A Lifetime of Light

Tatiana Ginzburg and the Russian House #1 team warmly congratulate Stanley Krippner on his award. Having been a leading center for living transpersonal psychology, Russian House is proud to have been a place where Stanley visited and shared his knowledge and wisdom.

We are also delighted to have produced a series of videos documenting Stanley’s interactions with Soviet and Russian psychics and shamans, and we appreciate how his warmth helped us foster a friendly atmosphere for research in transpersonal psychology.

We also had Stanley help with organizing events on Meaning for the leading Russian psychologist, Dmitri Leontev.

Thank you for your impact on our place and transpersonal psychology!

Долгие лета, Стенли (Dolgie leta! Stanley!)

"Honoring Stanley Krippner

A Lifetime of Light"

Dear Stan,

As great and well-deserved honors are bestowed upon you, my thoughts flow back to the many years your presence has graced and empowered my life.

I could never have imagined, all those years ago (1968), that I—a mere pre-med student at Notre Dame cloistered at a small girls' college on an island—would attend the Orpheus Lecture Series at Fordham University and find myself in the presence of a mentor who would shape my entire life. Your lecture that night on Robert Masters and Jean Houston’s Psychedelic Art remains vividly embedded in my mind. How perfectly appropriate that I, a lifelong bibliophile, should meet my dream mentor through a lecture on a book about consciousness.

From that very night, our trajectories locked into alignment. While I worked on my traditional pre-med studies, you tirelessly guided my independent research in parapsychology. You became my external mentor, opening the wider world to me and orchestrating meetings with J.B. Rhine and other luminaries of the field.

A brief pause occurred as I busily engaged in earning my first doctorate at NYU, followed by the beautiful chaos of marriage and children. Then, the Universe staged a magnificent Tavafuk. You came East to give a dream workshop at Omega, and among that vast crowd, it was my dream that you pulled from the pile. To my astonishment, you paused your lecture mid-sentence when you recognized me—now married, now a mother who had tragically lost her firstborn. You immediately orchestrated a lunch where you, my beloved Iggy, and I sat reminiscing. You pointed me toward Saybrook and the transpersonal psychology doctoral program. By the following week, I was enrolled, and you, alongside Eugene Taylor, guided me toward my second doctorate—effectively bridging my internal, mystical experiences with the rigorous insights of the scientific world.

Through the decades, you remained an unshakeable constant via our emails and calls. Whenever tragedy struck like a tolling bell, you were always there. You held me up when the dark waters gathered. I remember so clearly the profound dreams that came immediately following Iggy's passing; you carefully listened and provided comforting, immediate shelter.

You were never too busy. There is a cliché that if you want an important job done, you must give it to a busy person. You are the living embodiment of that truth. At Saybrook, you juggled lectures, prolific article writing, and global journeys, yet you still read our master papers literally overnight. My thesis chapters often reached you on the road, only to be returned promptly with brilliant, salient advice. And you are still there for me today—reading my manuscripts, commenting on the Dream Portal, and offering your wisdom.

When I look at the shimmering light points of my destiny, I see two distinct, glowing nodes. The first was in my freshman high school science class, when Sister Mary Roche casually remarked that someday, someone might find "the root of memory." That single comment instantly changed my trajectory from music and art to science. I marched out of that classroom a determined fourteen-year-old, telling the nun that I now knew my life's purpose: I would discover the root of memory.

The second shining node came when I sat in that Fordham lecture hall and watched you step into the light. Through you, my search to understand my own psychic experiences and the root of memory transformed. It was no longer a cold search for anatomical biochemistry, but a quest for the true psychological, philosophical, and soulful nature of memory. That night, I found the true Hermes of my search.

Decades ago, I had my memorial stone carved. On it rests my name and a single word: Dreamer. I can say with absolute certainty that I have had the greatest mentor the Dream World could ever provide. You have guided, supported, and accompanied me all the way.

You have laid the brilliant breadcrumbs that lead directly to the sanctuary of Memory, sourced far beyond the Dream Portal. You provide the deep trust that allows us—unlike Orpheus—to move boldly forward like the Fool in the Tarot, knowing without needing to fully comprehend that there is infinitely more to life than the physical vellum.

You have been the grand guide for the many, and the saving grace for this one. Congratulations on your magnificent, well-deserved lifetime achievement award.

With deepest gratitude, and with all my love always,

Janet

I met Stan in Brasilia, Brazil in 1987 at the 1st International Holistic Congress. He had requested a translator from São Paulo who canceled due to health issues. Roberto Crema, General Coordinator of the event, asked me to translate for Stan. I was very concerned, and, for sure, Stan felt my apprehension, looked at me very kindly, and I felt that his words were easily flowing through me. There were workshops with the keynote speakers, and Stan was invited to be with them for lunch, which he declined. Instead, he asked me to translate a participant’s dream. Right away, I felt how generous and giving he is. He is also very humble, curious, and open to learning. To me, he is a great friend, colleague, and a precious mentor. He is so hard-working, committed to his writings, classes, workshops, etc., but he is also very open to having a good time with friends and experiencing what other cultures have to offer.

Stan is beyond his time regarding taboos and preconceptions. He has his preferences and opinions, and a deep capacity to respect people who think or do things differently. This is a fundamental tool that may inspire us to build a culture of peace. Stan’s contribution to the City of Peace Foundation (UNIPAZ) in Brasilia since its creation has been deep and broad, transpiring his knowledge in the areas of dreams, shamanism, and transpersonal psychology, deftly cultivating and sowing the seeds of friendship and peace around the world.

Stanley Krippner is one of the kindest human beings I have ever met. From the moment I first met him in 2001 at an IASD (International Association for the Study of Dreams) conference in Washington, D.C., he welcomed me with warmth and genuine kindness. That first meeting marked the beginning of a friendship and mentorship that has profoundly influenced both my personal life and my professional work.

What has always impressed me most about Stanley is not only his extraordinary knowledge, but also his complete acceptance of others without judgment. He has inspired me to become more open-minded, more compassionate, and more willing to embrace different perspectives. His example has shaped the way I relate to people and the way I approach my own work.

Stanley's scholarship has been a tremendous influence on my research and writing about dreams. His pioneering work at Maimonides Hospital in New York helped validate the serious study of transpersonal experiences, paranormal dreams, and mythology. His contributions gave legitimacy to areas of inquiry that many once dismissed, encouraging generations of researchers to explore these subjects with both rigor and curiosity.

I have been fortunate to call Stanley both a mentor and a dear friend. Over the years we have shared countless conversations about our mutual interests, and I had the privilege of co-authoring with him the Spanish-language book El Lenguaje de la Noche (The Language of the Night), published by RIL Editores in Santiago, Chile, in 2006.

Stanley's influence has also extended to my students. Through his example, they have learned that true scholarship is driven not only by intellectual curiosity, but also by generosity. His passion for learning and his willingness to share his vast knowledge freely have inspired many others to pursue their own paths with enthusiasm and humility.

One of my favorite memories took place when Stanley visited Chile for the presentation of our book. My dream group and I invited him to dinner at the home of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. During the meal, Stanley tried a traditional fish dish he had never tasted before. He enjoyed it so much that he took the leftovers home with us, and we kept them in the refrigerator so he could enjoy them again for breakfast the next morning. It is a simple memory, but one that perfectly captures his warmth, curiosity, and appreciation for life's experiences.

In my view, Stanley Krippner will be remembered as one of history's great humanistic psychologists—a distinguished researcher, an exceptional scholar, a prolific writer, and an unwavering advocate for the exploration of human consciousness. Above all, however, he will be remembered as an extraordinary human being. If someone were to ask me fifty years from now what Stanley has meant to my life, my answer would be simple: gratitude. Gratitude for the privilege of knowing you, Stan.

God bless you.- Rosa

I am honored to say a few words about such a distinguished scholar, educator, and pioneer in the field of transpersonal psychology. A revered elder in our field, Dr. Stanley Krippner is also a true role model and exemplar of generosity of spirit. When asked to read my book on the afterlife, health, and spirituality, he took the time not only to endorse the manuscript but also to write a most thoughtful, supportive, and complimentary review that he published in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. As a longtime editorial board member, his sharp assessment and keen observations lifted the entire project, demonstrating the open-hearted scholarship we should all aspire to practice.

Dr. Stanley Krippner’s influence is immeasurable. Through his pioneering vision and courageous exploration of consciousness, he opened doors for generations of scholars to investigate the deeper dimensions of human experience. With robust inquiry and spiritual depth, he has left an inspiring legacy for those pursuing a holistic understanding of the human spirit. For the extraordinary light he has shone for numerous (over 6!) decades, no one is more deserving of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations and thank you, Professor Krippner, for your towering mind, generous heart, and luminous spirit.

Stan was the first person I met when I arrived at Greenwood Lodge in 1977 to begin my doctoral studies at what was then the Humanistic Psychology Institute (HPI).

After graduating in 1981 from HPI, Saybrook’s predecessor, and joining the faculty in 1993, I served as the Adjunct Representative, reporting our concerns and suggestions to the salaried faculty. Assuming that open communication was desired, I emailed those folks, asking what they expected of us adjuncts. Stan was the only one who replied.

Years later, I collaborated with Stan on an edited volume, Understanding Suicide’s Allure (2021). By that time, I had been an editor and teacher of academic writing for many years. My attitude toward someone editing my work was, "I don’t need no stinkin’ editor!" But in the ongoing exchange of files, I found that he had made some excellent improvements to my sections. Thank you, dear Stan!

I first met Stanley Krippner at the Association for Humanistic Psychology conferences in Georgia in the early 1970s when I was a young graduate student. He immediately inspired me with his eruditeness in both conventional and nonconventional areas of psychology. Stan seemed like a wise uncle to me—someone on whom I could always rely.

From the beginning, he modeled a way to be in the world that I wanted to emulate, both professionally and personally, as someone whose values and thinking tend to align with mine. He has an amazing overview of so many areas, and the way he integrates them so seamlessly is truly impressive. The breadth and depth of his knowledge is astounding—not just academically, but in knowing the backstory and personally knowing many of the individuals who actually lived that history.

Stan exemplifies academic integrity. He has always been willing to investigate unusual phenomena, but never without intellectual rigor. I think he is a relatively unsung hero who has held together so many strands of the transpersonal field. He is an extraordinary scholar who has written prolifically across diverse transpersonal and related areas, while also knowing many of the juiciest backstories. Just as Stan knows so many of the stories behind other people's accomplishments, he is also central to many of the most important stories of the humanistic and transpersonal movements themselves.

One example stands out. At an APA convention, I casually mentioned to Stan that I wanted to promote a dialogue between positive psychology and humanistic psychology. About a half-hour later, he came back to tell me that he had already explored the idea with Marty Seligman, the major power broker within positive psychology, and assured me it would happen — and it did!

Years later, I became Academic Dean at Saybrook and, ironically, Stan's supervisor. On my very first day, Stan came storming out of his office, visibly angry. Others rolled their eyes and said, "It's just Stan." But when I asked what was wrong, he explained that the school was treating a student unfairly and that it was unacceptable. I investigated and discovered that Stan was absolutely right. As Dean, I corrected the problem when no one else would. That experience gave me enormous respect for Stan's willingness to use anger appropriately rather than simply accept injustice.

