Free Thinker

Conspiracy theory is commonly described as a belief that an event or situation is the result of a secret plan made by powerful people. But this definition doesn't separate the baseless claims and reasonable claims. After all history is filled with conspiracy like from MKUltra to Gulf of Tonkin incident. How should we think about whispers of powerful people controlling or manipulating our life? Is calling people "conspiracy theorists" a tool to shut down conversation and criticism? Who has the authority to decide what counts as legitimate inquiry versus conspiracy theory? \*Please do your own research and share resources related to this topic in the comment section\* #======# Donation! Thank you for being a member. I have made a donation page for those who want to help with the costs. [https://examinedlife.uk/donation/](https://examinedlife.uk/donation/) #======# Group chat We have a telegram group chat and here is a link for the front door: [https://t.me/+o9T9DL5u6AcwMmRk](https://t.me/+o9T9DL5u6AcwMmRk) #======# The Examined Life, "Let's Discuss..." session is an open discussion. The format of this event will be: 13:15 - Free flow group discussion about the topic. 14:00 ish - We will be splitting into smaller groups for more engaging discussion about what interests each of you. 16:00 - End of the official meetup. Most often attendees stay and continue discussing up to around 18:00. #======# Please RSVP if you can commit to attending and change your RSVP if something comes up. Inaccurate RSVPs can keep potential attendees on the waiting list and makes it difficult to plan for room sizes and bookings. Art work: Parsing Bill (2012) Petrina Ryan-Kleid

Meetings run weekly on Saturdays from 11.00-12.30 in Enfield Town Library, Community Room, 66 Church Street, Enfield, EN2 6AX Join us for wonderful **free** weekly meditation sessions in Enfield Town Library, classes are always free. Sahaja Yoga is a unique form of meditation that will enable you to connect with your Inner Self, establishing a higher awareness within you resulting in a deep feeling of peace, calmness, balance, and joy. It is a tangible practical **experience**: Sahaja Yoga is “Subtle, Simple and Real”. It was founded by H.H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi ( 1923-2011) and has at its core the process of Self Realisation: connecting with your real Self through the awakening of the dormant energy in our sacrum bone called Kundalini who takes us into the deep peaceful state of thoughtless awareness. In the class, we will go through the process of Self Realisation and learn how to achieve the state of meditation effortlessly. Also, we will learn about balancing our subtle system, diagnosing and solving our problems, and meditating at home. Sahaja Yoga helps all aspects of our life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, it is an extraordinary method, unique from any other types of meditations as it uses our own energy Kundalini who can correct our chakras, balance us, and take us to a much higher and deeper state of awareness. We do not need mats, we sit on chairs, it is easy and simple, Sahaja means spontaneous in Sanskrit, and it is for all cultures, ages, religions, and backgrounds. There are free meetings all over London, the UK, and more than 100 countries. If you are looking for well-being, harmony, and solving your problems, if you want to get out of confusion, and/or mental health problems, if you are looking for answers then you are in the right place. Come along and try, no need to sign up, beginners are welcome anytime. **“ Sahaja Yoga is a method by which our Pure Desire is fulfilled “ (from the founder Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi)** Phone 07931 851 954 or 0773 766 0417 You may also like to check out our main London website, where you can find out more about the numerous free regular meetings taking place across London, and much more: [www.sahajayogalondon.co.uk](https://www.sahajayogalondon.co.uk/) Join us on Facebook [Sahaja Yoga | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sahajayogalondon/) Meditation app: [https://wemeditate.com](https://wemeditate.com/)

Claim your free life coaching session by RSVPing to this event! And I will contact you directly. We have amazing life coaches who can help you in different areas of your life! No matter what is going on, we understand that sometimes it can all be very overwhelming and feel like you have no idea what to do! Come and speak to one of us so get some help!

Three hours of mid to long form improvisation, exercises and games focused around building original characters and narrative from scratch. No rules, no structure, just pure flow. Confident improvisers preferred but I am happy to show you the ropes if your quick :)

