Margery Runyan, PhD

Margery Runyan, PhD

Twin Talk Podcast2023-02-07T14:22:04+00:00

Dr. Mercy interviews experts in the field of twins, twins themselves, other multiples, families of multiples, and experts in twin studies and families from all over the country. Search your favorite topics or simply start from the beginning. These recordings are educational to those interested in all things twin related. There are 70 episodes to choose from and discounts available for multiple purchases. Enjoy!

  • This program will fascinate the parents of twins particularly because Mike Poff and his wife Pam are raising quads plus three more children.  If we ever thought our hands were full, we must wonder how Mike and Pam balance farming, jobs, and children.  Mike is going to provide an inside view of his wonderful life in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  How do the children manage?  What roles do they play?  What do the quads think about their special status?  How do the quads interrelate?  Does every child have a horse and a dog or does everyone share?  How do the mom and dad coordinate their activities?  Who makes what decisions?  How do they handle conflict and discipline?  How wild and crazy can life be?  What keeps them strong?  Tune in and find out how the Poff family works!  Mike is our special guest, father, and author.  Follow him on his blogs!  He is a member of the Linked In Twins group along with Dr. Mercy. Bio: Mike Poff is a Virginia at-home-father of quadruplets plus three and gentleman farmer. He and his wife Pam, seven children, eight horses, six cats, nine dogs and a smattering of cattle live an interesting, full and blessed life near the Crest of the Blue Ridge. Mike is a freelance writer ever spreading the rants, raves and insights of an at home dad of quads. Mike has a Bachelors Degree in Theology and Associates in Radio & TV Production. He worked for several years in the Roanoke VA media market for WVFT TV27, WBRA Public TV and WFIR/WPVR Radio. Mike has recently written for several magazines and newspapers all in his quest to encourage others in their faith, family and relational lives in general. Twins, Most, The Father Life and Prodigal Magazines have all carried Mike’s work.  
  • Tina Jenicek is a perfect example of a busy single mom with twins.  Her twins are fraternal, a boy and girl 10 years old, attending day camp and learning everything they can at this marvelous age of industry and growth.  We are all wondering if their genetic material and life experiences favor similarities or differences in personality, intelligence, and aptitude. Tina will describe her experiences with the twins from conception through elementary school.  Our conversation will feature questions about the relationship between the twins, her closeness with each, the dominance and birth order myths, school placement, managing competition, ’best friends’, balancing work and home as a single mom, and all the questions that you have always wanted to ask about raising boy/girl twins.  Tina also chairs the Florida Organization of Mothers of Twins in her spare time!  She will discuss their services and supports for moms and dads of multiples.  Call in with your questions to 1-866-613-1612.
  • Dr. Mercy interviews female 53-year-old twins who have recently been confronted with a dire diagnosis threatening the survival of the second born twin.  Sonya and Tonya believe in their hearts that they are identical. Their mother and father were not sure.  They are very similar in every way and have a strong telepathy which includes feelings each others’ emotions and symptoms.  Their lives have also been similar, marrying husbands who were insecure about the twinship, having two children (boy and girl), and staying close until Tonya developed the disease of alcoholism.  The twins talk about this disease, how they coped, Tonya’s recovery and their reunification. Tonya has recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and this second disease has challenged Tonya to remain hopeful and Sonya to face her twin’s mortality. Dr. Mercy will speak with them again after a biopsy is performed in August.  Stay tuned.  
