English

Connecting people into Philosophy. All welcome. No previous philosophical experience needed. **What it is** Philosophy in the Park is a fun and friendly space for people to come together and have discussions that get deep. It’s a safe space where active creative thinking is encouraged and enjoyed, and where everyone can explore abstract concepts in a way that combines both sincerity and playfulness. Where the most important question is always - what do you think? **What is Philosophy?** Philosophy is about analysing concepts. It's thinking about thinking. It's not about empiricism or the physical world (eg Science and statistics). It's about abstractions, concepts and ideas (eg Identity, Morality, Mind and Truth). **How Philosophy in the Park Works** * Each hour begins with a group vote on which questions to discuss. You can vote for more than one question if you'd like. * We then break out into groups, each focusing on one of the chosen questions. The question is just a starting point and it's cool if you go on tangents and end up talking about different things. You're welcome to join in and participate or if you'd prefer to sit back and enjoy the conversation, that’s also welcome. * After an hour we regroup, take a quick break and then repeat all over again. So across the 3 hours, we’ll break out 3 times. **Where it is** We meet at Baroness Burdett Coutts Drinking Fountain in Victoria Park (East Park). It is marked down as "13" on the official maps found in the park. Please feel free to bring snacks and drinks with you if you want. After the event finishes most people stay and hang out. There’s a local supermarket to get drinks and snacks, or bring your own. You are very welcome to join us. **Guidelines** In order to make the conversations as fun, interesting and productive as possible please follow these simple guidelines: 1. Keep it Philosophical (No Science, no History, no Sociology, no Evolutionary Psychology, no contestable facts, personal anecdotes etc). 2. Think for Yourself (No phones, no looking up definitions, no name dropping Philosophers / books you've read). 3. Tangents are Cool (Don't worry too much if the subject drifts and you don't answer the question). 4. Keep it Succinct (Like this). 5. Be Excellent to Each Other (But of course). Please remember: It's not about debating and trying to win - it's about listening to people and working collaboratively to increase our collective understanding. **Community** Follow us on instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/londonphilosophycollective/](https://www.instagram.com/londonphilosophycollective/) We have a WhatsApp group if you'd like to continue these conversations between meetings. To join the Philosophy in the Park WhatsApp Group please click here: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdFaxJHbeOw9UOfuk7spiK](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdFaxJHbeOw9UOfuk7spiK) In order to stop spam bots this will take you to a Waiting Room. Once in please write your name, answer the joining question and we will add you to the main chat. **Saying Thanks** If you would like to help support Philosophy in the Park you can buy me a coffee here: [https://buymeacoffee.com/philosophyjoel](https://buymeacoffee.com/philosophyjoel)

We love a good chat. Come and join us at Table 45

* **Join Us for a Fun Language Exchange! Plus South Africa vs Canada live and free from 8pm.** 🎉¡Hola Amigos Hispanohablantes! Get ready for a fun and interactive language exchange fiesta; practice your Spanish and English, chat with native speakers, and have an amazing time with fascinating people from around the world! 🍹 **Courtesy Note:** To support our venue and keep the event free, **you must** **buy at least one or two drinks from the bar.** **Our members enjoy exclusive discounts** **of 15% on food and drinks**. 📍 **Location:** We meet in a great place with a large indoor space over two floors and a spacious terrace for the summer events. Our reserved area will be the **main outside terrace** to make the most oit of the warm weather. Enjoy a massive selection of craft beers, wines, soft drinks as well as many delicious food options from around the world. ✨ **Event Type:** This is a non-academic, laid-back event. Just for fun, practicing languages, and making new friends. 🚩 **Find Us:** Look for the Spanish flag if you're new to the group. 📅 **RSVP:** **Don’t forget to add your name to the event. Thanks!** If you are interested in the football game South Africa vs Canada knock out stages, please copy the link below and select the last option for free tickets at Market Halls. Thanks. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-cup-2026-south-africa-vs-canada-paddington-tickets-1992581220068?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-cup-2026-south-africa-vs-canada-paddington-tickets-1992581220068?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true "https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-cup-2026-south-africa-vs-canada-paddington-tickets-1992581220068?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true")

