Oct 05

October 12, 2016 – Part Two: The Emerging New Worldview

Belief, Consciousness, Philosophy, Social Paradigm Comments Off on October 12, 2016 – Part Two: The Emerging New Worldview

Join us Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 6:30 PM for Part Two of “The Emerging New Worldview: An Introduction and Overview by Paul M Helfrich, PhD” presented by Pam Golladay.

In Part Two, we will expand upon our understanding of the fascinating concept of worldviews through examination, discussion and questioning.

Join us as we delve deeper into the influences, impacts and importance of worldviews upon us as individuals and globally. We will grow in our understanding of the current paradigm and the emergence of a shift.

You need not have attended Part One on May 11, 2016 to fully engage in what promises to be a continuation of a lively, enjoyable discussion.

Below is a link to the article.  Make a note of any thoughts or questions that come to mind while reading it and feel free to bring your notes along. Hope you can join us in what will surely be an enjoyable and lively discussion!

http://www.paulhelfrich.com/library/Helfrich_P_The_Emerging_New_Worldview.pdf

Some information about the author may be found here:

http://www.paulhelfrich.com/

All sincere seekers are welcome.  $10 for pay-as-you-go attendees; No charge for LES pre-pay Members.

 

Click here for location, map and directions

 

May 04

May 11, 2016 – The Emerging New Worldview

Belief, Consciousness, Philosophy, Social Paradigm Comments Off on May 11, 2016 – The Emerging New Worldview

Join us Wednesday May 11, 2016 at 6:30 PM for “The Emerging New Worldview: An Introduction and Overview by Paul M Helfrich, PhD” presented by Pam Golladay.

Pam will lead the discussion as we explore the concept of worldviews and who or what is instrumental in forming them. How does your worldview impact your decisions and thus your life? What is the consequence of an un-examined life? Is there a possibility of a holistic worldview? These and many more questions of your choosing will be open for discussion.

Below is a link to the article.  Make a note of any thoughts or questions that come to mind while reading it and feel free to bring your notes along. Hope you can join us in what will surely be an enjoyable and lively discussion!

http://www.paulhelfrich.com/library/Helfrich_P_The_Emerging_New_Worldview.pdf

Some information about the author may be found here:

http://www.paulhelfrich.com/

All sincere seekers are welcome.  $10 for pay-as-you-go attendees; No charge for LES pre-pay Members.

 

Click here for location, map and directions

Jul 29

August 5, 2015 – Who Are The Mysterious Rosicrucians?

Esoteria, Metaphysics, Philosophy Comments Off on August 5, 2015 – Who Are The Mysterious Rosicrucians?

 

Join us Wednesday August 5,  2015 at 6:30 PM for “Who Are The Mysterious Rosicrucians?” presented by Jim Patterson.

During Renaissance Europe in the 16th & 17th centuries an underground movement was afoot to embrace and share knowledge and philosophy in direct conflict with the dogma and control of the Catholic Church. It was the same percolating pot that birthed the Reformation. However, beyond disagreements over church liturgy, this hidden movement encompassed a more secret body of wisdom; it was knowledge that could put you under the scrutiny and punishment of the Inquisition.

In 1614 a mysterious manifesto was published that lit the imagination and enthusiasm of intellectuals everywhere. It professed a secret fraternity . . . an Invisible College . . . one for which you could not apply, but had to be covertly invited. It was a Secret Mystery School called the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. There were claims of sacred knowledge assembled by the Brotherhood’s founder in the late medieval period – from ancient Egyptian, Greek and Middle Eastern mystery school traditions. Two more manifestos surfaced each consecutive year, fueling the fire of this secret movement.

Europe’s intellectual circles were abuzz with speculation about this sacred brotherhood. Who were they? Where did they meet? What did they discuss and teach? What were their practices? How could one join their circle? Were they even real?

It was in this environment that the Rosicrucian movement was “birthed” – although never operating in the public eye. No formal groups were ever known from this time period. Their members (if they existed) kept their affiliation a total secret. Then in the mid-to-late 1800s and early 1900s various Mystery Schools tied to Rosicrucianism started to appear. Some flopped. Some flourished. Some still exist today.

