Hellenic Society of Metaphysics 2007 Review

This column of  “Metaphysics Review” is written annually since 2003. And it’s widely accepted (taking a look in the previous years’ texts will only convince you) that every year it’s enriched with new elements, elements that make it look a lot more impressive! This column was written for the first time four years ago, on behalf of a small and relatively unknown Internet group of  visionary youngsters, the Gateway Team. Today, it concerns something bigger and wider: the Hellenic Society of Metaphysics! The Gateway Team, the Pytheas Team, The Fantasy Gate Team, the members of the Metaphysics forum, International Gateway, the people of the Metaphysics Place, the university-based K.A.P.A and K.A.P.TH.

2007 was without a doubt, the most successful year for this effort. The truth is that this note tends to become a “cliché” but, it fully mirros the truth! Let’s wander together in the most sweet and beautiful path of memories, in this year’s Metaphysical Review!

The Gateway Team webpage (www.metafysiko.gr)
The “bombardment” of the Metafysiko homepage with new material went on unabated during 2007. The difference compared to the previous years though concerns the quality of the texts, that fully reflects the improvement of their authors’ writing skills! In total we read 12 new studies written by members of the Gateway Team (among those were articles that made an impact in the Press and TV shows), 8 articles by members of our Community (who continue to share their views and thoughts since 2003) , 7 articles written by contributors, 13 news articles, 8 interviews (which gather a broad aspect of topics) and a dozen of book reviews.
The website didn’t face any technical issues (except for a 6-day downtime during the last week of June) and broke the unique-users visiting record which was held since 2004, topping out to an impressive 89.000 unique visits. It’s also worth mentioning that the hits of the Community’s webpages were doubled compared to 2006, reaching a bit more than 1.430.000!
As far as our cooperation with Press is concerned, our classic column (in which our published material is presented every month, something unique for our field) was hosted once again this year in Mystery magazine! Furthermore, besides our collaboration with Ichor Magazine, a free advertisement of our webpage is hosted in Aoton, the new magazine of the field!

Pytheas Team (www.explorers.gr)
If during my last Metaphysical Review, I characterized 2006 as “the year of Pytheas Team”, this year whatever I say will just not be enough! Even more people were added to the companionship of our journeys. In total, 24 “missions” were published, (among those were the Drakospito of Ochi, Drakolimni Ipirou, Europos, Syros, Thassos, Aigina, Istanbul, Spinaloga etc), enriching even more our webpage, explorers.gr. Highlight of the year the visit to Istanbul by 15 of our members during May, as well as the impressive “Pytheas Google Earth” project by Euripidis. In the Metaphysics forum, Pytheas Team obtained its new, separate tab entitled “On Pytheas Trails”., in which two new tabs are hosted: “Organizing Missions” and “Legends and Traditions”. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the webpage’s fame has reached more than adequate levels, while the annual hits have surpassed 37.500 !

Fantasy Gate (www.metafysiko.gr/fantasygate)
During the last days of 2006, we made the following wish for Fantasy Gate: “We hope that the year 2007 will bring to Fantasy Gate what 2006 brought for Pytheas during the first year after its creation”. The results one year later were more than encouraging! People that supported Fantasy Gate during 2007, made it run as smooth as a clock. Over 30 new texts (short stories, articles, book reviews and fantasy art) were published in metafysiko.gr/fantasygate, giving us the chance to set up the first collaborations with webpages of the field. This new team is one of the few corners of literary expression in the internet, hosting quality texts of new and talented authors. In short, the debut of Fantasy Gate was the most impressive start for a webpage, in those 6 years that the Community is active. During the last quarter of 2007, the website had 9.300 hits! 2008 belongs to Fantasy Gate!

Hellenic Society of Metaphysics Forum
In the end of 2005, there were 2.000 registered members in the forum. One year later, the number had climbed up to 3.000. A few days before 2008, a bit more than 4.600 people had decided to take part in the really interesting and quality conversations concerning a variety of and subjects. We are making use of the Internet’s speed and directness. The Forum of Metaphysics is not just a “must” meeting place for those who seek information or wish to take part in the conversations (or just follow their progress without intervening) … It’s a news center , with input of news and data, a webpage that is constantly updating with the latest news of the field (the Greek and the International field of spiritual research). A living and constantly evolving webzine!

Research Communities of Universities
With Giannis Triantafyllis as guest speaker and the organization of the “Penteli Mountain and Unexplained Phenomena” speech in June, the student team of the Aegean University Research Center (K.A.P.A), a 4-year circle has now closed for the Community in the island of Samos. In Myster magazine (issue 36, December 2007), a 4-page interview given by the founding members of the first university-based Research group in Greece was published, in which the readers were given the chance to learn about the history and doings of the team, while also photos and never-published-before stories of the team’s activities were apposed.
K.A.P.TH remained inactive for one more year, although is is a given that it will return someday, more active than ever!

Hellenic Society of Metaphysics Activities
I have to fit this category too in this year’s Metaphysical Review. The existence of non-internet activities only shows the maturity of our Community. Our field of interest has expanded beyond the Internet, something that made everyone in our team really enthusiastic!
Where can I begin from? With the celebration of the 5th birthday for Metafysiko.gr and the activities that went along with it? (Party and Paintball match: Northeners vs Southeners) With the organizing of the first Panhellenic Research Camping in Skotina of Piera during August? With the undertaking of the Communication Sponsorship by us for the Movies Festival of Spiritual Research , organized by Avaton magazine during October? With the founding of the “Metaphysics Place” in Athens, the creation of the team that manages it (using the Forum) and the first succesfull events that it hosted? Or, with the “absorption” of several members of our Community in magazines of the field, confirming our 2005 predictions: that the shape of this effort (a complete Research portal that is a lot more than just a forum) will turn the Community into a “Birthplace” for many Researchers and writers?
I could write a lot more, but today (29/12/2007) I have to get ready because I am in Europos to honour my friend and Gateway colleague Nikos Koumartzis, who is presenting to the people of his birthplace his very own book, that was published in 2007 (the first book written by an active Gateway team member), entitled “Castles and Legends in Greece”!

2008: We get what we deserve!
I am supposed to finish here with a title that will define the upcoming year. I get the feeling that the above title is fully mirroring the emotions that engulf us when we are thinking about these past moments. Like every year, we cannot make any predictions. Of course there are plenty of thoughts in our minds! Either way, at the end of the year facts and events take place that turn out to be a lot more positive than we expected at the beginning of the year.

We wish to every member of our Community , a happy new year, full of health and creativity, action and fantasy!

Translated by: Fox Mulder

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