New Books Network Extraordinary, Mysterious, and Impossible Experiences, with Jeffrey Kriple
May 8, 2026
Jeff Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Rice University, studies mystical, paranormal, and impossible experiences. He discusses spontaneous transformative events, the limits and biases of the humanities, and why scholars should openly study weird phenomena. Conversations cover ontological pluralism, psychedelics, academic censorship, and practical steps to talk, teach, and publish on these topics.
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Impossible Experiences Exceed Existing Frameworks
- Jeff Kripal studies “impossible experiences” like psychedelic states, abductions, channeling, and precognitive dreams as real phenomena that overflow existing frameworks.
- He moved from South Asian studies to American counterculture after encountering firsthand reports that academic models reduced but didn't explain experiencers' meanings.
Naming Is An Ideological Act
- Kripal argues naming is ideological and humanities often conceal their own ideological commitments while exposing others'.
- He urges humanists to recognize their hidden biases instead of pretending pure neutrality.
Stop Hedging Ontological Claims
- Speak directly about ontological claims rather than only describing others' beliefs as social constructions.
- Kripal calls the scholarly hedging that avoids reality-claims a mistake that makes the humanities ignored and defunded.