Working with Stan in other capacities deepened that respect. We co-edited a number of books together, and he brought a clear vision and steady guidance as senior editor. During faculty evaluations at Saybrook, I noticed that Stan was supervising as many doctoral students as the entire rest of the faculty in his department combined, while also receiving the highest evaluations from those students. I found myself wondering how one person could be so responsive to so many. Yet every student praised the individual attention and genuine care that Stan gave them.

As I pursue my own scholarship, I often remember something my beloved late wife used to tell me: "No matter how hard you try, you'll never catch up to Stan!"

Stan will be remembered as someone who was present at the beginning of the humanistic and transpersonal movements, remained actively engaged throughout its development, and made an extraordinary number of lasting contributions. He has always been a stalwart guide and inspiration to me. I consider him one of the very few people whose advice is always sound.

Stanley, it is a joy to add my voice to this celebration of your ATP Lifetime Achievement Award! You were co-author of my first book, Personal Mythology, co-conspirator at our magical Esalen workshops, and even more importantly, you were a mentor whose generosity, curiosity, and encouragement helped shape the path I would follow.

Your mind has always had the rare gift of being both rigorously scholarly and delightfully untamed—a combination that gave the rest of us permission to think more boldly. And since you also served as the de facto therapist for the Grateful Dead, with backstage passes appearing whenever they were in town, you initiated me into unforgettable lessons in altered states that required neither sacred maps nor informed consent forms.

I have often felt grateful that my early work had the benefit of your wisdom, your kindness, and your remarkably wide-angle vision of what it means to be human. Congratulations on this honor that so perfectly reflects a lifetime that has inspired so many toward the farther reaches of their nature!

Dr. Stanley Krippner has been a mentor and inspiration throughout the past twenty-five years. His guidance during my dissertation and our collaboration on his Vision Statement for Humanity project allowed me to experience firsthand his wisdom and vision. Through his lifelong exploration of consciousness, dreams, and Indigenous wisdom, Stanley taught me to approach the study of the human mind with intellectual rigor, openness, and respect for diverse ways of knowing. What has always distinguished him is that he never treated scientific rigor and profound human experience as opposites. Instead, he demonstrated that disciplined scholarship and openness to dreams, intuition, and exceptional human experiences can enrich one another.

Beyond my own experience, Dr. Krippner expanded the boundaries of psychology by building bridges among contemporary science, Indigenous knowledge, consciousness studies, and personal mythology as a path to human growth and meaning. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of scholars and practitioners to pursue knowledge with curiosity, humility, and the courage to explore questions beyond conventional boundaries without sacrificing scientific rigor.

Please convey to dearest Stan that he is the best lifelong researcher in TP, bar none...

always kind to everyone....

Long live Dr. Krippner and long may he uplift us all.

I lived in the Republic of Panama for 14 years. In 1981, I was invited to attend a seminar about the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands. The presenter was Dr. Stanley Krippner.

After the seminar, the person who had invited Dr. Krippner asked if I would show him around Panama City. That simple introduction marked the beginning of a friendship that would span decades.

In 1985, when I returned to live in the United States, I looked Stan up. He invited me to join the Dream Group he was leading. Soon I was picking him up at the BART station, taking him to the Dream Group, and driving him home afterward while he was living in San Anselmo.

Stan and I quickly became close friends, and I served as his assistant for nearly 18 years. During that time, we shared many memorable experiences, including trips to Esalen Institute in Big Sur and traveling together to Ohio, where Stan presented a seminar on transgenerational PTSD.

Working alongside Stan was one of the great privileges of my life. His curiosity, generosity, and remarkable intellect influenced me deeply, and our friendship remains one of the most meaningful relationships I have ever had.

When I look back over the 85 years and scan for "the most significant people in my life", you were on a very, very short list.

I remember like it was yesterday walking into a tent on my first day as a Counselor at Camp Richmond in June 1956. Standing in front of me was this tall, interesting-looking guy with a pith helmet, a braided lanyard, shorts, and sandals. He stuck out his hand in a friendly way, smiled, and said, "Hi, I'm Stan Krippner".

That began what has unfolded over the years as an amazing, life-enhancing personal and professional friendship. You were the first person I trusted and listened to very carefully who convinced me that perhaps I was a valid human being, an exceptionally bright young man, and someone with virtually unlimited potential. As you regaled me with stories from your Parapsychology studies, we played ESP games and metaphor-guessing riddles. Because of my interest in Magic, you took me on a couple of your research trips to look for sleight-of-hand that might be operating, rather than potential psi phenomena.

To summarize, Stan, you have been a constant, inspiring, and loving presence in my life, encouraging me to write, to speak, to fully be myself in the larger world, all things I have done my best to embody. Other people have cared about me over the years, but your presence has been based on authentic appreciation and thoughtful support for my ‘validity’ as a human being that no one else has provided like you have. A great deal of who I am today is because of who you have been with me for our 70 years of being connected.

Thank you and congratulations on this well-deserved award!

Blessings,

John

Nearly half a century ago, I first met Stan in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. As a military officer, that was a time in which the possibilities and efficacy of psi phenomena were being debated at home. Simultaneously, there was concern being raised about psi research and applications in the then Soviet Union. Stan already had established considerable knowledge of the field and prestige, so he was looked upon for advice. Since then he has developed an unparalleled global network of researchers, practitioners and followers.

Through the decades, we have maintained contact at many functions. Among those was a most memorable one: a cold and muddy night attending a Santo Daime ceremony in the jungles near Curitiba, Brazil. The energy was palpable as the singing took us to an alternate environment; one he had encountered many times.

I was introduced to Stan shortly after his (and his co-authors’) 2011 publication of The Indigenous Healing Tradition in Calabria, Italy. Given my Calabrese ancestry, I was both impressed and delighted by how he showed a real interest in the people and their traditional ways. The icing on the cake was his enthusiasm for my own research on women's announcing dreams and his agreement to join my dissertation committee. Since that time, Stan has become a true friend. I admire him, respect him, and love him.

Thank you, Stan, for your kindness, humility, generosity, presence, and a hundred other wonderful qualities you embody. You deserve all the joy...I’m so happy to honor you today. What a deeply memorable impact you have made in the field of psychology, and beyond!

Thank you and congratulations, Dr. Krippner,

As a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, whose work centers on the confluence of dreaming and singing as two modes of access to and expression of the nondual un/conscious, Dr. Krippner’s lifework has opened the Transpersonal field of scholarship in which my teaching, writing, clinical practice, and its offerings to the collective has incubated and evolved. Specifically, Dr. Krippner’s work on Extraordinary Dreams came to my attention as I was composing my book with co-author Eva Tuschman Leonard on The Emotional Truth of Dreams: Learning from Dream Dialogues in Psychotherapeutic and Spiritual Practice. We evolved an intuitive method of selecting soul-searching, waking, and nocturnal dreams for our book that, in retrospect, can be further understood through Dr. Krippner’s ‘extraordinary dreams’ vantages. This framework is now helping me to further recognize, signal, and reflect on the territory we are traversing. Congratulations, Dr. Krippner, on your Association of Transpersonal Psychology Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you for forging the field of Transpersonal Psychology and the study of dreams within the field, which I look forward to engaging further in the time ahead.

Sincerely,

Willow Pearson Trimbach

I first remember meeting you, Stan, around 1969 at an ASPR Meeting that you were addressing in NYC. I was interested in your research using emotionally-evocative imagery for psi Targets, as I was contemplating my own upcoming M.Sc. research project on Telepathy at McGill University. My trip there as a young student from Montreal was not in vain, as I was not disappointed by what you shared and inspired me. Moreover, I was deeply drawn to your openness and invitational manner.

I so appreciate that we eventually became colleagues and warm-hearted friends with meetings over all these years!! You are an inspirational light by your continued modesty despite your multitude of accomplishments in so many fields, and your fortitude as you pushed through the trials of our aging to continue your professional work while also extending yourself to assist many others.

So I mostly appreciate you for who you are – a most exemplary person in our World, and I love you dearly!

I was introduced to Stan by our mutual friend, Luke Gatto, when Stanley came to one of my lectures at the Open Secret Bookstore in San Rafael.

Stanley is the most open-mind - he is the subconscious - the world of dreams is how this whole world got dreamed up. If the dream gets bad, we can just dream up another because there is not one creation in this world, including the Financial system, that was not dreamed up first.

Stanley made me realize that what I dream up can become real manifest if the world will dream a little dream with me.

People say dreams don't mean anything.  I say talk to Stanley and tell him what you dreamed!

I first met Stan in the cluttered aging office of the Humanistic Psychology Institute (now Saybrook) at Folsom and 9th streets in San Francisco. I had just moved into town sometime in the winter or spring of 1980. I recall him vividly sitting at his desk typing away, making phone calls, as active as ever. There was ever an aura of dynamism about Stan--that was evident since that very first encounter. Not many months later, Stan invited me to be his assistant as a work-study student at the school, and I gladly accepted. This began a two- to three-year relationship which ended near the time I graduated HPI (by then "Saybrook") in the fall of 1984. During that time I relished my work with Stan, as I had the chance to meet all kinds of fascinating folks both in person and through letters that I would monitor for Stan. Stan also invited me to meet with luminaries such as Micky Hart of the Grateful Dead at his memorable studio in Marin, accompanied me to a party at Alan Watt's houseboat in Sausalito, and asked me to fill in for him for a lunchtime talk at Lucas Ranch. There I spoke about my book on classic horror movies and books, Horror and the Holy: Wisdom-Teachings of the Monster Tale, and Lucas himself gave me a little tour of the ranch after which he or his staff gave me a copy of a Star Wars book that I then gave to my four-or five-year-old son who loved it.

Stan, along with Jim Bugental and Rollo May, became a key mentor of mine and not only supported me to join him on some publishing projects but worked intensively with me on some of my coursework and was an integral member of my dissertation committee. I learned a great deal from Stan about many subjects—such as consciousness studies, the paranormal, international psychology, handling media, etc. But perhaps my greatest take-away from Stan was his wonderful command of the English language as evinced in scholarly writings and presentations. He was really a critical model for me in all these areas, the fruits of which have deeply informed me over my whole career--and ongoingly. I'm now turning 70, so that's quite an influence to speak of.

If there was one notion that capsulizes my contact with Stan, it's his unwavering commitment to scholarly inquiry. His insistence on radical agnosticism and, like William James, the need to intensively test hypotheses in the marketplace of experimentation--both qualitative and quantitative--made a very significant impact on me. Like R.D. Laing, Stan's "suspension of belief and disbelief," and holding of opinions in the light of evolving evidence reflect to me the epitome of the scientific enterprise. This approach has always struck me as particularly relevant in our field, where there is so much complexity, and yet also the need for clarification, and provisionally informed conviction. For all these qualities, I am a great fan of Stan, and the commensurate award that the Association for Transpersonal Psychology has bestowed upon him.  His lifetime achievements for folks like me are both abounding and life-transforming.

Stanley changed my life.  I was fortunate enough to have been selected to present a paper at Wales University, England, late July 1987.  The professional assigned to critique my paper was Stanley Krippner.  I was intimidated, felt out of my realm, and enthralled because I knew who he was.  When the seminar ended, he approached, thanking me for my diligent work.  (The paper was on Near-Death Experiences.  I was one of the original 32 participants at the first conference in 1984, and fortunately, every article I submitted about the findings, research, and goals that came out of the conference was accepted for publication.  The majority were in prominent nursing journals.  After his praise, I proceeded to tell him just how insecure I felt.

