“The Oceanic Feeling – Where Do I End and the World Begin?”

### 🧠 Socrates Café Chiang Mai

“The Oceanic Feeling – Where Do I End and the World Begin?”
📅 Wednesday, July 23rd
🕛 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Registration: 12:00–12:25 PM)
📍 4Seas, Nimman, Chiang Mai
💸 240 THB (entry only – food & drinks not included)

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> “Who can say where the road goes… where the day flows? Only time.” – Enya

Have you ever listened to a song and felt your sense of self dissolve?
That moment when time slows, your thoughts quiet, and you feel completely connected to something vast and wordless?
This week at Socrates Café, we explore the oceanic feeling—a term used to describe a profound sense of oneness with the universe. French writer Romain Rolland saw it as the root of all spirituality. Freud dismissed it as infantile illusion. But artists like Enya give it sound and shape.
Her music—floating between language and pure emotion—often mirrors what mystics, poets, and philosophers have described for centuries:

• A boundless sense of self
• A surrender to timelessness
• A union with nature, the cosmos, or the divine

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### 🧘‍♀️ Event Flow:

• 🕰️ 12:00–12:25 PM – Registration & settling in
• 🎙️ 12:25–12:45 PM – A short introduction lecture on the concept and history of the oceanic feeling
• 🔍 12:45–2:00 PM – Inquiry-based philosophical discussion among participants

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### 💡 Why This Matters:

Recent studies suggest that states of ego-dissolution—like the oceanic feeling—may support mental clarity, emotional wellbeing, and even longevity.
Today, modern technology like VR meditation, binaural soundscapes, and biofeedback apps are being designed to help people access this ancient feeling in a digital world. Could this be where philosophy, spirituality, and innovation meet?

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🎧 Recommended exploration before the event:

• “Only Time” or “Watermark” by Enya
• Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents
• Try the Tripp or Muse apps for oceanic-style meditative experiences

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🟢 No philosophy background required
🟢 All beliefs, identities, and experiences welcome
🟢 Come with curiosity—and an open heart
💬 RSVP now to secure your seat
📩 Message the host with questions or musical suggestions

## 🧘‍♀️ 1. Oceanic Feeling and Spirituality

The oceanic feeling is fundamentally a spiritual experience.

• In Chinese philosophy, it's very close to ideas like “Heaven and humanity as one” (天人合一), the Daoist “forgetting the self”, or Zhuangzi’s “wandering freely with the Way.”
• In Buddhism, it mirrors Nirvana or the state of emptiness (空).
• In Western mysticism, it’s seen as a moment of contact with the divine unity or eternal truth.

👉 Why it matters:
In a time when many feel anxious, disconnected, and lonely, the oceanic feeling reconnects us with meaning—it is healing at the spiritual level, even without formal religion.

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## 🌱 2. Oceanic Feeling and Longevity / Health

Modern scientific studies suggest:

• People who often experience states like the oceanic feeling (for example, regular meditators or nature enthusiasts) show lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, stronger immune function, and improved cardiovascular health.
• The oceanic feeling can be triggered by breathing practices, meditation, or simply slowing down—these habits are linked to slower aging and better overall wellbeing.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine and Daoist health philosophy, this connects with sayings like:

• “When the heart is at peace, the body naturally lives long”
• “Freedom from desire leads to strength”

👉 Why it matters:
The oceanic feeling isn’t just spiritual—it’s a practical tool for longevity and health, not through medicine, but through inner alignment.

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## 🤖 3. Oceanic Feeling and Modern Technology

Today’s technology is trying to digitally reproduce or induce the oceanic feeling. This includes:

• VR meditation spaces: Virtual environments that simulate sacred spaces or nature to trigger calm and unity
• Brainwave music & frequency healing: Certain sound frequencies help stimulate alpha or theta brainwaves—associated with deep peace and ego-loss
• Mindfulness & breathing apps: Tools like Calm, Headspace, or Chinese equivalents are designed to help users achieve deep meditative states
• Digital spirituality platforms: Online meditation groups, yoga classes, or even AI-guided spiritual experiences aim to make “the oceanic feeling” widely accessible—even in busy cities

👉 Why it matters:
Technology is becoming the new temple. Even brief, digital experiences of the oceanic feeling can bring meaningful change to people's mental, emotional, and spiritual lives.