Stockton Area Atheists and Freethinkers

 
 
 

In her talk “The Neurobiology of Religious Experiences,” Dr. Sarah Strand will discuss the neurobiological basis of out-of-body experiences (OBEs). After describing an OBE, including sharing testimony given by those who have had an OBE, she will provide a brief tour of the human brain and the neuroanatomy responsible for OBEs. Then, going into religion, Sarah will provide a compelling neurobiological explanation for why some people assign a religious interpretation to their OBE. Her talk will conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings on the role of religion in the lives of individuals as well as in our worldwide community.

Dr. Sarah Strand is an Associate Lecturer in the Psychology Department at California State University, Sacramento. She earned her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prior to teaching at CSUS, Dr. Strand worked with non-human primates at the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California Davis investigating therapies for spinal cord injury and Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Strand created her course "Psychology of Religion" for CSUS after speaking for 10 years to community groups around Northern California and Nevada. During the Fall 2022 semester, Dr. Strand was invited to Finland and Sweden to teach her course.

🎟 About the Free Event

Our colloquiums are free events, open to the public, at the Manteca Library. Those of all worldviews and faiths are welcome.

Doors open at 6:45 PM and our featured talk starts at 7:00 PM sharp. We expect most Colloquiums to last until about 8:30 PM followed by mingling and cleanup.

Please use the library entrance on Center Street.

Parking is free. Some desserts may be provided. A suggested donations of $10 supports this and future events.

🍜 Dinner Before

For those interested in having dinner first, head to the GK Mongolian BBQ (1039 S Main St) prior to the event.

People typically arrive around 5:30 and leave at 6:30 to start setting up at the Manteca Library.

 
 
 

We meet at Panera on Pacific.Panner

This is an informal, social event that's great for newcomers and long-time members. Bring a friend and strike up a conversation about anything on your mind.

We typically select locations that have a menu with plenty of variety for everyone, including those with dietary restrictions.

📌 Important:

If you RSVP'd but cannot attend, please update your status. This will help us get a table big enough for everyone attending, but not too big.

 
 
 

📖 Our June 2023 book is "Machinehood" by Sarah S.B. Divya

Zero Dark Thirty meets The Social Network in this “clever…gritty” (Ken Liu, author of The Grace of Kings) science fiction thriller about artificial intelligence, sentience, and labor rights in a near future dominated by the gig economy—from Hugo Award nominee S.B. Divya.

Welga Ramirez, executive bodyguard and ex-special forces, is about to retire early when her client is killed in front of her. It’s, 2095 and people don’t usually die from violence. Humanity is entirely dependent on pills that not only help them stay alive but allow them to compete with artificial intelligence in an increasingly competitive gig economy. Daily doses protect against designer diseases, flow enhances focus, zips and buffs enhance physical strength and speed, and juvers speed the healing process.

All that changes when Welga’s client is killed by The Machinehood, a new and mysterious terrorist group that has simultaneously attacked several major pill funders. The Machinehood operatives seem to be part human, part machine, something the world has never seen. They issue an ultimatum: stop all pill production in one week.

Global panic ensues as pill production slows and many become ill. Thousands destroy their bots in fear of a strong AI takeover. But the US government believes the Machinehood is a cover for an old enemy. One that Welga is uniquely qualified to fight.

Welga, determined to take down the Machinehood, is pulled back into intelligence work by the government that betrayed her. But who are the Machinehood, and what do they really want?

A “fantastic, big-idea thriller” (Malka Older, Hugo Award finalist for The Centenal Cycle series) that asks: if we won’t see machines as human, will we instead see humans as machines?

💻 Meeting via Zoom

This meeting takes place over Zoom. You'll find the link to join the meeting appears in the event details after you RSVP.

 
 
 

🤔 Hold My Beer... It's Time for Trivia

On the second Wednesday of each month, we'll meet at Highwater Brewing in Lodi (near 99, south of Pine Street) for trivia, beer, and a bite to eat.

There's no set plan for teams... just look for the SAAF table and join us or form your own team. Trivia may be inside or outside depending on the weather.

🍺 Food and Drink

Highwater has 36 taps and a full kitchen with plenty of appetizers, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and desserts for everyone.