Bryce Haymond

Hedcut portrait of Bryce Haymond

Bryce Haymond is an independent scholar and writer exploring the intersection of Mormonism, mysticism, and the potential for human transcendence. His interest in these areas was sparked five years prior to his MTA conference presentation, when he experienced a profound and transformative feeling he describes as an overwhelming creative muse. This experience led him on a journey to understand higher states of consciousness and mystical experiences.

Haymond’s research has led him to engage with the work of scholars such as Mark Koltko-Rivera, Hugh Nibley, Margaret Barker, and William Hamblin, focusing on diverse forms of mysticism. He believes there is an ultimate shared divine reality behind mystical experiences. He has distilled his research into a forthcoming book and shares extended versions of his ideas on his website, thymindoman.com. In his MTA conference talk, Haymond described his unique views on the potential of humanity and overcoming assumed limitations.

Videos by Bryce Haymond

On Earth as It Is in Heaven: The Power of AI Art in Reifying Our Visions
9:51

Bryce Haymond

On Earth as It Is in Heaven: The Power of AI Art in Reifying Our Visions

The presenter recounts discovering AI image generation in September 2022, when typing “cat” into Stable Diffusion and watching a neural network create an entirely new image felt like “pure magic.” Acknowledging both the creative potential and the risks of deepfakes and misinformation, he focuses on AI art’s positive applications—demonstrating through a commissioned Hindu icon of Krishna and Radha how tools like ControlNet, Regional Prompter, inpainting, and upscaling transform rough generations into photorealistic works. He argues that just as photography requires skill beyond pressing a shutter button, AI art demands mastery of complex processes, making it a legitimate new medium for “reifying the mystical” and manifesting visions “on earth as it is in heaven.”

The Book of Mormon as Literary Alchemy
22:44

Bryce Haymond

The Book of Mormon as Literary Alchemy

Bryce Haymond proposes that Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon parallels the medieval alchemical tradition—a process that was both material and spiritual in nature. Drawing on Ann Taves's materialization theory and Tibetan Buddhist concepts of hidden treasure texts, Haymond suggests Joseph may have created a physical representation of visionary gold plates, believing this act of co-creation would manifest the sacred reality he had seen in vision. The true "philosopher's stone" Joseph discovered was not literal gold but the spiritual wisdom hidden within human consciousness—a transfiguration from treasure-seeking youth to one who realized that humanity itself is the true gold.

The Mystical Core of Mormonism: An Introduction
20:59

Bryce Haymond

The Mystical Core of Mormonism: An Introduction

Bryce Haymond introduces mysticism as the "core" of Mormon spirituality, tracing his own transcendent experience that led him to study altered states of consciousness. He argues that Joseph Smith's First Vision—and countless similar accounts throughout history—represent genuine mystical encounters occurring within the mind, triggered by meditation, seer stones, and other "technologies of transcendence." Rather than diminishing these experiences, Haymond contends that understanding their psychological basis invites Mormons to practice the same contemplative disciplines Joseph used to commune with God.