Rest in Peace Robert Van de Castle

Dr. Robert Van de Castle passed away on January 29th. Van de Castle worked as a research associate at the Parapsychology Laboratory of Duke University in the 1950’s and I talked with him a few times for my book. He told me how shocked and flattered he was when he wrote J. B. Rhine, the head of the Lab, and Rhine wrote back. “It was like a letter from Jesus Christ himself.” Van de Castle was only around 21 or 22 years old at the time.

Van de Castle was great for descriptions of what the people who worked at the Lab were like, ie, “Peggy Price had a stewardess personality” and Betty Humphrey was “austere.” (I think she scared him a little.) He also said that J. B. Rhine told him that “he was the worst team member he ever had.” He seemed pretty proud about that!

Carlos Alvarado, who knew him better, wrote an appreciation which you can read on his blog here.

The picture is a screenshot from an interview conducted by Dream Cloud.
Van de Castle