As the conversation ensued, I happened to mention that I had a dream of attending an accredited PhD program specifically located in San Francisco, California, and one that would allow me to travel back and forth, but do the bulk of my work from home.  The at-a-distance educational concept in 1987 was considered fraudulent and not taken seriously like it is today.  Stanley smiled, opened his briefcase, and handed me a brochure for Saybrook Institute in San Francisco.  I had already verbalized that I knew my dream didn’t exist, but his response was, "Yes, it does, and I am a faculty member there."

I returned home jubilant, eager to apply for admission.  I was accepted in the fall 1988 class, and from the moment I landed in San Francisco, met fellow students, and discovered what it was like to live in a college dormitory, I knew I was home.  Stanley was more than a professor to me.  He was a mentor.  Sadly, he could not chair my dissertation due to his multiple commitments, but he never ceased to amaze me, and he was always there as a light in any storm.

The professors were correct that only one out of five from each class would finish.  I graduated the summer of 1995, and my colleague and dear friend Jennifer Mendoza also graduated at the same time.  We both went on to get accepted and complete the first at-a-distance two-year post-doctorate in Neuropsychological Training.  Travel was across town every weekend to meet with a prominent professor who was also on faculty at Nova Southeastern University, but the hardest degrees I ever worked for, and the most valuable for me, were my nursing program and Saybrook Institute’s PhD.

I bless and love Stanley and wish him every good thing possible.  And I want to thank him again for crossing my path and helping me find my future.

It would not be an overstatement to say that I owe many of the best parts of my life to Stanley Krippner. We met shortly after I began the PhD program at Saybrook thirty years ago. We happened to be sitting at the same table for breakfast. Stan seemed very interested in my life, asking me about my travels, why I'd chosen to live in Spain, why I valued time over money, and so on. I left breakfast thinking I'd had a nice chat with the famous Dr. Krippner, but as it turned out, I was being interviewed.

A few hours later, I got a note saying that Dr. Krippner would like me to stop by his office. When I went to the appointment, Stanley said something like, "It seems that you've arranged your life to maximize freedom and flexibility. I'm going on a three-week speaking tour to Brazil in September. Would you like to come with me?" He explained that he would cover my flights with his frequent flyer miles, and his hosts would be happy to pay my expenses. I thought, "I don't really know this guy, but he seems genuine, and I'd love to go to Brazil!"

I went back to Spain with plans to meet Stanley in Brazil a couple of months later. I remember that first night in Puerto Alegre. We were walking in a market area near our hotel, getting to know each other a bit.

Stan made some casual comment that seemed to contradict his public image, and I unthinkingly called out the contradiction. I remember him looking straight into my eyes with a smile and saying, "Oh, you want to have a REAL conversation?" I did. And off we went.

In the following few years, I tagged along with Stanley on trips to Venezuela, Argentina, Morocco, Germany, India, France, Portugal, and several other places I'm sure I'm forgetting. We interviewed holy men in the Sahara while in search of desert djins, entered the "Sistine Chapel of Prehistoric Cave Art" in Lascaux, France, discussed water spirits with Amazon tribespeople, and drank ayahuasca together in sacred ceremony. Stanley introduced me to Cacilda, and conducted our wedding ceremony a few years later. He supported me through my doctoral studies, pulled strings to get my fledgling essays published in scholarly

journals, and chaired the committee that approved the dissertation that later became my first book, Sex at Dawn, coauthored with Cacilda, now published in over twenty languages.

Would any of these gifts have enriched my life if I had never met Stanley Krippner? Of course not.

But beyond the love and gratitude I feel toward this man, there is something greater—beyond my personal experience. Stanley is a conduit, bringing love and light into the lives of everyone lucky enough to know him. Yes, Stanley changed the course of my life in profound ways, but I know that there are hundreds of people who could tell similar stories about how magic pivoted the day they met this extraordinary spirit. – Chris Ryan

In 2018, when I reached out to you to introduce you to the work of physicist Stan Tenen, I found your replies to be brief which was a little off putting—once I realized how extraordinarily busy you were I understood, as a result I kept my distance—at the same time you were also open-minded, flexible, and willing to listen.

It is difficult to single out one memorable conversation or collaboration we’ve had because there have been so many. Assisting you in getting your memoir ready to publish, moving from your home of 22 years in San Rafael, shipping off your library to West Georgia and 100 boxes of personal items to Exotical in France, establishing a new home for you in Carmichael. How could I have known that you would come to be such an integral part of my life and learning. In 2015, when I received a noetic prompt to: "Preserve the knowledge of our wisdom keepers." I never could’ve imagined how my path would lead me to you, an authority in consciousness studies, trauma, psychology, psychedelics, and shamanism. A bridge to many of the pioneers and "wisdom keepers" of our time. In truth, it’s like I was preparing for you to appear my whole life, for what was to come.

Before I even knew you and was just learning about you I thought "Wow! This person is interested in the same subjects as I am! We share the same favorite number. Your middle name is the same as my fathers, and our birthdays just a few days apart!

I will always remember one of your characteristic responses: "Oh, really? That’s fascinating!" That simple expression captures your openness, curiosity, and willingness to engage with perspectives others might dismiss.

In those first months and years you were facing serious challenges with your health, personal, and professional life. They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. We have shared some difficult moments, but as two Libras, we are both flexible—and we both care deeply about others. Through our friendship, I have learned so much about the power of forgiveness and acceptance, which lay the groundwork for healing, even in the face of adversity., and remaining true to one’s heart, You’ve taught me. without even knowing, how to tap into my own power and wisdom to overcome.

Stanley, thank you for being my friend—and thank you for simply being you.

With deep love, Jean

March 24, 2023

We had just emailed your Chaotic Life manuscript

to University Professors Press.

Reflecting Worthiness: The Healing Gift of Stanley Krippner

We are celebrating the lifetime of achievements of a rare individual with an outstanding ability to transform the lives of others, not only the lives of his students, but Stanley Krippner transforms the lives of most everyone he meets.

Stan is a remarkable real-life educator with an outstanding ability to act as what I call a "psychological mirror". Stan embodies this uncanny ability to reflect back to others a truer, healthier image of who they are.

Perhaps one of the most common self-defeating beliefs people hold when they are feeling unhealthy is their conviction that they are worthless, inadequate individuals, who are essentially undeserving of self-respect and happiness.

Stan compassionately understands this self-defeating human belief that each of us holds at times and in certain situations, and somehow Stan is blessed with his ability to combat it with his innate, well-developed, and eternal unconditional positive regard. He is a unique individual with a strong sense of intuition, which allows him to see and speak to the worthiness of most everyone he meets.

As my teacher, Stan communicated respect, self-confidence, and my worthiness to me at a time when, as an early graduate student, I struggled to see those qualities in myself.

AND...as his students know, Stan’s devotion does not stop at the classroom door. He truly and fiercely goes the extra mile.

I know this because I experienced it firsthand. When I finally graduated, it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world was locked down. Social distancing was the law of the land. My graduate program did what so many other programs had to do—they canceled the graduation processions. They canceled the traditional hooding ceremonies.

I was heartbroken. But I chose to extend a bold invitation. I asked Stan if he would come to my home. And without hesitation, he accepted. In the middle of a global pandemic, Stan walked into my home and into my living room. Standing before my family, friends, and colleagues, he conducted my graduation ceremony and hooded me right there in my home.

This is who Stanley Krippner is. He is a man who brings the sacred into the living room because his student needed to be acknowledged.

Over the past several years, Stan and I have built a relationship that I hold among the greatest honors of my life. We have walked and traveled together as professor and student, as mentor and mentee, colleagues, and deeply, as friends.

Stan, thank you for your intellect, your intuition, and your boundaryless kindness. Thank you for acting as the mirror that allowed me, and so many others, to see our own light.

Cheers to you, Stan.

2022

Today I saw news that made me smile.

My friend, Dr. Stanley Krippner, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Transpersonal Psychology.

For more than six decades, Stanley has been one of the most influential voices in the study of consciousness, dreams, creativity, spirituality, and human potential. He worked alongside many of the pioneers who shaped the field and has helped inspire generations of researchers, educators, and seekers around the world.

What I admire most about Stanley is not only the breadth of his knowledge, but also his warmth, kindness, curiosity, and genuine interest in people. Even after a lifetime of achievements, he remains open-minded, generous, and deeply human.

I feel fortunate to know him and to have learned from him over the years.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the celebration in California, but I will be there in spirit, celebrating this well-deserved recognition and the extraordinary legacy he continues to create.

Congratulations, Stanley! Thank you for your friendship, your wisdom, and your lifelong dedication to expanding our understanding of human consciousness.

With love and gratitude

2023

DR.s BOB and ZOHARA HIERONIMUS

Visual Artist, Talk radio host (21st Century Radio), author, historian (symbols)

And

And Award-winning radio broadcaster, author, social justice, environmental, and animal activist.

Stan Krippner, you are a GOAT, the greatest of all time in multiple professions. By sports analogy, you have led and coached teams of scientists, scholars, students, new paradigm seekers, shamans, musicians, and dreamers in many disciplines in the field of consciousness. Here, where the game of life is played out universally, you have both managed and played with the greats of the 20th and 21st century. Your imagination, discipline, astute questions, eager and unwavering enthusiasm to improve the world by understanding and demonstrating how we all play a part in the matrix of life, deserve Hall of Fame status as a global change agent.

Dr. Bob benefited immensely by your faculty role in his Doctoral pursuit in humanistic psychology at Saybrook University, with his focus on the Secrets of the Founding Fathers, the creation and meaning of the Great Seal of the United States, as well as the role of synchronicity, symbology, and visions, to name just a few of the topics you examined together. Your role in my life has been critical during the many projects I took on in healing and consciousness-related endeavors, especially in animal telepathy with Bonobos. I am also deeply appreciative of your advocacy for my receiving an honorary doctoral degree in the Humane Letters from Saybrook University, making me the second Dr. Hieronimus or Dr. Z. Stan; you are a wonder to behold. Your lifelong endeavors to elevate the lesser understood aspects of psychology, pioneering transpersonal psychology, parapsychology, personal mythology, dream studies, dream telepathy, remote viewing and other related subjects, will make it possible for future generations to participate with understanding in the One-Mind reality we share and in exploring their individual experiences within the field of consciousness itself. And we add that joining our radio program as a guest numerous times over the decades on 21stCentury Radio was always filled with laughter, exquisite scholarship, and lucid explanations of sometimes difficult topics to share with a listening audience.

Dr. Bob and I both love being part of your life, Stan, professionally and personally, and have enjoyed your Xmas epistles for many decades as well as your constant good nature, critical thinking, and tales of your global travels. Your incomparable memory and stamina are well known, and your support of students financially worldwide is a quiet practice. Who knew that your childhood fascination with magic as chronicled in White Spirit Animals, Prophets of Change, would lead to such a magical life?

GOATS have endurance and climb to high elevations, gaining far-seeing. Stan, you are a visionary showing humans how to explore the unknown. You are a true way-shower, teacher, author, and friend. We thank you, admire you, and love you, Stan.

I will not be able to attend Stan’s achievement award event because I’ve been crippled for years, unable to walk, see, or hear well. I’m now heading toward 91 myself and hope I don’t make it!

Although Stan did not have any particular influence on my work, I have long admired him. I believe I first encountered his writings (on psychedelics) in the early 1970s, and have been a fan of his ever since. I was never really friends with Stan, but we did have casual and very cordial interactions when we met at various conferences where we were both speakers, including once at Esalen. He is really one of the great figures in transpersonal psychology, and I’m delighted that he is receiving this award for his monumental contributions to the field. Please give him my warmest regards and congratulations.

