The Independent Mind Digest: May 2025

Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart...... recognizing abundance rather than scarcity undermines an economy that thrives by creating unmet desires. Gratitude cultivates an ethic of fullness, but the economy needs emptiness.

Robin Wall Kimmerer, from "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants".

Welcome to May's edition

• Free: Coffee in an Online Thinking Environment: Join us for a good think!
• Great Thinkers: N.Katherine Hayles: A New Theory of Mind - From Bacteria to AI
• New Supervision Group for Coaches & Facilitators: Starts 16 September 2025
• Making Meaning from Metacrisis: an invitation to talk

Free: Coffee in an Online Thinking Environment

Every other month I offer an opportunity to start your working week by thinking with others as we journey through life.

Here we practice and develop our skills in creating Thinking Environments and in thinking for ourselves - at a time when we need higher quality thinking than ever before.

At our gathering on May 19th we explored this question, "In an era of being overloaded with information where some of it is useful, some of it is not, some of it is true, some is misinformation & lies - what is the role of assumptions, both true and untrue?"  and came up with some excellent insights.

At the end each of us resolved to stay interested and open, to question our own and others' assumptions, to actively seek different views (and get out of our own echo chamber) and to be discerning in what we choose to share. We had this wonderful discussion with ease and without interrrupting each other, both giving and receiving the kind of attention that generates and not extinguishes ideas. So refreshing!

Does this sound like the kind of conversation you'd enjoy? You can come to one or more sessions and meet both new or familiar faces each time. Some have been coming along for 5 years, others are completely new to it. All you need is to have some understanding of the Thinking Environment, a desire to develop your capacity to listen and think, and a private space. There is no charge.

When? From 09.30am to 10.45am GMT, every other month on a Monday. See the link below for dates during 2025 and 2026



Great Thinkers

(Nancy) Katherine Hayles

N. Katherine Hayles is an American literary critic who has made significant contributions to the exploration of the relations between science, literature, and technology.

I came across Katherine's fascinating work when listening to "A New Theory of Mind, from 'Bacteria to AI', an episode of Jesse Damiani's Urgent Futures podcast, which starts with the startling statement:

"The number of non human cells in our body is about ten times greater than the human cells. And we absolutely depend on those symbiotic relationships with bacteria for example or even with viruses. So we're all collectivities of organisms as much as we are individuals."

In her 2017 book "Unthought: the Power of the Cognitive Nonconscious" she argued that conscious cognition is only a small part of human cognition, and that nonconscious cognition (as opposed to unconscious, which is repressed) is all those parts of cognition we don't have to think about - how we sit in a chair, how we bring a fork to our mouth. 

Her latest work "From Bacteria to AI: Human Futures with our Nonhuman Symbionts" explores what she calls the "integrated cognitive framework" which asserts that all life forms have some cognitive capabilities - even the simplest. She invites us to rethink cognition including human and non-conscious cognition, from bacteria to AI, plants and animals, with each species having its own world of which it is aware. And of course some of those species are actually contained in our bodies...

Like many people, I can see the potential for both good and for harm in the increasing use of AI. There are some fields like healthcare and education where it's already giving significant value, yet there are other factors like exploitation of people, lands and natural resources, abuse of power, and the dulling of our independent thinking, that cause me concern. So one of my projects this year is to become better informed about AI. I'd love to hear from you if you're doing the same.

Click on the video thumbnail below to watch or listen to Katherine and Jesse's conversation



Looking for a new Supervision Group?

Working as a coach, facilitator or development practitioner can be hugely rewarding yet also lonely at times, especially if we’re an independent or not working in a close-knit team.

We need people and time to talk to about how it’s going – to reflect, celebrate, generate, think about ethical issues, learn from each other and from mistakes, and to grow and develop professionally.

This is where supervision comes in, and my new group is starting in September, a closed, confidential group for six people.

My groups are for those who are interested in how what's happening in the world impacts us and our clients, to thinking deeply about complex systems, and who are ready to take their presence and practices to new levels. Does this sound like you?

When? Starts 16th September 2025, 17.00-19.30pm, GMT then on the 3rd Tuesdays of the month for six months or more.



Making Meaning from Metacrisis

I've been studying the "metacrisis" for some time now, which can be seen as a deep underlying crisis that gives rise to many crises (polycrisis) and the collapse of systems. It points to fundamental flaws rooted in how we feel, think, organize and interact with the rest of life on Earth.

And we are all seeing and feeling it, to some extent or another, aren't we?

Whilst thinking and talking about this can be challenging, even deeply uncomfortable, and no one should be forced to, I have noticed that when people do they express relief, and are grateful for the opportunity to think about how we might respond in kinder and wiser ways than if we ignore it. They know it's time for a new path, but aren't sure what that really means.

Recently Liz Hall (editor of Coaching at Work, and Mindfulness coach and teacher) and I ran a free session on this in relation to coaching for the Climate Coaching Alliance's festival and were encouraged by the positive responses.

As Mark McCordie, CEO of the Compassionate Leader said, "Thank you Linda for such a powerful session. So well informed and held. Your depth of research and understanding of the subject was clear for all to see, and it's not an easy awareness to help others turn toward. The compassionate holding was palpable, transformational and so very much appreciated. Grateful for who you are and how you show up Linda and Liz - such a powerful collaboration/combination." 

Our work on this is ongoing; we're currently creating a short course to give people more depth and time to make sense, consider what this means for them, and to find ways to make a positive contribution.



If you would like to explore how I could help you, your team or your organisation, with this or any other subject, through coaching, facilitation, keynote speaking, short talks, workshops, listening circles, Time to Think courses, conversation groups or anything else, please get in touch.

I publish 4-6 Digests a year, each one dedicated to sharing free resources and insights alongside select paid offerings.

I hope you find them useful for yourself or to share, but if you don't, please unsubscribe below.

NB We've recently merged our subscription lists from various sources - if you previously unsubscribed and have been added back in error, please unsubscribe and accept my apologies.

Or to follow me on social media: