What makes a person different than a rock (and different from every other inanimate object)? Or are we so different after all? Isn't the human body nothing more than a machine which is ultimately comprised of mere molecules and atoms? In what sense, if any, does a person consist of more than his or her physical body? Does a person have a soul? If so, then what do we mean by “soul” and what might the nature of a soul be? In short, what is the phenomena that we call “consciousness?” Moreover, how …

ChicagoVeg Outreach is an extension of ChicagoVeg – Chicagoland Vegetarian, Vegan, & Raw Food Community that brings together people who chose being vegan/vegetarian for variety of reasons (for the sake of the animals, environment, personal health/health of their loved ones). The mission of the ChicagoVeg Outreach is to enable members make a positive difference by educating others that we can all live happy and healthy lives following vegan/vegetarian diet. We know there are numerous benefits of …

Meet other local atheists and freethinkers. Gather to discuss beliefs and philosophies, and make new friends. Discuss contemporary issues regarding hispanics/latinos and the predominance of religion in our culture. Make atheists more visible in our local communities by promoting education, community service, secular religious education and upholding the separation of church and state.

This is a group for anyone who speaks some French and would like to discuss en francais a host of interesting topics from politics, to food, to theatre to philosophy. While we welcome all levels of French, it does help if you have a good basic knowledge of French so that you can participate in conversations.

Group members are taught the essentials of mindfulness and how the process relates to their feelings. The technique teaches them to be aware of what they are feeling in the moment, which allows for a deepening of the way they relate to their thoughts and patterns. Unwanted patterns of relating and behaving discovered during the sessions can then be shifted. Using both avenues of psychology and mindfulness allows patterns to shift more rapidly as cognitive work helps people to understand the issu …

Meet other local atheists, agnostics and secular humanists. Gather to discuss beliefs and philosophies, and make new friends.

Meditation Chicago offers Mantra Meditation classes and kirtan gatherings. Learn a relaxing and enjoyable practice that you can easily apply, which will give you peace of heart and mind, answers to your troubling questions, and spiritual awakening. In keeping with ancient tradition, all of our classes and events are free of charge.

The purpose of this MeetUp is to encourage business interaction among members and to improve networking skills through idea sharing and social interaction. The goal is to build a network of energetic business members who participate actively on a regular basis and who have a genuine interest in helping one another explore business ideas, solve problems and expand networking opportunities for the purpose of professional growth. Strategy is to have fun, meaningful, scheduled, monthly meetings and …

This purpose of this group is to support the philosophy, practices and community of Physical Immortality and to create a space to share conscious blissful energy breathing also known as rebirthing/breathwork.

(It’s not what you think it is!) Relationships that aren’t getting better are getting worse. You’ve tried almost everything out there, but now you have to face the truth: maybe you’re doing it all wrong. This is where the art and science of training your man comes in. If your relationship isn’t as exciting and special as it was when you were dating, you need a way to get it back. My mission is to offer highly effective techniques that will really work, producing tangible results. Learn the four …

Many changes are happening in the Wiccan and Pagan communities these days. Years ago, Covens were the main way to be involved with a few Solitary Practitioners to be found. As the Craft has "come out of the broom closet" more information is available than ever before. What does not seem to be there is the sense of Spiritual Community we had all those years ago. We have many wonderful social outlets these days. They serve a tremendous purpose and it is a blessing they exist. However, as times evo …

You are cordially invited to join us as we sit in silent meditation, practicing simply for the sake of practice. All levels of practitioners are welcome so regardless of whether you're embarking on or continuing your journey inward, we would be honored by your presence.  This is a non-denominational group. Although, I must admit that there is a slight Buddhist flavor to my practice but not in a religious sense, it's more of an individualistic practical philosophy I'd say. Therefore, no matter wh …

This group started in May 2011, and we've read novels by Joyce, Malraux, Kafka, Wright, Mishima, Faulkner, Nabokov, Unamuno, Ellison, Hamsun, Woolf, Biely, Gide, and many others.  We try to have a good time discussing the books without descending to small talk, think critically without descending to pedantry, etc. Also, as the title shows, we've expanded our reading list since the group started.  We don't really want to title the group something as vague as "Chicago Literature Group," etc., and …

Theatre for Thinkers is a nascent meet up group with the goal of gathering folks to experience interesting, original and even bizarre theater and art that informs and offers insights into science and scientific endeavors. Anchored initially by Thom Britton's critically acclaimed show FreakShow and Tell, we hope to ultimately link to his shows and other local performers and artists with entertaining, interesting perspectives on science. We hope to both simply let people know about these events an …

The Nimatullahi Sufi Order is a spiritual discipline dedicated to the selfless service and love of all human beings. The foundation of our spiritual endeavors rests upon the practice of ceaselessly remembering God in thought, word and deed. Our guiding principles are firmly rooted in the tradition of chivalry (futuwwa in Arabic and javanmardi in Persian) in the Middle East, where relations among members of society were based on selfless service and consideration of others first and foremost. Un …

The Goal: A community of people dedicated to consciousness elevation in all aspects of life, individual, communal, social, political, scientific, and beyond. We each have the potential to each a unique level of "Human Optimization".  Attention, communication, intelligence, thoughtfulness, balanced emotion and speech and action, empathetic, beautiful, kind. To achieve this peak potential and manifest it into "life as we know it" including the status quo, we effectively change the whole system in …

We are a group of Students, Alumni and prospective students enrolled in, graduated from and/or is intersted in the Institute of Integrated Nutrition. This is a great way to Network with each other and get together to explore ways that we can help each other succeed in powerfully helping others heal and live their best lives! What is IIN? Teaching the Future of Nutrition Are you ready to transform your mind, body and career with a world-class education that supports you on every level?If it …