Hidden Knowledge

Saturday 13^th January 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Medical Sociologist Dr Sarah Goode

Is adult sexual attraction to children a psychological disorder, a sexual orientation, a genetic fault, or the result of trauma? The UK National Crime Agency states that around 750,000 men in Britain are sexually attracted to children. And with the NSPCC estimating that one in 20 children are sexually abused (over 36,000 annually), providing effective protection for our children is clearly a huge challenge. If we want to keep children safe from sexual harm, then gaining a better understanding of what we’re dealing with is surely the first step. Dr Sarah Goode has done ground-breaking research in this controversial field, and will be addressing the taboo subject of adult sexual attraction to children. She refrains from demonizing the people who feel this attraction whilst insisting that knowledge, rather than ignorance, is what we need in order to keep children safe.

“Join us for a pragmatic exploration of this emotionally-charged subject, and learn how we can minimise the risk to our children”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Please email Dave at DHweb2(at)live.co.uk for a PDF copy for you to print and display.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Astounding Science and Our Genetic Legacy

Wednesday 25^th October 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With scientist Graham Marshall

The ancestor we share with chimpanzees lived around six million years ago, and we have lived as ‘modern’ humans for only a few hundred thousand years. For just a miniscule fraction of that latter time we have learned to use the scientific method to gain a better understanding of our history and the world around us, and it is easily forgotten that we were fashioned by evolution in small groups on the plains of Africa, and that our inner natures have not changed. Our improved evidence-based knowledge of who we are gives us the power to rise above our basic survival instincts of greed and fear, and the selfish programming of our genes, but can our predicted future population of around 10 billion humans, who have all evolved to be hunter gatherers, adapt quickly enough? Graham Marshall will be reviewing some of the most amazing scientific advances of the last 70 years and will consider how well our species is adapting to modern life in light of our genetic legacy.

Graham Marshall studied physics at Birmingham and Nottingham universities, and his career has included developing electronic devices at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment in Malvern, and a scientific post at the British Embassy in Japan.

“Join us for a stimulating review of the most important recent scientific advances and a thoughtful examination of the impact of our genetic legacy”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The Magic and Sorcery of Alternative Medicine

Wednesday 28^th June 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Featuring Magician and Illusionist (and former surgeon) Dr. Richard Rawlins as the ‘Esteemed Quackademic’ Professor Riccardo

Having previously revealed the ‘Real Secrets of Alternative Medicine’ to us, Richard Rawlins will step aside and allow his alter-ego Professor Riccardo, ‘a master of illusion and a mind-reading marvel from the Department of Quackademic Medicine’, to demonstrate his skills in magic and illusion in this reality-defying performance that the multi-billion dollar complementary medicine industry would rather you didn’t see!

As a psychological illusionist and a member of The Magic Circle, retired surgeon Dr. Richard Rawlins does not deny that he sets out to take advantage of his “medical experience of non-verbal means of communication, body paralanguage, chronemics and advanced telepathy”(sic) to entertain and entrance, but what is reality and what is deception? As Richard says, “You must be the judge.”

“Join us for an entertaining evening of magic and illusion in this thought-provoking magical exposé of alternative medicine”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Dr. Richard Rawlins is a former lecturer in Anatomy, King’s College, London, Clinical Director of Surgery and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Bedford Hospital and Chairman of the UK Consultants Conference. He is also an illusionist and a member of the Magic Circle.

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Why Everyone Should be a Feminist

Wednesday 24^th May 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Bournemouth University lecturer Frances Hawkhead

Men and women should have equal rights and opportunities, yet women still earn less than men in Britain and are grossly underrepresented in our company boardrooms. Is this because women naturally prefer the roles which attract less pay, or does our social structure still privilege men? Should we support positive discrimination to increase the number of women in key business and civic roles, or is equal opportunity enough? Do existing cultural gender stereotypes harm men as well as women?

Via a brief history of feminism and an exploration of gender in society, Frances Hawkhead will provide some thought-provoking answers to these and other questions, and will invite us all to become feminists.

Frances Hawkhead  is a lecturer in English, Communication & Media at Bournemouth University.

