Jeff Kripal is a Professor of Comparative Religion at Rice University. He’s also the author of two absolutely fascinating recent books which touch on aspects of the paranormal, Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred and Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal. If those sound like topics you’d find interesting, then you’ll probably enjoy this TEDx talk that Jeff gave in November 2012 on “impossible things”:
There are complexities and wonderment in life we simply cannot explain. When we look to science and religion, we can’t always find the answers. Have you ever experienced deja-vu, coincidences, or dreams that may have seemed real? Have you ever wondered what exactly qualifies as human consciousness? Reality vs. Abstract? So have we…join us…in a discussion to explore these and more paradoxical ways of thinking.
I strongly recommend picking up Jeff’s books, I found both super interesting and catalysts to deeper thinking on these topics.
