More than 90 University students and faculty gathered to hear tales and explanations of the paranormal world from Jeffrey Kripal, Rice University professor of religion.
Kripal’s lecture, titled “What We Did Not Read: William James and the Physical Research Tradition,” began by focusing on how one should think about religion in the context of paranormal activities.
Kripal said the study of religion is usually practiced in the humanities, which he described as “the study of consciousness coded in enormous.”
According to Kripal, Aldous Huxley, the 20th century English writer known for his novel “Brave New World,” believed the brain filters reality in order to allow people to function normally. Under this presumption, one would be unable to live their daily lives if bombarded by the surrounding activity.
When a student questioned how paranormal activities can be scientifically analyzed, Kripal said there is no way for parapsychologists to test and experiment on the aspects of paranormal experiences.
“Science proceeds by excluding things,” he said. “Some scientists will try to say it doesn’t exist because we can’t study it in a laboratory. I just don’t think these things can be squeezed into a scientific