The Psychical Research Foundation (PRF) is very sad to announce the recent passing of its president, Jerome J. (Jerry) Conser, on the evening of August 22, 2024, at the age of 79.
Jerry's personal involvement in the field of parapsychology has spanned just over five decades, beginning with his encounters with the late psychic Richard Ireland in the early 1970s. Initially impressed by the accurate personal details contained in the psychic readings he received from Ireland, Jerry soon sought to bring wider public attention to the possible existence of psychic abilities and the potential of putting them to practical use in the mining of natural resources. To do this, he asked Ireland to help him pinpoint the locations of oil and mineral deposits through psychic guidance, which led to the discovery of rich deposits in several prospect areas. These areas included what was dubbed the "Ireland/Conser" oil field in Nolan County, Texas in September 1980, as well as the Jaries #1 gold mine in Cave Creek, Arizona in 1973, which generated substantial profits [1].
Keeping a promise he had made to Ireland of using some of the mining profits to help fund parapsychological research, Jerry would then sponsor a gathering in San Francisco in 1980, inviting various parapsychologists to present their work and offering financial backing to the research projects which seemed to carry the most promise for progress. This brought him into initial contact with the PRF's first research director, the late Dr. William G. Roll, and paved the way for his formal association with the PRF, which began in the Winter of 1981 when he was asked to join its board of directors after making several generous donations to help supplement its dwindling research endowment.
Following the retirement of Dr. Thomas N. E. Greville in 1986, the PRF board asked Jerry to become its fourth president. Among the notable accomplishments he made during his 38-year term were the following:
- Jerry was instrumental in the effort to relocate the PRF facilities, library, and staff from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to a new home in the psychology department on the campus of West Georgia College (which is now the University of West Georgia) in Carrollton, Georgia, thereby facilitating its return to the halls of academia.
- Much like Dr. Roll had done before him (when faced with a similar situation in 1964), Jerry took on the valiant responsibility of keeping the PRF alive by effectively placing its organizational holdings into dormancy when its operational support funds began to run out in the early 1990s. He was successful in bringing it back to life again in 2008, providing the support to establish a new virtual home for the PRF via its website (https://www.psychicalresearchfoundation.com) and helping to host two reunion gatherings of past and present PRF staff in May 2007 & June 2012, in conjunction with the Rhine Research Center in Durham, North Carolina [2].
- In addition to continually serving on the PRF board, Jerry was also elected to the Rhine Research Center's board of directors and had served for two years.
- Jerry developed and provided the support for a number of PRF research projects, including a small series of pilot studies related to out-of-body experiences (jointly conducted by the PRF, the Rhine Research Center, and the Monroe Institute) in which attempts were made to follow-up on earlier experimental efforts designed to explore possible changes in body weight when something conceptually akin to a "soul" presumably leaves the body [3-5].
Most of all, Jerry remained to be a dedicated benefactor, a wise teacher, and an eager explorer, bringing his vibrant "spirit" and enthusiasm to every act he did for the benefit of parapsychology. May we all now reflect fondly upon him and appreciate his many supporting contributions to the field, for which he helped pave the way for progress. The PRF will seek to carry on in honor of his enduring "spirit" and curiosity regarding the psychic realm.
A more personal account of Jerry's life-long journey through the psychic realm can be found in his book Proof of God 2012, which is available on Amazon:
A very touching personal obituary by Jerry's family can also be found at the following link:
We will miss you always, Jerry.
*******
References & Notes
[1] Archival video footage describing these ventures can be viewed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ajwSnvvYjvw?si=Sodf9jtQ39HHl_1I&t=1625
[2] Some of the highlights from the May 2007 reunion can be found on the PRF website (https://www.psychicalresearchfoundation.com/rhine-prf-reunion), and a brief video clip from the event is available to view on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnZk7UR5I54).
[3] MacDougall, D. (1907). Hypothesis concerning soul substance together with experimental evidence of the existence of such substance. American Medicine, 13, 240 – 243.
[4] MacDougall, D. (1907). Hypothesis concerning soul substance together with experimental evidence of the existence of such substance. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 1, 237 – 244.
[5] Hollander, Jr., L. E. (2001). Unexplained weight gain transients at the moment of death. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 15, 495 – 500.
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