Laidlaw, Robert W(ordsworth) (1901-1978)
Laidlaw, Robert W(ordsworth) (1901-1978)
Physician and psychiatrist with an interest in parapsychology. He was born on February 26, 1901, at Englewood, New Jersey. He studied at Princeton University (B.A., 1924) and Columbia University (M.D., 1931). In 1949 he served as chief of psychiatric services at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and as consultant in psychiatry at Union Theological Seminary.
Laidlaw's interest in parapsychology led him to study hypnosis, mediumship, and the effect of chemical substances on the human mind. He presented the paper "Psychedelics: A New Road to the Understanding of Mediumistic Phenomena?" at the Conference on Parapsychology and Psychedelics held in New York in 1958. That same year his article on hypnosis and hypnoanalysis appeared in Tomorrow magazine (autumn 1958). Laidlaw investigated such topics as the effect on the mind of LSD 25 and the clinical aspects of spiritual healing. He also took an interest in the healing techniques of Ambrose and Olga Worrall.
Sources:
Pleasants, Helene, ed. Biographical Dictionary of Parapsychology. New York: Helix Press, 1964.