Salam, Discussions of the Arab world, particularly the Gulf States, increasingly focus on sectarianism and autocratic rule. These features are often attributed to the dominance of monarchs, Islamists, oil, and ‘ancient hatreds’. To understand their rise, however, one has to turn to a largely forgotten but decisive episode with far-reaching repercussions—Bahrain under British colonial rule in the early twentieth century. Drawing on a wealth of previously unexamined Arabic literature as well as British archives, Omar AlShehabi details how sectarianism emerged as a modern phenomenon in Bahrain. He shows how absolutist rule was born in the Gulf, under the tutelage of the British Raj, to counter nationalist and anti-colonial movements tied to the al-Nahda renaissance in the wider Arab world. A groundbreaking work, *Contested Modernity* challenges us to reconsider not only how we see the Gulf but the Middle East as a whole. We‘ll continue with our 2026 reading list: 3-*Sultana’s Dream* by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain—Bangladesh 4-*The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China* by Julia Lovell 5-*Rickshaw Boy* by Lao She—China 6-*The* *Motorcycle Diaries* by Che Guevara 7-*One Hundred Years of Solitude* by Gabriel García Márquez—Colombia 8-*How Europe Underdeveloped Africa* by Walter Rodney 9-*Heart of Darkness* by Polish author Joseph Conrad—Congo 10-*The Wretched of the Earth* by Frantz Fanon 11-*Homegoing* by Yaa Gyasi—Ghana 12-*Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty* by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson Enjoy Bahrain! Join me on: [-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros) [-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres) -[www.meetup.com/persian-culture](www.meetup.com/persian-culture) -Instagram: @persian_culture_

‘Reserving judgement is as good as having no opinion.’ - Madam Herta ‘If the truth shall kill them, let them die.’ - Immanuel Kant Two philosophers sit in an awkward silence glancing at each other with resentment, but not towards each other, but rather human nature. They know that they can elevate each other so much with their expertise and beyond if they each provide constructive criticism to the other, offer advice or warnings, so long as the other receives it. Yet they don't do any of that as they both know it is human nature to be repelled by any form of criticism, critique, or complaint, and therefore it is futile to try. They both recall the last time they did try, and the response they received. ‘How dare you be more clever than me! Show off! Know it all! Oh you're just tryna help? Well you can help by adding onto MY point! Not saying a counter point. That is the true purpose of rationality, to prove I’M right, no matter what!’ Yea, perhaps, never again... ‘You all think my jokes are not funny? Laugh!!!!!!’ ‘HAHAHAHHA… Ha… Hahah… Ha…’ ‘That's more like it!’ ‘My liege, I don't understand why you force them to laugh? Wouldn't it be more authentic if you, well, refined your comedic talents?’ ‘Listen, who actually cares about authenticity? Sure, my subjects resent me, but their fear of me and their dependency on me is so vast that their resentment is negligible. If I weren't in such a good mood, I would have you executed for such a brazen comment… On second thought, guards!’ And thus, we will never know whether the subjects really found the jokes funny or not. Not that that matters anyway. Intellect is a game of thinking. Humans naively pick out pretty rocks from a sandy beach and claim to have grasped the truth of the world. This so-called "mansion of knowledge" is nothing more than scattered building blocks that outsiders can stack as they please. You once saw a shameless scholar who used money to pay off any voices that would refute the findings of his research, such that he became a prophet in the eyes of the people. His falsified materials slowed scientific research by three Amber Eras. You also once witnessed a true genius whose thinking preceded his time, and his great cure for incurable diseases destroyed the careers of thousands of interstellar medical practitioners. He was therefore regarded by these doctors as a lunatic and committed to an asylum. If that is the case, why can't you be the person to hold the building blocks? Knowledge is no more than an illusion. As long as people believe, even a worm can win debates against the stellar gods. Heroes often have the luxury of being ethically illiterate and inept. They adopt what is conventionally good and never need to question what is really good or bad. Villains on the other hand, they do. They think things through and question what they're doing cus the stakes are higher for them. Sometimes they twist the truth just to make themselves seem virtuous when in reality they're not. But it could be argued that that's at least better than never questioning ethics to begin with. Ironically, ethics will never evolve without villains. If I’m so stupid, why don’t you prove that I’m incorrect. If I’m so evil, why don’t you prove that what I’m doing is wrong. Philosophers are just sick fucking people. They shouldn’t have the right to speak. They should just fucking die! Ugh, but they have wisdom. They’re cool if you can safely extract it. Sometimes I do feel like unquestioningly following conventional morals and being a sheep, just for a day or a week. But I know I will regret it afterwards. Two fools are debating a problem. A genius overhears the commotion, and decides to take time out of their busy schedule to step in and enlighten them to the truth and the solution to the problem, with flawless logic, and flawless knowledge. The two fools must now follow in the footsteps of the genius; take the solution and implement it. But they don't, as that is quite difficult after all. So they find another problem to squabble about. The genius, again, comes in and offers the solution. And again, the two fools find another problem to fight over. This process repeats until the solution to all problems has been enlightened to the fools. Will the fools finally use the truth to take action? Or will they actually regress their knowledge and intellect, pretend they never heard what the genius said, just so to continue arguing? The only thing the two fools can agree on however, is that genius is such a killjoy. Clearly, philosophy isn't perfect. So what can we do about it? The rationale so far. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EMqdv32V7PeUETjq6r8mzsVyXskuQBYoJIv4e-EDtm8/edit?usp=sharing

