Ernesto Bozzano (January 9, 1862 – June 24, 1943), also known as Signor Bozzano was an Italian parapsychologist and

spiritualist Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (when not lowercase) ...

Career

Bozzano was born in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of Ge ...

. He did not receive formal education, he was self-taught. He was influenced by the philosophical ideas of

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest ...

and took interest in psychical research. He wrote more than 60 books and 200 papers on psychical matters. He became known as a popular sympathizer of

spiritism Spiritism (French: ''spiritisme''; Portuguese: ''espiritismo'') is a spiritualist, religious, and philosophical doctrine established in France in the 1850s by the French teacher, educational writer, and translator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Riv ...

in Italy. He attributed most paranormal phenomena to the survival of the human

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

. Bozzano contributed articles and a preface to Gwendolyn Kelley Hack's ''Modern Psychic Mysteries'', 1929. Polidoro, Massimo. (2001). ''Final Séance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle''. Prometheus Books. p. 227. The book documented séances that Bozzano attended with the medium Marquis Carlo Centurione Scotto during 1927-1928 at Millesimo Castle. He was convinced from the Millesimo sittings that there was genuine spiritualist phenomena. His book ''Polyglot Mediumship'' (1932) recorded 35 alleged cases of

xenoglossy Xenoglossy (), also written xenoglossia () and sometimes also known as xenolalia, is the supposedly paranormal phenomenon in which a person is allegedly able to speak, write or understand a foreign language that they could not have acquired by ...

. He was an early researcher on deathbed phenomena. Bozzano defended the medium William Stainton Moses from allegations of fraud by

Frank Podmore Frank Podmore (5 February 1856 – 14 August 1910) was an English author, and founding member of the Fabian Society. He is best known as an influential member of the Society for Psychical Research and for his sceptical writings on spiritualism. ...

in a paper ''A Defence of the Memory of William Stainton Moses'' (''The Annals of Psychical Science'', 1905).

Reception

Bozzano drew criticism from psychical researchers for being a credulous investigator. In a review of Hack's ''Psychic Mysteries'', investigating officer

Theodore Besterman Theodore Deodatus Nathaniel Besterman (22 November 1904 – 10 November 1976) was a Polish-born British psychical researcher, bibliographer, biographer, and translator. In 1945 he became the first editor of the '' Journal of Documentation''. Fr ...

from the

Society for Psychical Research The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) is a nonprofit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal. It describes itself as the "first society to condu ...

wrote that "Bozzano's claims are wholly unfounded, and that the Millesimo sittings have not the slightest vestige of scientific value."

Hans Driesch Hans Adolf Eduard Driesch (28 October 1867 – 17 April 1941) was a German biologist and philosopher from Bad Kreuznach. He is most noted for his early experimental work in embryology and for his neo-vitalist philosophy of entelechy. He has als ...

wrote that Bozzano was an acute theoriser but "unfortunately far too slipshod in accepting alleged facts." An anonymous review in ''

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...

'' described Bozzano as "one of the most prolific of Italian writers on psychical research." The reviewer suggested his book ''Dicarnate Influence in Human Life'' would not be taken seriously by skeptics but will "certainly be discussed at length by psychical researchers generally."Anonymous. (1938)
''Discarnate Influence in Human Life''
''

'' 142: 376.

C. E. M. Joad Cyril Edwin Mitchinson Joad (12 August 1891 – 9 April 1953) was an English philosopher and broadcasting personality. He appeared on '' The Brains Trust'', a BBC Radio wartime discussion programme. He popularised philosophy and became a celebr ...

suggested in a review for ''Dicarnate Influence in Human Life'' that Bozzano had been carried away by his "speculative imagination.""On Psychical Research"
The Spectator.

Selected publications

*''Ipotesi Spiritica e Teorie Scientifiche'' (1903)
''A Defence of the Memory of William Stainton Moses''
(''The Annals of Psychical Science'', Vol 1. 1905)
''Animals and Psychic Perceptions''
(''The Annals of Psychical Science'', Vol 2. 1905)
''Apparitions of Deceased Persons at Death-Beds''
(''The Annals of Psychical Science'', Vol 3. 1906)
''Symbolism and Metaphysical Phenomena''
(''The Annals of Psychical Science'', Vol 6. 1907) *''Per la Difesa dello Spiritismo'' (1927) *Gwendolyn Kelley Hack. ''Modern Psychic Mysteries: Millesimo Castle'' (London:

Rider and Company Rider or Riders may refer to: People * Daniel Rider (1938–2008), American mathematician * Fremont Rider (1885–1962), American writer and librarian * George Rider (1890–1979), American college sports coach and administrator * H. Rider Hag ...

, preface by Ernesto Bozzano, 1929) *''Animism and Spiritism: A Reply to M. Sudre's Introduction à la Métapsychiquer Humaine''. (London: Arthur H. Stockwell, translated by

Stanley De Brath Stanley De Brath (10 October 1854 – 20 December 1937) was a British civil engineer, psychical researcher and spiritualist.''Mysteries of Life: A Book for Boys and Girls''(1916)''Psychical Research, Science and Religion''(1925) *''The Drama of ...

, 1932) *''Polyglot Mediumship (Xenoglossy)'' (London:

, translated by Isabel Emerson, 1932) *''Dei Fenomeni di Infestazione'' (1936) *''Les Phénomènes de Bilocation'' (1937) *''Discarnate Influence in Human Life: A Review of the Case for Spirit Intervention'' (London:

International Institute for Psychical Research The International Institute for Psychical Research (IIPR) was a short-lived psychical organization based in London that was formed in 1934. It was criticized by scientists for its spiritualist leanings and non-scientific approach to the subject.''B ...

, translated by Isabel Emerson, 1938) *''Popoli Primitivi e Manifestazioni Supernormali'' (1941) *''Dei Fenomeni di Telestesia'' (1942) *''Musica Trascendentale'' (1943) *''Le Visioni dei Morenti'' (1947) *''Luci nel Futuro'' (two volumes, 1947) *''La Psiche Domina la Materia'' (1948) *''La Crisi della Morte nelle Descrizioni dei Defunti Comunicanti'' (1952)

Career

Reception

Selected publications

References

Further reading