This year marks 50 years since Sir Alister Hardy founded the Religious Experience Research Unit at Manchester College, Oxford in 1969.

The celebrations of this key moment started with a lecture by Rupert Sheldrake who gave the very first lecture at Members’ Day many years ago.

Hardy family members, including his grandson Dr Tom Farley and his great niece Jane Winship, spoke about the personal side of Hardy’s life and showed rare family photos from their own collections. In addition, Dr Mark Fox spoke about using the archive in his research, whilst former RERC Director Peggy Morgan and current Director Prof Bettina Schmidt spoke about their own involvement with the archive, AH Society and Trust.

Prof Ursula King spoke about Hardy’s influence on her own research and work and finally the current Chair of Trustees, Prof Leslie Francis looked to the future and the next fifty years.

A reception rounded off the day which was very well attended and supported with the help of Oxford Group members and others who willingly assisted with the book stall, admission and teas and coffees.

With thanks to all those who attended and helped make this day a success.

The 2018 Alister Hardy Memorial Lecture, Meeting in the Cave of the Heart, on the importance of religious experience to theology and interspirituality, has just been published in an edited version by its author, Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke in the RERC Lampeter's online  Journal for the Study of Spiritual Experience.

This is the first of four papers in the latest issue and in it Marcus relates how Sir Alister Hardy had inspired him, and tells of his own personal approach to the study of religious experience. It can be read here

Prof Bettina Schmidt the current Director of the RERC at Lampeter organised a three day conference in July to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the original RERC in Oxford in 1969.

The event was supported by the Alister Hardy Trust and over 60 delegates attended many travelling from other countries to support the conference. The three day event comprised of key note lectures and also a varied and diverse programme of presentations delivered by research students and those following doctoral studies. Notable presentations were given by Prof Leslie Francis (chair of the AHT) Prof Ann Taves (University of California, Santa Barbara), Prof Jeremy Carrette (University of Kent), and Marianne Rankin (Director of Communications) and Wendy Dossett (former Director of the RERC).

A celebratory dinner was hosted on the first evening at which the Vice Chancellor Medwin Hughes spoke, and also Dr Tom Farley who is the grandson of Sir Alister Hardy and a Trustee. Peggy Morgan, a former Director of the RERC also spoke about her own reminiscences of Hardy and his legacy.

The Hardy family had kindly loaned many personal items for a display in the university library and small tours were facilitated by Tom Pitchford. It was a fascinating exhibition with many items not seen before.

The event was very well organised and thanks should go to Prof Bettina Schmidt and those behind the scenes who made the conference such a great success.

The attached photographs provide a flavour of the event.

It is with sadness that we record the death of Bronwen, Viscountess Astor, who died on 28th December 2017 ages 87.  Bronwen Astor was a great friend of the AHRERC and Society. She was one of the earliest people to respond to Sir Alister Hardy's 1969 appeal for accounts of religious and spiritual experiences. She went on to meet Sir Alister, and through him David Hay who, in 1986, invited her to join the AHRERC's Advisory Research Council.  Bronwen was also one of the earliest members of the former Alister Hardy Society, becoming a Life Member and Chair of the Society when it was formally launched in November 1994 (serving from then to 1997 in that capacity). As Chair she took a leading role in vital fund-raising efforts made on behalf of the Centre in those early years.  Also in 1992, she became a Trustee of the then newly formed Alister Hardy Trust when it took over the running of the Centre from the Advisory Research Council.   And, finally, in 2000, Bronwen became a Patron of the Centre - later retiring to live in Chichester.

A funeral mass will be said for her at St. Richard's Church, Chichester on Tuesday 16th January 2018 at 10.30 am; and a full obituary will be included in the Spring 2018 issue of the AHT journal, De Numine.

John Franklin is very well known to members of the old Society and Trust having served for nearly 30 years as the Hon Secretary to the Alister Hardy Society and a Trustee on the AHT.

He was also the founder member of the London Group which ran for many years and arranged events, speakers and assisted with many conferences. To mark John’s formal retirement ahead of a move to Gloucestershire in the New Year, the Group had the opportunity to celebrate and thank John and present him with a voucher. Rowena Rudkin chaired the final meeting of the Group and warmly thanked John for all that he as achieved over so many years. We wish him and his wife, Andree, all the very best for their future as they relocate to a new home in Cirencester.

Dream States, Spirituality and Wellbeing
Melina Ziemer
Dream Research Institute & Religious Experience Research Centre

In conjunction with the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre (RERC), the Dream Research Institute (DRI) in London is currently collecting accounts of people’s spiritual or religious experiences in dreams.

If you have ever had a spiritual or religious experience in a dream, and are 18 years or older, you are invited to take part in our ‘Dream States, Spirituality and Wellbeing’ research project.

Please click here to take part in the survey.

The AHSSSE Committee and Members would like to pass on their congratulations to Dr. David Greenwood (AHT Honorary Treasurer) on receiving his PhD, and also to Aled Thomas (former AHSSSE student rep) and his wife Victoria on their marriage on the 3rd of August!