Step inside the real-life X-Files. Archive X: Unexplained Phenomena gives viewers unprecedented access to Rice University’s Center for the Impossible, to deep dive into the evidence behind near-death experiences, UFOs, alien encounters, ESP, and messages from the beyond. We sat down with the founder of the Center for the Impossible, Professor Jeffrey J. Kripal, one of the leading scholars of extraordinary human experiences and the host of the show, along with executive producers Harris Fishman and Chris Muckle (October Films) to give viewers a sense of what to expect when this special new series premieres on October 1 on AMC+ and Sundance TV. 

Out of all the cases in the archive, how did you decide which cases to focus on for the show? Was it new evidence/new testimonies from experiencers that brought up some of these older cases or did you have a short list of open cases that you were compelled to return to? Or maybe it’s a combination of both? 

Jeffrey Kripal: It was definitely both. The show starts out with cornerstone cases from the archive, and we helped the filmmakers make selections there. We focused on contemporary experiencers, some of whom we knew, some of whom we didn't — it was really a collaborative effort there for sure. We also looked for stories that could be told well visually. 

Harris Fishman: Much of what we focused on comes from the books that Jeff has written and the material that's in the archive. What Chris and I did was identify cases from the archive that we could really tie to modern day. We were looking for experiencers who were living today. We met hundreds of people that had really compelling stories. It was a long process just to interview people who had these very relatable, yet extraordinary stories that we wanted to share. These folks act as living elements of the archive. 

Chris Muckle: Each episode focuses on a certain phenomenon. I came in as a lay person to all of this really. What I noticed right away was that these phenomena were connected somehow. It was like shooting an arrow through different things. One phenomenon brings up another phenomenon. You can really connect one element of a case in the archive that at first glance wouldn’t seem related at all. These phenomena interlink in a way that’s so surprising and that feels like the secret heart of the show. That these things are really interconnected. 

So, it's this tapestry that we're only just starting to pull the thread on really with Season 1. I think that's the thing that's perhaps the biggest message of the show. As we go episode by episode, hopefully season by season, that tapestry will become increasingly apparent. 

HF: We also think a lot of these narratives have not been told with the level of sensitivity that’s needed, so that was really important to us and something we want to make sure to do. 

It’s so arrogant to think that we’re the only advanced creatures to exist in the vast expanse of space and that every phenomenon must be explained by science or logic. That said, of course there are still those who are closed to all of this and total non-believers when it comes to phenomenon that isn’t supported by irrefutable evidence. In your experience, which cases have been the ones to soften those people, to change their worldview, and perhaps act as a catalyst for those folks to open up a bit more? 

JK: I think when skeptics are confronted with the power of these experiencers & their stories, there's a human connection that's made and there's a movement that you see happen. I’ve seen it among my colleagues. I've been doing this for 20 years. I've been talking to experiencers for a long, long time and writing about them and none of the skeptical arguments that it's all fraudulent or that experiencers are in it for money or fame really stand up. When you spend so much time with experiencers you realize they’re just incredible human beings. We feature 12 experiencers in these six episodes and they're all amazing. 

The perspective we’re trying to take with the show is not from the point of view of a skeptic, but it’s also not from a religious perspective either. We're really trying to go down the middle, this third view, this third path that I think will be new to people. I think they're used to this binary choice between the believers being entirely right or the skeptics/debunkers being entirely right. And we're like, "No. They're both right about what they're saying but we're going to take this other view." 

CM: That was a really important part of the development process because early on with any show, you push and pull this way and that, and you experiment. What became clear very quickly is that it wasn’t our job to judge. Our job was just to show it all and have the viewer you judge for themself. We’re showing phenomenon happening casually and I find it just goes straight to your heart. You're like, "Did I just see that?" And we don't make a fuss. It's just like “here it is!” And that's a deliberate thing. That straight down the middle line was really important. 

HF: There were so many collaborators on this project coming to it with different worldviews and with open hearts. Everyone was very excited about the inquiry of it all. I certainly came to it more of a "believer" than most because I've been doing this for so long and this was in my worldview growing up. What was so fun for me to observe was watching people along the way have their light bulb go off and be like, "Oh, now I see what you're saying, Chris/Harris!" or "Oh my God, I can't believe that just happened!" And they themselves "flip." Jeff wrote about those moments in time where all of a sudden someone who is a skeptic flips to this other worldview. We hope the show can do that and lead to deeper conversations. 

