Name John Beloff Role Parapsychologist | Died June 1, 2006 | |
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Spouse Halla Beloff (m. 1952–2006) Books Parapsychology: A Concise History Parents Marie Beloff, Simon Beloff Similar People Max Beloff - Baron Beloff, John Raymond Smythies, Zoe Beloff | ||
Children Zoe Beloff, Bruno Beloff | ||
John Beloff (19 April 1920 – 1 June 2006) was a psychology professor at Edinburgh University and parapsychologist.
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Biography
He was born and brought up in London, and was from a Russian Jewish family. He was the brother of the historian Max Beloff, the politician and educationalist Renee Soskin, the biochemist Anne Beloff-Chain, and the journalist Nora Beloff. He served in the British Army in the Second World War. He worked in an architect's office, then studied at London University, where he graduated in 1952. After a year at the University of Illinois he did a doctorate at Queen's University Belfast, finishing in 1956. He started at Edinburgh in 1962 and worked there until his retirement.
Beloff had been interested in parapsychology from an early age and served as president of the Society for Psychical Research from 1974-1976. He was an executor of Arthur Koestler's will in 1983 and was instrumental in setting up the first UK chair of parapsychology, the Koestler Parapsychology Unit at Edinburgh in 1985.
Reception
Beloff's belief in paranormal powers and parapsychological statements were heavily criticized by psychologist Nicholas Humphrey for being based on wishful thinking.
Science writer Martin Gardner dismissed Beloff as credulous and willing to believe. Beloff had endorsed some fraudulent mediums such as Helen Duncan. Gardner quoted Beloff as admitting "my own ignorance of conjuring techniques may have misled me", but Gardner noted despite this, he still went on believing. Beloff had endorsed levitations, psychic surgery, the "thoughtographs" of Ted Serios and various spiritualist mediums as genuine evidence for the paranormal.
Beloff favoured mind-body dualism. This view was criticized by Margaret Boden a Professor of cognitive science in a detailed review.