CURRENT MISSION

To find my way around the world

ABOUT ME

I like to think, and talk, and wonder, and wander, and come back and do it again differently. For a long time I have been very interested in consciousness and the philosophy of mind. Which has led me into various topics - academic philosophy, tantra, earth mysteries. I also love old maps of railway networks: I have built up a large collection of maps, and published a book on the New York subway map.

PHILOSOPHY

"Strive to survive causing least suffering possible" (Flux of Pink Indians, 1983)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surfing and hosting when I can. Since 2008, I surfed a number of places, mostly in the US. From 2012 to 2014 I hosted many wonderful people, but then I sold my home and have been on the move and not able to host. I hope one day to host again!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Surfed in Rotterdam, New York, and San Francisco. From 2012 to 2014 have hosted people from Taiwan, Korea, Russia, France, Hungary, Spain, and Canada, ... . All great experiences!

Interests

Philosophy is my big fascination. I have been studying it and 'doing it' since I was a teenager. What I mean by doing it is talking and thinking about the conceptual problems that are generally called 'philosophical'. Like .. what is reality? I self-published two books. For a few years I was running weekly philosophy seminars in the North London Buddhist Centre, organised via Meetup.com. Now I have found myself in Canterbury University, I hope to start the philosophy seminars again.

• running
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

"Stalker", "Nostalgia", and "sacrifice" all by Andrei Tarkovsky. ("Stalker" is for me the greatest film ever made.) Films by Luis Bunuel, Rainer-Werner Fassbinder, Wim Wenders, Kieslowski. "The Matrix" trilogy by the Wachowski brothers.

Music: everything by Dead Can Dance; the later albums of Cabaret Voltaire; almost everything by Foetus; Van Morrison is always good to listen to; Peter Hammill is a genius, and his former group Van der Graaf Generator were great; Tangerine Dream is cool; Roy Harper is an all-time favourite for me. When I am working I listen a lot to the music from the MixMag magazine, compilations of techno, acid, and other dance music.

Literature: Franz Kafka, Jorge Luis Borges, Robert Pirsig ('Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' especially), Blaise Cendrars, William Shakespeare.

Philosophy: George Berkeley, Ludwig Wittgenstein, A.J. Ayer.

Art: Mark Rothko, Henry Fuseli, Salvador Dali, Max Ernst.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Metageum 07, a big conference I organised on Neolithic consciousness

Teach, Learn, Share

In 2014, I got a certificate in teaching English as a Second Language, and some experience since then, so I'd be happy to share some tuition in English.

I have taught philosophy of mind in private seminars, and recently some mathematical logic at the university.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, Egypt, France, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, United States, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, United Kingdom