John Mack Institute (JMI)
A not-for-profit organization carrying forward the work of Harvard psychiatrist John E. Mack, focused on supporting people who have faced “unconventional, isolating, and anomalous experiences” (experiencers) and on legitimizing their academic study. JMI pairs clinical/mental-health support with research infrastructure.
Named figures: Simon Bresler (LCSW, Clinical Director), Kimberly S. Engels (Research Director), Andrea Oddo (Executive Director), Charles Holt (Communications Director; r/Experiencers co-founder). JMI co-sponsored the July 2026 “Breaking the Taboo” symposium alongside Rice’s Center For The Impossible.
JMI’s stated support model is a “Middle Path” that does not impose a single worldview on experiencers but fosters open, relational meaning-making, integrating digital peer communities with clinicians and researchers.
Vault appearances
- src-breaking-the-taboo-uap-contact-symposium-2026-05 — co-sponsor; staff deliver several talks on experiencer mental health and support.