“Join us for a thought-provoking evening as we discover why we should all be feminists”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Memories of a Former Sri Chinmoy Devotee

Saturday 8^th April 2.00pm  
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

Former Sri Chinmoy Devotee Alice Herron spent 27 years as the devotee of the Indian guru, Sri Chinmoy. She will describe how as an idealistic young woman she joined a meditation group, and how this group grew and changed over the subsequent years. She will also cover Chinmoy’s life as he travelled the world gaining new disciples, meeting the rich and famous, and building a worldwide spiritual empire.

Explaining why she eventually left, this presentation is an insider view of life in a Hindu-based religion in the later part of the 20th century. Alice will highlight both the positive and negative aspects of such groups.

Alice Herron is a retired business studies lecturer. After leaving the Sri Chinmoy group she studied for an MA in Psychology of Religion at Heythrop College, University of London. In 2007 her master's dissertation was titled, 'Psychological Factors in the Emergence of New Religious Movements'. She is currently a psychology PhD candidate at the University of Surrey, researching atheists who claim to have had some kind of mystical-type experience.  She aims to complete her PhD in 2018.

“Join us for a fascinating insider’s view of life in a new religious movement”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:
http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The Evolution of Religion

Saturday 12^th November 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Senior Lecturer in Psychology Dr Michael E. Price

‘Is it Adaptive to Believe in a Higher Power?’ The consensus among evolutionary psychologists is that religiosity is a non-adaptive by-product of psychological mechanisms that evolved for other purposes. However, a great deal of scientific evidence now suggests that religion offers survival benefits, and that being religious can actually increase your life expectancy. So, why is there a positive relationship between religiosity and survival, and does this relationship suggest that religiosity is in fact an adaptation? Addressing these issues can produce valuable insights for both the religious and non-religious alike. Dr Michael E. Price is Senior Lecturer in Psychology, and Director of the Centre for Culture and Evolution, at Brunel University London. His research focuses on the evolutionary psychology of human social behaviour, morality, and religiosity.

“Join us for a fascinating exploration of the evolution of, and evolutionary significance of, religious beliefs”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Broken Trust, Damaged Minds

Saturday 8^th October 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Psychologist Peter Naish

There can be little doubt that many people have been harmed by the predatory sexual activities of Jimmy Savile. The nature of child abuse often leaves victims with profound psychological damage that affects them for life, yet there is huge variation in the extent and nature of the impact on the victims, with some apparently suffering little long term harm. Why do different people (both adults and children) respond so differently to trauma, and what factors can help us to be more resilient? in attempting to resolve this issue, Peter Naish will consider a wide range of evidence including everything from brain architecture to the new science of epigenetics.  Along the way we will hear some sad stories, putting a very human face on the science of the neural response to trauma.

Psychologist Dr Peter Naish, now allegedly retired, retains academic links with the Open University, and the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, at Sussex University.  After a lifetime that has included working for the Home Office and Ministry of Defence, he has settled down to ‘a comfortable mix of research, expert witness work, and a busy speaking schedule'.

“Join us to explore our varying responses to trauma, and the factors that can mitigate the psychological harm suffered”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

‘One Life’ Course: Exploring Humanism and Atheism

September/October 2016
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Course Tutor: Chair of Dorset Humanists, David Warden

The ‘One Life’ Course is a seven week introduction to Humanism and Atheism. This popular and enlightening course is intended for everybody who is interested in Humanism and wishes to discover more about its principles and the activities of Humanists. It's a great opportunity to explore life's big questions from a non-religious perspective, while meeting and interacting with interesting new people in a positive friendly environment.
During the course we’ll discover how Humanism provides a rational, non-religious way of approaching life’s ‘big questions’, and how it offers values that help us to live happy, worthwhile and fulfilled lives.

Session schedule (All sessions: 7.30pm to 9:30pm)

1. An Overview of Humanism [September 5th 2016]

2. Thinking skills – how to avoid biases and intellectual black holes [September 12th 2016]

3. How to achieve a secular society [September 19th 2016]

4. How to live an ethical life [September 26th 2016]

5. How to be happy – the science and psychology of human flourishing [October 3rd 2016]

6. How to build the good society for everyone [October 10th 2016]

7. The future of Humanism [October 17th 2016]

There will be a small charge for this course to help cover venue hire.

