John Beloff

2022-09-16T15:14:22Z

2A01:6F02:317:6E1:34BC:AF4:A4B4:2BEE:

{{short description|British psychologist and author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}

{{Infobox person
| name = John Beloff
| image = Halla and John Beloff 1953.jpg
| caption = Beloff (right) and Halla in 1953
| birth_date = 19 April 1920
| birth_place = [[London]], England
| death_date = {{d-da|1 June 2006|19 April 1920}}
| occupation = [[Parapsychology|Parapsychologist]], psychologist
| spouse = {{marriage|Halla Parker|1952}}
| children = 2
| relatives = [[Max Beloff, Baron Beloff]] (brother)<br />[[Renee Soskin]] (sister)<br />[[Anne Beloff-Chain]] (sister)<br />[[Nora Beloff]] (sister)
}}

'''John Beloff''' (19 April 1920 – 1 June 2006) was an English [[psychology]] professor at [[Edinburgh University]] and [[Parapsychology|parapsychologist]].

==Biography ==
Beloff was born and brought up in London, and was from a Russian [[Jew]]ish family. His parents were Semion (Simon) Beloff (born Semion Rubinowicz) and Maria (Marie) Katzin. His paternal great-grandmother was Leah Horowitz-Winograd, the sister of [[Eliyahu Shlomo HaLevi of Lida|Eliyahu Shlomo Horowitz-Winograd]] and a descendant of the Hasidic master [[Shmelke of Nikolsburg|Shmelke Horowitz of Nikolsburg]] (1726–1778).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rosenstein|first=Neil|url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/unbroken-chain-biographical-sketches-and-the-genealogy-of-illustrious-jewish-families-from-the-15th-20th-century/oclc/22240783|title=The unbroken chain: biographical sketches and the genealogy of illustrious Jewish families from the 15th-20th century|date=1990|publisher=CIS Publishers ; Computer Center for Jewish Genealogy|isbn=978-0-9610578-4-8|location=New York; Elizabeth, N.J.|language=English|oclc=22240783}}</ref> He was the brother of the historian [[Max Beloff, Baron Beloff|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. Shortly after graduation he married Halla Parker, a fellow student of psychology who was ten years younger. Together, they spent a year at the [[University of Illinois]], and then enrolled to a doctorate program at [[Queen's University Belfast]], defending their PhDs in 1956. In 1962 they both were offered jobs at the same department of University of Edinburgh and worked there until retirement.<ref>[http://www.newdualism.org/sites/moebius.psy.ed.ac.uk-dualism/john/biograph.html Autobiography]. newdualism.org</ref> John and Halla had a daughter [[Zoe Beloff|Zoe]], who became an international artist.<ref>[http://www.zoebeloff.com/pages/biography.html Biography]. zoebeloff.com</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://koestlerunit.wordpress.com/history/|title=History|work=[[WordPress.com]]|publisher=Koestler Parapsychology Unit|accessdate=7 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2006/jul/04/obituaries.guardianobituaries|title=Obituary: John Beloff|date=4 July 2006|work=The Guardian|accessdate=7 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2085941.ece|title=John Beloff|work=[[The Times]]|accessdate=7 March 2015}}</ref>

==Reception==

Beloff's belief in [[paranormal]] powers and parapsychological statements were heavily criticized by psychologist [[Nicholas Humphrey]] for being based on [[wishful thinking]].<ref>Humphrey, Nicholas. (1995). ''Soul Searching: Human Nature and Supernatural Belief''. Chatto & Windus. pp. 68-234. {{ISBN|978-0701159634}}</ref>

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.<ref>Gardner, Martin. (1992). Chapter ''John Beloff Seeks the Holy Grail''. In ''On the Wild Side''. Prometheus Books. {{ISBN|978-1591021155}}</ref>

Beloff favoured [[Dualism (philosophy of mind)|mind-body dualism]]. This view was criticized by [[Margaret Boden]] a Professor of cognitive science in a detailed review.<ref>Boden, Margaret A. (1964). ''The Existence of Mind by John Beloff''. ''[[The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science]]''. Vol. 14, No. 56. pp. 366-368.</ref>

==Publications==

*''The Existence of Mind'' (1964)
*''Psychological Sciences (1973)''
*''Parapsychology: The Way Ahead'' (1974)
*''The Importance of Psychical Research'' (1988)
*''The Relentless Question: Reflections on the Paranormal'' (1990)
*''Parapsychology: A Concise History'' (1997)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://archived.parapsych.org/members/j_beloff.html Bibliography]

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beloff, John}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:English Jews]]
[[Category:English people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Parapsychologists]]
[[Category:Beloff family|John]]

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John Beloff