Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, PhD, is Dean of Integral Education at the California Institute for Human Science and Program Director of the MA/PhD program in Integral Noetic Sciences which has an optional concentration in Anomalous Studies. He founded the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice. He has also authored or edited eight books, including: Integral Ecology (co-authored with Michael E. Zimmerman), Metatheory for the Twenty-first Century (co-edited with Roy Bhaskar et al), and Dancing with Sophia (co-edited with Michael Schwartz). In 2018 he founded The Institute of Exo Studies which draws on over 50 disciplines to help make sense of anomalous and extraordinary experiences of our multiverse. His website is https://www.exostudies.org.

Sean provides an update on the Super Experiencer research project, a long-term scientific study investigating how anomalous, mystical, psychic, UFO, near-death, and other extraordinary experiences cluster together throughout human lives. Esbjörn-Hargens also examines academic approaches to studying these phenomena, the importance of reducing stigma, and the future of noetic and transpersonal research.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:01 Super experiencers

00:08:00 Categories of experiences

00:17:14 Wiser research

00:23:08 Four major findings

00:31:05 Childhood beginnings

00:38:29 Mental health

00:46:46 Cultural openness

00:54:24 Participation and education

01:04:29 Conclusion

You can download his paper, Our Wild Kosmos! at https://whatsupwithufos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exo_Studies.pdf.

Sean’s MA and PHD Program in Integral Noetic Sciences at the California Institute for Human Science can be found heret: www.cihs.edu

The Super Experiencer initial survey and info: https://www.superexperiencer.org

(Recorded on Saturday, June 13, 2026)

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Published on July 13, 2026