A context for discussing philosophical questions pertaining to the nature and workings of literary fiction, and the fictional arts generally. Examination of concepts of and issues in fiction. Philosophical discussion of relevant essays, shorter fiction, etc. Should be of interest to anyone who likes to converse about fiction. Meetings usually in San Francisco, at a cafe walkable from BART.    

I started to chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the title of Shakyamuni’s last writing known as the Lotus Sutra, 16 years ago in 1996. I also became a member of the lay Buddhist branch based on the philosophy and teaching of Nichiren Daishonin called the Soka Gakki International-USA. I had experienced tremendous unhappiness, hopelessness, miseries, depressive state, no confidence, no esteem, a negative person, insecurities, stress and anxiety up until this point in 1996. At times, I really thought that …

The purpose of this meet-up group is to take a step out of the modern world, our modern stresses and to get out in nature's finest. This will mainly be backpacking, but there will also be hiking, camping, and the occasional happy hours as well as other various random activities we can come up with. This is low pressure discussion based group, meaning the intent is chill and easy going, collaborative and will grow organically. Discussion topics could include anything of interest (from philosophy, …

Poetry, short stories, plays, novels, history, philosophy, science, not necessarily in that order, classics that are worthy of discussion, current and past, western and non-western, these are the works we discuss. The discussion is what is most important. We discuss these works to enlarge our understanding of the ideas that shape our culture and gain a deeper appreciation for what it means to be human.

This is a group for people of different faiths or no faith at all who like to ask questions and enjoy courteous and vigorous discussion about life in a casual setting. Each meeting will take place at a local cafe, last one hour, and feature one question big enough to inspire wonder but practical enough to help us examine our lives. Our goal is to provide questions that help us examine views different from our own with civility and empathy. No background in philosophy is required to join.

… Anyone with even a remote interest in Science, Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Consciousness or other such topics would benefit by joining our group.

Freethinkers are those that have the courage to question commonly held beliefs. Whether you call yourself a believer, non-believer, atheist, agnostic, philosopher, scientist, artist, seeker, or scholar you are welcome to join us. We hold monthly talks on a variety of topics including philosophy, belief, religion, history, science, psychology, literature, culture, the arts, and personal relationships. In addition, we participate in activities together such as hikes, movie nights, lectures, sci …

The Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry is a fraternity including men and women of every race, nationality and religion. Wishing to do away with all cause for division and strife, it continually seeks the means which to help all human beings to unite and work together for the perfection of Humanity. This discussion group meets monthly to discuss subjects important to humanity. From philosophy and religion to science, history and politics, this group ponders any subject which helps us to bett …

A forum for philosophers, lovers of knowledge, critical thinkers, rhetoricians, truth seekers and otherwise who love to discuss, debate and engage in dialogue and discourse. Others don't know what you know - so be patient. You don't know what others know - so be humble.

Poetry, short stories, plays, novels, history, philosophy, science, not necessarily in that order, classics that are worthy of discussion, current and past, western and non-western, these are the works we discuss. The discussion is what is most important. We discuss these works to enlarge our understanding of the ideas that shape our culture and gain a deeper appreciation for what it means to be human.

… If you're in your twenties and grappling with similar issues, or are generally interested in fun conversations about psychology and philosophy, let's grab some beers and talk about the tough questions! There are multiple directions that this group can go: we can read relevant books or articles, meet to discuss particular topics at a high level, etc. If you have any topics or issues you'd like to discuss specifically, let me know :)

Mikkyo Zen Institute is a disciplinary focused educational institute which teaches techniques to resolve one’s life issues. Programs are based on Mikkyo Philosophy, a philosophy which was established thousands of years ago. Presently, we are the only institute in the US that emphasizes a non-religious approach. With a hands on approach and through his spiritual uniqueness, Master Eimei Kawakami,  has been practicing and facilitating for over 47 years the techniques in the resolution of one’s lif …

… The second philosophy is "create caring relationships with others." "To get the most out of any networking experience, people need to build a relationship with those who they trust and want to stay in contact with. Not everyone will send you referrals, but if you place value on the friendship, you can still get something out of group. If interested people join the group and practice these two philosophies, then they have established sincere value in the relationships formed, even if they do not …

… While I don't agree with everything Chris Langan's CTMU paper says, there are some basic concepts of philosophy  that we agree on and most people do not agree with. The "global telepathy network" will be an implementation of "telic feedback" powered by the patterns of electricity in our brains interacting with metaphysical things in a quantum/multiverse way, viewing the universe as a set of possible states it could be in and doing wave-interference between such states of the universe. Read Chris …

… We can explore religion, philosophy, psychology, God, love, peace, joy, happiness, humility, wisdom, and whatever else comes to mind. Also, when a true spiritual Master organizes a satsang or meditation in the Bay Area, we will do our best to announce it to our members. Each person is drawn to different energies, personalities, teachers, and practices, so we will do our best to present a wide variety of events.  You are welcome to join this group if you: --want to make spiritual friends --know t …

This group is a safe venue for parents and children who embrace a Unitarian Universalist philosophy to connect. The group was formed by parents in the First Unitarian Church of San Jose (http://sanjoseuu.org) who wanted an easy way to get to know like-minded parents. The philosophy of the church, and the Unitarians of this group, is love. Parents belonging to this group have many different lifestyles and beliefs, but we are united in our commitment to acceptance of each other and our children. Y …