  • These beautiful young adult twins have reached a point in their development that fascinates clinicians and researchers.  They are moving out of the sheltered states of childhood and adolescence and learning to create their own lives.  Moving away from home, relocating to another state, finding jobs which match their credentials, evaluating potential partners, and planning for motherhood are all rites of passage which twins experience in different ways from singles.  Some of these rites occur earlier for one twin than the other, potentially creating stress and strain in the twinship.   The choices that they are making, together and apart, now have adult consequences and as Robert Frost has said in ‘The Road Not Taken’ ‘knowing how way leads on to way’ these choices will have a fundamental effect on the twinship in later years.  Listen to their points of view and world views on Twin Talk.
  • An interview with Sally Rhine Feather PhD on Twin Parapsychology. Dr. Feather is the eldest daughter of Joseph Banks Rhine and Louisa E Rhine, who are considered to be the founders of modern parapsychology.  Feather served as a child subject at the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory founded by her father, and later worked there as a research assistant, both before and after attending college, and after obtaining a doctorate in experimental psychology from Duke University (1967).  Her research topics included psi abilities of animals, correlation of memory and ESP performance, and help-hinder effects in a PK task. Following another lifelong interest, Feather obtained further training in clinical psychology at University of North Carolina in 1969 and devoted the next several decades to clinical psychology in mental health centers and private practice until retirement in 2004.   A move back to North Carolina in the early 1990’s enabled her to get re-involved in the Rhine Research Center.  Since 1994 she has served in various administrative capacities including the board of directors and for several years as volunteer executive director.  She co-authored a popular book on ESP experiences (St. Martins, 2005) and received the 2010 Career Achievement Award from the Parapsychology Association.
  • Dr. Mercy interviews Dr. Nancy Segal, Professor of Psychology and Director of Twin Studies at the California State University, Fullerton, will be discussing twins switched at birth. As a fraternal twin, psychologist and researcher, Dr. Segal has been uniquely positioned to perform ground-breaking studies on twins including her work at the University of Minnesota with twins separated at birth and reunited in adulthood and her most recent study on the development of Chinese twins adopted internationally both apart and together. Her other research has included the behavioral similarities of virtual twins (same age unrelated children raised together) and the behavioral consequences of twin loss. Dr. Segal is considered one of the foremost experts on the nature versus nurture controversy based on her quantitative studies of twins’ behaviors. Dr. Segal will be prepared to discuss the nature of twin relationships, twin development, twins accused of cheating at school, and twin relationships within the family. Dr. Nancy Segal has written seven books about twins.  Dr. Segal has authored approximately 250 scientific articles and book chapters in addition to her many books. A recent paper won a 2007 Award for Excellence in Research from the Mensa Foundation. She is also an Associate Editor of Twin Research and Human Genetics, the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies. She serves on the editorial boards of a number of journals, including Twin Research and Human Genetics, Evolution and Human Behavior and Human Ethology.
  • Paula Abdullah is the mother of five teenage children living in Deatur, Illinois. Four of the teens are two sets...
  • Dr. Mercy discusses the process of synchronicity proposed by Dr. Carl Jung, a disciple of Sigmund Freud, a practicing psychiatrist in Switzerland during the 20th century, and a proponent of the collective unconscious. He used the term synchronicity to describe acausal events that occur simultaneously in the realm of Consciousness. In 'On the Nature of the Psyche,' Jung regretted that synchronicity is bound to the notion of Time. In mathematical terms, Time is the curvature of Space. Thus Jung concluded that the Archetypes have not only psychic reality but also relate in some fashion to the Space/Time continuum. Two events might occur at different times within the Unconscious where Time is distorted and then be linked in the Consciousness as if they occurred simultaneously. Dr. Mercy is thus compelled to speculate that Two Twins may have arrived on earth simultaneously even though in the realm of the Twin Archetype they have been joined outside of the human experience of Time.
     