Sincerely, Ken

Dr. Krippner has been the most supportive person in my life regarding my work in physics and the discoveries I made in that field, which often changed the direction of research in numerous areas of study. This began in 1970, when I was first invited to New York City to deliver my technical paper, "The Physical Mechanisms of Kirlian Photography." It was later published in Energies of Consciousness, a book edited by Dr. Krippner, and read by one of my senior-year undergraduate professors at Washington State University, Dr. Bender. Two years later, Dr. Bender built the first MRI in Pullman, Washington, based on my discovery that the so-called "aura" was a "secondary emission of electrons."

It was also during this period that Dr. Krippner introduced me to Ed Mitchell, enabling me to be at Mission Control in 1971 as part of NASA’s ESP studies. This later led me to develop "ESP Induction Through Forms of Self-Hypnosis," one of eight protocols I provided to the Navy SEAL program, turning them into "Supermen"—or what are now called "Super Soldiers." These protocols are included in my book Power Tools for the 21st Century (2013). Duke University challenged this model in 1979, using Jean Dixon, Sybil Leek, and the leading psychics of the time. I won that contest by three orders of magnitude, validating my ESP model, in which an altered state of consciousness can be used as a tool. That model is now used within the current SEAL program.

Dr. Krippner later published my second work, "A Holographic Concept of Reality," written in 1972, in another book he edited, Psychoenergetic Systems. This paper opened the door to numerous opportunities, leading me to work first with SEAL Corporation in Amherst and then with Dr. Carl Schleicher as Northwest Regional Director of Mankind Research Unlimited, working in the field of paranormal studies. This allowed me to discover that some occult—or "hidden"—and paranormal—or "unexplained"—phenomena could and should be brought into the field of physics for study rather than dismissed for the usual, more traditional reasons.

Whenever I encountered something normally considered verboten, or "forbidden," Dr. Krippner encouraged me to expand my ways of looking at it. He gave me the confidence to question traditional thought and make breakthroughs in the traditional sciences. As a result, my interests expanded far beyond the normal areas of expertise. He helped me become more than just a physicist.

Over the years, as my interests and directions changed, he always supported me, making me feel that who I was—and who I was becoming—mattered. As a result, I am now considered a "world authority" in three fields: physics and metaphysics, alternative agriculture, and magick and the occult. Even today, after 56 years, I still find him responding generously to my questions, concerns, and doubts. That is how I would define a mentor.

I am now 82 and have more than 16 books in print, a nine-volume Encyclopedia of Alternative Agriculture, a 15-volume set of audiobooks on metaphysics, and more than 20 e-books currently available. I also have another 147 unfinished manuscripts. These include The SEAL Reports; The Marshall Papers, concerning my work with Buckminster Fuller; Spook Central, concerning my work with Dr. Carl Schleicher; and a new 15-volume Encyclopedia on Crop Selections, consisting of 360 PDFs.

One of my current books, The Non-Local Mind in a Holographic Universe, from the Toward the Evolution of Man series (©1973, 2017, 2021), is dedicated to Dr. Stanley Krippner. Another book, due out this year, is titled The Magical & Ritual Use of Metaphors: Archetypal Gods in Daily Living. This book on the Tarot is not about fortune-telling, but about identifying the archetypes involved in making each individual unique. It proposes that there are 22 stories within humankind and provides tools for "changing the movie"—or changing one’s personality.

It was 1970. I was a high school senior in Brooklyn, New York, and my brother and I made an appointment to meet Stan Krippner, who was doing groundbreaking work on ESP in dreams at the Maimonides Hospital Dream Laboratory. We wanted to participate in an experiment, and Stan was incredibly gracious. He showed us around the laboratory and introduced us to the staff and volunteers.

That warm welcome to the Dream Lab became the template for who Stan has been over the past 56 years. He welcomes ideas, worldviews, concepts, opportunities, and even opposition to his work with grace, an open mind, and a spirit of creative inclusion. Stan is, of course, human, so I assume he has an ego like the rest of us. Yet his remarkable ability to set it aside in the service of collaboration, cultural understanding, inclusivity, and genuine openness has always been one of his defining qualities. I believe this is one of the greatest strengths he brings to his research, his fieldwork, and everything he does, as he sees value and potential in everyone and everything. That gift attracts exceptional collaborators, and his approach consistently produces outstanding results—not only in his research, but also in fostering a perspective that inspires creative synergy and expands the thinking of everyone around him.

There is one additional point I probably should have mentioned first: we have spent much of the past 56 years laughing. Yes, laughing—and laughing, and laughing—over what were often the most ordinary things. Somehow, together, we found extraordinary humor in everyday moments. In that way, Stan has been the kind of friend who simply cannot be matched.

Stanley opened the door for me and many others. I was born in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and knew of the APA rebellion that was the basis of the program at Saybrook Institute, now Saybrook University.  In 1986, I was excited by the integration of humanistic study and neuropsychological science the program there offered - miles ahead of other programs..  Dr. Krippner was my first professor and embodied this format with confident expertise.  His dry humor and global experience were inspiring, to say the least. I have saved his published study on dream research amongst the few textbooks that have survived several moves. It is my hope that his integrated scientific human mythological approach lives on in the study of psychology. His name should be added to the annals of psychological history.

Stanley, you've been part of my life for as long as I can remember, even before we ever met. My mother, Donna Enking, was your childhood friend in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, and I grew up hearing stories about your travels and the fascinating people you met along the way. Every Christmas, our family looked forward to your holiday letter, often written to the tune of a Beatles song. As a kid, I would sing those yearly adventures and then pull out an atlas to find China, Brazil, Germany, or wherever your curiosity had taken you. Looking back, I think those letters quietly opened my world and planted the seeds of my own curiosity long before I realized it.

When I finally met you at your Personal Mythology workshop at Rowe, it felt less like meeting someone new and more like reconnecting with an old friend. Your warmth, humility, and genuine interest in people were exactly what I had imagined all those years. Whether it was taking time to talk with me over a meal, sending me a Grateful Dead backstage pass because you knew I'd treasure it, or inviting Kathy and me to Mickey Hart's honorary doctorate ceremony, you always found thoughtful ways to encourage others. Your influence on me has never been about titles or accomplishments; it has been about the example you set through a life of curiosity, generosity, and kindness. One of my favorite memories is seeing my mother's face light up whenever you called or came to visit in Phoenix or San Diego. Your friendship with my mom lasted a lifetime (90 years), and I know it brought her great joy until the very end.

Congratulations on receiving the Association for Transpersonal Psychology's Lifetime Achievement Award. It is a fitting recognition of a remarkable life and career. Yet for our family, your greatest legacy has been the kindness, curiosity, and friendship that have enriched our lives across three generations.

Dear Stan,

What a challenge to remember and relive our over 70 years of friendship in celebration of your Lifetime Achievement Award.

I think back to 1956, when I was 8 years old, my first of six wonderful years at YMCA Camp Richmond. I was in the junior unit, and as you were head counselor for the intermediate unit, our paths crossed just once.

If I remember correctly, I first met you on a hot, sunny, and sticky hike with campers and counselors from several units down the bank of the James River from camp to Berkeley Plantation. I was stung on the ear by a wasp. It hurt like hell, and I remember crying my eyes out. You put some ointment and a bandage on it.

For the next four summers, you were camp Program Director, responsible for such programs as Christmas in July, Carnival Nights, and everyone’s favorite – Backward Day. For the uninitiated, on Backwards Day, we wake up to Taps, at the mess hall we lower the flag, and have a first meal of dinner (dessert first). Lunch is still midday, but of course dessert first. The evening meal, preceded by raising the flag, is breakfast. We fall asleep to reveille.

Stan, to say the least, you were a bit different than the other counselors, and I found opportunities to spend time with you, be it preparing the wax-dipped swim tags or making Carnival Night tickets. Your gentle manner and concern for everyone’s well-being were evident even to a child.

When you spent several school years in Richmond, I remember riding bikes with Alan Buckman to visit you when you boarded with Margaret Hudson. Do you remember once showing me a small spinning spiral that you said could be used to hypnotize oneself? It must have been one of those visits, while I was mesmerized by the spinner, that you quietly said, "Phil, one day, far in the future, I’ll send you a special email, and you’ll help me edit my life’s story." But more of that later.

What a thrill it was when my parents invited you over to our home for dinner once.

During my graduate school years at Wisconsin, I had the opportunity to visit your mother at your family home. What a treat that was.

In later years you would visit Richmond to visit other friends – always most interesting and from other cultures, and we always were sure to get together. One visit included a trip I think to visit James Monroe’s home near Charlottesville.

On another visit we drove out Route 5 and walked around the old Camp Richmond site, now the VCU Rice Rivers Center. The mess hall and a few of the old cabins were still standing, though in disrepair. As a comedian once said, "When I think of the past, it brings back so many memories."

Matthew (my son), and I joined you in the Washington D.C. area for several GI Film Festivals, when you were an invited guest because of your and your students’ research on PTSD. I remember one at the Newseum, one in Arlington, and the last one at the Canadian Embassy.

In June of 2021, you emailed my asking what our camp custodian Beverly’s last name was. What an odd question, I thought. I had never heard it mentioned at camp, and there was no reason I would have even wondered.

This was when you were beginning your memoirs, and shortly thereafter you asked me to review two chapters about summer camps and Richmond. I cannot thank you enough for entrusting me with this totally unexpected, most enjoyable, and highly educational experience. Watching you crank out chapter after chapter and revision after revision (23 revisions of Chapter "Psychedelics") of what became A Chaotic Life was a treasured experience. Although your typing and computer skills were, let’s just say, not a thrill, you were like the Energizer Bunny – unstoppable production.

You and me in my backyard, 1986

You and me at the old mess hall, Camp Richmond

My son, Matthew and us at the new Rivers Center building.

It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, 1973. I was visiting California with my then-future husband and stopped in to see Thelma Moss in her lab at UCLA. We were inquiring about getting him into a Ph. D.-level program.

Moss recommended getting in touch with Stanley Krippner, who was involved in a fledgling open-university named The Humanistic Psychology Institute (HPI). I remarked that I had heard Dr. Krippner speak and had read some of his articles but didn’t know how to reach him. She informed us that he lived on Staten Island. About 20 minutes by car from my apartment!

We found Dr. Krippner to be warm and gracious, and my ex enrolled in the program. In accompanying him to all the meetings, program planning seminars, and sharing the work with him, I was, in effect, also being mentored by Stan and getting my own (unofficial) degree. In addition to Stan being the repository of encyclopedic knowledge and a remarkable memory, he was an excellent guide. I learned that he could be firm yet compassionate and understanding, patient and kind even to some who tried everyone else’s patience. The only time I saw him get angry was when an injustice or other harmful act was perpetrated against someone else.

By the time I decided to work toward my own doctorate, HPI had morphed into the Saybrook Institute, and of course, Stan was my mentor. After I graduated, he encouraged me to write and was always ready to help with suggestions or to provide a blurb or preface to a book, and I was honored to contribute to a few of his projects.

Stan has a great love of theater—opera, musicals, drama—which I share. We would attend the Metropolitan Opera or Broadway, and Off-Broadway shows when he was in New York, meet with mutual friends for dinner or at parties given for him, and I always found him an astute, knowledgeable, and fun-loving friend and companion.