Course Cost 
   · £15 initial deposit (£10 for paid up members of Dorset Humanists).
   - Plus £3 per session attended

All sessions 7.30pm – 9.30pm at The Green House Hotel, Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX.

David Warden will be acting as treasurer for the course to simplify course admin, so please make any cheques payable to ‘David Warden’

Some feedback from previous ‘One Life’ courses:
· “An amazing course – it’s been fantastic!”
· “Just what we need to introduce people to Humanism”
· “As a Christian I felt at ease and accepted by those present.”
· “My mind continues to buzz about many issues arising from the course”

Course Tutor: David Warden BA, MA, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Chair of Dorset Humanists, and Honorary Lifetime Member of the British Humanist Association.

For further information, email David Warden at chairman@dorsethumanists.co.uk or phone 07910 886629, or talk to us at one of our meetings.

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Click here to view details of forthcoming and recent Dorset Humanists events on this website.

The Consciousness Conundrum

Saturday 10^th October 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology Dr Peter Naish

What is consciousness, and how do physical processes in the brain give rise to the sub­jective life of a conscious mind?

Simple animals like the amoeba presumably have no such experience, since they have no brain or nervous system, yet they can react to their surroundings well enough to survive without it. Many of our own cognitive functions such as perceiving objects, making decisions, and even performing apparently voluntary actions can take place without consciousness intervening, but if we can function without conscious awareness, why should consciousness be there at all? Is consciousness just an accidental by-product of having a large brain, or has it been selected for by evolution because creatures with consciousness have improved prospects for survival?

Historically, questions about the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness have primarily been a topic for philosophers, but advances in neuroscience are bringing us closer to a scientific understanding. Peter Naish, a senior lecturer in cognitive psychology at The Open University, will be revealing many of the latest developments in our efforts to unravel the mysteries of consciousness.

“A fascinating exploration of the mysteries of consciousness”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The Happiness Course

September/October 2015. All sessions: 7.30pm to 9.30pm
The Green House Hotel, 4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Happiness is good for you and good for society, but what makes some people happier than others?

Is it possible to attain greater happiness in life and sustain it without dramatically changing our personal circumstances?

Scientific studies by experimental psychologists have revealed that around half of your happiness level is determined by your genetic inheritance and a surprisingly small 10% reflects your life circumstances. While there may be limitations to how much you can alter your circumstances, the great news is that around 40% of your happiness level can be directly affected by simple daily activities and the conscious choices you make.

This enjoyable six-week course will enable you to explore the philosophy, psychology and science of happiness, while learning how to make the changes that will improve your own personal happiness level. We’ll also look at some common causes of unhappiness, and discover how changing your thinking and doing some basic practical activities can help you experience a happier life.

There will be a small charge for this course to help cover venue hire and expenses. All sessions: 7.30pm – 9.30pm at The Green House Hotel, Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX.

Session schedule:

1. Big questions about life; introduction to positive and humanistic psychology: Tuesday September 8^th 2015

2. Foundations for happiness – social and environmental factors:.Monday September 14^th 2015

(No meeting in 3^rd week of September)

3. Supporting your happiness system – physical and neurological factors: Tuesday September 29^th 2015

4. Happiness habits – proven techniques to increase your level of wellbeing: Tuesday October 6^th 2015

5. The science of happiness – looking at further research findings: Monday October 12^th 2015

6. Pulling it all together and living your one life: Tuesday October 20^th 2015

Total Course cost: £24 for non-members, or £18 for members of Dorset Humanists, or £6 for students

(Note: The total course cost is the same regardless of how many sessions you choose to attend. i.e if you are a non-member, a single upfront payment of £24 works out at only £4 per session if you choose to attend all six of them)

Ways to book:
1. See a committee member at a Dorset Humanists meeting and pay with cash or a cheque. Please make cheques payable to 'David Warden'.
2. Email David Warden at chairman@dorsethumanists.co.uk and request our bank details to arrange a BACS payment.
3. Phone David Warden on 07910 886629 for BACS details
4. Contact us via the contact form on our website for our BACS details
5. Contact us in one the above ways and request a mailing address to post a cheque. This address will be David's or Simon’s home address.

