Journey Through Time Back to 1978

In 1978, this photo of me was taken by my new wife, Janelle Barlow, in the San Francisco apartment on Lake Street where we lived with a magnificent view out our bay window of the Golden Gate Bridge. Life seemed very promising back then. We had been married only a few months. I think I look like I was ready to eat the world alive (and I believe that's how I felt.)

I was a graduate student working on my doctoral degree in parapsychology. It would be two more years before I would receive my unique degree.

My book, The Roots of Consciousness, had been out for three years. And, I was working on my doctoral dissertation, which would eventually become my second book, Psi Development Systems. I had been hosting regular radio programs on KPFA-FM in Berkeley, California, and KSAN-FM in San Francisco - but I discontinued that work in order to focus on the completion of my doctoral degree.

The major distraction from my academic work, at that time, was my ongoing observation of and relationship with an irritable, outrageous psychic named Ted Owens who purported to have powers greater than any other human being since Moses. It would be more than twenty years before my book about his demonstrations would see publication.

Working with me in this investigation was my distant cousin, fellow parapsychologist, D. Scott Rogo. (My mother's maiden name is Rogow.) It would still be another twelve years before Rogo's murder in Los Angeles.

At this time, I was teaching parapsychology at John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California. I did not imagine, at this time, that the parapsychology program there would be closed down within just a few years.

First Susan B. Anthony dollar enters circulation.  It never really caught on as successful currency.

The People's Republic of China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.

Rhodesia's prime minister Ian Smith and three black leaders agree on the transfer to black majority rule.

The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois).

US porn publisher Larry Flynt is shot and paralysed

Israeli forces invade Lebanon in Operation Litani.

The United States Senate approves the Panama Canal neutrality treaty; votes to turn the canal over to Panama by the year 2000.

The tanker Amoco Cadiz splits in two off Brittany spilling 50,000 metric tons of crude oil.

The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan is proclaimed, under pro-communist leader Nur Mohammed Taraki.

Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds gets his 3000th major league hit.

Soviet dissident Yuri Orlov is sentenced for seven years hard labor for distributing counterrevolutionary material.

Californians in referendum approve Proposition 13 for a nearly 60% slash in property tax revenues.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints extends the priesthood and temple blessings to "all worthy males," ending a general policy of excluding blacks from priesthood and temples since 1849.

Serial killer David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam," is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

King Hussein of Jordan marries 26-year-old Lisa Halaby who becomes Queen Noor.

Comic Strip Garfield debuts in newspapers.

United States President Jimmy Carter declares a federal emergency at Love Canal.

Camp David Accords: Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat begin peace process at Camp David, Maryland.

Cardinal Karol Wojtyła becomes Pope John Paul II.

Jonestown mass suicide: In Jonestown, Guyana, Jim Jones leads his Peoples Temple in a mass murder-suicide; 913 die, including 276 children.

In San Francisco, California, city mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk are assassinated by former supervisor Dan White.

Massive anti-Shah demonstration in Iran - 2 million demonstrators.

The Spanish Constitution is approved in referendum officially ending 40 years of military dictatorship.

Deaths

Hubert H. Humphrey, U.S Vice President and Senator (b. 1911)

Kurt Gödel, Austrian-born mathematician (b. 1906)

Charles Boyer, French actor (b. 1899)

Norman Rockwell, American artist and illustrator (b. 1894)

Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, instrumental in the decision of the American Association for the Advancement of Science to formally affiliate with the Parapsychological Association (b. 1901)

Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1898)