Religious Studies’ Kripal widely recognized as leading Esalen scholar

Spiritual but not religious
Rice’s Kripal widely recognized as leading Esalen scholar

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News staff

Nonfiction academic books often inspire and support research, but Jeff Kripal’s book “Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion” also inspired a feature documentary. Now, just as the book is being rereleased in paperback, another documentary filmmaker has turned to Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor and chair of Religious Studies at Rice University.

“I read his book and had to meet him,” said Charlie Bower, an independent filmmaker and former businessman, who been interviewing authors and thinkers about how businesses can be profitable without destroying the environment. In his film, Bower seeks to answer if the current worldview — bigger, better, now — is really sustainable.

	JEFF KRIPAL

Kripal said religion might seem like a strange fit for the film, but Esalen isn’t just any religion. Esalen is a nonprofit organization that has been devoted to the exploration of human potential since the 1960s.

“It’s the religion of no religion,” Kripal said. “People who might say, ‘I’m spiritual, but not religious.’ Its members embrace science and the modern world but still believe the human spirit has a place. They believe in the human potential.”

The principle behind the human potential movement is that human beings possess immense untapped reserves of consciousness and energy that cultures have repressed but which can be reached and utilized through personal growth. Today, Esalen is a retreat center where people live and work in a communal setting. Residents and guests participate in an incredible variety of alternative education programs in subjects ranging from meditation to massage, yoga, psychology, ecology, spirituality, art and music.

Kripal became a leading scholar on Esalen after befriending the institute’s co-founder, Michael Murphy. They had read each other’s books and developed a mutual respect as scholars and authors.

When it came time to give an up-to-date history of Esalen, Murphy looked to Kripal, who jumped at the chance to immerse himself in the culture and study it in great detail.

“I had access to things that others didn’t,” Kripal said. “On top of that, I knew many of the key players on a personal level. I read their accounts and works that haven’t been published. I think it provided me with a more in-depth picture of Esalen and the people.”

Kripal’s astute telling of those experiences and interactions has propelled the success of his book, which is selling particularly well for an academic title.

“I think people have been intrigued by Esalen because they don’t really understand it, and what they know of it is extremely fascinating,” Kripal said, alluding to Esalen’s storied yet vague involvement in world events such as the Cold War and with organizations like the CIA.

More information on Esalen can be found in Kripal’s book, which can be ordered through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Esalen-America-Religion-No/dp/0226453693.