Please book early to avoid disappointment due to a limited number of places!

Course leaders: David Warden BA (Hons), MA, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, is Chair of Dorset Humanists. Phil James BSc(Hons), MSc is a Member of the British Psychological Society and currently a PhD researcher at Bournemouth University.

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed by car and on foot via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Click here to view details of forthcoming and recent Dorset Humanists events on this website.

 

The Enigma of Nature and Nurture

Saturday 8^th August 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Emeritus Professor Norman Maclean

Eminent geneticist Norman Maclean will be exploring the dual influences of heredity and the environment on our behaviour, intelligence and personality. The nature or nurture debate is one of the oldest in psychology, and has particular relevance for topics such as crime and punishment; as whether someone has a genetic predisposition to behave in a certain way (nature) or has learned criminal behaviours (nurture) affects how much personal responsibility they should bear for their actions.

The debate also profoundly affects educational theory and practice. Should we encourage our children to study, and invest significant resources in their education, assuming that learning and intelligence is mainly nurture, or is intelligence chiefly inherited so the talented will always do well?

Rare cases of identical twins separated at birth and reared separately have helped move these debates forward, but how close are we to solving these psychological and biological mysteries? Find out in this fascinating talk! 

Norman Maclean is an Emeritus Professor of Genetics at Southampton University. His research interests and writings span genetics, genomics, fish, conservation of wildlife and molecular biology, and he has written and edited many popular books on nature and genetics. His books include: Silent Summer: the state of the wildlife in Britain and Ireland, A Less Green and Pleasant Land: Our Threatened Wildlife and Animals with novel genes.

Join us for a thought-provoking examination of the nature or nurture debate!

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

David Warden to Present ‘The Science of Happiness’ for Sunday Assembly

Sunday 30^th November  11.00am – 12.30pm
The Brunswick Pub**, 199 Malmesbury Park Road, Bournemouth BH8 8PX

We’re pleased to announce that Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden will be the guest speaker for Sunday Assembly Bournemouth’s November Assembly. David will be presenting a condensed version of his very popular talk on ‘The Science of Happiness’ as part of the event’s theme of "How to live a Happier Life”. David has previously spoken on this subject at events for both Dorset Humanists and West Dorset Humanists, and he also incorporated an expanded exploration of the topic into Dorset Humanists’ well-received ‘One Life’ course on Humanism and atheism.

If you have you ever wondered what makes some people happier than others, and whether it Is it possible to attain greater happiness in life and sustain it without dramatically changing our personal circumstances, we expect you’ll be both surprised and inspired by what David reveals in his talk, so put away your copy of ‘the Secret’, turn off the chat show ‘self-help gurus’ and discover the real science of happiness at Sunday Assembly Bournemouth’s next meeting! The group are continuing to collect more food for a local food bank, so, if you plan to attend and are in a position to do so, please take along any long-life dried or tinned food you can spare, and they’ll make sure it gets to families and individuals who need our help.

Sunday Assembly Bournemouth launched in September 2014, becoming one of more than 60 similar groups worldwide in a rapidly growing non-religious community of people united by a desire to improve their lives, support their local communities and celebrate the wonder of life. The format they’ve adopted for their monthly ‘Assemblies’ is to take “all the best bits of church but without the religion”, and what this means in practice is that at each Assembly they explore a positive life-enhancing theme with a mix of inspiring readings, guest presentations and uplifting sing-along pop songs. So far the group has proved popular with local humanists, atheists,and agnostics but it remains to be seen whether they can also achieve their aim of attracting folks of a more religious persuasion too.

