The Institute for Research on Extraordinary Experiences was founded by journalist and writer Stéphane Allix and doctor Bernard Castells.

Formerly a war correspondent, Stéphane Allix began his career in journalism at the age of 19 by clandestinely joining a group of Afghan guerilla fighters resisting the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. Since then he has traveled all over the world, has made documentary films, and has written several books. In addition to the war in Afghanistan, he has covered others in countries such as Somalia and Cashmere. He has often seen death, so palpable and strange, close up. He has touched its hand...?For nearly twenty years, he has relentlessly pursued the same quest – seeking answers to questions such as How does the world work? Who are we? He is deeply dedicated to exploring limits and the unknown, and in doing so, has acquired a solid background in investigative journalism.?For the past four years, he has studied puzzling questions raised by certain scientific discoveries about the nature of the universe. This has led him to realize the importance that eyewitness testimony and unexplained human experiences can have in opening doors to new dimensions of reality. Through a methodologically rigorous scientific approach, it is possible to explore the narratives of experiencers, and to learn from them.

A medical doctor specialized in radiology and an organizational consultant, Bernard Castells combines scientific rigor and work on human relationships. Formerly head of the health section of the Bordeaux School of Management, he uses a systematic peer network-based approach to accompany directors, executive committees, managers, and management teams, in the process of defining and transforming their organizations. For several years he worked with Professor Maurice Marois, creator of The Institute of Life (See « Testament for Humanity » by Maurice Marois at the National Library.) Starting in 1960, this institute gathered nearly 3000 researchers and thinkers throughout the world, including 300 Nobel Prize winners, and reflected on questions such as future sources of energy, global warming, biodiversity, viral and bacterial mutations, the place of man in the universe, and other subjects, many of which were not of great public interest at the time. The seminar « Man in the Universe » was held in May 1992 at Harvard and brought together, in addition to Steve Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics and author of « The First Three Minutes of the Universe », the presidents of the greatest universities in the world, researchers, philosophers, and theologians. The subjects discussed there are today the basis of the work of INREES. It is thus the same spirit of openness and rigor that Bernard Castells brings to INREES today.