AMC Global Media has incredibly devoted fandoms around our shows like The Walking Dead Universe, Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here and our streaming platform SHUDDER. We don’t shrink away from heavy subject matter, that’s for sure. That said, a documentary show like Archive X does feel new & different for us, but somehow really feels on brand too. Can you tell us a bit about how everything came together between October Films and AMC? 

CM: I feel like AMC, especially in its drama offerings & scripted programming, presents us with these incredible worlds with a twist. So, we see the normal world, but in this version, there are zombies or witches, or we’re presented with something that is supernatural, paranormal, or all together otherworldly. And that's what this is. Every experiencer that you meet is someone who hasn't asked for this to happen to them, but their world is being changed by something paranormal, supernatural, something otherworldly. I think all we're doing with Archive X is showing the real-world version of a lot of the drama themes that are in AMC’s scripted shows. I think there probably isn't a better place for our show than AMC because that fandom is already there! 

There’s such a huge variety of types of cases included in the archive. Do you have personal favorites that really resonate with you for academic or perhaps emotional reasons? 

JK: I do! First of all, I think it's overwhelming really. I think the number of cases, it's just beyond what any one person can do or think. The first feeling I get working in the archive is one of profound humility and smallness. I mean, you're talking about probably a million documents and tens of thousands of experiences. I'm drawn particularly to Karin Austin, Whitley Strieber, and John Mack, who was a fellow academic. I think I really do understand where those people are coming from. I don't have this wealth of experience that Whitley or Karin have. I'm a dullard or a dud, as I like to joke, but I have profound sympathy. 

I've written books with Whitley, and I've written a book that includes a section on Karin, so those are the people that come to my mind. I guess it's stories from the alien abduction world that have really moved me. The connection between science fiction and reality is much weirder and much stranger than people realize. The thing about vampires and zombies, of course we know at some level they're science fiction, but aren’t we all just characters in some science fiction, aren’t we? I mean, that's kind of the rabbit hole you start to go down right away. Not right away maybe, but you certainly eventually go down it. [Laughs]

These stories are very close to me. I actually cried watching the first episode. This human quality is really powerful because you connect to the experiencers in a way that I think is impossible to accomplish when you’re just reading a blog. When you see this person on screen and they tell their story, well whoa! 

What are you hoping viewers take away from the experience of watching all 6 parts of the series? There’s soooo much to digest and process! 

HF: There's been so much debate and discussion and reflection on that question because this community is so robust. Well Jeff, this all started with you! There are a couple of different audiences we’d like to reach. There's the hardcore community, and then there's the broader audience that's just getting introduced to Jeff for the first time. What do you want to happen, Jeff? 

JK: What I want is that middle road I mentioned before. I want people to understand that it's not just binary. It's not just about belief or skepticism. There is this other way forward. And frankly, I want millions of people to see that and to understand that and not just a few. 

HF: I want a conversation, but I would like everyone to flip. I'm a bit of a proselytizer. To be completely honest, I want audiences to flip, and I want them to realize that life doesn't end when we die. I really want people to realize that. I want people to realize, like you said, Laura, that we can't be the smartest things on the food chain. I want people to realize that consciousness doesn't live inside of ourselves. It's something way bigger than we could ever, ever truly imagine. Something I learned from Jeff is I want people to realize that you don't need to land the plane so fast. Let's have a real conversation. Let's ask the next question. Let's be open-hearted. Let's not judge people for “seeming like they're telling the craziest stories and maybe embrace that the impossible is real," like Jeff has said. 

JK: One of the things that I say a lot — I mean, I tell a lot of bad jokes — but one of them is “it's a conversation, not a conclusion.” I think that's really at the core of this, that it's not just a conversation. It's a conversation designed to provoke and to flip and to really get people to take this seriously, which does not mean literally, but it does means seriously. 

New series Archive X: Unexplained Phenomena premieres Thursday, October 1 at 10/9c on SundanceTV, AMC+ and All Reality, with new episodes premiering weekly on all platforms. You can also watch episodes via AMC+ at amcplus.com or through the AMC+ app available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku plus Samsung and Vizio smart TVs. AMC+ can also be streamed through a variety of providers, including AppleTV, Prime Video Channels, DirectTV, Dish, Roku Channel, Sling, and Xfinity. Sign up for AMC+ now.