The Embassy of the Free Mind

Visiting Amsterdam’s Attractions, with Lilly Likes

It’s no secret that Amsterdam is home to some weird places. With the Museum Vrolik, the Red Lights Secrets Museum, and a whole boat that exists just to get high on, the city of Amsterdam has buckets full of weird… Not that we are complaining.

Here at Lilly Likes Amsterdam we do exactly that: profess our love of Amsterdam on a weekly basis. For now, we want to turn our attention to the next attraction on our lengthy list… The Embassy of the Free Mind.

We have questions. Mainly, we want to know what it is, what it houses, and why it exists. There’s not much to go by in the title other than that closed minded people might find it tough. As far as we can tell, there aren’t many of them in the city of Amsterdam, but you never know.

What is the Embassy of the Free Mind?

The Embassy of the Free Mind is kind of like a museum, except that it isn’t one. It’s a collection of titbits, of snippets of brilliant thought from all over the world. If you ever wanted to collect up all the brainpower of the likes of Aristotle, Plato, Socrates and Kant, and put it all in one place – this is it.

By all rights, the Embassy of the Free Mind should feel like it is a textbook – but it isn’t. Instead, it is a collection of texts that are centuries old, it is an eclectic mix of some of the best ponderings of humanity. It is EXACTLY where you should be just after smoking a fatty by a canal somewhere.

The Embassy of the Free Mind is inspired by the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica which recently celebrated 60 years of success. This place commits all those treasures of thought into one platform, where you can voice and share opinions, meet others of a like mind, and even attend a lecture or two.

What’s Inside the Embassy of the Free Mind?

There are all sorts of not-really-exhibits inside this not really a museum space. The building is home to an international platform for speaking and sharing. If you are trying to get famous airing opinions on things, it’s a good place to visit as a guest lecture.

On top of a debate centre, it houses a collection of philosophical musings in literature form. Some of the books found in this not-really-a-library include 2,000-year-old pearls of wisdom. They are available for your perusal although they might break out the white gloves and keep it behind a glass cabinet.

They allow for international collaboration on further thoughts and musings of a similar nature, all with the aim of the philosophy of the ages representing the best of humanity’s advancements. They put it all in one place so that the next generations don’t have to scour the world seeking it all out, like we did. It’s like a seed bank of literature and human knowledge. Like… if the internet was physically represented in any given location, it would be here.

The Digital Library and Integrated Study Areas

The Embassy of the Free Mind have managed to amass a digital library of human philosophical knowledge. If there is an ethics question that is throwing you, this is where the answer will be. They provide study spaces within their walls so that you can access this digital library and learn more about your chosen subject. There are no age limits, either. You can learn about Confucius from the time you are able to read if you want to. There are a hundred different resources in this building to help you to do so.

The Museum and Storytelling Area

Contained within the not-really-a-museum is an actual museum, just to further confuse you. After all, where else would you house the books and journals of some of the greatest minds of human history but in an Amsterdam museum?

The museum contains various tales told from different points of view, able to better help you understand the subject matter. It isn’t wholly interactive, but you are able to affect your interpretation of things if you stray out with the guided exhibits.

Cultural Diversity

One of the things that shines through the most in this weird-but-wonderful learning space, is the celebration of our one-ness. All religions, all races, all age groups are united here. Our differences are celebrated, in fact, because they give us unique world experiences that help us piece together a whole version of reality when we share our stories.

In the realms of thought and philosophy, all men, women, and children, are equal. We are all able to reason, therefore we are all equal worth. Each of our life experiences contributes to the greater good, to the better understanding of the human conditions… and it’s fascinating.

The Lecture Space

The Embassy of the Free Mind employs a lecture space that lets individuals share their innovative ideas with the rest of us. The best lectures will be documented, invited to return, and inspire the hundreds of people who will view them digitally.

The lecture space provides an educational platform that anyone can use. Again, even intelligence is no barrier between us. Anyone can get up to the podium and talk. Be aware, however, that not everyone will agree with you.

Why Amsterdam?

Why put the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam? It is one of the most forward-thinking countries out of all of us. During the latter Industrial era, the Dutch cities were renowned for being places of free thought and speech. Even now, we consider Amsterdam to be more advanced in terms of what is appropriate and what is not, within society.

Amsterdam is the perfect place to celebrate free thinking, free speech, and free expression. The more you think about it, the more obvious it becomes.

The Lilly Likes Conclusion

Do we like the Embassy of the Free Mind? We certainly like the idea of it. We need to collectively support establishments that celebrate our differences and reward them. We need to preserve places that document the past in such a way, to avoid repeating the same mistakes over again.

Lilly approves of the embassy of the Free Mind. If you don’t, maybe reconsider Amsterdam as the holiday destination for you…

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