Time is precious. So here we value conversations that are engaging, soulfully enriching, inspiring, and leave you a little wiser than when you arrived.
In that spirit, today’s laid back causal social coffee chat will be perfect for the curious - those drawn to the mysteries of the universe, life and everything in between. Fun but thought-provoking social chats, where we’ll explore spirituality/consciousness and related interconnected topics spanning philosophy, neuroscience, parapsychology, cosmology and noetic sciences— all over a fresh mug of coffee. And then later we will watch the Total Lunar Eclipse so both Astrologers and Astronomers are welcome to join.
Hosted & chaired by a former international Reuters journalist & published empirical researcher exploring spirituality topics in pursuant of the "truth" since a teenager, there'll be no strict structure - it will be an informal relaxed friendly space to openly chat, exchange ideas & experiences without judgement but I'll preside to ensure inclusivity and zone in on specifics to maximise enlightenment!
Whether you're a practicing "spiritualist", a curious skeptic, or just someone who loves deep conversation on life’s big questions, you’ll hopefully walk away more enlightened with some practical tips you can start applying and hopefully inspired to explore more..
Discussions will evolve in line with the direction of conversations but expect to touch on everything from the limits of our scientific understanding to exploring the unexplained using practical fun exploratory divination practices drawing on elements of psychology, metaphysics, epistemology and statistical probability of rare events to consider all probable explanations.
Some topics might include: Are we mere organisms pursuing biological survival or does consciousness survive beyond neurons firing in our brains? What would reality look like If our brains were limitless? What explains peoples' paranormal experiences? Declassified CIA files show as well as conducting mind control experiments, the US govt employed mediums and remote viewers. If all mumbo jumbo then why? Is Nirvana just a fantasy of deluded people? Does everything happen for a reason? I may also share the latest peer reviewed empirical evidence surrounding paranormal and consciousness phenomena.
To clarify - we define spirituality here as exploration of consciousness, the unknown unknowns and undiscovered aspects of reality, NOT religion. After all, as my philosophy professor once rightly postulated: "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 ===
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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? Is Harvard Professor Avi Loeb just an attention seeker?
- 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?
- 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 prove parallel universes exist?
- Do NDEs result from neurochemical changes in the brain during death or something beyond physicality? And what explains terminal lucidity in some people with damaged brains shortly before they die?
- Can photons omitted by our bodies explain auras that people see?
- Could limits in our understanding of quantum physics, space and time explain paranormal experiences?
- 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. No matter how much we triangulate evidence - we can only provide part answers. "All models are wrong, but some are useful" George Box
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 outdoor tables of Broadwalk Cafe in Regent's Park, Inner circle, 15 mins walk max from Camden underground station. Then about 7pm we will move to another spot to view the Lunar Eclipse. I'll be wearing a Starwars identifier and will share mobile hotline just before event start and table number/location
Lucas - The Unenlightened Desperately Seeking Answers
