How To Judge The Impossible

Say an authority figure in the humanities like Jeffrey J. Kripal gets it wrong about any of the people he uses as examples to back up his theory, does it doom his theory? Does it call him into question as a researcher or is it acceptable and expected that most every researcher will get it wrong sometimes?

What is important about studying mystical phenomena in the first place given that it is to be engaged with personally to have any meaningful effect in one's life? And how can we tell if someone is legitimately engaging with mystical phenomena or deluding themselves? 

More Tom Cheetham, anyone? Why not give his substack a look? https://tomcheetham.substack.com/