"UFO = extraterrestrial is naive" Jeffrey Kripal, special guest tomorrow

Do you think UFOs and other paranormal events might be connected in some way?

Jeffrey Kripal, PhD, is a professor of philosophy and religion at Rice University in Houston, where he co-founded the Archives of the Impossible, a major research hub housing thousands of documents on UFOs, paranormal phenomena, and extraordinary human experiences.

He has written multiple books, contending that UFOs are not isolated physical phenomena—they are deeply linked to paranormal states such as telepathy, precognition, and spiritual revelations, and have implications that materialism cannot account for. For him, understanding will require interdisciplinary and historical depth, as they straddle a space outside conventional objective and subjective reality.

Kripal also suggests that UFO encounters may carry both benevolent and malevolent undertones, employ intentional deception or misdirection. He likens this moral doubleness to religious structures that recognize both redemption and terror from the sacred. But religion can be both helpful and misleading. Sacred narratives of deities descending from the sky, miraculous events, visions mirror UFO phenomena, yet traditional religion can't fully assimilate the radical nature of these experiences.

In tomorrow's session, 19th August, Jeffrey will Bernardo to reflect on UAPs, high strangeness, and what these phenomena might reveal about the nature of reality.

Philosophy professor Jeffrey J Kripal: ‘Thinking about a UFO as some kind of extraterrestrial spaceship is naive’

The academic and author draws on quantum mechanics, English romantic philosophy and mysticism to explore a new theory of mind that embraces the paranormal

The GuardianTim Adams

In his conversation on Essentia Foundation, Jeffrey already reflected on how so much of academia ignores metaphysics, even to the point of being unaware of having a materialist viewpoint. The way people confuse the success of science with an assumption that it proves materialism.

He also points out how some of the most significant individuals in the history of humanities came to their ideas through altered states. Mystical experiences, out of body experiences, near-death... and we make the mistake of thinking people 'thought' their way to these ideas, whereas in fact their own accounts how such ideas were accessed is one of 'revelation.'

Here is a very recent and relevant article on Jeffrey's work:

Inside Rice University’s 2025 UFO Conference

Author Will Clarke goes behind the scenes at Rice University’s 2025 Archives of the Impossible Conference in Houston.

Oxford AmericanWill Clarke

Bernardo recommended we touch on Jacques Vallée's TED  talk. Its not long, so do have a look:

Also, you might enjoy this link to a Reddit AMA with Jacques Vallée:

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/s/O7oAdCZ8ve

As always, your questions and comments below will help shape the discussion.

With thanks!
Amir

Zoom Link

6-8pm UK time / 7-9pm CET / 1-3pm EST