The accelerating integration of neurotechnologies into therapeutic, wellness, and even recreational contexts introduces a profound reconfiguration of how the mind–brain relation is understood and normatively governed, particularly as the material substrate of consciousness becomes increasingly accessible to technological intervention (Vega-Encabo et al., 2025); the workshop Minding the Rights and Fabric of Mind, held at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid on 8–9 September 2025, foregrounds this shift by convening an interdisciplinary cohort of scholars to address the ontological, ethical, and legal implications of emerging neurotechnological capabilities; key contributions include Bublitz’s (2025) analysis of the metaphysical underpinnings of neurorights, Ligthart’s (2025) critical reassessment of the supposed absoluteness of cognitive liberty, and Ienca’s (2025) exploration of mental privacy in an era where the boundaries of thought may no longer be inviolable; most notably, Aniballi (2025) presents a legal-ontological framework for recognising personal identity as central to the articulation of neurorights, while Cassinadri (2025) proposes a philosophical reconstruction of the right to self-integrity in technologically mediated conditions of agency; in this light, the event offers a unique platform to reconsider the ethical infrastructure surrounding cognitive autonomy, identity, and responsibility, not merely as contingent legal protections but as foundational dimensions of personhood requiring conceptual redefinition in the digital age; thus, the workshop exemplifies how legal and ethical reflection must evolve in tandem with neurotechnological innovation, lest the fabric of the mind be reconfigured without due normative deliberation (Bonicalzi et al., 2025).