  • Dr. Mercy speaks about her life in Paris at the age of 19 in 1968 studying at the University of Paris with her twin sister Malinda. The twins lived together in the 17th arrondissement near the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysee. There Dr. Mercy was introduced to Antoine de Saint Exupery the famous pilot and author of The Little Prince. In ‘Le Petit Prince,’ Saint Exupery describes his encounter in the desert with The Little Prince who comes from a tiny planet with three volcanoes and one rose. He tells of his travels to other planets in search of a friend and in the end learns his most important lesson from a Fox. Dr. Mercy tells his story with a depth of feeling reserved for the grandest of all lessons.
     
  • Dr. Jane Greer has lectured across the country on marital/family problems, women’s issues, and sibling (twin) issues.  She is frequently contacted by the national news media to speak as an authority on these topics. In her book, The Afterlife Connection, Dr. Greer began with the belief that the bond that exists between the living and the dead including co-twins is not purely a psychological one, but is in fact much more dynamic and empowering. Dr. Greer guides us to learn that transcommunication is not simply a "hello from heaven" but a powerful therapeutic tool that is available to any of us. Through transcommunication, the pain of grieving can be made more bearable, ambivalent relationships can be healed, and a loved one's messages can bring relief and joy. Drawing on her new book, What About Me? Dr. Jane will help us understand the sharing, connection and selfishness that can lead to Twin Rivalry.
  • Dr. Mercy interviews Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, MD.  After an undergraduate education in neuroscience, Dr. Powell, a nationally prominent Johns Hopkins-trained neuropsychiatrist and former clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, examines the evidence for many types of psychic phenomena, from telepathy and precognition to psychokinesis, and finds several well-designed and rigorously supervised studies that prove the existence of some psychic phenomena. This raises the important question: how is this possible? Diane Hennacy Powell, who studies unusual psychological phenomenon has been studying twins separated and kept together at birth. She has found that some twins do have a special kind of connection and that twins that grow up together and in the same environment can become very close. (Powell MD, Diane Hennacy. "Twin Telepathy and the Illusion of Separation." Noetic Now Journal. Institute of Noetic Sciences, 1 Apr. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2015).
     
  • The Clark triplets were born and raised in Perry, OK the youngest of 14 children born to Gordon and Irene Clark.  They moved to Edmond, OK in 1984 to finish their college education and all remained there until Sept, 2010 when Chris and his wife Linda moved westward to Piedmont, OK.  Cary and his wife Janet have a blended family of Kyle (21) and Dakota (12).  Chris and Linda have children Curtis (27) and Lindsay (25) and their spouses Misty and Matt, along with grandsons Coby and Logan.  Charles and Debbie have a blended family of Mazey (20), Matthew (19), Kaycee (18), and Joshua (16). The triplets all became interested in computers at a young age and have pursued careers in computer programming.  For the first 13 ½ years of their careers, they all worked at the same firm.  Since that time at least 2 have usually worked together. Currently, Cary and Chris do. Besides computers, the triplets are avid sports fans and enjoy working on classic Chevrolets. Program description: The Clark triplets are amazingly alike in every way. Raised in Oklahoma, often working and raising families nearby, they have enjoyed a journey rarely experienced, the life of triplets.  How do wives, children, bosses, even neighbors react to three identical men?  How confusing can this be?  Dr. Mercy met this handsome threesome at the International Twin Association in which they are very active.  What a delight!  She is wondering what happens when a duo becomes a threesome. What new dynamics develop?
     
  • Program description: Bob Davidson discovered in adulthood that he was born a twin.  His aunt revealed to him late in her life that his twin brother was relatively undeveloped and thus stillborn.  The brother was not named.  This family secret came as a revelation because Bob had always wanted a brother and at times had been sure that he did have a brother somehow somewhere. He did have two younger sisters and befriended many men throughout his life to fill this empty space of brotherhood.  Listen to Bob reflect on his lifetime from the perspective of 70 years of age, looking back on some of the most fascinating changes in society and in his own concept of the meaning of life.  He will discuss the experience of lost twinship, being raised as a singleton and only later discovering his true identity as a twin.  Raymond Brandt the founder of Twinless Twins believes in twin bonding in utero.  Bob will shed light on his missing pieces. Bio:  Bob Davidson is now 70 years of age and only learned in late adulthood that he was born a twin.  He was born in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, and raised there with two younger sisters.  After high school, he joined the Navy and flew as a navigator.  Later he worked towards his own pilot license and still meets with other men who are also 'high flyers.'  Bob married and had six sons. He worked throughout New York City as an iron worker and was eventually injured.  He retired and now runs a farm in Duchess County, New York and a citrus grove here in SW Florida.  He met Dr. Mercy through a mutual friend and they were immediately attracted spiritually and emotionally as twins.
  • Dr. Mercy provides a guided tour through the sages of the monomyth known as the hero's journey. In narratology and comparative mythology, the hero's journey, or the monomyth, is the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed. Earlier figures had proposed similar concepts, including psychologist Otto Rank and amateur anthropologist Lord Raglan. Eventually, hero myth pattern studies were popularized by Joseph Campbell, who was influenced by Carl Jung's analytical psychology. Campbell used the monomyth to analyze and compare religions.
     