For more details on Sunday Assembly Bournemouth and this event, please visit their website here: http://bournemouth.sundayassembly.com/how-to-live-a-happier-life/

**  Please note: A small number of flyers for this event were distributed at a previous Dorset Humanists meeting with the wrong venue printed on them. November’s Sunday Assembly will definitely be at the Brunswick in Charminster, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused

Create Your Own Cult: The Scientology Way

Saturday 8^th November 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

A presentation by Dr Martin Poulter

Scientology has been described in the United States as “ruthless, litigious and lucrative” and in this country as “corrupt, sinister and dangerous”, yet it has gained the approval of many A-list Hollywood celebrities, and accumulated enormous quantities of money. Thanks to the internet, it now faces unprecedented global opposition, but how did it all begin?

Skeptic Martin Poulter has been keeping a close watch on L. Ron Hubbard’s secretive cult since 1995 when he was threatened with legal action over Scientology material he had posted online, and in this presentation he’ll be revealing how it all began, its subsequent development, its recruitment methods, and many of its most disturbing secrets.

Martin will also be providing us with a checklist of useful points to keep in mind if you ever decide to create your own successful and highly lucrative cult!

Join us for an entertaining examination of what may be Sci-Fi author L. Ron Hubbard’s weirdest creation - the cult of Scientology.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Martin Poulter has a Philosophy and Psychology degree from Oxford University and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Bristol. He is a key figure in Bristol Skeptics and his current main interest is in promoting critical and scientific thinking. He also gives talks on cognitive and social psychology.

Another easy way you can help our group grow is by indicating your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and the opportunity to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

An Intelligent Voter’s Guide to Austerity and Economic Beliefs

Wednesday 23rd April 7.30pm The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

A presentation by economist Douglas Lock

If nations are like households then of course they shouldn’t try to solve a debt crisis by piling up more debt. But maybe nations are nothing like households and the very worst thing they can do in a recession is to cut spending.

Why do politicians tenaciously maintain their economic beliefs even in the aftermath of massive, systemic failure?

In this fascinating talk Douglas will trace the history of a set of economic beliefs which have become known as ‘neoliberalism’. These beliefs have held sway in much of the world economy for the last thirty years and show little sign of decline despite increasingly extreme inequality, and having brought the world to the brink of economic collapse in that period. He will also explain how he believes the Coalition Government’s austerity policy is irrational, has cost us billions in lost wealth, and has hit the poor hardest.

Douglas is a retired university economics lecturer and Chair of Christchurch & East Dorset Constituency Labour Party. His key interests are economic affairs, politics and community life.

“Join us for an intriguing examination of austerity policy and its implications, from retired economics lecturer Douglas Lock”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is well lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Sigmund Freud: Are Belief Systems Based on an Illusion?

Wednesday 26^th March 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Sigmund Freud’s writings and therapy are based on views about the human mind that are extraordinarily influential yet challenging and controversial. He was critical of the power and influence of religion, writing extensively about his opposition to religious orthodoxy, and offered psychological explanations for religious belief systems.

In this fully illustrated talk, psychology lecturer and psychotherapist David Croman will cover the key periods of Freud’s life and explain and examine his views on religion, emotions, and sexuality.

“Join us for a fascinating evening as we investigate the controversial life and works of this legendary psychoanalyst”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is well lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Belief Formation and Creating Empowering Beliefs

Wednesday 26^th February 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Featuring management development trainer Harvey Taylor

In this thought-provoking and entertaining presentation, management development trainer, NLP speaker, and hypnotherapist Harvey Taylor will be explaining how we form our beliefs and what effect they have upon us.

Do certain beliefs correlate with health and psychological benefits in some contexts? Is a belief in our oneness with or separateness from the universe simply a neurological artefact of early attachment experience, and how do the placebo and nocebo effects work? Most importantly, how can we use the process of belief formation to enjoy a more positive and productive (and potentially longer) existence on planet Earth?

“Join us for an entertaining evening as we investigate belief formation and empowering beliefs”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is well lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

All Things Weird and Wonderful: Anomalistic Psychology and the Paranormal

Saturday 14^th September 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

A presentation by Anomalistic Psychologist Chris French

Ever since records began, in every known society, a substantial proportion of the population has reported unusual experiences many of which we would today label as “paranormal”. Opinion polls show that the majority of the general public accepts that paranormal phenomena do occur. Such widespread experience of and belief in the paranormal can only mean one of two things: Either the paranormal is real, in which case this should be accepted by the wider scientific community which currently rejects such claims; or else belief in and experience of ostensibly paranormal phenomena can be fully explained in terms of psychological factors.

