 Bob
Morris has held the Koestler Chair of Parapsychology at the University of
Edinburgh since 1985. He currently heads the
Koestler Parapsychology
Unit, located within the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language
Sciences. Bob has been interested in anomalies and the problems scientist have
in dealing with them since he was in high school. He received a BSc in
Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh in 1963 and a PhD in Psychology
(minor in Zoology) from Duke University in 1969. During this he also worked
summers at the Rhine Research Center, known as the FRNM at that time. He did
postdoctoral research on avian social behavior in the Center for the Study of
Aging and Human Development at Duke for two years and then worked with William
Roll at the Psychical Research Foundation until 1974.
From 1974-1978 he was a Lecturer in Parapsychology within the Tutorial Program
at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Next stop, from 1978-1980, was
as a Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, University of California,
Irvine. Finally, from 1980-1985, he was Senior Research Scientist, School of
Computer and Information Science, Syracuse University, before taking up his
current post at Edinburgh. He has held several offices in the Parapsychological
Association and was President in 1974 and 1985. Bob was PA representative to the
American Association for the Advancement of Science for several years and
recently was President of the Psychology Section of the British Association for
the Advancement of Science. Currently he is a Vice-President of the Society for
Psychical Research and serves on the Board of the Rhine Research Center as well
as the Scientific Board of the Bial Foundation.
Bob enjoys teaching and has designed over twenty different courses in aspects of
psychology for the various universities at which he has taught. At Edinburgh he
has supervised many young researchers working towards their doctorates (eighteen
completions at last look) and organised an MSc by Research, for Psychology
postgraduates; at the undergraduate level he has supervised over a hundred
Honours Dissertations.He teaches a course in the Psychology of Anomalous
Experience and has offered lectures in a variety of other courses.
Bob's academic interests include parapsychology in general, the psychological
aspects of the conduct of science, anomalous experiences, deception, belief
formation and maintenance, crosscultural aspects of psi experience and research,
sport psychology, and volition and human performance. In the past he has also
been active in human factors and animal behavior research.
Koestler Chair of Parapsychology (1985 - present) University of Edinburgh,
Edinburgh, Scotland
President of the Parapsychological Association 1974, 1985.
Selected Publications:
Morris R. L. (2000). Parapsychology in the 21st Century. Journal of
Parapsychology, 64. pp123-137.
Morris, R. L. (1999). The Responsibilities of
Instructors in Parapsychology. In Zingrone, N. (Ed.) Education in
Parapsychology. New York: Parapsychology Foundation, Inc., pp.57-72.
Delanoy, D. L., Morris R. L., Watt, C. (1999). A study of free response ESP
performance and mental training techniques. In Journal of American Society for
Psychical Research, 93, pp.204-221.
Morris R. L. (1999). Experimental systems in mind-matter research. Journal of
Scientific Exploration, 13, pp.561-578.
Morris R. L. (1999/8). A DMILS training study utilising two shielded
environments. European Journal of Parapsychology, 14, pp.52-67.
Steinkamp F., Milton J., Morris R. L. (1998). A meta-analysis of
forced-choice experiments comparing clairvoyance and precognition. Journal of
Parapsychology, 62. pp.193-218.
Dalton K. S., Morris R. L., Delanoy D. L., Radin D.I., Taylor R., Wiseman R.
(1998). Security measures in an automated ganzfeld system. Journal of
Parapsychology, 60, pp.129-148.
Morris, R. L. (1997). Parapsychology and Transpersonal Experiences. NDE
Territori Oltre la Vita. Atti del 1st Congresso Internazionale di Studi delle
Esperienze di Confine La Vita e la Morte Psicologia e Parapsicologia degli Stati
Intermedi, San Marino, pp. 7-13.
Morris, R. L. (1996). Recent Developments in Experimental Parapsychology.
Aquem e Alem do Cerebro. 1st Simposio da Fundacao Bial, Oporto, Portugal, pp.
29-45.
Morris, R. L. (1996). Koestler's Legacy: Parapsychology at the University of
Edinburgh. The Skeptic vol 10 nos. 5 & 6, pp. 6-8.
Wiseman, R., Beloff, J and Morris, R.L. (1995). Testing the ESP Claims of
SORRAT. Skeptical Inquirer vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 45-46. Watt, C. and Morris, R.L.
(1996). Research at the Koestler Chair of Parapsychology. Revista Argentina de
Psicologia Paranormal.
Gissurarson, L.R. and Morris, R.L. (1995). A Proposed Research Paradigm for
the Study of Volitional Mentation. European Journal of Parapsychology 11, pp.
35-57.
Watt, C. and Morris, R.L. (1995). The Relationships Among Performance on a
Prototype Indicator of Perceptual Defence/Vigilance, Personality, and
Extrasensory Perception. Personality and Individual Differences 16, pp. 635-648.
Wiseman, R. and Morris, R.L. (1995). Recalling Pseudo-Psychic Demonstrations.
British Journal of Psychology 86 pp. 113-126.
Wiseman, R., and Morris, R.L. (1994). Modelling the Stratagems of Psychic
Fraud. European Journal of Parapsychology 10 pp. 31-44.
Morris, R.L. (1994). Spontaneous Synchronistic Events as Seen Through a
Simple Communication Model. Coly, L., and Shapin, B. (Ed.) Spontaneous Psi,
Depth Psychology and Parapsychology pp. 137-162 Parapsychology Foundation, Inc.,
New York.
Morris, R.L. (1993). Psi Research and the Concept of Volition. Coly, L. and
Shapin, B. (Eds.) Psi Research Methodology: A Re-examination pp. 255-273
Parapsychology Foundation, Inc., New York ISBN No. 0-912328- 43-6.
