Meredith for Real: the curious introvert
Each episode explores a taboo question or cultural blind spot with an expert who is themselves, a paradox -
Like the atheist doctor who studied near death experiences for 50 years (ep 224)
Or the deeply religious man studied by NASA who sees UFOs regularly (ep 261).
The mission is to inspire the kind of curiosity that looks for & celebrates nuance, because we all deserve a more curious future.
So tune in each week (new episodes every Monday) to question things like American individualism (ep 260), trigger warnings (ep 208) & circumcision (ep 178).
Still not sure where to start?
Other listeners loved ep 230 - Can a sexless marriage survive? and ep 237 - Black man who attends KKK rallies: race & friendship
Meredith for Real: the curious introvert
Ep. 308: How to Think Impossibly: Precognition, Poltergeists & Time
Can we take psi seriously while maintaining critical thinking? Jeffrey Kripal, PhD, explores the YES AND of the ordinary & extraordinary. You’ll hear about precognition, poltergeists, Skinwalker Ranch, time travel, demons & X-Men.
Jeffrey Kripal, PhD is the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He is also the author or co-author of thirteen books including, How to Think Impossibly: about souls, ufos, time, belief and everything else.
If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 287: IF ALIENS ARE REAL, WHY DOES NO ONE CARE?
Guest:
Host:
https://www.meredithforreal.com/
https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/
https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal
https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert
Sponsors:
https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/
https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/
00:00 – What sounds crazy now, but won’t later?
02:15 – Meet Dr. Jeffrey Kripal: real-life Professor X
04:10 – What happens when we stop “thinking possibly”?
06:30 – Is impossible thinking actually pro-social?
09:20 – Beyond self: why impossibility matters
11:00 – The John story: a visit from the future
15:05 – Why impossible experiences are deeply emotional
17:15 – Meredith’s own “it’s gonna be okay” voice
19:40 – Breaking time down like a fifth grader
23:00 – Is time a function of the brain?
26:00 – A child’s prank turns prophetic
28:45 – Feeling special but set apart
30:12 – “Think-with” vs. “listen-lite”
32:18 – Stories that want to be told
34:05 – Time as a sales pitch or reality?
36:20 – Einstein, relativity & no universal “now”
39:14 – Are precognitive visions real physics?
42:02 – When religion calls it “the devil”
45:15 – Poltergeists as psychokinesis
48:20 – Skinwalker Ranch — entity or human?
51:05 – Deception vs. evil
53:40 – Closing the loop vs. living in openness
55:12 – X-Men are real?
57:20 – Why we embrace fantasy but reject reality
Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/