Halloween Special: Ghosts, Zombies and Vampires!

The Centre for Inquiry UK, the Skeptic Magazine and Conway Hall present a ghoulish day of ghosts, zombies and vampires.

Halloween is a time for trick and treating, pumpkins, costume parties and apple bobbing. But what of the beings and spirits that make Halloween? Join our speakers as they examine the world of vampires, zombies and ghosts.

Vampires with Deborah Hyde- "The Vampire has fascinated Western Europe from the early 1700s, but the tradition was a real part of Eastern European lives for a considerable time before that. In the last three centuries, the icon has been taken up by art of all kinds - literature, film and graphics - and it has had a lasting effect on fashion and culture. But what is the authentic story behind tales of the predatory, living dead and can we understand a little more about being human by studying these accounts? We will look at recent attempts to understand the folklore and try to work out how an Eastern European ritual made its way to late nineteenth century New England, USA.

The Psychology of Ghosts and Hauntings with Chris French- This talk will consider a number of factors that may lead people to claim that they have experienced a ghost even though they may not in fact have done so. Topics covered will include hoaxes, sincere misinterpretation of natural phenomena, hallucinatory experiences and pareidolia (seeing things that are not there), the fallibility of eyewitness testimony, the possible role of complex electromagnetic fields and infrasound, photographic evidence, EVP, and the role of the media.

Zombies with Frank Swain- Ever wanted to make your own army of un-dead servants? Join author Frank Swain as he reveals 300 years of reanimation and mind control experiments. You learn the tricks, techniques and toxins that everyone from clandestine government scientists to crazed basement obsessives have used in their quest to raise the dead and enslave the living.

Ghosts of London* with Scott Wood- In London you are never more than ten feet from a ghost story*. Ghosts have been an enduring part of London’s history, folklore and media and it seems that nothing of note can take place in the city without planting new ghosts.
(*maybe)

Details can be found at -https://humanism.org.uk/events/?page=CiviCRM&q=civicrm/event/info&id=34&reset=1

ENDS

Notes to editors
Time and date: October 26th, 2013 10:30 AM through 3:30 PM
Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL
Tickets: General £10.00
Members and Students £5.00
Friends of CFI Free
Tickets can be bought here- https://humanism.org.uk/events/?page=CiviCRM&q=civicrm/event/register&id=34&reset=1

For further comment or press passes contact Sara Passmore on 020 7079 3586 or by email at sara@humanism.org.uk.

About the speakers:

Chris French is a Professor of Psychology and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has published over 100 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. In addition to academic activities, he frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims. He is a columnist for The Skeptic magazine (UK version) and served as editor for over a decade. He also writes for the Guardian’s online science pages. Humanists would find much of interest in his recent publication, with W M, Grossman, Why Statues Weep: The Best of The Skeptic (The Philosophy Press). Buy it at Amazon.co.uk through this link and a small commission will go to the BHA.

Deborah Hyde writes articles, lectures internationally, and appears on broadcast media to discuss superstition, religion and belief in the supernatural. She uses a range of approaches and disciplines from history to psychology to investigate the folklore of the malign and to discover why it is so persistent throughout all human communities & eras. She is currently writing a book ‘Unnatural Predators’. She is also a film industry makeup effects production manager who gets on the wrong side of the camera from time to time.

Frank Swain writes and talks about science. His first book, HOW TO MAKE A ZOMBIE, is out now from Oneworld. Frank has a history of making zines, being a filthy scenester, stage-managing burlesque shows, climbing buildings, harrying his betters, arguing the toss and generally being a force for good.

Scott Wood is author of the forthcoming Urban Legends of London: The Corpse on the Tube examines how ghosts and London ghost stories have changed through time, from early modern revenants on Bankside to the Greenwich spooks that disturbed Lady Gaga. What do we talk about when we talk about ghosts?

About the British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.

Speaker(s):	Deborah Hyde | talks | www Professor Chris French | talks | www Frank Swain | talks Author Scott Wood | talks | www
Date and Time:	26 October 2013 at 10:30 am
Duration:	Half Day
Venue:	Conway Hall 25 Red Lion Square London WC1R 4RL http://www.conwayhall.org.uk Show map
Organised by:	British Humanist Association See other talks organised by British Humanist Association...
Tickets:	General £10.00 Members and Students £5.00 Friends of CFI Free
Available from:	https://humanism.org.uk/events/?page=CiviCRM&q=civicrm/event/register&id=34&reset=1

Register to tell a friend about this lecture.

Comments

If you would like to comment about this lecture, please register here.

©2003-2006 Niminim Limited. Created by

Any ad revenue is entirely reinvested into the Lecture List's operating fund