About Jeremy LentJeremy Lent is an author whose writings investigate the patterns of thought that have led our civilization to its current crisis of sustainability. He is founder of the nonprofit Liology Institute, dedicated to fostering an integrated worldview, both scientifically rigorous and intrinsically meaningful, that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on the earth.
Born in London, England, Lent received a BA in English Literature from Cambridge University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He pursued a career in business, eventually founding an internet startup and taking it public. Beginning around 2005, Lent began an inquiry into the various constructions of meaning formed by cultures around the world and throughout history. His award-winning novel, Requiem of the Human Soul, was published in 2009. His most recent work, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, traces the deep historical foundations of our modern worldview. Lent is currently working on his next book provisionally entitled The Web of Meaning: An Integration of Modern Science with Traditional Wisdom, which combines findings in cognitive science, systems theory, and traditional Chinese and Buddhist thought, offering a framework that integrates both science and meaning in a coherent whole. He holds regular community workshops to explore these topics through contemplative and embodied practices in the San Francisco Bay Area. My Story"Around fifteen years ago, my life began unraveling around me.
I’d recently taken public the internet company I'd founded in a successful IPO during the internet bubble year of 1999. But my wife was developing serious health problems and I quit the company to look after her. Within a couple of years, the company was collapsing, and my wife’s health deteriorated further, leading to her eventual death. The structures that had given my life meaning had shattered. But along with the loss, I noticed a glimmer of possibility: here I was in midlife, with the ability to consciously redirect my future. To where? I knew, above all, I wanted my life to feel meaningful – but based on what foundation? I was determined to sort through the received narratives of meaning until I came across a foundation I could really believe in. My drive to answer these questions led me to write The Patterning Instinct – a book that explores the different patterns of meaning that cultures through history, including our own, have constructed. It’s been a journey of nearly ten years, during which I dedicated myself full time to deep research in disciplines such as neuroscience, history, and anthropology. In a way, I’ve written the book for myself –as I was ten years ago – and for all those who ask similar questions to mine." Recent Tweets |
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