  • Brenda Pritchett and Linda DeWitt are two of the most beautiful identical twins ever.
  • Dr. Mercy continues her talks on spiritual growth with a review of the seven stages of power and healing, based
  • In this program, Dr. Mercy discusses the tragic case of the Silent Twins, June and Jennifer Gibbons born on April 11, 1963 at a Royal Air Force Hospital in Aden, England to black parents from Barbados. The identical twin girls kept silent throughout their childhood speaking only to each other in their bedroom where they created elaborate doll fantasies, wrote books and poems, and kept profuse diaries.  They were destined to be confined to a maximum security psychiatric hospital for eleven years of their adult lives following an adolescent crime spree. For most of this time the twins were kept in separate quarters.  Released together in 1993, Jennifer died within hours of a mysterious cardiac condition and June returned to live with her family.  June now speaks.
     
  • Sheldon Chrysler, identical twin and aviation expert, will discuss his new book Life after Death of My Twin: The Surviving Twin Story. He will describe his life as an identical twin while growing up as a child in Denver, Colorado. He will also talk about his successes and failures as an adult running an aviation business with his twin and later teaching aviation. He will also discuss his various certifications and licenses within the aviation field. Sheldon plans to share the process of writing the book about himself and Barry and what his life is like now without Barry. Given all the trials in his life, Sheldon will explain his secrets for maintaining a positive attitude about his life and continuing to honor his twin Barry. Dr. Mercy will ask him to identify his heroes and his deepest wishes for his own future. She will also ask Sheldon what he foresees for the future of twins and twinless twins within society and what we have to offer to our fellow human beings.
  • Dr. Mercy interviews Joan Angelis, a Regional Representative for Twinless Twins Support Group International. Joan talks about her twin sister...
  • Anabelle and Isabelle are 39-year-old female identical twins born with the chronic lung condition known as cystic fibrosis. The twins will tell the story of their lives as they grew from very tiny infants to the surviving and thriving women that they are today. Their story includes their treatments, twin relationship, love for each other, dedication to wellness, and assistance to others with cystic fibrosis. Their journeys have been long and sometimes hard; they have undertaken each step of the way with hope and faith that they would not only live but make a difference in the world. Guess what? Their dreams have come true and their impact has been world-wide. Listen to their musical voices tell the truth of twinship. And next week listen to the program The Power of Two to learn about cystic fibrosis, their book and their movie about organ donation.
  • Pt 2: Ana and Isa 39-year-old identical twins have graciously agreed to guest on another program to spotlight their book and movie... Pt 1: Anabelle and Isabelle are 39-year-old female identical twins born with the chronic lung condition known as cystic fibrosis. The twins will tell the story of their lives as they grew from very tiny infants to the surviving and thriving women that they are today. Their story includes their treatments, twin relationship, love for each other, dedication to wellness, and assistance to others with cystic fibrosis. Their journeys have been long and sometimes hard; they have undertaken each step of the way with hope and faith that they would not only live but make a difference in the world. Guess what? Their dreams have come true and their impact has been world-wide. Listen to their musical voices tell the truth of twinship. And next week listen to the program The Power of Two to learn about cystic fibrosis, their book and their movie about organ donation.
