I did know Mr. Sargent was involved in parasychology, but wasn't aware that he had "disappeared". The quoted passages in the blog post are intriguing.
That two figures turned their backs on society may be little more than coincidence, but I wonder if certain forms of creativity draw personality types that are susceptible to this sort of thing.
P.S. It was actually Trampier who apparently became a cab driver and shunned his former life.