Content area
Full Text
John Beloff was born in London in 1920, the fourth of five children of Jewish immigrants who had come to England shortly before the First World War. His father was a successful businessman, and the children of this close-knit family all went on to distinguish themselves in various ways. John often described himself as the least distinguished of the family, though those whose lives he touched would beg to differ.
An early interest in art led his parents to push him toward a career as an architect, and he began formal studies in that field. As the Second World War broke out, John joined the army, but after two and a half years, just before his battalion shipped out to Italy, he developed an illness sufficiently serious to cause him to be invalided out of the army (possibly saving his life, he was later to recall). During his time in the army he had time to read, gravitating toward books on psychology, and one book in particular left a strong impression. It was J. B. Rhine's Extra-sensory Perception (Rhine, 1934).
John eventually completed his architectural studies, but a few short jobs in architectural offices convinced him that he was not suited to that profession, and he started all over again as a psychology student, first at Birkbeck College and later University College. At University College, A. J. Ayer's weekly philosophy seminars captured John's attention. Although John remained unconvinced by Ayer's philosophy, he admired the great philosopher's intellect and saw his taut writing style as a model to emulate. Around that time he also came under the influence of a fellow student, whom he married shortly after graduating, and for the next 54 years, Halla was to be "the most important person" in his life.
After a year working with Raymond Cattell at the University of Illinois, the Beloffs returned to Britain, where John took a job teaching psychology at Queen's University in Belfast. During this period both John and Halla obtained their PhD degrees. Although John's PhD was based on research in visual perception that grew out of his interest in art, his interest in psychical research and parapsychology also grew. His first foray into experimental research was prompted by the interest of a young...