Books the Search for the Holy Grail

domains. Because psi phenomena trans- cend space, time, and matter, Beloff does not think they will ever be "explained." Books They have less affinity to physics, he is convinced, than to "magic, sorcery, and witchcraft." The currently fashionable effort of some parapsychologists to base The Search for psi on quantum mechanics leaves Beloff cold. Although an atheist, he admits that he is open to the possibility that there the Holy Grail is some sort of "universal cosmic intelligence" which, although uncaring Martin Gardner about human history, nevertheless may be responsible for the extreme manifes- The Relentless Question: Reflections on On the contrary, Beloff is not only tations of psi. the Paranormal, by John Beloff (Jeffer- convinced of the reality of ESP (extra- son, N.C.: McFarland and Company, sensory perception), PK (psychokinesis), Jung, who had a better nose for the Inc., 1990), 221 pp., cloth, $29.95. and precognition; he also accepts the paranormal than Freud, was driven reality of such "extreme phenomena" as to extend the personal unconscious and introduce a collective uncon- ohn Beloff's new book opens with an levitations, poltergeists, miraculous scious. But even the collective un- Jautobiographical essay, followed by healings, materializations of human conscious may be inadequate. The fifteen papers and lectures updated with forms by mediums, and just about parapsychologist may need to come notes, and a bibliography of his books everything else on the psi scene. He is to terms with something in the nature so trusting of the competence of psi of a cosmic mind conceived as being and articles. It is a splendid, candid, well- at once a universal data bank and a written introduction to one of the most researchers and the honesty of their reservoir of power which suitably curious minds in modern parapsy- subjects that only the booms of enor- endowed individuals can occasionally chology. mous smoking cannons will convince draw upon in order to achieve some him that anyone has dissembled. paranormal goal. Perhaps it is just I say "curious" because none of such a cosmic mind that the great Beloff's experiments has ever indicated mystics, from all ages and from all the reality of psychic phenomena, yet he eloff was born near London in 1920. faiths, have been alluding to when they is absolutely incapable of attributing this BAfter obtaining a bachelor's degree claim to be in direct communion with the godhead. to his impeccable honesty and experi- in psychology, he taught for a year in the United States, at the University of mental skill. He has never had a psychic Illinois. He and his wife, also a psychol- Since 1962 Beloff has been a psychol- experience. His parents, he tells us, were ogist, then took posts at Queens Uni- ogist at the University of Edinburgh. nonreligious Russian Jews who settled versity, in Belfast, where they also After a terminally ill Arthur Koestler and in London. Neither believed in the obtained their doctorates. His first his healthy younger wife joined one paranormal. As a teenager, Beloff lost experiment was an effort in 1961 to another in a suicide pact, their will his faith in God and has been an atheist demonstrate PK influence on beta named their friend Beloff as one of the ever since. (He doesn't mention it, but particles randomly emitted from executors. He was instrumental in this supports the view that for many radioactive sources. The null results, he establishing the Koestler Chair of parapsychologists, belief in psi has writes, were a "presage of things to Parapsychology at his university, and in become a substitute for religious faith.) come." It was the beginning of his appointing the American Robert Morris His four siblings also do not share his reputation as what he calls a "negative to occupy it. belief in psi. Moreover, he reveals, or psi-inhibiting experimenter." He Although for years Beloff's graduate "Neither my wife nor our children nor wonders whether he is "tone deaf" to psi, students were getting doctorates in any of my many nephews and nieces were and whether this personality defect is parapsychology and going on to success- ever troubled by my `relentless ques- what dogs his investigations. ful careers, Beloffs own research con- tion.' " By "relentless question" he In 1962 his first book, The Existence tinued to be fruitless. Pavel Stepanek, means: Are there paranormal phe- of Mind, was a vigorous attack on a Czech psychic, was tested with positive nomena? Gilbert Ryle's Concept of Mind, a book results by many parapsychologists, but One would expect that under these defending the view of most psychologists when Beloff tested him in 1964, the circumstances a person would have that mind is no more than the