In this presentation we’ll review the foundations of the Rosicrucians, the original manifestos, famous people tied to the movement, their secret symbols, the modern-era groups and their concepts & teachings.

Join us for a peek behind the doors of the Rose Cross!

All sincere seekers are welcome.  $10 for pay-as-you-go attendees; No charge for LES pre-pay Members.

 

Click here for location, map and directions

May 20

May 27, 2015 The Divinity of Numbers and Metaphysics: A Tool for Discovering Truth

Ancient History, Esoteria, Metaphysics, Philosophy Comments Off on May 27, 2015 The Divinity of Numbers and Metaphysics: A Tool for Discovering Truth

Join us Wednesday May 27, 2015 at 6:30 PM for “The Divinity of Numbers and Metaphysics:  A Tool for Discovering Truth”

In this meeting, we’ll continue our study of Philosophy by learning about Pythagoras and his theory about the divinity of numbers.

Pythagoras and his followers proposed that there is a substance in the Cosmos that transcends physical matter and that the structure behind this transcendence is numbers. There’s a great line spoken by Christopher Walken in a movie where he plays the Archangel, Gabriel. We’ve all heard the line before, but Walken’s delivery of it makes it especially memorable, “See you kids. Study ya math. Key to the Universe.” Pythagoreans believed and taught that mathematics, is indeed the key to understanding everything in the Cosmos, including our own existence. They also taught that mathematics is the basis for all harmony and all discord. It is believed that Pythagoras developed or at least formalized the musical scale, using the harmony heard by the human ear as the basis.

What is there? What is reality? Can we know? Do minds actually exist? Are thoughts real? How do we go about answering questions such as those? Pythagoreans believe that Metaphysics is the best tool for discovering the answers. Metaphysics has two branches, ontology and epistemology. Ontology is the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion. We’ll learn about both methods and how metaphysics can be helpful in our individual search for Truth.

Note:  Don’t be concerned about the reference to math in the description. No math problems will be harmed (or, solved)  in the making of this presentation!! This presentation will lay the groundwork for other Philosophical topics in the future such as Plato’s Search for Truth!

Hope you’ll join us!

 

All sincere seekers are welcome.  $10 for pay-as-you-go attendees; No charge for LES pre-pay Members.

 

Click here for location, map and directions

Feb 18

February 25, 2015 – Philosophy – The Beginning

Ancient History, Philosophy, Spirituality Comments Off on February 25, 2015 – Philosophy – The Beginning

Join us Wednesday February 25, 2015 at 6:30 PM for “Philosophy -The Beginning.”

We’re celebrating 4 years of LES at this meeting! Join us for champagne and cake as we celebrate our past success and toast the future of LES!

In this meeting we’re going to watch the first two lectures in a series called “The Great Ideas of Philosophy.” Each lecture is approximately 30 minutes long and is taught by Professor Daniel N. Robinson PhD, a member of the philosophy faculty at Oxford University, where he has lectured annually since 1991. He is also Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, at Georgetown University, on whose faculty he served for 30 years. He was formerly Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, and has held positions at Amherst College and at Princeton University. He is the author or editor of more than forty books.

Lecture 1- is entitled “From the Upanishads to Homer,” and begins with a brief description of what philosophy is. The translation of the word philosophy is love of wisdom; and wisdom comes only in Truth. To be a student of philosophy we are morally bound to go wherever Truth leads. Philosophy confronts three problems in the search for Truth – Knowledge (What is knowledge and how do we obtain it?); Conduct (What kind of life should one live and what actions represent moral conduct?); and Governance (What is wise governance?) Philosophers seek answers to all three of these questions.

The first lecture continues by pointing out contrasts between Eastern and Western philosophies. The Upanishads from India taught there is an Universal Soul or Cosmic Atman of which humanity and all living creatures are a part. Greek philosophers taught that humanity was separate from the Gods who created the Universe; and that human fate was entirely different from that of the Gods. They further taught that human life is filled with irony – that often the very attributes which motivate an individual’s code in life result in the eventual downfall of the individual.

