Thomas Jones is a member of the Society for Psychical Research and co-founder of The International Survivalist Society.

- LETTER TO Ray Taylor, Editor of Psychic World -

Ray Taylor B.A., P.O. BOX 14, Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 0UF

SPR Member Responds to Prof. Fontana

Dear Mr. Taylor,

Prof. David Fontana's response to Michael Roll in PW No. 98 has prompted me to point out a few issues in need of clarification.

Firstly, Prof. Fontana gives an unfortunate impression of Mr. Roll. As PW readers are no doubt aware by now, Mr. Roll's arguments are not simply a case of "attacking the work of anyone who he feels does not see exactly eye to eye with him over details." If this really were the case, Mr. Roll would have quite a monumental task on his hands as I presume he does not, like most of us, see eye-to-eye with the vast majority of psychical researchers. The issues are quite clear and I refer the reader to previous editions of PW.

As someone who has personally met Mr. Roll on numerous occasions and engaged in many hours of conversation with him, this kind of behaviour and attitude that Prof. Fontana accuses him of seems quite out of character and not at all consistent with his usually honest, sincere temperament.

Secondly, as Mr. Roll has pointed out many times through the pages of PW, survival after death is a natural phenomenon and its study must come within the scope of subatomic and quantum physics as it is concerned with the invisible part of reality. The professor does not deny this, but seems apprehensive to go any further. If we do survive death, as both contend, then it must have a theoretical and mathematical basis in reality, and this should be dealt with by physicists. Psychology, parapsychology, philosophy, anthropology and theology simply cannot do this, due to their natural limitations, and should therefore be regarded as secondary considerations. The issue is complex, as the professor rightly points out, but the primary and fundamental connection with physics cannot be disputed.

Evidence for survival presents fundamental difficulties to orthodox psychology, which regards the mind as mere brain function. Indeed, some of our most vocal critics are well-known psychologists, i.e., Dr. Richard Wiseman, Dr. Chris French and Dr. Susan Blackmore. It is understandable then that Mr. Roll makes the remark that any connection between survival and physics "threatens the authority" of psychologists, and I am at a loss to understand why the professor labels this claim as "absurd". Perhaps it is due to Mr. Roll's unfortunate use of terms; he should have said, the connection between subatomic physics and survival, if real, contradicts the current paradigms upon which psychology is based, and the evidence in proof of a separate mind and brain shows the inadequacy of psychology as a true and convincing science regarding consciousness and its survival of death.

Thirdly, and lastly, Prof. Fontana fails to point out the problems that can arise from the peer-review system and why allegations of "censorship" occur. Peer-review is not simply an exercise in space-management, as the professor would no doubt agree. It is an unfortunate fact that competition, rivalry, prejudice and preconceived notion can influence reviewer's decisions. The crucial problem occurs, however, when papers and reports are continually rejected without valid justification or logical error being found. I have read Mr. Roll's reports many times and I can not see how limitations of space have prevented them from being published. They are very short and provide credible testimony to the reality of physical phenomena and survival after death.

I will end by saying I hold nothing against Prof. Fontana personally and openly endorse many of his sound, intelligent views on survival and psychical research.

Yours Sincerely,

Tom M. Jones, (SPR member)
North Wales, UK

Linking survival after death with subatomic physics - Letter from Michael Roll to Ray Taylor, Editor of Psychic World (December 1, 2001)

This letter was written in response to Prof. David Fontana's letter in the December 2001 issue of Psychic World.

Quantum mechanics - Letter from Thomas Jones to Dr. Chris Roe, Editor of Paranormal Review (November 22, 2001)