September 16, 2024

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

Claudio Ctin3 mins
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

Jeffrey J Kripal is a professor of philosophy and religious thought at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He is the author of 10 books on the history of mysticism, psychology and the paranormal. His latest, How to Think Impossibly, draws on a range of sources including gnosticism, quantum physics and English romantic philosophy, to attempt a new theory of mind and the imagination.

At the root of some of your understanding of imagination, and your argument that current theories of mind leave too much “off the table”, seems to be an experience that happened to you in Kolkata in November 1989. Can you describe what that involved?
I was working on my first book, Kali’s Child, and I was very sick; I had some kind of flu or food poisoning. I went to bed and I woke up, but my body didn’t wake up. And some kind of strange energy came out of the room or more probably came out of my body. I thought that the electrical circuits in the walls had somehow malfunctioned and I was being electrocuted. I had a classic out-of-body experience, and when I eventually got back into my body and woke up it felt like something had been downloaded into me. Massive amounts of information, and I had no context for any of it.

How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief and Everything Else by Jeffrey J Kripal is published by the University of Chicago Press (£28). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply

Continue reading…

Please follow and like us:
fb-share-icon
Tweet
Pin Share

Stiri similare

2 former FDNY chiefs charged with bribery, corruption and false statements

2 former FDNY chiefs charged with bribery, corruption and false statements

Claudio Ctin

Two former New York City Fire Department (FDNY) chiefs are in custody, accused of soliciting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to provide preferential treatment to certain builders and developers. Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco were arrested on bribery, corruption and false statements charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New…

Risc major de inundații în Ungaria și Serbia, din cauza debitului Dunării. Viktor Orban și-a anulat toate deplasările

Risc major de inundații în Ungaria și Serbia, din cauza debitului Dunării. Viktor Orban și-a anulat toate deplasările

Claudio Ctin

În contextul căderilor masive de precipitații, Ungaria se confruntă cu un pericol iminent de inundații. Premierul Viktor Orban a luat măsuri urgente pentru a gestiona criza. Acesta se află deja pe teren cu echipele de intervenție. Dunărea amenință cu inundații majore în Ungaria și Serbia. Viktor Orban și-a anulat toate acțiunile externe Ploile abundente din…

O nouă înșelătorie pe WhatsApp. Acestea sunt mesajele pe care nu trebuie să le deschizi, deși par că vin de la prieteni. Rămâi imediat fără date și bani

O nouă înșelătorie pe WhatsApp. Acestea sunt mesajele pe care nu trebuie să le deschizi, deși par că vin de la prieteni. Rămâi imediat fără date și bani

Claudio Ctin

Escrocii lovesc din nou pe WhatsApp cu un truc nou. Mesajele par să fie de la cunoscuți, dar sunt de fapt capcane care-ți golesc contul și-ți fură datele personale. O nouă înșelătorie pe WhatsApp. Acestea sunt mesajele pe care nu trebuie să le deschizi, deși par că vin de la prieteni. Rămâi imediat fără date…

Horia Ivanovici a descoperit unul dintre cei mai inteligenți jucători din SuperLiga. „Ați văzut ce a făcut?”

Horia Ivanovici a descoperit unul dintre cei mai inteligenți jucători din SuperLiga. „Ați văzut ce a făcut?”

Claudio Ctin

Partida dintre Poli Iași și Universitatea Craiova a fost una cu totul atipică. Meciul s-a jucat în niște condiții total neprielnice. Oltenii au pierdut cu 0-2. Moderatorul emisiunii FANATIK SUPERLIGA, Horia Ivanovici, a ținut să laude inteligența unui jucător din echipa lui Emil Săndoi. Horia Ivanovici, impresionat de un jucător de la Poli Iași La…

World sees muted response to 2nd Trump assassination attempt, some condemn political violence

World sees muted response to 2nd Trump assassination attempt, some condemn political violence

Claudio Ctin

While some world leaders have once again reacted to another assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the response from other nation leaders this time around has been slow to nonexistent just a mere nine weeks following the first attempt on the former president’s life.  Leaders from top U.S. allied nations, like Australia, Canada, Italy,…