**This is an opportunity for you to meet native English speakers and get lots of conversation practise and see some London sights** We will be walking section 14 out of 15 of the Capital Ring walk. Starting from Hackney Wick station, we will walk along the Greenway, past Abbey Mills pumping station and Greenway Community orchard and finish in Beckton District Park. We will be walking for approximately two hours with a break in between. The pathways are mainly on level tarmac paths with a few moderate slopes but it is mainly flat, and there shouldn't be any issues with mud even if it has been raining. Keep an eye on the event chat which I'll update a day or two before to confirm we are going ahead. We will **meet just outside Hackney Wick overground station at 10:45** at the White Post Lane exit (North side). Unless there is a transport issue affecting everyone, we will aim to start off on the walk at 11am. I will add my location tracking on Glympse so if you are late, we will not wait but you will be able to catch us up. After the walk at Beckton I am planning on heading to a local pub for a drink and a bite to eat. If you are up for coming along please indicate in the comments. I'm estimating we would reach the end of the walk at Beckton for around 13:00. The nearest station to the endpoint is Royal Albert, however I understand this station is closed on the Sunday of the walk and **the nearest next open DLR station is Prince Regent**, around 15 minutes walk.

Looking for a relaxed way to meet thoughtful people, enjoy the sea air, and have meaningful conversations? Join us on Sunday 28 June at 10:00 AM from London Bridge Station for a beautiful coastal walk from Herne Bay to Whitstable. We'll travel together, then spend the day walking along the shoreline, taking in the views, sharing ideas, and enjoying conversations that go beyond the usual small talk. There is no pressure, no networking agenda, and no need to be an expert in anything—just curiosity and openness. As we walk, we'll explore questions such as: What experience has changed your perspective on life the most? What do you value more now than you did five years ago? What is something you believe that most people around you disagree with? If you could master one skill instantly, what would it be and why? What does a meaningful life look like to you? What book has had the greatest impact on your thinking? What would your younger self be surprised to learn about you today? What is a question you find endlessly fascinating? What do you think people misunderstand most about happiness? If you had complete freedom for the next year, how would you spend it?

I am a native, qualified teacher of English and this is a session designed for you to go over any particular issues that you have in English - grammar, exam preparation, pronunciation, vocabulary and so on - as well as to practise your conversational skills discussing current topics. Just let me know if there is anything you would like me to cover during the session. The fee of £5 can be paid on the day in cash or in advance online. Thanks, Keith

Time is precious. Here we cherish non-boring big picture chats and interactions that are fully engaging, soulfully enriching, inspiring, and leave you a bit wiser than when you arrived. In that spirit (mind the pun!), today’s fully hosted laid back social coffee chat will offer a perfect haven for the inquisitive and curious **independent big picture thinkers** drawn to the mysteries of life, the universe and unknown. An adrenaline caffeine infused fun afternoon of thought-provoking causal chats exploring spirituality/consciousness and related interconnected topics spanning **philosophy,** **neuroscience**, **parapsychology,** **paranormal.** **cosmology** and **noetic sciences** over a mug of sweet coffee (or amazin value Chardonnay!) Chaired by me - a former Reuters journalist & published empirical researcher exploring spirituality topics in pursuant of the "truth" since a teenager, there'll be no strict structure - a relaxed friendly space to openly chat, exchange ideas & experiences without judgement, but I'll preside to promote inclusivity and zone in on specifics to avoid people digressing onto unrelated tangents to ensure like all of our events - particpants derive maximum utlity and engagement from attending. 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 **psychology, metaphysics, epistemology** and **statistical** **probability** of rare events as we do so. 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 inspired to explore more! As well as illuminating chats to guide self-reflection, obviously no sprituality event woul be complete without practical tools so 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! **Sample of conversational threads** 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 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? To clarify - we define spirituality here as an exploration of consciousness, Donald Rumsfeld's 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? I may also share the latest peer reviewed empirical evidence surrounding **paranormal** and **consciousness** phenomena. **=== 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? Molecular Biologists have shown that just like plants - our cells give off resonant frequencies between 10 & 180 kilohertz - could this be a source of non-verbal communication like telepathy? 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** boost **DMT** (dimethyltryptamine) naturally vs drugs like ayahuasca, mushrooms, LSDand 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. Are clairvoyants and mediums just good people readers or are they really able to access time and space in non-linear ways? Is Tyler Henry the real deal or just faking it? Was **Abraham Lincolm** precognizant when he dreamt his own fatal assignation? 5. The laws of statistical probability, Drake Equation & common sense tells us there is other non-microbial life out there. So 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? 6. 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? 7. **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**? 8. Do NDEs suggest something beyond physicality? Were Steve Jobs final words "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow" before he died (New York Times) visions of an afterlife or just neurochemical changes / drugs playing tricks? 9. Can photons omitted by our bodies explain auras that people see? 10. Given the irrefutable scientific evidence for evolution at both micro and macro scale, denying it is basically delusional as thinking the earth is flat. But could panspermia explain the origin of life 11. Could limits in our understanding of quantum physics, space and time explain paranormal experiences? 12. 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 will meet in the outside part of the cafe in Regent’s Park - I will post in commrents exactly what table we are at. 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 Answer

