What is a Spiritual Hackathon?
A spiritual hackathon brings together the energy of innovation with the depth of inner life. It transforms the “hackathon” — usually a fast-paced event of coding, making and problem-solving — into a sacred space of creative making with meaning. Participants prototype not just tools or projects, but pathways for transformation. It’s about hacking the soul’s operating system — finding new interfaces between technology, art, and spiritual practices.
Why a spiritual hackathon?
Typical hackathons engage the head (problem-solving, logic). Spiritual practice engages the heart (reflection, connection). A spiritual hackathon brings in the hands — making, building, creating — to integrate all three. It’s formation through action: an experience of doing as becoming. At the Spiritual Hackathon, we will experience mindfulness, journaling, and singing as different forms of spiritual practices. This event is intentionally designed to embrace people from all faiths and people with no religious inclination.
How will it run?
This Spiritual Hackathon is a 12 hour event at Boston College specifically designed for seniors to come together and create an innovative prototype to help people connect with their sense of meaning, purpose and transcendence. Unlike solitary spiritual practices, a hackathon is inherently communal. It invites collaboration, dialogue, and co-creation. Over the course of 12 hours, participants will work in interdisciplinary teams to develop creative projects inspired by spiritual growth, they will experience different traditional spiritual practices, come together for meals, receive a cool T-shirt, and participate in a research study. Projects will be documented and a team of high quality judges will give out prizes.