He deserves every honor bestowed upon him, and I am grateful and honored to have been his friend for so many years.

Stanley Krippner is a remarkable scholar and a deeply caring human being. He has an extraordinary combination of erudition and compassion. Stanley’s knowledge is encyclopedic, spanning psychology, transpersonal psychology, anthropological psychology, postmodern psychology, parapsychology, counseling, psychotherapy, dream analysis, hypnosis, altered states of consciousness, chaos theory, nonlinear dynamics, psychedelics, shamanism, ethnomedicine, mythology, sacred places, rituals, mediumship, spirits, and indigenous healing, among multiple other subjects of study.

With his vast knowledge and remarkable kindness, Stanley helps many people, advising them, suggesting academic sources, and connecting people of like minds, so they can learn from each other and possibly work together. It is not necessary to ask Stanley for advice, because he helps without being asked. We are all better human beings because we know Stanley, and the world is a better place because he is here.

Stan has been an important part of my life since 1973.  I met Stan as a student in his and Jim Hickman’s Studies of Consciousness class at Sonoma State University.  I specifically chose his class because of Stan’s important role in Humanistic Psychology and his work in parapsychology, both of which were of great interest to me. I had personally experienced transpersonal and paranormal experiences, and wanted to learn more about them, which he helped me to do.  One of my fellow classmates was Dr. Jean Millay (Mayo), with whom I conducted telepathic research as part of our coursework.  When I visited the Washington Research Institute or the Westerbeke ranch, I had many opportunities to interact with Stan and learn from him.  Over the course of our relationship, Stan has introduced me to many illustrious people within his expanding humanistic-transpersonal network, some of whom, like Stan, turned out to be lifelong friends.

Like a thread woven into my life, Stan has supported me personally and in my career path through all the paths I have traveled.  As a teacher, Stan stimulated my curiosity and creativity, supported my intellectual pursuits, and was always open to alternative perspectives.  We have shared meditations, publications, biofeedback, social events, hot tubs, sweat lodges, professional meetings, and museum experiences. My husband and I have been honored to be able to provide several birthday and celebration of life parties for Stan and his friends at our home.   I am humbled by his friendship, which is most precious and dear to me.  A man of grace, gratitude, and a very big heart, I credit Stan with being the greatest influence on my career of any of my mentors or friends. I am eternally grateful to you, Stan.  Much love, Suzy Engelman

In 1985, while living in Brazil, I attended a Transpersonal Psychology Conference in Brasília, where I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Stanley Krippner. At the time, he was conducting research in Brazil for a book he was writing on psychic healers. During our conversations, I shared my work on unconscious symbols and their influence on my spontaneous paintings.

Stan immediately recognized the significance of my work. He encouraged me to apply to the doctoral program at Union Institute in the United States. This accredited distance-learning format would allow me to continue living in Brazil while receiving the academic guidance and support needed to pursue my research into the nature of unconscious art and its influence on human consciousness.

From 1988 to 1991, Dr. Krippner served as one of my doctoral advisors. His deep knowledge of creativity research, the unconscious, and other forms of knowing and parapsychology provided an extraordinary foundation for my studies. With his encouragement and unwavering support, I embarked on an exciting journey into the unknown, exploring how the unconscious reveals itself through the art of spontaneous painting.

The freedom I was given during my doctoral studies allowed me to develop what eventually became the I.am.I Method of Spontaneous Painting®—a process that helps individuals awaken and develop their authentic Self through symbolic expression. Since then, I have devoted my life to training facilitators in this method throughout Brazil, a journey that continues today, in 2026.

Today, the I.am.I Method is benefiting many people in Brazil and contributing to the expansion of human consciousness. Because the language of symbols is universal, I believe this method can be shared and replicated across many cultures worldwide.

Looking back, I realize that none of this would have happened without Stan’s faith in me. He saw the potential of my work long before it was fully formed. His encouragement, intellectual openness, and genuine understanding gave me the confidence to continue exploring a path that was unconventional, yet deeply meaningful. For that, I will always be profoundly grateful.

I met Stanley Krippner sometime in 1978 or so, through one of his many synchronicities.  He was speaking at a conference coordinated by a healer named Paul Solomon, who ran an organization called The Fellowship of the Inner Light in Virginia Beach.  My roommate in Boston said that he knew Stan and asked me to say "hello" for him.  At that time I didn’t particularly want to meet anyone, but I had promised my roommate, and so after his talk I went up, introduced myself, and said "My roommate asked me to say "hello" to you."

Stan invited me to get together with him later that evening.  We got together and chatted for about 20 minutes.  I mentioned that I was considering moving to San Francisco, nothing definite.  Stan pulled out his wallet, gave me his business card, and said, "Well, if you come to San Francisco, look me up, and I’ll give you a job!"

This was a total surprise ---  I had not asked for employment, nor had I filled out a job application or resume.  A few weeks later, I flew to San Francisco and looked him up.  A month went by, and his assistant quit, and I began working for Stan part-time at HPI (the Humanistic Psychology Institute, which later became Saybrook Institute), filing and handling correspondence.  Stan had more work on his desk than he could comfortably handle, and so he began asking me to review books and master’s and doctoral dissertations, which were a challenge but which I enjoyed.

One time Stan flew out to the Soviet Union on one of his many trips.  In his correspondence box, I discovered the pre-publication version of a book he had promised to review.  He had already left, and this was in the era before email and cell phones, so there was no way to get the book to him and have him review it before the deadline.  So I skimmed the book, wrote a quick blurb, stamped his name on the bottom, and mailed the review to the publisher.

Stan returned 4-5 weeks later, and soon after, he received a published copy of the book with a brief glowing review on the back cover, signed "Stanley Krippner, PhD."   He asked me, "John, did you have anything to do with this??"   I smiled.

One of his notable projects involved conducting dream research at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn with Montague Ullman.  There were constant logistical and budgetary problems, and it got to the point where every morning Stan would ask himself, only half-facetiously, "What terrible catastrophe will befall us today??"

Stanley had a wide range of interests beyond psychology, including music (he was friends with, among others, Mickey Hart and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead), travel, foreign cultures, and artists all over the world.

One time, Stanley coordinated a workshop for a well-known somatic therapist.  When we were alone, she asked me, "Is Stanley a genius?"   Stan, of course, was very humble.  He knew many pioneers in various fields who were known as "geniuses," but would never refer to himself that way.  But I smiled and said, "Yes, he is."  I told Stan about this conversation, and he laughed.

Working for Stanley introduced me to many leaders in the field, including Michael Murphy, Jim Hickman, Jean Houston, Jean Millay, and David Feinstein, and opened doors for me into the worlds of humanistic psychology, the human potential movement, parapsychology, and later energy psychology.   With Jim and Michael, I collaborated on the Transformation Project, where we compiled the first computerized database of research on hypnosis, altered states of consciousness, transpersonal psychology, and what the Russians called "extended human capabilities."  Some of this research found its way into Michael’s pioneering book, The Psychic Side of Sports.  (This was in 1979-80, before the advent of the internet).

Those of you who know Stanley know that he is extremely open-minded, generous, and unselfish ---- to a fault.  I have seen him put the needs of his students and friends ahead of his own.  He looks for the Best in people and then draws that out of them.  Stan also has a unique ability for connecting and bringing people together.  When you ask people in this field how they met, very often the answer is "through Stanley Krippner."  He tells many stories and anecdotes of his adventures in his three-volume memoir, A Chaotic Life: The Memoirs of Stanley Krippner Pioneering Humanistic Psychologist.

I feel grateful to Stan for encouraging me over the years, for writing a warm review of my book, Heal Yourself with Emotional Freedom Technique, and for officiating at Katya’s and my wedding.

Thank you, Stan, for all you’ve given and shared with me.

I love you. - John

I have been invited by the wonderful Jean Fox to write a brief tribute to Stan.

Oh my!!! There is soooo much that I could write…apologies in advance if it proves not to be brief enough!

My hunch is that others will describe his countless academic, pioneering, and ground-breaking contributions to various fields and disciplines – the remarkable man that he is. Above and beyond remarkable.

So, I will keep the content of my paragraphs mostly personal.

Stanley Krippner is my best friend. Since my husband’s passing in 2007, he has continued to go out of his way to help me in my mission to keep Al’s (Albert Ellis PhD) work alive – inviting me to join him to present at various events and conferences, some of which were within the USA, including Puerto Rico, others in Mexico, Medellin (Colombia) and Canada. He has invited me to contribute chapters to various books. Stan does more than simply speak words of support – he also takes action, whether it’s generating new ideas and suggestions, giving wise feedback, or editing pieces I’ve written.

He has also spoken eloquently at many conferences and events about the contributions of Al (AL– as in Albert Ellis, not AI as in artificial intelligence!) and the influence Al had in his life, and honors his friendship with Al in so doing. Al would be so pleased about that. Al would also love, as I do, the thoroughness, reliability, and excellence that Stan consistently displays. Al would also be deeply grateful for Stan’s loyal friendship to me.

Most precious to me, more precious than the work-related elements described above, are his kindness and compassion. Stan is the one to whom I can confide anything and everything, and I know he genuinely cares, from his heart.

I feel it. That in itself provides a healing balm to me. At times of grief and trauma that I’ve coped with in recent decades, during the final years of Al’s life (when I was first acquainted with Stan through letters that he wrote to us) till current times, Stan has listened, encouraged, and supported me. Magnificently. He is truly my best friend.

His spirit of goodness and his selflessness are rare in this world.

Whilst many may purport to be humanistic, their actions may not match such assertions. Stan, however, walks the talk – giving, caring, and staying in touch with me and others, helping in whatever ways he can.

He may not think of himself as a Saint, but there is no denying that many of his actions are Saintly. I have received his goodness and witnessed him share that essential Stan-ness with countless others. His heart and soul consist of the essence and energy of goodness.

He is also very joyful company. How clearly I remember when we were at events in Mexico and Medellin, and at APA and other conferences in the USA, when there were social events with music and dance – he would dance with the joy, abandon, and delight of a young child! He was a magnet to one and all around the dance floor: so many people wanted to dance with him!

Stan and I have had the tradition that whenever he is in New York City, or during the rare occasions that I visit San Francisco, we would go to the theater. Sometimes we’d see musicals, other times dramas, occasionally comedies. I love the sound of his exclamations when hearing either a surprising phrase or a juicy punchline! He is an encyclopedia of information about the shows we attend before and after we attend them!

He is also an encyclopedia of information about many things in the fields of theater, literature, music, psychology, humanism, philosophy, science, and so much more.

Back to Broadway, and Stan’s effortless charisma and magnetism: We would often sit in the front row, and I would love observing the many times that actors would lock eyes with him as they spoke some of their lines, and the times that some would acknowledge him (and now and then even blow kisses - hello Chita Rivera!!!) as we shared our appreciation of them through standing ovations or when we saw them after the shows.

To conclude, my life is immeasurably better for knowing Stan and having the good fortune of having such a close and beautiful, authentic and heartfelt, friendship with him. I am grateful beyond words.

In this life, in which many people can be fickle, self-serving, utilitarian, and disloyal, Stan stands out as a dazzling beacon of light, kindness, compassion, reliability, and the best of humankind. With immense humility, he has an innate energy and presence that heals lives just by their coming into his proximity.

He is a man who constantly puts aside any of his wants in order to help others.

He is a brilliant man. He is a man who embraces life. He is a man who consistently practices and models some of the finest qualities that humans aspire to imbibe and express.