Lecture 2 –  entitled “Philosophy – Did the Greeks Invent It” continues showing the contrasts between Eastern and Western thought, and provides information on how the Greek philosophy developed and spread in the Western world.  The Greeks believed that philosophy earns its Truth by working for it – that Truth depends on evidence. Without evidence there is no Truth. Without Truth there is no Wisdom. To reach Truth, one must remain skeptical and challenge even the most fundamental of beliefs.

Both lectures refer to Homer and the Iliad. Most of us learned about Homer and read some parts of the Iliad in high school Literature Class. Those of us who pursued degrees in the Humanities delved deeper in college. Time  has a way of stealing or at least blurring some knowledge from past learning. Some useful links are included below if you would like a refresher course on Homer, and why the Iliad is such an important key to understanding the mindset of antiquity. The information in these links is far from complete. If you’re interested in researching further you’ll find other links on the Internet – some to  various translations of the complete works of Homer.  Also included is a link with information about the Upanishads.

Note:  It is NOT necessary to explore these links to understand and enjoy the lectures. You’ll enjoy and understand both lectures even if Homer, the Iliad and the Upanishads are all unknown to you. The links are included just in case you want to learn more about the topics discussed in the lectures. Professor Robinson is engaging and does a great job of laying a basic foundation of philosophy in these two lectures. (He also bears a remarkable resemblance to one of our founders. You can decide who when you watch the lectures.) We’ll have time after each lecture to discuss any thoughts that arise while watching, or to share additional knowledge.

LES was founded on the idea of discovering Truth. In the past we’ve sometimes meandered from our original intent and will do so in the future, which is fine. This presentation, however, is consistent with the original intent of exploring ways to discover Truth.  Hope you’ll join us!

Useful links:

Homer

The Iliad

Upanishads

All sincere seekers are welcome.  $10 for pay-as-you-go attendees; No charge for LES pre-pay Members.

 

Click here for location, map and directions

Feb 04

February 11, 2015 – Philosophy – The Beginning

Ancient History, Celebration, Cosmology, Philosophy Comments Off on February 11, 2015 – Philosophy – The Beginning

Join us Wednesday February 11, 2015 at 6:30 PM for “Philosophy -The Beginning.”

This meeting marks the 4th anniversary of the first official LES meeting. Join us for champagne and cake as we celebrate the past 4 years and toast the future of LES!

In this meeting we’re going to watch the first two lectures in a series called “The Great Ideas of Philosophy.” Each lecture is approximately 30 minutes long and is taught by Professor Daniel N. Robinson PhD, a member of the philosophy faculty at Oxford University, where he has lectured annually since 1991. He is also Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, at Georgetown University, on whose faculty he served for 30 years. He was formerly Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, and has held positions at Amherst College and at Princeton University. He is the author or editor of more than forty books.

Lecture 1- is entitled “From the Upanishads to Homer,” and begins with a brief description of what philosophy is. The translation of the word philosophy is love of wisdom; and wisdom comes only in Truth. To be a student of philosophy we are morally bound to go wherever Truth leads. Philosophy confronts three problems in the search for Truth – Knowledge (What is knowledge and how do we obtain it?); Conduct (What kind of life should one live and what actions represent moral conduct?); and Governance (What is wise governance?) Philosophers seek answers to all three of these questions.

The first lecture continues by pointing out contrasts between Eastern and Western philosophies. The Upanishads from India taught there is an Universal Soul or Cosmic Atman of which humanity and all living creatures are a part. Greek philosophers taught that humanity was separate from the Gods who created the Universe; and that human fate was entirely different from that of the Gods. They further taught that human life is filled with irony – that often the very attributes which motivate an individual’s code in life result in the eventual downfall of the individual.

Lecture 2 –  entitled “Philosophy – Did the Greeks Invent It” continues showing the contrasts between Eastern and Western thought, and provides information on how the Greek philosophy developed and spread in the Western world.  The Greeks believed that philosophy earns its Truth by working for it – that Truth depends on evidence. Without evidence there is no Truth. Without Truth there is no Wisdom. To reach Truth, one must remain skeptical and challenge even the most fundamental of beliefs.

