Brief
Maria of Agreda
The claims the writer was given for Maria of Agreda, in the order they were given.
1
Sister Maria of Agreda wrote that she was not certain whether she really and truly travelled in her body during her bilocations, comparing her uncertainty to Saint Paul's account of being carried up to the third heaven without knowing whether it was in the body or out of it, but affirmed that the events did in fact happen and had nothing to do with the devil or wrong desires.
“Whether or not I really and truly went in my body is something about which I cannot be certain... What I can assure you beyond any doubt is that the case did in fact happen, and that as far as I know, it had nothing to do with the devil or wrong desires.”
American Cosmic 2019 83 testimony first hand
2
D. W. Pasulka regards Sister Maria of Agreda as a meta-experiencer.
“While in Rome I became reacquainted with a historical figure whom I came to view as a meta-experiencer.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:2772-2863 opinion first hand
3
Sister Maria of Agreda was a cloistered Spanish nun who lived in the seventeenth century.
“Sister Maria of Agreda was a cloistered Spanish nun who lived in the seventeenth century.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:2876-2957 administrative
4
Sister Maria of Agreda was a mystic who wrote books about the Virgin Mary that were very popular in her era and are still widely read.
“She was a mystic who wrote books about the Virgin Mary that were very popular in her era and are still widely read.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:2966-3076 administrative
5
Sister Maria of Agreda's earliest works were cosmographies that were later burned by nuns of her convent.
“Her earliest works, later burned by nuns of her convent, were cosmographies.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:3082-3144 observation
6
Diana Pasulka observed that Sister Maria of Agreda's records described her claim of bilocating to New Mexico, the same region that Tyler D. had taken Diana Pasulka and James Master to visit a supposed UFO crash site.
“I was struck by the thought that Sister Maria of Agreda, whose records I had seen, had claimed to have bilocated to New Mexico, the part of the world where Tyler had taken James and me to visit the supposed UFO crash site.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:31322-31539 observation first hand
7
Sister Maria of Agreda's cosmographies contained descriptions of her astral journeys through space and over the earth, recorded as topographies of other countries, cultures, and space.
“They contained descriptions of her astral journeys through space and over the earth, which she recorded as topographies of other countries, cultures, and space.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:3159-3313 observation
8
In the early 1600s, as Spain was exploring and colonising western North America, the young Sister Maria of Agreda claimed that with the help of angels she flew through space and over the ocean to New Mexico.
“In the early 1600s, as Spain was exploring and colonizing western North America, the youthful Maria claimed that with the help of angels she flew through space and over the ocean to New Mexico.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:32125-32311 hearsay second hand
9
Sister Maria of Agreda's sister nuns said they witnessed her during her alleged bilocations rising a few feet off the floor and being surrounded by brilliant light.
“Her sister nuns said they witnessed Maria during her alleged bilocations and that she rose a few feet off the floor and was surrounded by brilliant light.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:32319-32467 hearsay second hand
10
Alonso de Benavides met with Sister Maria of Agreda and questioned her closely about what she saw and with whom she spoke during her alleged bilocations to New Mexico.
“He met with Maria and questioned her closely about what she saw and with whom she spoke.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:32941-33023 observation first hand
11
Alonso de Benavides was impressed by Sister Maria of Agreda's account, which included details he thought she could not have known, and made a report to King Philip IV of Spain.
“Benavides was impressed by her account, which included details of things of which he thought she could not have been aware, and he made a report to the king of Spain, Philip IV.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:33030-33204 observation first hand
12
Alonso de Benavides and others used Sister Maria of Agreda's claimed bilocation journeys to justify continued funding and efforts to expand the Spanish empire.
“He and others used them to justify their continued funding and efforts to expand the Spanish empire.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:33273-33366 opinion first hand
13
Sister Maria of Agreda's early works on cosmography, in which she wrote that she saw the earth from space as a spinning sphere, were burned and only a few copies remain.
“Sitting in the archive, it was hard not to remember Sister Maria’s early work on cosmography and her recognition of some of the “heretical” scientific discoveries of her own era. Those works, her first, were burned, and only a few copies remain. She wrote that she saw the earth from space, and it was a spinning sphere.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:33713-34026 observation first hand
14
Sister Maria of Agreda is best known as the author of Mystical City of God, a biography of the Virgin Mary.
“She is best known as the author of the *Mystical City of God*, a biography of the Virgin Mary”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:34034-34123 administrative first hand
15
Jeffrey Kripal suggests considering Sister Maria of Agreda's bilocation claims within a both/and framework rather than an either/or scenario that reduces them to pure imagination or purely political machinations.
“As Jeff Kripal suggests, instead of positing an either/or scenario that negates the inexplicable and anomalous and reduces Maria’s claims to purely imaginings and nothing more, why not consider the story within a framework of both/and?”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:35510-35741 opinion first hand
16
Sister Maria of Agreda criticised Alonso de Benavides for being too literal in his interpretation of her bilocations, while insisting that the bilocations really did happen.
“She even criticized Benavides for being too “literal” in his interpretation of her bilocations. At the same time, she insisted that they *really did happen*.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:36149-36298 testimony first hand
17
Sister Maria of Agreda's bilocation story became very popular in the seventeenth century and is mentioned in textbooks as part of the history of the western United States.