* Connect with people and make new friends! * Συνδεθείτε με Ελληνες και δημιουργείστε νεες φιλιες! * Join us for authentic Greek coffees, bakes and treats! A table is booked for 10 people to enjoy. * Opportunity to buy traditional Greek products * Greek language practice and socializing * Improve your Greek and connect with people of Greek or Cypriot heritage * Friendly members and all nationalities welcome! * **Excellent quality of treats** * **Greek music on the radio** -**A la carte menu and the ticket for the event does not cover the food, drinks etc that you will order.** **-This is a paid event and the fee is for the meetup subscription and organization expenses of our events.** Telephone No: **07508502863** Email: **[greek_meetup@yahoo.com](http://greek_meetup@yahoo.com/)** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\# Συνδεθείτε με Ελληνες και δημιουργήστε νεες φιλίες\!

Time is precious. Here we value non-boring valuable 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 & curious - those drawn to the mysteries of the universe, life and everything in between. A tasty 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. Hosted 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 insights 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. Could limits in our understanding of quantum physics, space and time explain paranormal experiences? 11. 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 Penderel's Oak. *283–288 High Holborn, Holborn WC1V 7HP* zone 1 central london so very easy to get to. 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

You want to do your best! You want to realise your potential! You want to make the right decisions at the right time! Obviously- you want to be a success! Do you have all the skills in place? Do you have areas in your life or personality that are weaker and you feel can stop you or hold you back? Would you like a free personal consultation to help locate your strengths and weaker areas? We can help you to maximise on your potential. If you would like a free 1 hour consult then register now! We have various times available for your own personal consultation This is hosted at the Scientology Life Improvement Centre in London. We use the Oxford Capacity Analysis test. https://www.scientology-london.org.uk/personality-test/

CLH Weekend Social – join us for a relaxed atmosphere, great conversations with like-minded people, drinks & food and much more!🥂 🥘🤝 Details Whether you are joining us at Central London Humanists for first time, or a regular member, our weekend social is a great opportunity to have a relaxed and fun weekend, in the company of likeminded and interesting people, who are here to socialise and mingle, expand their networks and horizons, and have thoughtful and insightful conversations. Date & Time Sunday 15th of February 2026 Time: 12:00 – 15:00 PM Venue Queens Head & Artichoke A cosy pub offering a great variety of options for food and drinks, close to Great Portland Street & Regent’s Park Stations. Look for CLH signs on the tables when you arrive. What we talk about: The conversations are different every time – from current events to humanism and secularism, with plenty of good laughs in between! If there’s something specific that you’d like to talk about, we’d love to hear about it. We kindly request a contribution of £3 for our events to help cover various admin costs - but first-timers are welcome to give us a free trial. If you prefer you can also pay online by clicking here. https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML71XMH66FX5E/checkout/ALWCDLQ3S7AVPLFZ62PZGXLU We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information at our events but ask people to keep their interactions cordial. Any views expressed are those of the individual sharing them and may not reflect those of CLH. We look forward to seeing you!

Step away from the screens and join us for our Offline Women Read Poetry. This is a dedicated, phone-free, quiet space where you can disconnect from digital distractions and reconnect with the beauty of words. This beautiful gathering was created and will be hosted by Angie, one of our most consistent members of Offline Women. Join our warm community to read poetry out loud together. Please bring a favourite poem with you in a book or on a piece of paper. If your poem is only on your phone, we will give you paper and pens in the first five minutes to write it down so you can put your phone away. We will have the chance to gift these handwritten poems to each other at the end. We will spend most of our time taking turns reading our poems out loud to the group. It is a simple, peaceful way to listen to each other and enjoy the rhythm of the words. Leave feeling calm and refreshed, with the sound of shared poems still in your mind, and maybe a new favourite poem beautifully handwritten by a new friend as a keepsake. Spots are limited to ensure the group remains small, intimate, and everyone has a great time connecting face-to-face.

Dale Gnidovec, Curator of the Orton Hall Museum of Geology at The Ohio State University, will be presenting a program he has wanted to share with us for a long time: Plate Tectonics. His description of his program: Continents on the move - Nothing in Earth history makes sense without moving continents - it tells us why mountains, volcanoes, minerals, and fossils are where they are. This talk examines the evidence for continental drift, why it was disbelieved, and explains how the more-encompassing theory of plate tectonics was developed and eventually proven. Dale is an energetic, incredibly knowledgeable, and very entertaining speaker and this will be another wonderful program by Dale. Hope to see you there! Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Meeting Room 3B, Main Library Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. This first gathering is a simple introduction to the spirit of the group and a chance to meet others seeking deeper meaning and community. All backgrounds are welcome.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

This event is 2:30 - 4pm 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.

ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio TBD Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!