Breaking Open

Jules Evans is research fellow at the Centre for the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary, University of London. His recent media work include talks or interviews on ecstatic experiences on Radio 3 and Radio 4 (most recently on radio 4's Archive, about stadium rock as an ecstatic experience), as well as an appearance to talk about drug policy on Newsnight. This summer, he has given talks about the place of ecstasy in modern culture at venues including the British Museum, the National Gallery, and Wilderness and Latitude festivals. He has also spoken internationally at many venues and media, including the Month of Philosophy in Amsterdam, NPR radio, ABC Australia, and the South Korean government's global publishing conference. His TedX talk has 150,000 hits. Jules also runs practical philosophy workshops with organizations including Arsenal, Saracens, Deloitte, Escape the City, Sunday Assembly, the School of Life and Her Majesty's Prisons. He has an ongoing involvement in the Stoicism Today research project and is organizing the Stoic Week 2015 conference in November.

Tim Read is a medical doctor, psychiatrist and psychotherapist based in London. He was Consultant Psychiatrist at the Royal London Hospital for 20 years leading the Emergency Liaison service and the Crisis Intervention Service. He has trained in psychoanalytic therapy (IGA) and in transpersonal therapy (GTT). He is a certified facilitator of Holotropic Breathwork and has a special interest in working with expanded states of consciousness. His book 'Walking Shadows: Archetype and Psyche in Crisis and Growth' was published in 2015.