De Boni, Gastone (1908-1986)
De Boni, Gastone (1908-1986)
Italian physician, author, and editor. He was born January 22, 1908, in Padua, Italy, and was educated at the University of Padua (M.D. 1932). He inherited the substantial library of psychical researcher Ernesto Bozzano (1862-1943), to which he added some six thousand volumes. After World War II he opened the library, which contains both his and Bozzano's correspondence and papers, for public research.
De Boni's own literary contribution to Italian parapsychology included editing translations of 40 volumes by psychical researchers and parapsychologists. In 1941 he published the first book on psychical research in Italy. He also edited Luce e Ombra, an Italian journal of parapsychology, from 1947 until his death 30 years later. His own books include Metapsychics: Science of the Soul (1947) and Man and the Conquest of the Soul (1960).
De Boni favored Spiritualism and imposed such a perspective on Luce e Ombra. In spite of criticism from other parapsychologists, he was able to remain a vital part of the parapsychological community. He became president of Società Italiana di Parapsicologia in 1955 and was an honorary associate of the Society for Psychical Research, London. He died September 23, 1986, at Verona, Italy.
Sources:
Berger, Arthur S., and Joyce Berger. The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research. New York: Paragon House, 1991.
Pleasants, Helene, ed. Biographical Dictionary of Parapsychology. New York: Helix Press, 1964.