for the conference.
• If your submission is accepted, more detailed information will follow.
• Please email Tiffany-Ashton Gatsby as soon as possible at tagatsby@gmail.com if you require any accommodations to attend the annual meeting so we have time to make any necessary arrangements. Also, reach out if you have any questions about the location or assistance with accessibility resources (wheelchair rentals, venue information, etc).

We also accept papers that do not directly fit the theme. If our conference theme is not your thing, anything related to exploring consciousness in all lived experiences, both human and non-human consciousness will do. We welcome works that explore indigenous and/or plant-based practices that might provide transformational learning and opportunities for collective action. We are also interested in hearing voices representing BIPoC, post-colonial, and other marginalized perspectives (such as those based on gender, sexuality, class, ability, age, etc.)

Potential paper, panel proposals, pre-recorded events, short films, and workshops include but are not limited to:

Program Coordinators will be prioritizing new content and discussion panels. We love to see attendees coming back, but we’re putting new research on the top of the list. Let us know if you have new stuff to share if you are continuing from a past presentation.

Roundtable

We have set aside time for a roundtable discussion on AI. If you are interested in participating in this roundtable please let us know. If you are interested in coordinating your own panel please feel free to do so and submit your proposal through the link below.

Workshops, Experientials, and Art

We invite submissions of artistic works and experiential workshops exploring or cultivating consciousness, specifically those that relate to the conference theme. We aim to build bridges across scholastic and creative communities and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Prerecorded Content Gallery

Do you have a short film, a podcast episode, a prerecorded panel discussion, or other academic or artistic work that you feel aligns with our conference theme? Reach out and let us know. We are an interdisciplinary organization and are seeking content from a variety of different perspectives to share with our members.

Logo Contest

We would also like to encourage members to enter a conference logo contest. The winning logo will be used on our conference T-shirts. 2nd and 3^rd prizes will be used for stickers. Deadline for entry will be January 31.

Registration & Submission Instructions

To register for the conference, go to:

https://my.americananthro.org/NC__Event?id=a0lUO000008gdpxYAA

To submit a proposal for a paper, panel, other presentation, or logo go to:

https://americananthro.secure-platform.com/sac/

Registration discounts. There will be a limited number of waived and reduced registration fees available for volunteer positions for students and professional members. Please reach out to us about applying through the emails listed below.

Reduced rates for rooms at the Palazzo can be booked via this link (you do NOT have to book a room for the entire duration of the meeting):

https://book.passkey.com/go/NXTWB

The deadline for submissions will be January 31, 2026 @ 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

Acceptance notifications will be sent February 10, 2026.

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Fox at xbonesgirl@gmail.com, Tiffany-Ashton Gatsby at tagatsby@gmail.com,  or John Baker at johnbaker@vcccd.edu