Both lectures refer to Homer and the Iliad. Most of us learned about Homer and read some parts of the Iliad in high school Literature Class. Those of us who pursued degrees in the Humanities delved deeper in college. Time  has a way of stealing or at least blurring some knowledge from past learning. Some useful links are included below if you would like a refresher course on Homer, and why the Iliad is such an important key to understanding the mindset of antiquity. The information in these links is far from complete. If you’re interested in researching further you’ll find other links on the Internet – some to  various translations of the complete works of Homer.  Also included is a link with information about the Upanishads.

Note:  It is NOT necessary to explore these links to understand and enjoy the lectures. You’ll enjoy and understand both lectures even if Homer, the Iliad and the Upanishads are all unknown to you. The links are included just in case you want to learn more about the topics discussed in the lectures. Professor Robinson is engaging and does a great job of laying a basic foundation of philosophy in these two lectures. (He also bears a remarkable resemblance to one of our founders. You can decide who when you watch the lectures.) We’ll have time after each lecture to discuss any thoughts that arise while watching, or to share additional knowledge.

LES was founded on the idea of discovering Truth. In the past we’ve sometimes meandered from our original intent and will do so in the future, which is fine. This presentation, however, is consistent with the original intent of exploring ways to discover Truth.  Hope you’ll join us!

Useful links:

Homer

The Iliad

Upanishads

All sincere seekers are welcome.  $10 for pay-as-you-go attendees; No charge for LES pre-pay Members.

 

Click here for location, map and directions

Aug 28

Special Interest Group (SIG) – Tuesday September 2, 2014: COSMOS & Camaraderie

Ancient History, Conspiracy, Cosmology, Geology, History, Philosophy, Science Comments Off on Special Interest Group (SIG) – Tuesday September 2, 2014: COSMOS & Camaraderie

Tuesday, September 2nd @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

NOTE: This group does NOT replace our regularly scheduled 2nd and 4th Wednesday presentation meetings. For more information on SIGs, please check out the SIG link.

This SIG is FREE for all Pre-Paid LES Members! Others are invited to attend for $5 per meeting to help cover the cost of food and drink. All are welcome! (On the menu: Pasta salad with almonds and sun dried tomatoes, bread and butter, and cheesecake!)

In our third COSMOS SIG meeting we’ll learn about a tiny creature who has survived all the previous mass extinctions on Earth, and who outnumber humans a billion to one –  the tardigrades. We’ll also hear about a secret the plants know that science is still trying to understand.  Mastering that secret would totally eliminate the need for any other fuel to power the entire planet! We’ll hear about how the ancient Greek philosophers, Thales and Democritus, helped to change the worldview of  government, God and our place in the universe. We’ll also visit a very strange place deep underground, Super-Kamioka.

In the second episode we’ll learn about a conspiracy “…one of the first times that the authority of science was used  to cloak a threat to public health…”  This conspiracy threatened the well-being of both humans and other living creatures who share our planet. Behind the conspiracy were some unscrupulous and powerful people motivated by something other than the search for truth.  Some truths can be revealed only through years of painstaking research and data collection.  Less scrupulous people sometimes manipulate that data and spin it so that the end result represents something other than the truth.  The conspiracy failed thanks to an unwavering scientist, named Clair Patterson, and those who supported and encouraged his work.  Patterson waged a twenty-year fight against those misinterpretations – and, in this case truth prevailed!  We’re all victors in Patterson’s victory.

Because each episode stands on its own with different subject matter, it’s not necessary to see all the episodes to follow the series. But, each episode is packed with information and all episodes are beautifully done and entertaining, so attend all if you can.

Note:  The final three COSMOS SIG meetings will take place on Wed., October 1; Wed., October 15; and Wed., October 29 from 6:00 – 8:30 PM.

We’ll have a greeter at the front door till 6:05. After that, late entrants may call the phone number posted on the door for admittance. Hope to see you there!!

For additional information about the COSMOS SIG, please refer to the the August 5th post announcing the SIG.

