Jeffrey J. Kripal – Biography
Jeffrey John Kripal (born 1962) is an American scholar of religion, author, and educator best known for his pioneering work on mysticism, consciousness, and the intersections of the sacred and the paranormal. He currently serves as the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University, where he also chairs the Department of Religion and co-directs the Center for Theory and Research at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.

Early Life and Education
Jeffrey Kripal earned his B.A. from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His doctoral dissertation focused on the 20th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, which later became the basis for his influential and controversial book Kali’s Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna (1995).

Academic Career and Themes
Kripal’s scholarship explores the boundaries between religion, sexuality, the paranormal, and consciousness studies. His work challenges conventional academic frameworks, proposing that the study of religion must include anomalous and extraordinary human experiences often dismissed by mainstream science.

He has written extensively on comparative mysticism, eroticism in religion, and the paranormal as a legitimate site of inquiry into consciousness and human potential. His approach often bridges humanities and parapsychology, advocating for an expanded model of human understanding.

Major Works
Some of his key publications include:
Kali’s Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna (1995)

Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion (2007)

Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred (2010)

Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal (2011)

The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge (2019)

The Superhumanities: Historical Precedents, Moral Objections, New Realities (2022)

Influence and Legacy
Kripal’s work has been influential in reshaping how contemporary scholars approach mystical and paranormal phenomena. His interdisciplinary outlook connects religious studies, literature, science fiction, and consciousness research. He is also known for collaborating with scientists, philosophers, and experiencers to explore new paradigms of mind and matter.

Current Roles
Professor of Philosophy and Religious Thought, Rice University

Co-director, Esalen Center for Theory and Research

Editor, Superhumanities book series (University of Chicago Press)
Kripal continues to advocate for a “new humanism” that integrates science, spirituality, and the mystery of consciousness — an approach that bridges the gap between reason and wonder.