Stanley Krippner: A rare being, a precious soul, a gift.

Thank you, Stan. Love forever, Deb.

Stan has been a life changer for me.  After meeting (we were introduced by Alexander Everitt at a Sonoma State Mind Dynamics program whose participants were being studied by some of Stan's master’s students in 1973). I gave up an elite

independent studies program with Lawrence University to live and study with Stan at CSCS. Our living situation became the Westerbeke Ranch, where I lived in a refurbished artist’s studio on 250 acres, separated from the other 50 acres and all the other folk by a stream that could resemble a river. This situation was most conducive to personal work & this culminated in an astral projection into a world where solar-generator technology helped undo many of the problems our world is facing. Of course, this is a dream, so I explored (and implored) the idea, always being led to attest to its superiority, but stopped short of implementing it.  Stan is always supportive & understanding of the myriad diversions & obstacles and hurdles. His counsel prevented numerous mishaps. Stan has taught that healing is the greatest use of psi, and this has always kept me going.  Stan feeds the soul and always lifts the spirit.  I wish I were more emulative and generally am in the grace of his presence. He is an integral part of my family and my life.  My wife, children, and grandchildren all share my deep love and appreciation of Stanley Krippner.

I first met Stanley in the fall of 1988 when he came to the University of California, Irvine as a speaker in a student-organized lecture series. Stan came to speak about psi research and dreams, but our conversations turned to many other topics as well, including shamanism and altered states of consciousness that characterize Stan's work and, eventually, my career. Stan was very open to many avenues for exploring these topics, and our interactions continued over the next decades in the context of various conferences, especially the early Association for Transpersonal Anthropology and, eventually, the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness.

I think the biggest influence that Stan had on me professionally began with the realization that you could study things like parapsychology and shamanism and altered states of consciousness and have an academic job. Stan really stood out in that regard, showing that you could be a successful academic studying what most other professors considered to be career-ending topics.

Stanley also had a major influence on my professional development, serving as a mentor in various decisions about the focus of my work and even the terminology I came to use. For instance, many years later, when I edited a book about the use of hallucinogens and healing, I recognized that the term hallucinogen really was a very inappropriate term for the concepts we were talking about. I proposed several ideas to Stan, and he concurred with my use of the term psycho-integrator as an alternative to other words like hallucinogen, psychedelic, and entheogen. So, I have used the word psycho-integrator for 30 years now, though it hasn’t caught on well in the field. But cutting-edge clinical research on psychedelics continues to emphasize the centrality of this concept: the effects of these substances are to enhance specific kinds of integrative patterns in the brain, particularly the integration of a bottom-up dynamic in which lower-level processes not normally accessible to consciousness are forcibly brought into consciousness.

Another major influence Stan had on my life and career came in 1980, when he invited me to join him and a variety of Bay Area therapists, along with the Mexican psychiatrist Salvador Roquet, for a visit to Maria Sabina in Huatla de Jimenez, Mexico. During our several-day stay there, we met with Maria and did mushroom ceremonies with one of her proteges. For me, it was quite a memorable experience, and I felt then a strong realization that I would dedicate my career to the study of these powerful substances. After finishing my dissertation, I increasingly focused on publishing about psychedelics, well before the launch of the Psychedelic Renaissance. Stan's influences in this regard were so central that when I recently edited the Handbook of Entheogenic Healing, I asked Stan to write a foreword to it.

Another important influence of Stan’s work is the validation of the importance of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approaches. Stan’s many fields of interest, from parapsychology to dreams to transpersonal psychology, consciousness studies, shamanism, and others, span a considerable breadth of research. Stan's work has shown the importance of this broad scope of inquiry and interdisciplinary syntheses to answer important questions. Stan is also known for his forays into many different cultures, informing his cross-cultural perspectives, which have also been central to my academic work.

Stan's interdisciplinary work will influence future generations of scholars through his diverse fields of interest, not only validating their inquiries with his decades of publications but also guiding them in numerous ways. The significance of his interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approaches will serve as guidance for future generations of scholars.

If we are to take guidance from Stan’s academic career, perhaps it can be summed up as "Go boldly into areas where others are afraid to lead."

Thanks, Stan; keep on keeping on. – Michael

It’s because of Stanley Krippner that I have pursued 40 years of explorations related to transpersonal psychology and parapsychology – though he may not realize his crucial role.

He encouraged my pursuits in two compelling ways. The first was in 1986. I had an interest in both fields, having read a few interesting books and papers but, at age 25, had little idea how I might contribute (especially with no relevant experience or credentials whatsoever). But with a burgeoning fascination with innate human capabilities, I decided (this was pre-Internet) to send letters to about two dozen figures who I knew to be active in transpersonal psychology and parapsychology. The letters all asked for a sense of whether, not being a psychologist myself, I could still make some kind of meaningful contribution. What could I study up on? What could I possibly research and write about? Of those two dozen PhDs, I was pleased to receive responses from about 10. The consensus was: there’s not much room for academicians; neither field pays very well; and, of course, one needs proper credentials to be able to contribute experimentally. One person’s reply, though, stood out because of its tone (which was upbeat) and pragmatism (a mention of content analysis the person thought I could contribute to). That letter was Stanley’s – on his Saybrook University letterhead. It felt like a lifeline for someone itching to make some kind of meaningful mark, if not sooner then definitely later.

Fast-forward to 2007. I had developed a manuscript addressing connections between anomalous experience and environmental and emotional sensitivity. It was a rather voluminous work that drew on an array of findings across disciplines (including a paper of my own that had been published). With an interesting thesis but no particular ‘platform’ from which to tout a book, I once again sought advice from seasoned professionals. And once again, Stanley stood out. Not only did he provide a sterling endorsement of what I had written, he also recommended a literary agent. Once again, I was buoyed. The manuscript subsequently garnered other endorsements and proceeded to become published, to good reviews.

Since then, I’ve published two more books, with another due to be published later this year. Each time, Stanley has found the time to read a draft, critique my thesis, and offer a thoughtful endorsement. His vantage point continues to mean a great deal. There are few, if any, authorities with his scope of knowledge, sustained curiosity, and wise discernment. His penchant for making an apt comment, raising a provocative question, or adding a helpful notation is unparalleled. Furthermore, through his example I’ve committed myself to encourage other fledgling researchers and writers who, having read my work, ask for advice themselves. I try to stay true to the spirit of curiosity, goodwill, and holistic knowledge that Stanley exemplifies.

Stanley Krippner is the ideal ambassador for the fields of transpersonal psychology and parapsychology. While he has undoubtedly mentored and significantly encouraged hundreds of students and colleagues over the years, I will be forever grateful for the attention he carved out for yours truly – someone he didn’t know from Adam but in whom he perhaps sensed a kindred enthusiasm. To the extent my explorations of emotion and spirituality have moved the needle or found an audience, Stanley has been my bellwether.

I first encountered Stanley’s work at an early stage in my career as a young research psychologist. I can honestly say that reading Stanley’s publications had a huge influence on me. At the time, I was struggling to break down the barriers that maintained a narrow rigidity around what was acceptable in academic psychology at UK universities. Reading Stanley’s work convinced me that there was a path through which I could integrate my interests in mysticism and consciousness within the framework of psychological research. Not only did Stanley bring a penetrating intellect to his work, but it was clear that he wanted to open the discipline to a wider understanding of human consciousness. At the time, I was so frustrated with the narrowness of the world of academic psychology I was encountering that I was seriously contemplating leaving my job. Stanley’s work was a beacon that encouraged me to stay and carve my own niche. I am hugely grateful!

It was many years later that I met Stanley. Given his standing and the great breadth of his writing, I think I was expecting perhaps some degree of aloofness. Within minutes my expectations simply evaporated! Here was a truly human colleague – approachable, convivial, authentic, and someone who very evidently valued the meeting of minds and souls. So refreshing ….

Thirty years ago, in the spring of 1996, I took a leave of absence from my freshman year at UC Santa Cruz to volunteer at a conference of the International Transpersonal Association in Manaus, Brazil, and then help guide a group of 50 people to a remote Amazonian village. I was a wide-eyed 18-year old with dreams of studying with shamans and becoming an ethnobotanist. The conference’s stated theme of Technologies of the Sacred, and its stacked lineup of ethnobotanists and legendary psychonauts seemed like the perfect place to jumpstart my education.

It was there I met a man that became one of the most influential and inspiring mentors in my life. Professor Stanley Krippner noted my enthusiasm and interest, and he took me under his wing. After learning of my interests, he convinced me to shift my studies from Cultural Anthropology to Transpersonal Psychology. He pointed out that it would be an efficient path to delve into shamanic studies, while also providing more vocational options. Another potential perk would be the opportunity to study with him at Saybrook Graduate School.

That meeting gave me a clear direction and path to my studies. Dr Krippner backed up his influence and enhanced our connection by transforming the paper I wrote - about my subsequent three-month immersion into the villages of the Amazonian ayahuasca religions - into a published article in a peer-reviewed journal.

Over the years, he kept in touch with me, making sure I stayed on course, and didn’t just get lost in the jungle. I made it to Saybrook seven years later, and finally got to see him in his element and get the full experience of working on a thesis under his tutelage and direction.

After completing my thesis, I traveled with Professor Stanley to Munich and Vienna to present my studies. We then went to Switzerland the following year to present at the celebration of Dr. Albert Hoffman’s 100th birthday.

My plan and goal was always to complete a PhD program with Dr. Krippner, so we continued to stay in touch over the years to discuss research questions and devise schemes to get me through a program with my busy family life. In my last trip I took with my old friend and mentor, we went to a Transpersonal Psychology event in Salvador, Brasil. There, he introduced me to the Association for Transpersonal Psychology, which I later became a Board Member and co-VP of.

I may not have achieved my doctoral goals, but I am grateful for all of the opportunities I had to share epic moments with the legend,, Stanley Krippner. He is a walking encyclopedia who can note hundreds of transpersonal studies off the top of his head. He is a courageous pioneer who never "dropped out" when the studies and use of psychedelics and altered states of consciousness were persecuted and discredited. He persisted as a professional and academic voice of reason through those darker decades, always highlighting the value that indigenous wisdom and the disciplined study of shamanic experiences could bring to modern psychology. Not a man of only spoken and published words, Dr. Krippner was never afraid to practice a bit of participant-observer research in those shamanic studies. He also was ahead of his time in his advocacy for tolerance and acceptance of diverse expressions of sexuality and gender.

Then, when the tides began to turn and the psychedelic renaissance dawned in the early 2000s, Professor Stanley was ready - like Professor X and his school of X-Men - to release his army of transpersonal students on the world.

Congratulations Dear Professor Stanley Krippner on this Lifetime Achievement Award. You certainly earned it. I wish you much health and comfort. I’m really looking forward to your 100th Birthday. Let’s make it as grand as your old friend Albert’s was.- Joseph

Throughout the time I have known you Stan, you have been wonderful scholar, teacher, mentor, visionary, and friend. We first met in 1999 at an introductory gathering for Saybrook students at the Santa Sabina Center in San Rafael. I found you to be charming, eclectic, magical, and engaging.

What amazed me most was the space you developed in your consciousness for me and others. You always understood my intent and appeared at precise moments during Saybrook Residential Conferences to answer a question or suggest my next steps. As your master’s and doctoral student at Saybrook from 1999-2007, I remember so many impressions and insights that have stayed with me. I was transformed by your Psychology of Shamanism course and your article with Alan Combs, "Process, Structure and Form: An Evolutionary Transpersonal Psychology of Consciousness" (2003), which introduced me to the concept of autopoiesis and paved the way for my evolving fascination with the writings of Francisco Varela and post-doctoral work.