Do you want to meet new people in a relaxing chill atmosphere surrounded by new books? Do you dislike loud and smelly places like pubs and clubs? This is the event for you. Science and Philosophy Book Club is creating a new kind of meetup where people who love books and knowledge can meet new friends in a big book shop. We will explore around different sections of the book shop together as a group while making interesting conversations with each other. We will go to both fiction and non-fiction areas. If you feel shy and feel nervous to come alone, I will make sure you will feel comfortable and accomodate to your needs. I will help introduce you to others so you can go over the barrier of anxiety when approaching a new person. We will meet on the ground floor lounge area of Doubletree Hilton Hotel at 6 p.m. It is an amazing cosy bar with classy vibes. We will wait for everyone to show up while getting some drinks and socializing. At 7 p.m we will head to the Waterstones book store near Russel Square and UCL. After we explore the book store, we will come back to the hotel bar and stay there for the rest of the night. This event requires £5 donation to cover the venue fees. You can pay via cash or card. Thank you for helping the book club!

Inspired by our successful events like "Saturday Mornings @ East Market" and other "Pot Luck in the Park" lunches, this gathering promises to be a blend of fun conversations, language exchange, and cultural insights, all while sharing wonderful foods with each other. **Please bring a dish to share and anything you would like to drink.** We will provide plates, plastic silverware and napkins. So, come hungry and ready to chat!

**This event is 2:30 - 4 pm Sunday.** Conversation tends toward intermediate/advanced, but everybody is welcome. If you come and don't see us right away, keep looking. We could be anywhere in the restaurant. Or out on the patio.

Hey Everyone! Let's meet at Belle's Bread Bakery and Cafe. There is lots of free parking and easy access to the cafe and many shops and restaurants as well. This is a great way to meet new and old friends while chatting about life and practicing English language speaking skills. All are welcome and encouraged to join us anytime between 11am and 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Be prepared for an entirely different type of sci-fi movie! Unofficially, the second movie in director Lars von Trier's "Depression Trilogy," 2011 Melancholia depicts the events that occur before a rogue planet is about to collide with the earth. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, the film was included in BFI's 2022 Sight and Sound Poll of the greatest movies of all time. It is available at the library as well as on Kanopy.

Rev. Steven Clevenger is an ordained spiritualist minister with over 40 years experience as a Spiritual Healer, Clairvoyant and Spiritual Teacher, educated and trained at the White Lily Chapel. Rev. Siobhan Wolf Shaffer is an ordained spiritualist minister and certified medium and healer with over 20 years experience. She began her development in 1988 in Pennsylvania and continued when she moved to Ohio in 1998 where she studied at Rays of Lights Church with Rev. Steven Clevenger. Our full worship services consist of an inspirational lecture, healing meditation, and messages from the spirit world that serve to demonstrate evidence of eternal life. Please visit our Official Church Website (http://raysoflightchurch.com) for more information.