Trump assassination attempt suspect laughs, smiles during first court appearance in Florida

Trump assassination attempt suspect laughs, smiles during first court appearance in Florida

Claudio Ctin

The suspect in the second assassination attempt on former President Trump laughed and smiled ahead of his first court appearance in Florida on Monday, FOX News confirmed.  Ryan Wesley Routh, wearing jail scrubs and shackles on his wrists and ankles, walked into court and smiled and laughed about three to four times as he was…

Suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt faces federal gun charges – live

Suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt faces federal gun charges – live

Claudio Ctin

Prosecutors charge suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt with possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a firearm with defaced serial number Calls mount for more Trump security after apparent assassination attempt A law enforcement source has told CNN that they “expect a federal court in South Florida will require ‘a mental health assessment’…

Ex-Bengals star TJ Houshmandzadeh rips refs after team’s close loss: ‘Terrible calls’

Ex-Bengals star TJ Houshmandzadeh rips refs after team’s close loss: ‘Terrible calls’

Claudio Ctin

Officials in the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals came under fire on Sunday over costly penalties and a handful of potential missed calls during the game. The Chiefs won 26-25 as their game-winning drive was extended due to a pass interference penalty. Bengals fans and general NFL observers pointed out…

Maguire hits out at captain Pettersen after lack of Solheim Cup playing time

Maguire hits out at captain Pettersen after lack of Solheim Cup playing time

Claudio Ctin

Europe player says it was a ‘bitter pill to swallow’USA won match by three points to regain trophy The Solheim Cup had not even finished before recriminations around the defeated European team began but Suzann Pettersen, the captain, appears unmoved by any criticism of her leadership. Leona Maguire used the immediate aftermath of a singles…

ESPN’s Jesse Palmer hits Florida fan with ‘friend zone’ roast during broadcast

ESPN’s Jesse Palmer hits Florida fan with ‘friend zone’ roast during broadcast

Claudio Ctin

Florida Gators fans were not having a good time on Saturday as they watched their football team drop to 1-2 on the season with a 13-point loss at home against Texas A&M. ESPN broadcaster Jesse Palmer, who also was a quarterback at Florida, added insult to injury when he roasted a fan who was surrounded…

Cătălin Scărlătescu, mărturii explozive în instanță: ”În septembrie au început presiunile”. Culisele plecării ”chefilor” de la Antena 1

Cătălin Scărlătescu, mărturii explozive în instanță: ”În septembrie au început presiunile”. Culisele plecării ”chefilor” de la Antena 1

Claudio Ctin

Cătălin Scărlătescu, Florin Dumitrescu și Sorin Bontea pot fi văzuți la Pro Tv, în emisiunea ”MasterChef”, după ce ultimii ani i-au petrecut la rivalii de la Antena 1. În 2023, cei trei au denunțat contractul pentru al 13-lea sezon al emisiunii ”Chefi la cuțite”, mișcare ce s-a lăsat cu o groază de procese din partea…

Germania a suspendat oficial Spațiul Schengen. Toate frontierele țării vor fi monitorizate

Germania a suspendat oficial Spațiul Schengen. Toate frontierele țării vor fi monitorizate

Claudio Ctin

Germania a suspendat oficial Spațiul Schengen, luni, urmând ca toate frontierele să fie monitorizate. Măsura se aplică pentru o perioadă de cel puțin șase luni, cu scopul de a lupta împotriva imigrației ilegale, arată AFP. Germania a anunțat că suspendă Spațiul Schengen. Pentru cât timp va fi aplicată măsura Dacă până acum erau efectuate verificări…

Doliu în lumea muzicii. A murit fratele lui Michael Jackson

Doliu în lumea muzicii. A murit fratele lui Michael Jackson

Claudio Ctin

Doliu în lumea muzicii. A murit fratele lui Michael Jackson. Artistul american, Tito Jackson, membru al formației The Jackson 5, a trecut la cele veșnice în cursul zilei de duminică, 15 septembrie 2024. Care a fost cauza decesului. Doliu în industria muzicală internațională. A încetat din viață fratele lui Michael Jackson. Cântărețul avea vârsta de…

