British Mensa: Dark Thoughts: A Mind Without Illusion

Many people assume that questioning ideas such as purpose, fairness, or control reflects pessimism or emotional fragility. In practice these thoughts often arise in ordinary moments: waiting for a bus, watching a kettle cool, or noticing something mundane that suddenly feels oddly exposed.

Following Bob Hurling's Talking Point article "A mind without illusion" (May/June 2026 IQ, pp 44-45), Hurling will explore what he calls 'Dark Thoughts'. These reflections appear when the mind's usual interpretive layers fall away and familiar explanations begin to feel less secure.

What if some of the things we feel most certain about the mind are not quite what they seem? Psychological research shows how easily we detect patterns that are not really there, how strongly beliefs defend coherence when predictions fail, and how the sense of intention and decision making may be less straightforward than it appears.

Rather than presenting a bleak picture, the talk suggests that life does not lose its value when some of the stories we rely on are questioned. Experience itself remains intact: relationships, curiosity, pleasures, frustrations, and the ordinary moments that make up daily life.

The Speaker:
Bob Hurling is a consumer psychologist who has spent more than 35 years working in consumer insight and behavioural research, studying how people think, feel, and make decisions in everyday situations.

He has published more than 40 academic papers and has held visiting professor roles at several universities. Alongside his professional work he writes books exploring the intersection of psychology, neuroscience and everyday experience.

His book, Dark Thoughts: A Mind Without Illusion, examines how the mind constructs explanations about intention, meaning and control, and what happens when those explanations are questioned.

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The talk is free for members to attend. The Zoom link will be sent to all registrants week commencing 1 June.

Register here to join us!

For more information, contact Danielle Spittle at danielle@mensa.org.uk.