Some Thoughts on Dr. Roll’s Interview

I recently had the pleasure of doing an interview with Dr. William G. Roll. Throughout my career in this field, I have had the occasion to read many of his works, from his books to his many articles. In addition to that, I have seen him on TV many times. I always enjoyed segments involving him. He has a way about him that is so different from many others in this field. I think the thing that stood out more than anything to me was his lack of arrogance. The field of the paranormal, be it parapsychology, demonology or straight science, is littered with arrogance. In fact, the paranormal seems to attract arrogance.

You do not have to look too far to see researchers who mistake themselves for the story. I always believed that only God Himself was all knowing until I met people in the aforementioned fields. For the record, I still believe that distinction is God’s alone but there are many out there who would argue the point. If you look around on the Internet, you will find scores of websites devoted to one form of the paranormal or another. A great many of those sites are wonderfully crafted. Some have scrolling messages, (see mine) while others have various moving graphics. Many of them receive awards.

A look at their resumes is quite interesting. There seems to be considerable competition between organizations. Many sites list a large number of TV and radio programs they have been on. They also list the number of articles that have been written about them. If you listen to their radio spots, you will hear them all talk as if they are the only experts in the field. Trust me on this; there are no experts in this field. Boy do I keep learning that lesson. However, if the truth be told, all of them are half wrong and half of them are all wrong. They do not always know what they are talking about but they say it well. Sometimes that is all you need. That brings me to Dr. Roll.

William G. Roll is quite different from the rest of them. He is a brilliant man. Oxford educated, linked to the best testing facilities in the country and world-renowned. He has the quasi-British accent and the manner of a bumbling professor. Rather than distract from him, these qualities add to his charm. I have stated on several occasions and in some articles that I often disagree with his findings. Not always, of course, just sometimes. Having just interviewed him and attended his recent lecture, I stand my ground on my beliefs only now the footing is not quite as sturdy.

To Dr. Roll, poltergeist activity is always a byproduct of the brain. I believed and still do that spirits cause the activity in some cases. However, through discussions with him, many of the mysteries I have tackled have become less mysterious. For example, I always considered poltergeist activity to be a mindless burst of energy. To me, an object that turns a corner has to be guided by a spirit. I now believe that the human mind, on some level is the guiding force. Another misconception I had was that only small objects could be moved by psycho kinesis. Glasses could be moved but not sofa beds. Well, he provided the explanation to that one. Since it is the same explanation for my next question, I will list the question first.

In my mind, RSPK had to take place while the agent was present. If the agent was not, then only a spirit could explain the movements in the absence of the agent. Wrong again. Here is the explanation, the missing link to me. The electromagnetic energy it would take to move a glass might be minor. However, to move a sofa, the electromagnetic charge would have to be whopping. But, what if the sofa receives the charge and stores it? If that is the case, when the electromagnetic charge has reached a critical level, the sofa suddenly moves. The agent may or may not be there when this takes place. It really kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?

If there was any one thing that stood out during my interview with Dr. Roll, it is this: when he does not have an answer to a question, he tells you so. He is not afraid to say, “I just don’t know why such and such happens.” That adds to his sincerity and makes everything else he says that much more believable. I feel I learned a great deal from our talk. I still dispute some of his theories but I am a smarter man for having talked to him. He is cordial and made me feel right at home. He answered all my questions gladly and with patience. On some of them, he must have been thinking, ”Where does this guy come up with this stuff?” If he did feel that way, he never showed it. Not once during the interview did I get the feeling that he would rather be off doing something else or that he was trying to cut it short. He was as kind and patient at the end of the interview as he was in the beginning. I completed that interview feeling like a million dollars. He truly is a remarkable man. I hope you enjoyed reading the article as much as I enjoyed doing it. Dr. Roll, I thank you.

©  2004 T. Cooney

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