Hi, I’m Nicolas, most people call me Nicki.

I am a psychologist, facilitator and researcher exploring topics around inner, relational and collective wisdom, belonging, community and meditation. Currently, I work and teach at Freie Universität, Berlin.

Nicolas Endres

What I’m working on at the moment

Freie Universität Berlin · 2026–2027

GemeinschaftsBildung — a Living Lab for belonging, community and cooperative learning

Universities are not only places where knowledge is transmitted. They are social spaces, and the relationships formed in them shape everything that follows. Research is unambiguous: students who feel they belong learn better, stay motivated and finish their degrees. Yet community at university is rarely studied or designed on purpose.

GemeinschaftsBildung is a participatory research and development project run with students, teaching staff and administrators. We are mapping how belonging is actually lived at the FU, and building interventions to test in the first-semester phase of the Political Science BA at the Otto-Suhr-Institut from winter 2026/27.

With Prof. Dr. Thomas Rixen and Dr. Katja Reinecke. Funded by the FU’s Stabsstelle Nachhaltigkeit und Energie.

The project →

Otto-Suhr-Institut · Since 2025

Teaching seminars on polycrisis, transformation and regeneration

Over the last two semesters, I have been teaching seminars in political economy at Otto-Suhr-Institut at Freie Universität, together with Prof. Thomas Rixen, that combined theoretical content on polycrisis, post-growth, commons and regeneration with experiential, and mindfulness-based methods. Bodily, emotional and interpersonal dimensions were explicitly included in the seminar.

Furthermore, students learned to lead (re)generative dialogues and worked on projects to use the theoretical insights to have a positive impact on the world.

Both seminars →

A seminar in progress

Living Lab workshop with students and teachers, July, 2026.

My approach to research

We’re facing a convergence of complex crises, e.g. climate change, the rise of AI, deepening social inequality, and how we respond will shape the future of our species and planet. I believe resolving these challenges demands nothing less than a collective cultural enlightenment. To bring this about in my research I focus on three interconnected areas.

First, inner cultivation: I believe that in many regards “(R)evolution is an inside job,”, meaning that we need deep self-exploration and self-transformation, helping us to grow more mindful, compassionate, and wise.

Second, community-building: community is central to everything I do. Researching the important ingredients are for creating generative social fields that let our natural prosocial tendencies surface and cultivating group spaces grounded in trust, care, and belonging.

Third, planetary coherence: I believe systemic problems call for systemic solutions, so one important project is to raise our collective consciousness and strengthen our shared capacity for sense-making, decision-making, and coordinated action. Only with strong coherence and alignment will we be able to address the current meta-crisis.

For more on my approach →

“What do we have to understand, practice and embody on an inner, relational and collective level in order not to go extinct as a species but instead thrive?.”

Fundamental research question of our time

Teaching & courses

Summer 2026
Polykrise und Transformation: Die Politische Ökonomie der RegenerationSeminar, Otto-Suhr-Institut, FU Berlin · with Thomas Rixen

Details →

Winter 2025/26
Polykrise und Transformation: Innerer und äußerer Wandel in der Politischen ÖkonomieSeminar, Otto-Suhr-Institut, FU Berlin · with Thomas Rixen

Details →

Winter, 2017–18
Applying the scientific method directly to the mindBerlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität Berlin · with Dr. Vera Ludwig

Details →

Berlin, Oct–Nov 2025
Growing Communities of Mutual SupportSix-session microsolidarity practice journey · with Jocelyn Endres and the Church of Interbeing

Details →

Amsterdam, 2025
Community-building workshop, Collective FuturesUniversity of Amsterdam
2021–2025
Inner Science CoursesTen-week course on meditation, science and philosophy · several cohorts

Details →

Everything I’ve taught →

Writing

Master’s thesis, 2017

Towards the measure of all things

Why we need to apply the scientific method directly to the mind. Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität.

More info →

Substack

Notes from the garden

Occasional essays on inner science, community, regeneration and the meta-crisis.

Latest posts →

Videos

Selected talks and interviews

On community-building, sociocracy, regenerative teamwork and inner science.

Watch →

From the library

Resonance Triads

Workbook Regeneratives Arbeiten

A guide full of exercises and inspiration for regenerative work, made with imu Augsburg.

PDF, German

Weekly Review Template

Resonance Triads

A structured format for building trust in a group through sharing and deep listening. One of my favourites.

PDF

Workbook Regeneratives Arbeiten

Weekly Review Template

A ritual for integrating the week, clearing mental clutter and reconnecting to what matters. Set aside an hour.

PDF

Selected collaborations and clients

Get in touch

Write to me if you’d like to…

  • icollaborate on research, or have me teach a seminar or guest session
  • iiinvite me to give a talk, or facilitate something for your team or community
  • iiiwork with me one to one — coaching, or mediating something difficult
  • ivor just to say hello and tell me what you’re working on