  • Dr. Bob Van de Castle, the King of Dreams, has agreed to discuss the methods and results of the dissertation ‘Do Twins Dreams Twin Dreams?: A Quantitative Comparison with Single’s Dreams’ which Dr. Mercy wrote for her PhD at Capella University. The research compared 164 dreams of female identical twins with the dreams of female norms developed by Hall and Van de Castle to support the content analysis of dreams. Hundreds of researchers have used these scales and norms, making them the most widely used quantitative tools in dream study.  Dr. Mercy will present the methods and significant results with commentary by Dr. Van de Castle. Dr. Van de Castle participated in many laboratory studies of dream telepathy and was considered one of the best telepathic senders. He will reminisce about his experiences as lab subject with the greatest dream researchers of our era. He will also present his ideas for future twin research and his own plans as scientist and author.  
  • Dr. Bob Van de Castle, the King of Dreams, has agreed to discuss the methods and results of the dissertation ‘Do Twins Dreams Twin Dreams?: A Quantitative Comparison with Single’s Dreams’ which Dr. Mercy wrote for her PhD at Capella University. The research compared 164 dreams of female identical twins with the dreams of female norms developed by Hall and Van de Castle to support the content analysis of dreams. Hundreds of researchers have used these scales and norms, making them the most widely used quantitative tools in dream study.  Dr. Mercy will present the methods and significant results with commentary by Dr. Van de Castle. Dr. Van de Castle participated in many laboratory studies of dream telepathy and was considered one of the best telepathic senders. He will reminisce about his experiences as lab subject with the greatest dream researchers of our era. He will also present his ideas for future twin research and his own plans as scientist and author.  
  • Do twins have unique powers that connect them?  How is our soul journey different from singles?  The process of Energy Healing requires that the master direct her psychic powers to the unfolding of wholeness and truth within the patient. These powers are both learned and innate. Sheilana will discuss the psychic abilities that she has discovered and practiced during her many years of energy healing. She will describe how she developed them and how others can cultivate such powers. The relationship of energetic healing to twins will be covered, and how Sheilana has experienced twinship in her practice.  How can we maintain a heightened awareness of our energies as twins?  What good can we do in the world?
  • Twin loss triggers the most devastating grief ever studied per Segal (4.9.10 episode). In the first show, two identical female twins still recovering from their co-twins’ deaths tell their stories of descent into hell and the quest for acceptance and wholeness as a single twin. The experiences of sudden death by suicide and wasting, lengthy illness will provide a stark contrast in the grief process. They will discuss their twinship bond and how that bond continues to manifest after death. Both women came out as lesbians during their lifetimes while the co-twins remained heterosexual. In the second episode, they will discuss the process of sexual revelation that occurred and their manner of coping with this profound difference in life style from the beloved identical twin. Science has not yet found some of the questions but these women have found their own answers.  They will interweave their stories, finding the similarities and differences in their twin journeys.
     
