Hi guys, this is Mike, I just realized that I wouldn’t be able to come to our March discussion because I am going to New York for a week next month. But of course, the Café would still take place, maybe somebody can step up and be a facilitator, I would reserve the conference room myself, please have a good time Socratizing about empiricism!

Here is a recap:

"Mysticism is escapism, it's an escape from reality", says Jan, one of our usuals in the Altadena Socrates Café. He missed the last few gatherings, however, what is not absent, is his skepticism to all seemingly wishy-washy things.

My suspect for many seemingly wishy-washy things is that they haven't been been cross-examined by us, and with the presence of our original Socrates - Bernard, who has left for San Diego in search of a better job, our February Socrates Café begins.

Sunai responds naturally "What do you mean by reality?"

“Jim Jones for example, couldn’t take on life, so he got a bunch of guys together and drank the ‘Kool-Aid’ so he could escape life?”

On the other side of this little conference room, Sunai’s unanswered question is ringing up in Darlene’s head, “You said an escape from reality, what exactly are they escaping from, what, do you mean by reality?”

Jan, “Well, life, they weren’t courageous enough to live life, so they go for these mystical experiences to feel happy, have you ever heard about any mystical experiences that’s not positive?”

Brian, “Sure, they don’t have to be positive to be considered mystical.”

Uriah, “The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines a mystical experience as beyond the five senses, so the paranormal wouldn’t necessarily be considered mystical.”

James, “Would an epiphany be considered a mystical experience then?”

Would it? This springs into questions like “How is emotion indescribable considered mystical.” Or even, “Does there exist experience that’s indescribable?” “Is meditation a mystical experience?” “If it is, is it because they both relate to emotion?” “Are emotions necessarily indescribable?” “Is escapism always bad?” “Do some cults feel that they have mystical experience when they really don’t?” “What is really a mystical experience?”

Darlene thinks out loud that “Different people have their own reality, what is mystical for some might not be mystical for others?”

Sensing the smell of relativism, Brian responds that “I think you are talking about perception, not reality. What is real is necessary for us to communicate, but what you perceive might be different from what others do.”

I ask “If relativism allows for different realities, doesn’t that broaden our perceptions, and shouldn’t we embrace it?”

“Not if they insist on being different without the recognition of the others.” says Brian.

“What if we can come to a consensus, would we not recognize mystical experiences anymore?” “What about Déjà vu, is that a mystical experience?” “What is mysticism?”

We are going all around the spectrum of ideas in this discussion, at the end, we decide to take on empiricism next time.

P.S, check out the Socrates Café website here: http://www.socratesca... , included within is “What is the Socratic Method?”.

Mike Li