618. Thom Krystofiak

Thom Krystofiak holds a B.A. from Harvard (magna cum laude) and an M.A. from Cambridge University, where he was a Knox Fellow. A trained teacher of Transcendental Meditation, he joined an intentional community in Fairfield, Iowa in 1983, where he and his wife continue to live. There he encountered a cornucopia of spiritual seekers. A rigorous and thoroughgoing skeptic surrounded by ready believers, he has developed unique perspectives on the eternal yet ever-new contest of doubt versus belief.

Website: krystofiak.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded October 2, 2021.

Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.


YouTube Video Chapters:


00:00:00 - Introducing Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:04:49 - Extraordinary Beliefs and Skepticism
00:09:04 - Nurturing Skepticism and Exploring Extraordinary Beliefs
00:13:31 - Dangerous Beliefs and their Implications
00:17:42 - Strange Beliefs and the Link to Spirituality
00:21:57 - The Spectrum of Belief
00:26:25 - Perceiving the Unseen
00:30:36 - The Complementarity of Science and Spirituality
00:35:00 - Spiritual Experiences and Remarkable Coincidences
00:38:57 - Exploring Extraordinary Beliefs
00:43:39 - Encouragement of the Irrational
00:47:56 - The Allure of Hidden Knowledge
00:51:58 - The Manipulation of Beliefs by Powerful Industries
00:56:20 - Bucking science and climate denial
01:00:02 - Einstein's View on God
01:03:53 - The Nature of Consciousness and Embodied State
01:08:30 - Recognizing the Essential Nature
01:13:13 - The Profoundness of Self-Realization
01:17:14 - The Nature of Consciousness
01:21:16 - The Value of Skepticism and Certainty
01:25:32 - Anecdotes of Out-of-Body Experiences during Surgery
01:29:26 - Unexplained Phenomena at Dinner
01:33:12 - The Connection between Fascination with the Paranormal and Social Issues
01:37:26 - The Seductive Power of Claims About Truth
01:41:22 - Peer-Reviewed Science vs. Scientist Claims
01:45:16 - The Importance of Scientific Consensus
01:49:42 - The Consensus of Spiritual Experiences
01:54:04 - The Motivation and Benefits of Spiritual Practices
01:58:03 - The Cognition of Deeper Mechanics of Nature
02:01:48 - Yogic Flying and Levitation
02:05:53 - The Positive Reception of the Book