This presentation by Professor Chris French will provide an introduction to the sub-discipline of anomalistic psychology, which may be defined as the study of extraordinary phenomena of behaviour and experience, in an attempt to provide non-paranormal explanations in terms of known psychological and physical factors. This approach will be illustrated with examples relating to a range of ostensibly paranormal phenomena.

Professor Chris French is the Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as being a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association and a member of the Scientific and Professional Advisory Board of the British False Memory Society. He has published over 100 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. His main area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims, as well as writing for the Guardian and The Skeptic magazine which, for more than a decade, he also edited. His most recent books are Why Statues Weep: The Best of The Skeptic, co-edited with Wendy Grossman (2010, London: The Philosophy Press) and Anomalistic Psychology, co-authored with Nicola Holt, Christine Simmonds-Moore, and David Luke (2012, London: Palgrave). Follow him on Twitter: @chriscfrench

Don’t miss this great opportunity to hear the results of Chris French's continuing research into ‘All Things Weird and Wonderful’!

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Altered States: The Use and Abuses of NLP

Saturday 13^th July 2.00pm  
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

Featuring Management Development Trainer Harvey Taylor

NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) techniques are a favourite of many business trainers and also regularly feature in personal development programmes. Its practitioners claim they can alter our neurological processes and improve the way we think, feel and behave, but skeptics say their claims are exaggerated and lack supporting evidence.

In this highly interactive presentation, NLP speaker, trainer and hypnotherapist Harvey Taylor will share his own views on the reality of the claims made for NLP, and he’ll also demonstrate the techniques, including showing us ‘how to generate states of confidence, happiness and many others’.

Join us for an entertaining afternoon as we attempt to uncover the facts and fiction of NLP

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Free Will?

Thursday 28^th March 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

“An entertaining introduction to the age-old philosophical debate on whether we have free will or whether we live predetermined lives”

Do we have free will, or are our ‘choices’ determined by our environment and past experience?

Author and educator, Jonathan M.S.Pearce offers an entertaining introduction to the debate, and explains how new developments in brain science have influenced philosophers.

We will also consider the impact of free will and determinism on Christianity’s concept of a judgmental God, and the implications for our justice system if we don’t have free will.

Jonathan is a teacher and author from South Hampshire, who has dedicated many years of his life to all manner of things philosophical and theological. He is currently studying for a Masters in Philosophy, and is a founder member of the Tippling Philosophers, a friendly group of disparate believers and non-believers based in Hampshire.

The Nativity: A Critical Examination is his fourth book, and follows Free Will? An investigation into whether we have free will, or whether I was always going to write this book, a popular philosophy, science and theology book that examines the free will vs. determinism debate. He has also written The Little Book of Unholy Questions, which looks to show the incoherence of the idea of an all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful God. As an interlude from writing about philosophy and theology, he has branched out by writing a book of advice for dads of twins; Twins: A Survival Guide for Dads.

He is a founder author for the Skeptic Ink Network (SIN), an online community of skeptic writers, bloggers, academics, thinkers and activists. Check out their blog at http://skepticink.com/tippling/ and their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skeptic-Ink

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is better lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The Science of Happiness

Thursday 29^th November 7.30pm

Wessex Royale Hotel, 32 High Street West, Dorchester DT1 1UP

What makes some people happier than others?

Is it possible to attain greater happiness in life and sustain it without dramatically changing our personal circumstances?

Studies by experimental psychologists show around half of your happiness level is genetically fixed and a surprisingly small 10% reflects your life circumstances. The great news is that 40% of your happiness level can be directly affected by simple daily activities and the conscious choices you make.

In this interactive presentation for West Dorset Humanists, local trainer and Chairman of Dorset Humanists, David Warden explores many of these scientifically tested ideas and techniques.

Join David at West Dorset Humanists for a fascinating introduction to positive psychology.

Everyone welcome!

Free entry (£2 suggested donation)

(Hosted by West Dorset Humanists)

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.