Alister Hardy

Study of religion
Dating from his boyhood at Oundle School Hardy had a lifelong interest in spiritual phenomena but aware that his interests were likely to be considered unorthodox in the scientific community apart from occasional lectures he kept his opinions to himself until his retirement from his Oxford Chair. " He also speculated that all species might be linked in a "cosmic mind" capable of carrying evolutionary information through space and time. His views on evolution has been described by some as vitalist.

He founded the Religious Experience Research Centre in 1969 after retiring as a professor at the University of Oxford.