Stan, you influenced my research, teaching, clinical work, and personal development. You mentored me through the writing of my master’s thesis, essays, PhD dissertation, and Alan Watts Scholarship Awards from the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy (2006-2007). A few months after graduating from Saybrook, you invited me to lecture at the Sino-American Institute for Transpersonal Studies and the Baiyun Psychological Hospital, Guangzhou, China, and the Poliplaza Médica Insituto de Medicina y Tecnología Avanzada de la Conducta, Ciebles Center, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. You later participated in the APA Symposium I chaired in 2009 on Neurophenomenology and the Enactive Approach to Cognition in Toronto, Canada that became my first book.

Neurophenomenology and Its Applications to Psychology (2013), which you wrote an insightful foreword for. That same year, I was delighted to present you with the Division 32 Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Humanistic Psychology at APA in Hawaii.

Ten years later, you wrote a glowing comment for the back of my second book, The Mind-Brain Continuum; Psychoneurointracrinology (2023) based on my dissertation. As Professor of Psychology at National University for the past 18 years, I designed a program in Integrative Psychology and developed a course titled, Psychology of Consciousness that includes many of the teachings, interviews, and YouTube videos that you produced on Shamanism and altered states of consciousness. My clinical work in our naturopathic clinic as research director and psychotherapist has likewise been enhanced by your insights that remain with me. Your contributions to the fields of psychology, consciousness studies, and transpersonal psychology are uniquely treasured by me and others who have the privilege to know you.

When I met you, Stan, I had just been injured by a distracted driver and was quite fragile. I emailed you from a university conference, and you invited me to come over and visit you in San Rafael… and my life was changed forever. I was humbled and grateful to be in your nurturing presence, and I felt very safe near you. I would visit you each day for weeks and bring you groceries (because you had no appetite because you were just out of the ICU and you were weak). I brought you every flavor of ice cream, snacks, and special soups each day, and you became very strong quickly with Master Hai’s (my energy healer and mentor) support to help you sleep at night.

I learned so much from you in those 2 months with you each day. Together we accomplished the following: a) I connected you with Dr. Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi, whom I met prior to meeting you to help with your book b) provided nutrients each day for your being and we enjoyed our meals together c) took you to doctor appointments and to meet with friends in Lyft or Uber rides d) it was then that I started to meet your "tribe"….who all knew I was helping you each day.

You told me I was your angel and I felt like you were mine.

Fast forward to today: Stan, because of your greatness, I was able to meet and experience the amazing individuals: Alberto Villoldo, PhD, Dr. Larry and Dr. Barbara Dossey, Jean and Mike Fox, Ingrid May, and many more amazing individuals. I am a better person because you made this mouse (me) feel like I was on top of a dinosaur (you) of wealth of information and knowledge. I admire how you value the rights of humans, equality for all, and to just be oneself. I think you are adorable because you can’t see how special you are, and this keeps you humble and kind. Thank you to your beautiful assistant, Jean, who organized this lovely tribute with her heart and soul. This tribute may allow you a special glimpse to know and deeply realize how loved you are by the universe. Due to medical reasons, I have not completed my doctorate yet; however, I know I will someday on God’s time and with the right team. Until then, I thank my lucky stars that I had a chance to spend time with you on so many special trips that I made to Sacramento and each time with you was so special to my heart. You always say kind words to me and make me feel deeply loved and special…thank you for this gift of love. You are a very special gift to the universe and the love you give others so unconditionally truly brings out the best in a person so they can self-actualize and be the best version of themselves. I am forever grateful for the universe bringing you in my life. I love you Stan, Pamela.

IASD, Past President & Board Chair Stanley Krippner, Medicine Man!

There are meetings in ordinary time, and there are meetings in dreamtime.

My first meeting with Stanley was at a Dream Ball of the International Association for Dreams (IASD) in the mid-nineties. He was one of the judges of the dream costumes, and I was delighted that he enthusiastically awarded my Kookaburra character the best animal prize.

That was when I first noticed this remarkable man who would become a mentor, inspiration and friend for many decades. The real direct meeting happened not long after as a dream encounter.

I dreamt I opened the medicine cabinet in my bathroom and there was a glass bottle with a label that read: "Stanley Krippner, Medicine Man." The meaning of this dream couldn’t have been clearer: I need to "open" this medicine through a real, in-person meeting with him. And I did. Humor seemed to always accompany our meetings, and my first in-person meeting with him tested his patience and good humor. Mercifully, I hope he’s forgotten that when I invited him to lunch I tipped my entire glass of ice water over in his lap! It was very strange, like the water was just pulled toward him. He laughed and so did I. A friendship bond was created right then. Only gradually did I learn of his vast learning, his research and writing, his eminent standing in the fields of psychology and yes, shamanism, as a true medicine man. Because of his kindness and openness to me, I felt comfortable and confident to approach him about my dreams, my ideas and psychic experiences and engage with him in joint presentations at IASD conferences.

My participation in IASD ranged from membership to creation of a regional representatives’ network and regional conferences and also to president and board chair positions. Stanley always said "YES!" when I asked him to do something, and so he came to my city of Cincinnati as a speaker at an IASD regional conference I arranged. And as he has personal ties to Cincinnati, he came on other occasions too, and I hosted him at my home. Also, as I’m originally a Californian and have family in the San Francisco area, I would meet with him in SF at Saybrook Institute & then go to lunch on my frequent visits there. I saw him in his role as teacher and researcher in this environment, and though I wasn’t a formal student of his, I cherish all I learned and am still learning from and with him, perhaps most importantly about telepathic and shamanic dreaming. His work on dream telepathy at the Maimonides Institute was very validating of my own experiences. I observed how many students, American and international, he positively influenced both in formal courses of study and informally through his many forays into indigenous cultures, unique fields and venues.

There are two areas where our experiences significantly intersected: abuse of First Nation people in boarding schools in the US and Canada and getting help for Veterans disabled by PTSD and war traumas. Our deep sharing about these themes, dreams, and experiences and presentations dealing with them have been invaluable to me and to others.

So, Stanley, Medicine Man, I thank you from the depths of my heart and psyche for all you’ve shared with me and most of all for your abiding friendship. You inspire me to keep at it with energy, curiosity, trust and confidence that we are held together in the magnificent, timeless web of Dreamtime!

With all respect and love,

Jodine Grundy July 21, 2026

Stanley Curtis Krippner, known to me as "Uncle Stanley," has, of course, known me my whole life. He is notable for remembering birthdays and holidays. Given his travels, he always shared unique mementos from around the world as gifts to me and my brother (Mason), and, more recently, to my daughter (Ella, aka Lilly), his grandniece.

It was probably on our trip to Curitiba, Brasil, in October 2019, when the combination of his personal and professional influences converged for me: We had occasion to hear him speak (in Portuguese no less!), engage with some of his long-time colleagues, and my husband (Brad) even got to co-present with him. It was spectacular to have him as a guide on our first trip there!

My predictions for the future: Stanley will be remembered for his generosity of collaborations. His mentorship and partnerships of a large and diverse group of research and practitioner partners stands to immortalize him and his work through time.

– Laura R. Peck (niece)

Although I do not consider myself one of Stanley Krippner’s colleagues, I did have the pleasure of presenting with him at a conference. While I am grateful for that experience, I am more grateful for something Stanley taught me and the attendees. During one of his panels, a student asked a question about a "supernatural" occurrence. Stanley interrupted the question gently but with authority and enthusiasm, saying, "I never use the term, ‘supernatural.’ If it occurs, it is natural!" "If it occurs, it is natural." The idea is easily approached, but profound and deeply impactful, much like Stanley.

– R. Bradley Snyder (nephew-in-law)

Stanley has been a father figure, mentor, beacon of kindness, and something of a saint to me. No single person has had a greater influence on my life. Through his work with personal mythology, he changed the course of my life and ultimately led me to pursue my own calling: reigniting personal mythology for the world. His work reaches into so many areas, yet it is always in service of helping to heal others and improve the human condition. If I were introducing Stanley to someone who had never heard of him, I would want them to know one thing: he’s a legend.

Best, Sidian M.S. Jones

People of Stan’s integrity and scientific devotion to truth (no matter how popular or unpopular the subject) can seem far too rare at times. Stan is a beacon for how we might work toward a better and more honest world we can improve—and why.

I’ll add briefly another story I’ve told about Stanley before, drawing from one APA dinner where Stan had been honored for something. (Nice that he gets honored so much!) I was one of the after-dinner people expounding about Stanley’s fine qualities. Another speaker was the late Sandy Sela-Smith, among Stan’s other ardent admirers. Someone might seek out the issue of Shaman’s Drum that contained a few of these tributes.

After I told this story, Stan said "I didn’t know anyone knew that!" (He had told some of us privately.) We went one better and put it (better version, probably) in Shaman’s Drum.

THE SITUATION—Stan had gone to Juarez on some guest teaching mission, perhaps about Personal Mythology Things had gone well But meanwhile, Juarez was one of the border towns where—at that time—there was a huge uproar about certain drug cartels, so we read at least, who were abducting and mistreating helpless victims and more

Stanley our hero was being interviewed by the local paper as this American professor in town, doing fascinating teaching. But Stan felt obliged to go further and speak out fervently about stopping this abuse of civilians, very much including women Someone had written a book about The Women of Juarez, around that time

What then comes out in the paper the next day but a photo of Stanley on the front page! The headline had the American professor protesting the dreadful problem, lack of controls. I want to emphasize that Stan said he got "death threats" because of this article. Here we see the character of our Hero, who knew there would be pushback and did it anyway.

Hooray for Stanley Krippner, in many ways an exemplar (see J. Humanistic Psychology 2015 article) but who was not to be silenced in this case, especially when a horrific wrong was being done. STANLEY KRIPPNER is a remarkable person in our lives, and a model in many ways for us, and for yet another reason he is perfect for The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Transpersonal Psychology.

Dearest Stan,

Reflecting on the many years we have known each other, I must go back to Puerto Rico and Inter-American University. You were a visiting lecturer, and I was a junior or sophomore.

I was electrified by your presentation, and came up to you and told you about the work that I was doing with the Spiritists. You encouraged me to become friendly with them and document their dreams. What kind of dreams did mediums and Spiritists have? You invited me to visit you at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, which I did.

Later, our paths crossed again at Sonoma State University. I was working on my master's, and you had just been hired to teach full-time at the university. There, we began to collaborate more closely. You mentioned you had a research grant to go to Brazil and you needed a translator. I replied that I did not speak a word of Brazilian Portuguese, but I would learn it in 3 weeks by the time we left, which I did! I served as your translator, General Troublemaker, and we had a wonderful expedition for the first visit to Brazil for either one of us. We stayed at the house of Carmen and Jarbas Marinho, and had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Hernani.

Then our journey continued into my Ph.D. program. At that time, you were at the Humanistic Psychology Institute, later to become Saybrook University. You were the Chairman of my thesis committee, and during that time we actually went to meet with Tony Sutich and Jim Fadiman at Tony Sutich's home. I remember he was paralyzed from the neck down and spoke to you while looking at you in a mirror from his resting position. He agreed to see me as a client, and I had 2 or 3 or 4 very deep sessions with him where he helped to focus me on being true to my life's work.