  • Twin loss triggers the most devastating grief ever studied per Segal (4.9.10 episode). In the first show, two - Twin loss triggers the most devastating grief ever studied per Segal (4.9.10 episode). In the first show, two identical female twins still recovering from their co-twins’ deaths tell their stories of descent into hell and the quest for acceptance and wholeness as a single twin. The experiences of sudden death by suicide and wasting, lengthy illness will provide a stark contrast in the grief process. They will discuss their twinship bond and how that bond continues to manifest after death. Both women came out as lesbians during their lifetimes while the co-twins remained heterosexual. In the second episode, they will discuss the process of sexual revelation that occurred and their manner of coping with this profound difference in life style from the beloved identical twin. Science has not yet found some of the questions but these women have found their own answers.  They will interweave their stories, finding the similarities and differences in their twin journeys.
  • Guy Playfair is a world-renowned expert in psychic phenomena and has spent years researching case examples of twin telepathy for his seminal book Twin Telepathy (2002, 2008). In this program, Playfair will discuss his firm belief in the reality of twin psychic abilities including mental and dream telepathy.  He will report the circumstances under which twin telepathy works best and provide powerful examples of this frequently reported and well documented experience. The scientific establishment has been reluctant to embrace the evidence for such telepathy and Playfair will discuss the continuing breach between rigorous scientific methods and paranormal documentation. He will also elaborate on the Big Five of psychic abilities: telepathy, precognition, remote viewing, telekinesis and spiritual healing in relation to twins. He will give examples of the utility of twin telepathy to families, communities, and society.
  • YOU CAN ONLY MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION ONCE; THE GANZ TWINS MAKE IT TWICE. Lisa and Debbie Ganz are extremely passionate about twins and multiples and on Twin Talk they expect to EDUCATE, INSPIRE and also ENTERTAIN the Twins/Multiple listeners with Twinergy, the energy created by twins. These twins are TWINS FOR A LIVING or TWINPRENEURS who have dedicated their lives to helping twins. Over the last 15 years they have met over 100,000 sets of twins/multiples worldwide and continue to meet more daily. With their many businesses, crazy fun personalities, and stories about the people they recruit for reality TV...there is never a dull moment.  If Dr. Mercy can get a question in the mix, she will ask them about their lives growing up, their introduction into show business and the crazy world of NYC, their personal lives, their frequent travels to twin events such as Twinsburg, and their future plans.
  • The 2010 Twinless Twin (TTSGI) conference is being held this weekend in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the headquarters of the organization. The keynote interview with Joan Woodward, author of “The Lone Twin” from London, England, will take place on Friday July 16, followed by Twinless Twin Testimonials and breakout groups: early loss, adult loss, teens, families and significant others of twinless twins. Individual twins attending the TTSGI conference will speak to Dr. Mercy about their experiences at the conference and its importance in their recovery. Testimonials from previous conferences: ‘It is a true miracle of transformation...from all alone in a darkness that only a twinless twin could know, to a family and network of Twinless Twins to start a new, healing journey. Nobody understood when I said how "alone" I felt or expressed that I didn't know how to be one.  No one has a clue what it's like to have half your soul ripped out. After half a century together as one, now I must be merely a half.’
  • Dr. Susan Mehrtens, President of the Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences in Waterbury, Vermont, has been reading astrological charts and teaching the art and science of astrology to learners such as Dr. Mercy for many years.  She uses the Jungian approach to astrology in which the soul chooses its journey in the moment and place of birth.  Dr. Carl Jung studied and revitalized the ancient sciences of astrology and alchemy, and Dr. Mehrtens has also returned to the original sources in Medieval History.  She will discuss the astrological methods that she has adopted and apply them to the study of the astrological charts of twins.  These charts may reveal a deeper meaning of the decisions of twins to make a life journey together and become ‘separated at earth.’  Dr. Mehrtens will describe the similarities and differences in the charts, touching on the significance of the readings for twins in general.
  • Keith and Kevin Goodwin have shared their lives in every way.  They have both raised children, lived together and lived apart.  Kevin has older children and Keith has younger children.  How have their paths as husbands and fathers converged?  What differences have they experienced as husbands and fathers?  What aptitudes and interests do they share and how do they differ?  With luck, Tracy will call during the school day and perhaps the girls will call from their cell phones.  What is it like to be married to twins and have twins as fathers?  The girls are very gorgeous at the ages of 9, 7, and 6.  Tracy is an exceptional wife and mother.  Keith will talk about the experience of being married to an achievement-oriented woman who is working two jobs, raising three children, and completed her doctorate in her spare time.  Oh my goodness.  Life as a twin is wonderful.
     
  • Lee and Dr. Mercy will discuss the alternative healing methods that they use in their practices and whether the ‘twin’ inside influences the choice of methods.  Are twins more intuitive or courageous in their careers?  Are their choices related to the co-twin’s influence?  Does the second born twin exercise his/her magical powers in the healing process?  How do these healing practices work?  Why are we drawn to them and what do they signify for us in our own healing journey?
  • These sets of twins from Texas fell in love, went on a double date to Las Vegas, and won thousands...
     
  • Dr. Barbara Klein was the very first guest on Twin Talk and has agreed to return for an open discussion on early childhood and twin development based on questions from our audience. A twin herself and expert in childhood development, Dr. Klein also has extensive clinical experience with twins in psychotherapy and would love to take questions from psychotherapists treating twins or twins ourselves on twin transference in psychotherapy, difficulties in adult twin relationships, the cognitive schema of twins, and the unconscious world of twins as expressed in dreams and associations. She and Dr. Mercy will both dialogue with callers on some of the more complex and challenging issues faced by twins, our spouses, and parents. Dr. Klein is an excellent key note speaker and willingly accepts those invitations from universities and other organizations. Her web site is easy to remember drbarbaraklein.com.  

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