Tracey Emin among hundreds opposing changes to Margate ‘brutalist masterpiece’

Tracey Emin among hundreds opposing changes to Margate ‘brutalist masterpiece’

Claudio Ctin

Leaseholders of building in which Emin owns a flat want to replace windows but opponents say it will ruin block’s authenticity The 18-storey Arlington House in Margate has long been considered a brutalist masterpiece. It inspired the English rock band Hawkwind’s song High Rise and recently featured in Sam Mendes’ Bafta-nominated film Empire of Light….

Scans capture sweeping reorganisation of brain in pregnancy

Scans capture sweeping reorganisation of brain in pregnancy

Claudio Ctin

MRIs taken from before conception until two years after birth show some short-lived changes and some lasting years Profound changes that sweep across the human brain during pregnancy have been captured for the first time, after researchers performed precision scans on a woman carrying her child. MRI scans taken every few weeks from before conception…

North London derby defeat raises further doubts about Ange Postecoglou | Jonathan Wilson

North London derby defeat raises further doubts about Ange Postecoglou | Jonathan Wilson

Claudio Ctin

Tottenham have picked up 44 points from their last 32 league games and troubling patterns from last season have carried over to the new campaign Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson here It was, as everybody pointed out, inevitable that the north London derby would be decided by a set-play, Gabriel heading the only…

Witness saw Trump assassination suspect flee bushes, took photo of getaway car

Witness saw Trump assassination suspect flee bushes, took photo of getaway car

Claudio Ctin

Florida authorities said a witness snapped a photo of the suspect accused in the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as he fled out of the bushes on Sunday.  At a press conference held alongside the FBI on Sunday, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said a shots-fired call came in from the…

TIFF 2024: The Last Republican, A Sister’s Tale, From Ground Zero

TIFF 2024: The Last Republican, A Sister’s Tale, From Ground Zero

Claudio Ctin

In the Toronto International Film Festival’s documentary section, stories about fighting for one’s beliefs, dreams, and survival sit side-by-side on the schedule. From near and afar, cameras give the audience an up close and personal view of issues and topics we may only skim across in headlines. The lens puts a face, a name, and…

Probleme pentru Drăguș la Trabzonspor. Ce a pățit românul la ultimul meci

Probleme pentru Drăguș la Trabzonspor. Ce a pățit românul la ultimul meci

Claudio Ctin

Denis Drăguș a semnat în vara acestui an cu turcii de la Trabzonspor. Românul nu trece printr-o perioadă tocmai bună la noua sa echipă. Vârful de 25 de ani a avut probleme la ultimul meci din campionat. Ce a pățit Denis Drăguș la ultimul meci din campionat Cu doar un gol marcat în 9 partide,…

John Leguizamo delivers speech in defense of DEI at Emmys

John Leguizamo delivers speech in defense of DEI at Emmys

Claudio Ctin

Actor John Leguizamo spoke out on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the Emmys on Sunday, saying that he was a proud member of “Hollywood’s DEI hires.”  “That’s right, DEI: the ‘D’ is for diligence, the ‘E’ is for excellence, the ‘I’ is for imagination,” Leguizamo said. “Everyone in this room tonight has dedicated their…

Klaus Iohannis, potențial candidat la Senat pe listele PNL. Liberalii au păreri împărțite

Klaus Iohannis, potențial candidat la Senat pe listele PNL. Liberalii au păreri împărțite

Claudio Ctin

O candidatură a lui Klaus Iohannis la Senat ar fi susținută de tabăra Nicolae Ciucă din PNL, în vreme ce tabăra adversă este de părere că o candidatură a șefului statului din partea liberalilor ar trage în jos scorul partidului la următoarele alegeri. Klaus Iohannis, potențial candidat la Senat pe listele PNL Scenariul este evocat…