“The cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be…”

“…we are all star stuff…and on a journey to go back to our origin...”  –  Carl Sagan

Click here for our NEW LOCATION (map and directions)

A calendar of upcoming meeting topics can be found here.

Aug 14

Special Interest Group (SIG) – Tuesday August 19, 2014: COSMOS & Camaraderie

Ancient History, Cosmology, History, Philosophy, Science Comments Off on Special Interest Group (SIG) – Tuesday August 19, 2014: COSMOS & Camaraderie

August 19 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

NOTE: This group does NOT replace our regularly scheduled 2nd and 4th Wednesday presentation meetings. For more information on SIGs, please check out the SIG link.

This SIG is FREE for all Pre-Paid LES Members! Others are invited to attend for $5 per meeting to help cover the cost of food and drink. All are welcome! (A variety of sandwiches – some vegetarian – and chips, lemon bars and sin bars are on the menu for the second meeting.)

In our second COSMOS SIG meeting we’ll view two more episodes and learn about a secret code embedded in light and sound waves. We’ll learn about the people, who discovered the code and the coincidences (or, were they?) which made those discoveries possible. Breaking those codes yielded some powerful knowledge about the universe.

We’ll also learn about Mo Tzu, a Chinese philosopher and teacher (470 – 391 BC) , who believed in and taught democratic principles-  and Ibn Alhazin (965 -1040AD), an Islamic polymath and philosopher, who laid the groundwork for the scientific method still used today.  One of my personal favorite quotes is from Ibn Alhazen…”Finding truth is difficult and the road to it is rough. As seekers of the truth you will be wise to withhold judgement and not simply put your trust in the writings of the ancients.You must question and critically examine those writings from every side. You must submit only to argument and experiment…and not to the sayings of any person. For every human being is vulnerable to all kinds of imperfection. As seekers of the truth we must also suspect and question…our own ideas as we perform our investigations…to avoid falling into prejudice or careless thinking. Follow this course and truth will be revealed to you.”

Because each episode stands on its own with different subject matter, it’s not necessary to see all the episodes to follow the series. But, each episode is packed with information and all episodes are beautifully done and entertaining, so attend all if you can.

We’ll have a greeter at the front door till 6:05. After that, late entrants may call the phone number posted on the door for admittance. Hope to see you there!!

For additional information about the COSMOS SIG, please refer to the the August 5th post announcing the SIG.

“The cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be…”

“…we are all star stuff…and on a journey to go back to our origin...”  –  Carl Sagan

Click here for our NEW LOCATION (map and directions)

A calendar of upcoming meeting topics can be found here.

May 06

Is The Universe Alive?

Cosmology, Philosophy, Quantum Physics, Science Comments Off on Is The Universe Alive?

Join the Louisville Esoteric Society on Tuesday May 13, 2014 at 6:30 PM for our next meeting topic: “Is The Universe Alive?” presented by Janet Rowland.

In this meeting, we’ll view an episode of the Through The Wormhole series. This episode includes scientific theories pointing to the possibility that the universe is actually a living organism.

After viewing that video, we’ll watch 3 brief video clips featuring MIT Philosophy Professor Caspar Hare. Professor Hare’s clips are from one of the classes he teaches at MIT, and are directed at providing his students the groundwork for formulating convincing philosophical arguments. We won’t be tasked with doing that but, the arguments in the clips will provide more detail – from a philosophical approach – on two concepts discussed in the Through The Wormhole episode; the Teleological or Design argument and the Fine Tuning or Cosmological Constants argument.

In closing, we’ll talk a little about a technological development discussed in the Through The Wormhole episode, quantum computers.

It’s a compelling idea that the science of physics, based on mathematics – and philosophy, based more on pure thought, are merging in a synergistic partnership. Hopefully, this partnership points the way to an ever increasing understanding of the universe and our place in it.

All sincere seekers are welcome. A $5 donation is suggested to support the ongoing expense of Louisville Esoteric Society.

REMINDER…. We have a new location for meetings: Westport Road Church of Christ – Community Room, 4500 Westport Road

Directions to our meeting location can be found here.

A schedule of upcoming meeting topics can be found here.