“Maria’s story became very popular in the seventeenth century and is even mentioned in textbooks as part of the history of the western United States, where I first encountered it as a student in high school.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:3685-3884 administrative
18
Sister Maria of Agreda noted that her bilocation travels would not have happened without the assistance of angels or angelic beings.
“Significantly, Maria notes that her travels would not have happened without the assistance of angels, or angelic beings.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:37015-37128 testimony first hand
19
As a woman living in the seventeenth century who dared to write, Sister Maria of Agreda inspired suspicion and had to answer to the Inquisition.
“As a woman living in the seventeenth century who dared to write, she inspired suspicion and had to answer to the Inquisition.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:37370-37483 observation first hand
20
Sister Maria of Agreda later claimed that she was pressured to answer to Alonso de Benavides in ways he desired, and some of her writings were burned.
“She later claimed that she was pressured to answer to Benavides in ways that he desired. Some of her writings were burned.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:37496-37611 hearsay second hand
21
Sister Maria of Agreda later recanted her recantations and rewrote many of her former works from memory.
“Later, she recanted her recantations and rewrote many of her former works from memory.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:37619-37698 observation first hand
22
Tyler D.'s understanding of the 'beings' was transformed by his encounter with Sister Maria of Agreda's alleged bilocations, information about levitations of other saints and apparitions of the Virgin Mary, hospital rounds with Father McDonnell, and insights from scientists at the Vatican and Vatican Observatory.
“That night, Tyler admitted that his understanding of the “beings” was being transformed by his experiences. His encounter with Sister Maria and her alleged bilocations... coupled with what he had felt while making hospital rounds with Father McDonnell, and then the insights he gathered from the other scientists at the Vatican and the Vatican Observatory, shifted his interpretive structure with respect to what he thought might be extraterrestrials.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:38963-39499 testimony first hand
23
Tyler D. felt a kinship to Sister Maria of Agreda and vowed to devote his life to a new ministry after his trip to Rome.
“He now felt a kinship to Sister Maria of Agreda, and he vowed to devote his life to a new ministry.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:41745-41835 observation first hand
24
Tyler D. believed the beings he was in contact with were, or were similar to, the angels spoken of by Sister Maria of Agreda that had transported her to what is now the southwestern United States.
“He believed that these beings were, or were similar to, the beings spoken of by Sister Maria, the angels that had transported her to what is now the southwestern United States.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:41845-42014 opinion second hand
25
An organisation funded D. W. Pasulka's research trip to Rome, Italy to analyse the canonisation trial records of St. Joseph of Cupertino and Sister Maria of Agreda.
“The organization that funded my research trip to Rome had asked me to analyze the canonization trial records of St. Joseph of Cupertino and Sister Maria of Agreda.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:4403-4559 administrative first hand
26
Sister Maria of Agreda was never canonised, although her cause has been proposed to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints many times.
“Sister Maria of Agreda, however, was never canonized, although her cause has been proposed to the church’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints many times.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:5252-5402 administrative
27
Sister Maria of Agreda's biographers reported that her body levitated surrounded by a blinding white light in her small convent cell while she experienced herself soaring on the wings of angels across the ocean and in space to what Spain called "the New World".
“Her biographers have said that while her body levitated surrounded by a blinding white light in her small cell in the convent, she experienced herself soaring on the wings of angels across the ocean and in space to what Spain called “the New World.””
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:5409-5651 hearsay second hand
28
D. W. Pasulka considers Sister Maria of Agreda's alleged voyages to New Mexico to have helped Spanish missionaries obtain funding to convert indigenous Americans, seeding cultural imagination in support of the missionaries' work.
“Maria allegedly bilocated to New Mexico, and the stories of her experiences helped Spanish missionaries obtain funding to convert indigenous Americans.... Maria’s case is similar to Tyler’s in that she seeded the cultural imagination with supernatural support for the missionaries’ work.”
American Cosmic 2019 ch7:6658-6982 opinion first hand
29
Witnesses reported that Theresa of Avila, Joseph of Cupertino, and Maria of Agreda all appeared to be dead when they were levitating.
“Witnesses reported that Theresa of Avila, Joseph of Cupertino, and Maria of Agreda, who was also a noteworthy bilocator, all seemed to be dead when they were levitating.”
The Fourth Mind 2025-01-15 ch22:22010-22168 testimony
30
Maria of Agreda was noted as a bilocator.
“Maria of Agreda, who was also a noteworthy bilocator”
The Fourth Mind 2025-01-15 ch22:22077-22120 administrative
31
Maria of Agreda's body became so light during levitation that her sister nuns could move it by blowing on it.
“Maria of Agreda’s body became so light that her sister nuns could blow it around with a puff of breath.”
The Fourth Mind 2025-01-15 ch22:23498-23594 testimony
32
Maria of Agreda was tortured while in her levitating state without effect.
“She also was tortured while in this state, to no effect.”
The Fourth Mind 2025-01-15 ch22:23602-23651 testimony
33
Maria of Agreda's sisters floated her out into public where visitors could move her about by blowing on her.
“floods of visitors came to her convent, and her sisters took to floating her out into public where people could move her about by blowing on her as if she was, as Professor Eire puts it, "a wispy plaything."”
The Fourth Mind 2025-01-15 ch22:23711-23907 testimony
34
Maria of Agreda became furious upon discovering she was being used as a paid public amusement.
“When she found out that she was being used in this way, as an amusement, and a paid one at that, she was furious.”
The Fourth Mind 2025-01-15 ch22:23919-24024 testimony