Deeper Social Coffee Chats: Exploring Sprituality

I bet you've heard someone say "Oh, everything happens for a reason". Is there something to that cliche or is it just a load of new age bollox? Are you curious about the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything in between?

Join me for a fun, casual and thought-provoking social exploring enjoyable but fascinating conversations on interconnected questions relating to everything from noetic science to philosophy, quantum cosmology and the unexplained over a delicious mug of Joe and then as the conversation deepens - much needed Chardonnay!

Hosted by a former international Reuters journalist & published empirical researcher exploring spirituality topics in pursuant of the "truth" since a teenager, they'll be no strict structure - a relaxed friendly space to openly chat, exchange ideas & experiences without judgement but I'll preside to ensure inclusivity and zone in on specifics. We’ll touch on everything from the limits of scientific understanding to exploring the unexplained using practical fun exploratory divination practices drawing on elements of neuroscience, epistemology, pyschology, metaphysics and the probability statistics of rare events to consider probable explanations.

Whether you're a practicing "spritualist" or just beginning to ponder life’s big questions, you’ll hopefully walk away more enlightened with some practical tips you can start applying in your life and hopefully inspired to explore more!

Some topics might include: Are we mere organisms pursuing biological survival or does consciousness exist beyond neurons firing in our brains? What explains peoples' paranormal experiences? What would reality look like If our brains were limitless? Declassified CIA files show that as as well as mind control experiments, the govt employed mediums and remote viewers. If all mumbo jumbo then why? Is Nirvana just a fantasy of deluded people? I may also share the latest peer reviewed empirical evidence surrounding paranormal and consciousness phenomena.

To clarify - we define spirituality here as an exploration of consciousness, the unknown unknowns and undiscovered aspects of reality, NOT religion. After all, as my philosophy professor once rightly postulated to me: "If God created Adam, who created God Lucas?" Yep - that inconvenient flaw debunks every fairytale religion out there including the oldest religion of them all - paganism - so why is witchcraft still practised outside of Hogwarts today?

As well as illuminating chats guiding self-reflection, there'll be FREE Tarot & I-Ching readings, demonstrations of meditation method to activate super powerful gamma brain waves, and pyschic tests for a bit of fun, laughter & intrigue!

=== POTENTIAL CONVERSATION STARTERS ===

1. Does consciousness survive death or is Cambridge Astrophysics Professor Brian Cox right in asserting if ghosts existed then particle accelerators at CERN would have already detected ghost molecules making Ouija boards kids play? Are Poltergiests 100% hoax? Brain scans indicate thalamocortical circuits in our brain (pathways in the parietal cortex & central lateral thalamus) drive consciousness - so how can spirit/mind live on after brain death?
2. Is synchronicity/coincidence simply randomness disguised in the eye of the beholder or can what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance" (quantum entanglement) explain it?
3. Given neuroscience's infancy with much yet undiscovered - could mediation help access functions outside of our BAU alpha & beta brain wave states? Can Kundalini yoga really boost natural DMT (dimethyltryptamine) levels and if so by what mechanism? Do the artifically created neural signatures using magnetic stimulation observed during mystical experiences debunk them? Is the Maharishi Effect real?
4. The laws of statistical probability, Drake Equation & common sense tells us there should be other non-microbial life out there. If so, then what explains the Fermi Paradox? Was that 1976 WOW signal aliens? How about the recent strange bahaviour of Boyajian's star or Oumuamua/Atlas interstella object that has just entered our solar system?
5. Could metaverse explain deja vu & reincarnation vs theories from the psychology literature (Mandela Effect?) or do we just live in a simulation as Elon Musk proposes?
6. Stephen Hawking once said: "The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities" If matter only manifests when observed as the double slit experiments shows, does that mean everything is consciousness? Does the discovery of quantum superposition / disappearing neutrons imply parallel universes?
7. Do NDEs result from neurochemical changes in the brain close to death or something beyond physicality?
8. Can photons omitted by our bodies explain auras that people see?
9. Could limits in our understanding of quantum physics, space and time explain paranormal experiences?
10. What existed before the big bang - how do you get something from "nothing"? I believe our reality is the product of a black hole. What you reckon?

SO HOW DO WE GET TO THE "TRUTH"?
Both in my journalism days and applying the most advanced empirical research techniques in my client consulting work - it becomes clear the truth is often elusive. What we think we know and reality diverge leading to that great paradox of knowledge. And as the boundary between knowns and unknown converge, we end up with cognitive dissonance and more questions.

In that spirit - every credible philosopher & scientist acknowledges - we'll never get to the complete truth but could experimental methods get us closer to it? A balanced approach guided by Immanuel Kant's pragmatism and Aristotle's deductive reasoning seems the most rationale framework here but are there any other methodologies? How about the "spirituality" toolkit?

=== RENDEZVOUS POINT ===
We'll meet on the open space sunny rooftop in Camden. I will annouce the name of the venue to the RSVPs only. I'll be wearing a Starwars identifier and will share mobile hotline just before event start and table number.

Lucas - The Unenlightened Desperately Seeking Answers