I could go on, but the story becomes increasingly adventurous. We authored a couple of books together. Traveled to Colombia, traveled to Europe, where we went to Monaco for the parapsychology conference that you sponsored and hosted, and where we had to sneak out through the kitchens before they arrested either one of us.

What rich and textured times we've had.

Congratulations on the Lifetime Achievement Award that you're receiving from the Transpersonal Society.

I was advised by my doctors not to travel after hip replacement surgery, given that I would have to take four flights in two days. I will miss you.

I send you all of my love and best wishes, and much health and beauty to you, Stan, as you have brought to so many of us.

With love,

Alberto Villoldo

July 20, 2026

Dr. Krippner has been a huge influence on my life ever since I read Realms of Healing and Healing States, which he co-authored with Alberto Villoldo. I had just begun my journey among the Indigenous peoples of North America, and those books opened my mind to how healing works. I knew I had to meet Stan, so I found a conference where he was speaking—The First Annual Conference on Altered States of Consciousness in Albuquerque, New Mexico—and flew down with the intention of meeting him.

You probably don’t remember, but you were kind enough to spend nearly two hours speaking with me after your talk. That meant a great deal to me, and it sparked a correspondence and friendship that has lasted over 30 years.

When I began working with survivors of Canada’s infamous Indian Residential School System, you were kind enough to share your thoughts and research on Post-Traumatic Stress. You even spent time with me and my team of counselors when I flew everyone to Seattle while you were giving a talk there.

I was thrilled when you accepted my invitation to attend a potlatch among the Kwakwaka’wakw of Northern British Columbia. The potlatch was hosted by my good friend, Chief William Wasden, and it featured masks and dances that had not been seen in over 50 years. Potlatches can run very late into the evening, often finishing after dawn on the final day. I remember what a great trooper you were—it was often long after midnight before we left the Big House!

Thank you, Stan. Your writings, teachings, and personal generosity of Spirit have been immensely meaningful in my life. Congratulations on this well-deserved award.

Warmly,

Thomas Denomme

Dear Stanley,

I appreciate your smile and the inspiration you have been for so many years.

I think about the loving support you gave Ruth-Inge’s Shamanism Conference.

I remember the going away party you gave Ruth-Inge at Saybrook. She was so happy. Native American Hoop Dancers.

I will always remember the Dream group you continued to participate in and guide.

Thank you for your passion for life and sharing your experiences with us.

Thank you for all you have given this world.

With love and gratitude,

A life well lived.

Lucy

I first met Stan when I was 16 years old in 1986 at the annual meeting of the Parapsychology Association. I was hoping to interview him and ask his advice about how to become a parapsychologist. He kindly agreed to give me an hour and gave me some very helpful advice about how to become a transpersonal clinical psychologist. It meant the world to me as a teenage brown boy that such an amazing genius would even give me an hour of his time!  However, it was just the start of a friendship and mentorship that has lasted 40 years now!

Stan's devotion to his students, research collaborators/participants, and the beings of the world are legendary. His devotion to helping others is, in my opinion, the most amazing thing about him.  His compassion is a key to understanding how he has stayed very grounded while also living "A Chaotic Life" of studying transpersonal and anomalous phenomena. Many people who study anomalous phenomena can often become ungrounded in their pursuit of a scientific discovery in ways that reflect lapses in critical thinking, compassion, and/or humility. But this is not Stan at all!

Whenever I am with Stan, he always seems to be very grounded in how he can help others. Stan tends to be open to and absorbed in the current moment, a delightfully playful kind of humility, and also a powerful mind filled with open-hearted skepticism. I can also say that his compassion is truly non-dual. I've seen Stan make great efforts to help people who have not always been that appreciative and/or have even been unkind to him. Stan is also devoted to helping and welcoming people from marginalized/oppressed groups. Both my Father and I experienced his compassion and openness many many times in our lives. I could not list all the things that Stan has done for me, but in short, he is the reason that I became a Clinical Psychologist and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

To me, the true measure of a teacher is the quality and number of the students that they also empower to help others.  Stan has easily been the greatest 'Teacher of Teachers' that I have ever met since I first met him in 1986. May his truly contagious wisdom, compassion, and humor continue to chaotically dance within all of us who are lucky enough to know him.

I salute all of you and send my Happy Regards, Ian

Dr. Krippner has been the most supportive person in my life regarding my work in physics and the discoveries I made in that field, which often changed the direction of research in numerous areas of study. This began in 1970, when I was first invited to New York City to deliver my technical paper, "The Physical Mechanisms of Kirlian Photography." It was later published in Energies of Consciousness, a book edited by Dr. Krippner, and read by one of my senior-year undergraduate professors at Washington State University, Dr. Bender. Two years later, Dr. Bender built the first MRI in Pullman, Washington, based on my discovery that the so-called "aura" was a "secondary emission of electrons."

It was also during this period that Dr. Krippner introduced me to Ed Mitchell, enabling me to be at Mission Control in 1971 as part of NASA’s ESP studies. This later led me to develop "ESP Induction Through Forms of Self-Hypnosis," one of eight protocols I provided to the Navy SEAL program, turning them into "Supermen"—or what are now called "Super Soldiers." These protocols are included in my book Power Tools for the 21st Century (2013). Duke University challenged this model in 1979, using Jean Dixon, Sybil Leek, and the leading psychics of the time. I won that contest by three orders of magnitude, validating my ESP model, in which an altered state of consciousness can be used as a tool. That model is now used within the current SEAL program.

Dr. Krippner later published my second work, "A Holographic Concept of Reality," written in 1972, in another book he edited, Psychoenergetic Systems. This paper opened the door to numerous opportunities, leading me to work first with SEAL Corporation in Amherst and then with Dr. Carl Schleicher as Northwest Regional Director of Mankind Research Unlimited, working in the field of paranormal studies. This allowed me to discover that some occult—or "hidden"—and paranormal—or "unexplained"—phenomena could and should be brought into the field of physics for study rather than dismissed for the usual, more traditional reasons.

Whenever I encountered something normally considered verboten, or "forbidden," Dr. Krippner encouraged me to expand my ways of looking at it. He gave me the confidence to question traditional thought and make breakthroughs in the traditional sciences. As a result, my interests expanded far beyond the normal areas of expertise. He helped me become more than just a physicist.

Over the years, as my interests and directions changed, he always supported me, making me feel that who I was—and who I was becoming—mattered. As a result, I am now considered a "world authority" in three fields: physics and metaphysics, alternative agriculture, and magick and the occult. Even today, after 56 years, I still find him responding generously to my questions, concerns, and doubts. That is how I would define a mentor.

I am now 82 and have more than 16 books in print, a nine-volume Encyclopedia of Alternative Agriculture, a 15-volume set of audiobooks on metaphysics, and more than 20 e-books currently available. I also have another 147 unfinished manuscripts. These include The SEAL Reports; The Marshall Papers, concerning my work with Buckminster Fuller; Spook Central, concerning my work with Dr. Carl Schleicher; and a new 15-volume Encyclopedia on Crop Selections, consisting of 360 PDFs.

One of my current books, The Non-Local Mind in a Holographic Universe, from the Toward the Evolution of Man series (©1973, 2017, 2021), is dedicated to Dr. Stanley Krippner. Another book, due out this year, is titled The Magical & Ritual Use of Metaphors: Archetypal Gods in Daily Living. This book on the Tarot is not about fortune-telling, but about identifying the archetypes involved in making each individual unique. It proposes that there are 22 stories within humankind and provides tools for "changing the movie"—or changing one’s personality.

I met Stanley Krippner from my dear friend Jean Millay at The Shamanism Conference.  He was someone she said I had to get to know, and that is what happened.

Stanley has helped me in so many ways ,and he has inspired me by his example of how he lives life.

He has taught me THE SHOW MUST GO ON.  If I feel too tired for an event or something, I remember his words and push through.

If I want to travel and I have health issues, I remember that Stanley travels happily everywhere no matter what might be happening with his body. SO if he can do this I should be able to as well.

He has supported me for 5 years on my Podcast by encouraging me and sending me people from his extensive Rolodex of friends and colleagues.

Years ago I was doing something that I did not think I could do and he said: "Gail, you can do anything". I never had anyone say that to me before and it felt great.

Stanley asked me to write stories from my life about Rolling Thunder and about Sexual Assault, and I feel honored that he put them in his books. Really, my first published writing that anyone has put in their book was Stanley. Now I am publishing my own book.

He invited me into a table tipping group, and I learned that as a group we could do this, and it was a very high-energy experience we did many times together.

There is so much more, but that is some of how he has helped me.

The main thing I want to say is what an amazing human being Stanley is.

When we travel, he is the best companion.  He never complains, and he is so humble about all his accomplishments. I have never heard him say a bad word about anyone or use foul language.  He is kind, understanding, brilliant, loving, and a great friend known around the world.

My two favorite images were one day walking behind him, and Jean after a lunch we had together in San Rafael, and just seeing them walking down the street had such a beautiful energy around them.

The other was watching him and Jean holding hands on my living room couch while watching The Leaping Lizard documentary on MDA. It was such a loving image I keep in my heart like a photo.

I met Stanley through magical Jeanne Millay, a shining star for my woman Gail and me.

We’ve spent more time with him these past few years and traveled more than once to NYC with him, which we all adore.

He invited us to Ecuador with him — his latest international engagement — but it would be too much for us, and we had to decline.  But nothing slows Stanley down, and we hooted at his latest wild story.  It was only when we began his memoir that I realized the astonishing scope of his life.

Before a life celebration of Jeanne here, she and Stanley cuddled on our couch and, as it happened, watched two features on the psychedelic movement in our living room.  All these brave, brilliant, joyous psychologists, pioneers, and chemists.

Stanley winked at me.  "You’re about to meet the makers and distributors of millions of hits of psychedelics, more than anyone can fathom."   Because the next morning, like the finale of Big Fish or a scene from The Purple Rose of Cairo, almost all of them trooped in through the screen, celebrating with their lifelong friends Stanley and Jeanne.

I look forward to another magical Stanley event today.  We love you so much, Stanley.

Stanley impacted me most in this way. When first being exposed to him in person at Saybrook Institute's initial conference/gathering for new students, I felt like I could sense something special about him. He radiated a unique and pleasant presence and confidence. I'd had contact with some of his articles on my own previously, even discussion about his work with my mentor in undergraduate school at Grand Valley State University in the 1980s. I went to great lengths to get copies of articles by him and David Feinstein in a large University of Michigan library that housed journals in a long, deep room that had ceilings much lower than 8 feet. You had to stoop and walk to get to the needed journals. Anyway, it was very valuable for me to meet a man with the courage to acknowledge the complexity in the world and elusive phenomena not easily studied through the most accepted research methods (though even there, he's been willing to try). Stanley made the field of psychology much more interesting — the way I wanted it to be (unlike how it is often presented in traditional colleges and psychology departments).

Stanley is an example of a yes man, but in the opposite of its usual sense. He said yes to people pursuing their genuine interests, yes to studying difficult-to-capture phenomena, yes to supporting and encouraging people in their pursuits — and in their own way, I think (if it seemed best for the person). He could provide guidance without imposing too much of his own views on people, seemingly with understanding that there are a variety of equally valid ways to slice up or define reality. He was also an example of courage — going against the grain and enduring unthoughtful critics, while welcoming legitimate alternative points of view. He has filled a niche that the world needs filled more often.