Organizer: InMind Support


Scientific Committee:
Professor Wojciech Owczarski – University of Gdańsk, Poland

Marzia Dessi  - The European Graduate School [EGS] Saas Fee, Switzerland
 

 

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE: 

What makes us happy and content in our life? Some people may point to fabulous fame, fortune, or money. Others may argue that interpersonal relationships are the key to happiness. But what if someone is alone? Is loneliness truly disastrous? Are there any benefits of loneliness? Can loneliness become an epidemic? To address these questions, this event focuses on a wide range of specific issues. We are interested in exploring all aspects of loneliness, both in the past and in the present-day world.  

 The conference is intended as an interdisciplinary event. Hence, we invite researchers representing various academic disciplines: sociology, psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, gender studies, literary studies, theatre studies, film studies, consciousness studies, social policy, cognitive sciences, and history, among others.

The aim of our conference is to provide opportunities for researchers from a range of disciplines and countries to share their research, create an academically challenging and productive space for discussion, and enable them to establish long-lasting, ever-growing scientific networks and contacts with professionals worldwide.

We welcome submissions from both experienced scholars and young academics at the beginning of their careers, as well as doctoral and graduate students. We also invite individuals interested in participating in the conference as listeners, without giving a presentation.

The topics of the conference include but are not limited to the following suggestions:

1. Loneliness and Society

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• loneliness and social relationships (in families, marriages, partnerships, workplaces, etc.)​

• loneliness and war

• loneliness and illness  

• loneliness and self-isolation, social distancing

• loneliness among children

• loneliness among seniors

• the lonely crowd

• loneliness in urban spaces

• loneliness as an epidemic

• loneliness and pandemic

• loneliness  and social exclusion (social class, racism, gender factors, educational status) 

• loneliness and social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

2. Loneliness and Culture
 

• loneliness in different parts of the world

• loneliness and religions

• loneliness and initiation rituals

• lonely communities

• abandoned nations

• expelled minorities

• loneliness and digital cultures / virtual communities

• the cultural taboo of solitude vs. hyper-individualism

• migrant loneliness and diaspora experiences

3. Individual experiences

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• loneliness during self-isolation, quarantanne,  

• loneliness as a state of mind

• loneliness and emotional isolation

• loneliness and depression

• loneliness and shame

• creative loneliness

• loneliness as a rest

• situational loneliness

• existential loneliness

• loneliness, aloneness, and solitude

• the commercialization of loneliness (the "rent-a-friend" industry, monetized companion apps, dating algorithms, and AI relationships)

• synthetic companionship & AI (digital intimacy, dating algorithms, and robotic care)

4. Literature and Arts
 

• loneliness in literature, film, theatre  and visual arts

• lonely artists

• aesthetics, spaces, and narratives of isolation (e.g., in pop culture, life-writing, and architecture)

Please submit abstracts (no longer than 300 words) of your proposed 20-minute presentations, together with a short biographical note, by  18 September 2026 to: lonelinessconference@gmail.com or by REGISTRATION FORM
 
Notification of acceptance will be sent by 21 September 2026

Note:
As our online conference will be international, we will consider different time zones of our Participants.

The conference will be held virtually via Zoom. Different forms of presentation are available (also posters).

The conference language is English.

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REGISTRATION :

In order to participate in the conference (as a speaker or an audience member) you need to pay a REGISTRATION FEE via bank transfer or PayPal:

PRESENTERS: EUR 35 or USD 45 or GBP 35 or PLN 130 - by 1 October  2026
AUDIENCE MEMBERS: EUR 25 or USD 30 or GBP 25 or PLN 80 - by 7 October 2026

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NOTE: We offer a discount for our returning Participants.

Note:
As our online conference will be international, we will consider the different time zones of our Participants.
The conference will be held virtually via Zoom. Different forms of presentations (also posters) are available

THE FEE COVERS:
- LIVE access via individual link to all conference sessions (without installing any additional applications)
- the conference programme in PDF
- certificate of attendance  for Presenters and Audience Members (sent by email or/and by post)
- online community gathering
- easy access on any device (phone, tablet and computer) with the possibility to join or leave the conference at any time


Banking details:
Beneficiary name: InMind Support

Beneficiary Bank name: Erste   
The SANTANDER Swift code is:  WBKPPLPP
Beneficiary Bank account numbers (IBAN):
Payment in PLN:           
95 1090 2590 0000 0001 4259 8763   
Payment in EUR:           
PL58 1090 2590 0000 0001 4259 8847     
Payment in USD: via PayPal - please ask for a  link     

In the description field, please quote your first and last name and a note " loneliness conference".
All banking charges are to be covered by the Sender.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
NOTE: PAYPAL PAYMENTS (USD, GBP or EUR) ARE ALSO ACCEPTED (on request) - Please ask for a  link.
 
CANCELLATION FEES:
3 months before the conference and more - 50%
from 3 months to 1 month - 75%             
1 month before the conference and less - 100%                 
 

Our email: lonelinessconference@gmail.com

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Private Policy