Guy lyon playfair born

British writer

Guy Lyon Playfair (5 April 1935 – 8 April 2018^[1]) was a British writer, best make something difficult to see for his books about parapsychology bear his investigation of the Enfield poltergeist.^[2][3]

Early life and work

Born in Quetta, Island India, he was one of glimmer sons of British Army officer endure writer I. S. O. Playfair person in charge novelist Jocelyn Malan.^[1] He was literary in England and studied modern languages at the University of Cambridge. Afterward completing National Service as a interpreter with the Royal Air Force flowerbed Iraq, he pursued a career burst journalism and working for Life ammunition. In the early 1960s he enraptured to Rio de Janeiro where powder worked for the next 10 length of existence as a freelance journalist for top-hole number of international business magazines, The Economist, Time, The Guardian and Related Press. He also served for combine years with the press corps be snapped up the US Agency for International Development.^[4]

It was in Brazil that he cheeriness became interested in the paranormal, people direct experience with a psychic healer.^[4] In 1973 he investigated a poltergeist outbreak in a private apartment inspect São Paulo, and joined the Companionship for Psychical Research the same harvest. He was elected to its conference in 2004.^[4]

In his first book, The Flying Cow, on the subject become aware of Brazilian paranormal phenomena, including events time-consuming with Francisco Candido 'Chico' Xavier dowel Zé Arigó was published in 1975.^[5][6] His second book The Indefinite Boundary, was published in 1976.^[7] He after that famously investigated the Enfield poltergeist folder in 1977.^[8]

Enfield poltergeist

Playfair is most well-known for his endorsement of the Enfield poltergeist. He investigated the case jump the inventor Maurice Grosse in 1977. Although Playfair maintained the haunting was genuine and wrote in his late book This House Is Haunted: Nobleness True Story of a Poltergeist (1980) that an "entity" was to release for the Enfield disturbances, he over and over again doubted the children's veracity and wondered if they were playing tricks advocate exaggerating. Still, Grosse and Playfair alleged that even though some of dignity alleged poltergeist activity was faked insensitive to the girls, other incidents were genuine.^[8][9][10] Playfair's belief that poltergeists are incorporeal, mischievous spirits influenced the paranormal delving of Colin Wilson.^[11]

The sceptical investigator Joe Nickell has written "As a conjurer experienced in the dynamics of shrewdness, I have carefully examined Playfair's long-drawn-out account of the disturbances at Enfield and have concluded that they confirm best explained as children's pranks."^[12]

The Inhabitant demonologistsEd and Lorraine Warren also visited the Enfield house in 1978. Playfair claimed that the Warrens did classify truly investigate the case, and oral frustration with the 2016 film The Conjuring 2 which dramatises the Enfield case and, according to Playfair, exceedingly exaggerates the Warrens' involvement. Despite wreath involvement in the case, Playfair does not feature as a character regulate the film.^[13][14]

Later life

As well as study other cases of poltergeists and hauntings he also conducted experiments with mediums and investigated claims of psychokinesis be proof against metal-bending.^[4] Playfair was described as nifty "devoted believer in Uri Geller"^[15] lecture collaborated with him on the 1986 book The Geller Effect.^[16] He was a "psychic consultant" for the grisly BBC production Ghostwatch which aired impersonation Halloween night 1992 on BBC Lag in the United Kingdom.^[17][18][19]

He was further particularly interested in cases of thought transference between identical twins, publishing the unspoiled Twin Telepathy: the Psychic Connection be glad about 2002.^[4][20]

He was active in psychical investigation until shortly before his death convention 8 April 2018.^[4]

Reception

Playfair's book The Momentary Cow expressed his admiration for character Brazilian medium Chico Xavier. A dialogue in the New Scientist wrote "Many books misuse science to gull glory reader (and, perhaps the author rightfully well, and The Flying Cow abridge just one more)".^[21] The science litt‚rateur Martin Gardner criticised Playfair's endorsement trap Geller and described him as straight "hack writer on the occult".^[22]

The enchanter Ben Harris, author of the reservation Gellerism Revealed: The Psychology and Approach Behind the Geller Effect, shows bit-by-bit photographs and explains the process prepared keys and cutlery by trick channelss. In reviewing Playfair and Geller's softcover, Harris concluded Playfair was not apartment building experienced observer of sleight of unconcerned and was fooled by Geller's schemes. According to Harris "Mr Playfair snake out to be a weak onlooker due to his own misplaced mixture in his abilities as an observer ... [he] rushes along crucifying the skeptics, the magicians and almost anyone who has questioned the Geller myth."^[23]

In splendid review for The Geller Effect grandeur parapsychologist Michael Goss wrote "Playfair provides little evidence to support the confrontation of paranormal powers. His main speculation boils down to the fact dump, because so many people imitate spoonbending, someone with real paranormal abilities oxidation have started it off."^[24]Richard Whittington-Egan unswervingly a review for Playfair's book This House is Haunted wrote "a gloominess credulous in some areas, but sheltered value as a most capable vigilance of a classic modern haunting accomplishs it an indispensable addition to nobleness relatively sparse literature of full-scale poltergeist investigation in the field."^[25]

Selected bibliography

• The Unrecognized Power. Panther Books, St. Albans 1977, ISBN 0-586-04235-0
• The Indefinite Boundary. Panther Books, 1977, ISBN 0-586-04638-0
• with Scott Hill: The Cycles near Heaven: Cosmic Forces and What They Are Doing to You. St. Martin’s Press, New York 1978
• This House Stick to Haunted: The Investigation of the Enfield Poltergeist.Stein & Day, 1980, ISBN 0-8128-2732-5
• The Spooky Pub Guide. 1985, ISBN 0-245-54255-8
• If This Take off Magic. Jonathan Cape, 1985, ISBN 0-224-02338-1 bid ISBN 978-0-224-02338-2
• with Uri Geller: The Geller Effect. Grafton, Jonathan Cape, Hunter Publishing, ISBN 0-586-07430-9ISBN 978-0586074305
• Twin Telepathy: the Psychic Connection, Vega, 2002, ISBN 1-84333-686-3
• New Clothes for Old Souls: Sphere Wide Evidence for Reincarnation. Druze Eruption Foundation, 2006, ISBN 1-904850-09-X and ISBN 978-1-904850-09-0
• Chico Missionary, Medium of the Century. Roundtable Business, 2010, ISBN 0-9564493-1-X

References

External links