New Books in Psychology Extraordinary, Mysterious, and Impossible Experiences, with Jeffrey Kriple
6 snips
May 8, 2026 
Jeffrey Kripal, Rice University religion scholar who studies mystical and paranormal experiences. He explores what counts as an impossible experience and why scholars hide theirs. They map altered states, argue for ontological pluralism, and call for humanities to speak plainly and take the paranormal seriously.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Impossible Experiences Demand New Scholarly Categories
- Jeffrey Kripal studies “impossible” experiences that defy scholars' existing ontologies, like abductions, channeling, precognition, and psychedelics.
- He argues these experiences overflow conceptual frameworks and require humanists to rethink categories rather than reduce them to sociology or psychology.
Career Pivot From Controversy To Esalen Stories
- Kripal recounts his career shift after controversy over Kali's Child pushed him from South Asian studies into studying California counterculture and paranormal reports.
- He found many firsthand stories at Esalen that mainstream academia couldn't explain.
Reject Hedging And Embrace Ontological Pluralism
- Kripal rejects strict disciplinary hedging that treats mystical reports only as social constructions and calls it intellectual cowardice.
- He favors ontological pluralism: different cultures' categories (e.g., qi, subtle bodies) capture real but varied phenomena.
