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About the PA | Member Index |
Who is Gerd H. Hövelmann?
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 Gerd H. Hövelmann
was born on February 20, 1956, in Siegen (Westphalia), Germany.
Education and
Professional Career:
From
1977 to 1984, Hövelmann studied philosophy (philosophy of science),
linguistics, literature, and psychology at Marburg University, Germany
(M.A., 1984). He reads more than ten languages even though he
competently speaks only two of them.
From 1978 to 1993, Hövelmann did research in mostly
government-sponsored projects on nonverbal communication (1978-1982),
German dialect geography (1981), evolutionary biology (1980-1985),
proto-physics and the conceptual foundations of the natural sciences
(1982-1988), cognition (1985-1987), manned space flight (1989-1993),
and others. From 1984 to 1993, he was a Senior Research Associate in
the Department of Philosophy at Marburg University.
Since 1980, Hövelmann has published some 150 scholarly articles (in 6
languages) in books and refereed journals in various areas including
the philosophy and history of science, the philosophy of language,
linguistics, semiotics, cultural history, psychology, parapsychology,
biology, and space science.
After leaving university in 1993, Hövelmann has been the founder,
owner, and managing director of several firms, including a
public-relations agency, a translations office, an auction company
(1993-1998), and a retail company. He is also active as a free-lance
writer with more than 1,150 popular articles (approx. 18,000
manuscript pages) on matters other than science. Entries in several
Who's Who and other reference works.
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SELECTED PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIPS |
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1979-1993 |
Member,
American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR) |
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1983-present |
Associate
Member (until 1988) and Full Member (since then),
Parapsychological
Association |
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1983-present |
Member,
Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Parapsychologie
(WGFP) [Secretary, 1988-1996] |
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1984-present |
Full Member,
Society for Scientific Exploration |
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1984-1986 |
Member,
Position Papers Committee, Parapsychological Association |
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1986-present |
Member,
Society for Psychical Research (SPR) |
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1987-1989 |
Scientific and
Technical Consultant, CSICOP/European Branch |
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1988-present |
Member,
Language Origins Society |
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1988-present |
Member, Board
of Directors, Synchronicity Research Unit (SRU) |
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1992-present |
Associate,
Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) |
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1992-present |
Member,
International Astronautical Federation (IAF) |
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1998-present |
Supporting
Member, Junior Chamber of Commerce |
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2001-present |
Member, Board
of Directors, Gesellschaft für Anomalistik |
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2001-present |
Affiliate,
Parapsychology Foundation |
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JOURNAL EDITING |
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1983-1992 |
Contributing Editor, Parapsychology Abstracts International
[renamed Exceptional Human Experience, 1989] |
| 1984-1987 |
Member, Board of Consulting Editors,
Zetetic Scholar |
| 1987 |
Associate Editor,
Zetetic Scholar |
| 1988-1989 |
Associate
Editor, Theoretical Parapsychology |
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2001-present |
Member, Scientific Advisory Board,
Zeitschrift für Anomalistik |
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POSITION
STATEMENT |
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Unlike, he assumes,
many other members of the P.A., Gerd H. Hövelmann has never had any
experience that might be described as "paranormal"
─ except,
perhaps, for what now he tends to reconstruct as an OBE in a
life-threatening situation in early childhood.
As he sees it,
parapsychology allows putting scientific and philosophical concepts,
distinctions, and methods to the test. What happens to those concepts
and methods once we approach the fringes of currently accepted
scientific knowledge? Are they still valid? Can they sufficiently deal
with anomalies or do they need modification? Can the conventional
methods of science and philosophy be applied to unconventional
problems and questions? What, if they can't? On the other hand,
parapsychology might well stimulate the development and application of
novel scientific procedures and methodologies that, ideally, might
prove to be fruitful for other scientific disciplines as well.
Thus, to Hövelmann,
parapsychology is and has always been an intellectual and
methodological rather than an ideological or metaphysical challenge.
In addition, the
varied, multiple relations that exist between parapsychology (and its
precursors) on the one hand and the history of culture, science, and
ideas on the other contain many virtually unrecognised treasures that
still wait to be raised.
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SELECTED
PUBLICATIONS |
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Hövelmann, G.H.
(1980): Kooperation und Konkurrenz im wissenschaftlichen Schrifttum
der Parapsychologie [Cooperation and competition in scientific writing
on parapsychology]. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und
Grenzgebiete der Psychologie 22: 143-156.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1981): Correspondence: On 'Hume's fallacy'. Journal of
Parapsychology 45: 367-369.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1982): "... not much of a scholarly piece"? In: Duerr, H.P. (Ed.):
Unter dem Pflaster liegt der Strand. Vol. 10. Berlin: Karin Kramer
Verlag, pp. 184-198.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1982): Involuntary whispering, conversational analysis, and
electronic voice phenomena. Theta 10: 54-58.
