The Good Trouble Show with Matt Ford | UAP & Politics

Jeffrey Kripal: Unraveling UFOs, Religion & the Truth | The Good Trouble Show

Aug 21, 2025
Jeffrey Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University, delves into the intriguing intersections of UFOs, spirituality, and morality. He discusses how historical accounts, including those from the Bible, inform modern understandings of alien phenomena. Kripal raises ethical questions about extraterrestrial interactions, urging us to reconsider our biases and societal narratives. He also shares insights into how shocking truths about UFOs could reshape our beliefs and challenge conventional views about reality.
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INSIGHT

Phenomenon Between Gods And Sci‑Fi

  • The UFO/UAP phenomenon sits between ancient sky-gods and modern science-fiction shaped by contemporary culture.
  • Jeffrey Kripal argues it is both material and spiritual and resists single-discipline explanation.
INSIGHT

Disclosure As Religious Uncovering

  • Disclosure parallels the religious idea of apocalypse as an uncovering that upends worldviews.
  • Kripal stresses the sacred can redeem or kill, so encounters can be both ecstatic and dangerous.
ADVICE

Think Impossibly, Not Reductively

  • Avoid reducing UAP to only scientific or only religious categories and practice 'impossible thinking'.
  • Let the phenomenon challenge and expand whatever worldview you hold.
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