Morris, R.L. (1992). Parapsychology in the 1990's: Addressing the Challenge.
European Journal of Parapsychology 8 pp. 1-26.
Wiseman, R., Beloff, J. and Morris, R.L. (1992). Testing the ESP Claims of
SORRAT. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 58 pp. 363-377.
Morgan, K., and Morris, R.L. (1991). A Review of Apparently Successful
Methods for the Enhancement of Anomalous Phenomena. Journal of the Society for
Psychical Research 58 No. 824 pp. 1-9.
Gissurarson, L. R. and Morris, R.L. (1991). Examination of Six Questionnaires
as Predictors of Psychokinesis Performance. Journal of Parapsychology 55 pp.
119-145.
Gissurarson, L. R. and Morris, R. L. (1990). Volition and Psychokinesis.
Journal of Parapsychology 54 pp. 331-370.
Morris, R.L. (1990). The Challenge of Parapsychology. Scott, A.(Ed.)
Frontiers of Science, Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
Morris, R.L. (1988). Parapsychology, Paradox and Exploration of the
Impossible. Speculations in Science and Technology 10 pp. 303, 309.
Morris, R.L. (1987). Parapsychology and the Demarcation Problem. Inquiry 30
pp. 241-251.
Morris, R.L. (1987). Minimising Subject Fraud in Parapsychology Laboratories.
European Journal of Parapsychology 6 pp. 137-149.
Schmidt, H., Morris, R.L.. and Rudolph, L.R. (1986). Channelling Evidence for
a PK Effect to Independent Observers. Journal of Parapsychology 50 pp. 1-17.
Morris, R.L.. (1986). Psi and Human Factors: The Role of Psi in
Human-Equipment Interactions. Coly, L. and Shapin, B. (Ed.) Current Trends in
Psi Research, Parapsychology Foundation, New York.
Morris, R. L. (1986). What psi is not: The necessity for experiments. In Edge
et al., Foundations of Parapsychology, London, Kegan Paul, pp. 78-110.
Morris, R.L., (1982). Assessing Experimental Support for True Precognition.
Journal of Parapsychology 46 pp. 321-336.
Debes, J., and Morris, R.L. (1982). Comparison of Striving and Non-striving
Instructional Sets in a PK Study. Journal of Parapsychology 46 pp. 297-312.
Morris, R.L. (1982). Mainstream Science, Experts, and Anomaly. George O.
Abell and Barry Singer (Ed.) A Review of Science and the Paranormal: Probing the
Existence of the Supernatural. Journal of the American Society for Psychical
Research. 76 pp. 257-281.
Morris, R.L., Nanko, M., and Phillips, D. (1982). A Comparison of Two
Popularly Advocated Visual Imagery Strategies in a Psychokinesis Task. Journal
of Parapsychology 46, pp. 1-16.
Morris, R.L. (1982). An Updated Survey of Methods and Issues in ESP Research.
Krippner, S. (Ed.) Advances in Parapsychological Research 3, Plenum Press, New
York.
Morris, R.L. (1981). Developing "Extreme case" Causal Models for
Synchronistic Phenomena. Shapin, B., and Coly, L. (Ed.) Concepts and Theories of
Parapsychology, Parapsychology Foundation, New York.
Morris, R. L. (1980). Psi Functioning within a Simple Communication System.
In Shapin, B., and Coly, L. (Eds.), Communication in Parapsychology. New York:
Parapsychology Foundation.
Morris, R. L. et al. (1978). Studies of Communication During Out Of Body
Experiences. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. 72 pp.
1-24.
Morris, R.L. (1978). A Survey of Methods and Issues in ESP Research. In
Krippner, S. (Ed.), Advances in Parapsycholological Research 2: Extrasensory
Perception. New York: Plenum Press.
Morris, R.L.. (1977). Parapsychology: A Biological Perspective. In Wolman, B.
(Ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Morris, R.L. (1976). The Responsibilities of Instructors in Parapsychology.
In Shapin, B., and Coly, L. (Eds.), Education in Parapsychology. New York:
Parapsychology Foundation.
Morris, R.L.. (1976). Biology and Psi. In Schmeidler, G., and Dale, L.,
(Eds.), Parapsychology: Today’s Implications, Tomorrow’s Applications. Metuchen,
N.J.; Scarecrow Press.
Morris, R.L. (1974). The Psychobiology of Psi. In White, J. (Ed.), Psychic
Exploration, by Edgar Mitchell. New York: Putnam.
Roll, W.G., Morris, R.L., DamGaard, J., Klein, J., and Roll, M. (1973). Free
Verbal Response Experiments with Lalsingh Harribance. Journal of the American
Society for Psychical Research. 67 pp. 197-207.
Morris, R.L., Roll, W.G., Klein, J., and Wheeler, G. (1972). EEG Patterns and
ESP Results in Forced-Choice Experiments with Lalsingh Haribance. Journal of the
American Society for Psychical Research. 66 pp. 253-268.
Morris, R.L. (1972). An Exact Method for Evaluating Preferentially Matched
Free Response Material. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research.
66 pp. 401-407.
Morris, R.L. (1970). Psi and Animal Behaviour: A Survey. Journal of the
American Society for Psychical Research 64 pp. 242-260.
Books
Hoyt L. Edge, Robert L. Morris, Joseph H. Rush, John Palmer. Foundations of
Parapsychology. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New York, 1986.
Wiseman, R. and Morris, R.L. (1995). Guidelines for Testing Psychic
Claimants.University of Hertfordshire Press, Hatfield. We thanks the Parapsychological Association Board (www.parapsych.org) for the permission to publish the above material.
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