THE HOMESTEAD 1854

611 E. Main Street, Plano, IL

Admission is free | Donations welcome!

Doors open at 6pm with cocktails/mocktails/light dinner menu.

Gathering begins at 7pm with talk, conversation and guided mindfulness. Come meet a friend or make a friend. Event ends at 8:30pm and grounds close at 10pm.

To register for yoga at 5pm or to book a room at The Homestead 1854, please visit https://thehomestead1854.com

The theme: FEAR ITSELF

We like to get a little spooky at our October gatherings. This time, we will investigate the nature of fear and whether it is truly an emotion or more of a reflex.

Also, why are so many people attracted to scary movies when in real life we typically avoid frightening situations? There are a multitude of reasons but recent studies have indicated that fans of horror fared better in the pandemic in terms of preparedness and psychological resilience. Therefore, it could function as a kind of virtual reality tester and mechanism of exposure to worst-case scenarios.

In the final episode of “Dirty John,” the true story of a murderous conman, the daughter Terra credits her survival and ability to fight like hell from having previously binged AMC’s apocalyptic horror series The Walking Dead.

There are many different types of fear but psychologist Karl Albrecht believes that they can be categorized and fit into a hierarchy or “Feararchy.” However, philosophers like Jiddu Krishnmurti asserted that these are still only the branches of one tree of fear and implored seekers to cut it down at the root.

And on an evolutionary level, our instincts associated with fear are predominantly codes for responding to a long-gone world. Most of the ancient imminent death threats like predators, storms and enemies have been replaced by longform health complexities like addiction, obesity and loneliness.

What will it take to download the updates and how could that transform our lives and society?

“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” — Bertrand Russell