Dr. William (Bill) G. Roll was a prominent researcher in psychical research and academic parapsychology. He served as president of the Parapsychology Association and authored four books and over one hundred scholarly articles. He was a professor at the University of West Georgia in the 1980s until his retirement in 2008.
Since 2012, UWG Psychology has annually invited a key figure in academic parapsychology to give a public lecture highlighting their work and contributions to the field.
Lecture 1: Dr. Dean Radin
“The Next Revolution: Physics, Consciousness, and the Nature of Reality”
Tuesday, October 28
- 4:30 p.m. – Wind Phone Ribbon Cutting | Melson Hall, 2nd Floor
- 5:30 p.m. – Reception | Nursing Lobby
- 6:30 p.m. – Lecture | Nursing 106
Dr. Dean Radin, Ph.D., will review evidence suggesting that consciousness itself may play an active role in shaping the physical world, and describe how this is being tested. Topics include experiments using optical interferometers to probe consciousness-related interpretations of quantum theory, results from the long-running Global Consciousness Project, and a growing shift within science toward engaging with metaphysical ideas once considered beyond the pale—including a renewed interest in philosophical idealism.
Radin is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), Associated Distinguished Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and cofounder and vice chairman of the neuroengineering company Cognigenics.
Lecture 2: Dr. Diane Hennacy
“Perception Beyond the Interface: Savants, Synesthesia, and the Fabric of Reality”
Tuesday, November 4
- 5:30 p.m. – Reception | TLC Lobby
- 6:30 p.m. – Lecture | TLC 1305
Dr. Diane Hennacy, M.D., explores the extraordinary perceptual abilities of autistic savants—individuals who, despite profound challenges, display islands of genius that challenge conventional neuroscience. Drawing on case studies and emerging theories, this talk considers whether savants may access a deeper layer of reality, one that typical perception filters out.
The discussion will touch on synesthesia, anomalous cognition, and the provocative question of whether our perceived world is a constructed interface within a larger informational system—raising implications for simulation theory and the nature of consciousness itself.
Hennacy is an internationally recognized expert on autism and savant syndrome who trained in neuroscience at Ohio State University. Her experimental research for the past thirteen years has focused on autistic children who reportedly exhibit anomalous cognition.
The registration link for both events is available at westga.edu/psychology/bill-roll.