function results were negative. In 1965 Beloff and serious doubts about the paranormal. of a complicated material brain, with no John Smythies, now at the University "ghost in the machine." Beloff defends of Alabama, sought evidence for psi Noted author and skeptic Martin a sharp dualism—it is a recurring theme among brain-damaged subjects. "No Gardner lives in North Carolina. in his papers. Although mind and matter luck here either," Beloff writes. He and interact, they are widely separate Smythies later collaborated on The Case Winter 1990/91 55 for Dualism, published in 1989. What about Uri Geller, the Israeli Beloff of the wisdom of a famous Beloff was president of the Society magician who created such a flap a few paragraph by David Hume in the chapter for Psychical Research (1974-1976), and years ago with his paranormal spoon on miracles in his Enquiry Concerning twice president of the Parapsychological bending? "Dare we rule out the numer- Human Understanding: Association (1972 and 1982). He retired ous accounts of teleportations that have from the University of Edinburgh in been reported in connection with But suppose, that all the historians 1985, though he continues as editor of Geller?" Geller's most famous telepor- who treat of England, should agree, the Journal of the SPR. tations were of himself. He claims that that, on the first of January 1600, Can it be," he asks himself, "That I while walking a street in Manhattan he Queen Elizabeth died; that both before and after her death she was seen by no longer dared to doubt?" He was badly was suddenly teleported to the back her physicians and the whole court, shaken, he confesses, by two revelations porch of Andrija Puharich's house in as is usual with persons of her rank; of dishonesty: the discovery that Walter Ossining, New York. In his book Uri, that her successor was acknowledged J. Levy, a rising young American para- Puharich also tells of an occasion when and proclaimed by the parliament; psychologist in the laboratory of J. B. Uri teleported himself from Ossining to and that, after being interred a month, she again appeared, resumed the Rhine, had cheated on experiments with Rio de Janeiro, then returned with a throne, and governed England for animal psi, and the proof by Betty thousand cruzeiro note. "I find myself three years. I must confess that I Markwick that S. G. Soal, England's top still undecided," Beloff naively writes, "as should be surprised at the concurrence psi researcher, had shamelessly fudged to whether [Geller] was ever anything of so many odd circumstances, but data. A third blow was the revelation other than a charlatan and an entertainer should not have the least inclination to believe so miraculous an event. I that a "remarkable medium" Beloff had or whether he used his knowledge of should not doubt of her pretended discovered on the Isle of Wight was a stage magic to gain the wealth and fame death, and of those other public charlatan. Through the help of a sister he so ardently desired and which his circumstances that followed it; I and friends, "I realized this just in time modest psi ability would not have en- should only assert it to have been to prevent my making a fool of myself." abled him to do so." pretended, and that it neither was, nor possibly could be real. You would in In spite of such "bitter pills," Beloff Psychic surgery? "Given only the vain object to me the difficulty, and has never doubted the wildest forms of agreed facts about the career of the late almost impossibility of deceiving the psi. Although he admits he is not certain Arigo, have we the right to affirm that world in an affair of such consequence; about strong phenomena, over and over there is nothing at all in psychic surgery?" the wisdom and solid judgment of that again he lambastes all skeptics who Arigo, the most famous of Brazil's renowned queen; with the little or no advantage which she could reap from express doubts. "I have come to realize," psychic surgeons, performed his para- so poor an artifice. All this might he admits, "that my own ignorance of normal operations by following instruc- astonish me; but I would still reply, conjuring techniques may have misled tions that a dead German doctor that the knavery and folly of men are me," yet his self-admiration is sufficient whispered into his left ear. such common phenomena, that I to justify continual attacks on the should rather believe the most extraor- Throughout his career Beloff has been dinary events to arise from their conjectures of knowledgeable magicians haunted by reports of humans being concurrence, than admit of so signal about methods used by psychics to lifted into the air. "A siddhi, such as a violation of the laws of nature. produce extreme results.

Load more