Bauer, E., Hövelmann,
G.H., Lucadou, W. von (1982): Der Jahrhundertkongreß
─ Cambridge
1982 [The Centenary Conference
─ Cambridge
1982]. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der
Psychologie 24: 193-215.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Cooperation versus competition: In defense of rational
argument in parapsychology. European Journal of Parapsychology
4: 483-505.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Seven recommendations for the future practice of
parapsychology. Zetetic Scholar #11: 128-138.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Zum Problem der Wiederholbarkeit parapsychologischer
Experimente [The repeatability problem in parapsychological
experimentation]. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete
der Psychologie 25: 29-54.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Parapsychologen und das Irrationale [Parapsychologists and the
irrational]. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der
Psychologie 25: 91-105.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Some recommendations for the future practice of
parapsychology. In Roll, W.G., Beloff, J., White, R.A. (Eds.):
Research in Parapsychology 1992. Metuchen, N.J. & London:
Scarecrow Press, pp. 137-140.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Einige Überlegungen nach der 26. Jahrestagung der
Parapsychological Association 1983 [Some reflections after the 26th
Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association in 1983].
Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie
25: 231-238.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Correspondence [on Mabbett re the term "paranormal"].
Journal of Parapsychology 47: 275-280.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Correspondence [on C.T. Tart re the "fear of psi"]. Journal
of Parapsychology 47: 282-283.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Against historicism. Critical remarks on Thomas Kuhn's
conception of science and its reception in parapsychology. Journal
of Parapsychology 48: 101-119.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Audiatur et altera pars. A tribute to a close friend:
Piet Hein Hoebens (1948-1984). European Journal of Parapsychology
5: 191-202 (also publ. in Flemish in Psi-Forum 2 [1985]: 5-15).
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Are psi experiments repeatable? A conceptual framework for the
discussion of repeatability. European Journal of Parapsychology
5: 285-306
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): James Randi und das 'Projekt Alpha': Böswillige Täuschung oder
wichtige Lehrstück? Eine Dokumentation [James Randi and 'Project
Alpha': Malicious deceit or a vital lesson? A documentation].
Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie
26: 89-109.
Hövelmann, G.H.,
Zorab, G.A.M. (1985): The Kern City Poltergeist: Some critical remarks
on the quality of the evidence and the arguments. Journal of the
Society for Psychical Research 53: 87-92.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(with M. Truzzi and P.H. Hoebens) (1985): Skeptical literature on
parapsychology: An annotated bibliography. In: Kurtz, P. (Ed.): A
Skeptic's Handbook of Parapsychology. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus
Books, pp. 449-490.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1985): Evidence for survival from near-death experiences? A critical
appraisal. In: Kurtz, P. (Ed.): A Skeptic's Handbook of
Parapsychology. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, pp. 645-684.
Hövelmann, G.H.,
Zorab, G.A.M. (1986): The Kern City Poltergeist: A reply to Dr. Betty
and Professor Stevenson. Journal of the Society for Psychical
Research 53: 249-253.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1986): Neglected figures in the history of parapsychology: Some
general reflections. In: Snel, F.W.J.J. (Ed.): Liber Amicorum in
Honour of G.A.M. Zorab. The Hague: Nederlandse Vereniging voor
Parapsychologie, pp. 94-126.
Hövelmann, G.H.,
Krippner, S. (1986): Charting the future of parapsychology.
Parapsychology Review 17: (6), 1-5 (reprinted in SRU Bulletin 12
[1987]: 5-13; also published in German in the Zeitschrift für
Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie 28 [1986]:
207-217, and in Japanese, as a book chapter, in 1993).
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1986): Beyond the Ganzfeld debate. Journal of Parapsychology
50: 365-370.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1987): Max Dessoir and the origin of the word 'parapsychology'.
Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 54: 61-63.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1987): A constructively rational approach to parapsychology and
scientific methodology. Zetetic Scholar #12/13: 110-153.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1987): "Please wait to be tolerated": Distinguishing fact from
fiction on both sides of a scientific controversy. Behavioral and
Brain Sciences 10: 592-593.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1988): Parapsychologists and skeptics
─ problems of
identification. SRU Bulletin 13: 125-132.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1988): On the survival question: A clarification. Journal of the
American Society for Psychical Research 82: 186-188.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1989): Parariteiten
─ Het belang
van woorden bij het spreken over parapsychologie [Pararities: The
relevance of words in talking about parapsychology]. Skepter 2:
(2), 20-27.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1989): Correspondence [on Palmer's review of the Skeptic's Handbook
of Parapsychology]. Journal of Parapsychology 53: 92-94.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1990): The versatility of metaphors. Behavioral and Brain Sciences
13: 383-384.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1991): [All German entries]. In: Berger, A.S., Berger, J. (Eds.):
The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research. New
York: Paragon House.
Berger, A.S.,
Hövelmann, G.H., Lucadou, W. von (1992): Spirit extras on video tape?
The first field investigation. Journal of the Society for Psychical
Research 58: 153-164.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(2001): Was wissen wir, wenn wir Literatur erkannt haben? [What have
we learned once we have identified experiential reports as
literature?]. Zeitschrift für Anomalistik 1: 23-29.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(2001): Die Unausschließbarkeit des Handelnden [The non-suspendability
of the acting person]. Zeitschrift für Anomalistik 2: 48-52.
Krippner, S.,
Hövelmann, G.H., Combs, A. (in press): The future of psi research: A
dozen suggestions in retrospect. In: Thalbourne, M.A. & L. Storm
(Eds.): Parapsychology in the 21st Century.
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SELECTED
PUBLICATIONS OUTSIDE OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY |
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Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Paradigm rediscovered?
─ oder:
Schamanismus total. In Duerr, H.P. (Ed.): Unter dem Pflaster liegt
der Strand. Vol. 12. Berlin: Karin Kramer Verlag, pp. 176-187.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Sprachkritische Bemerkungen zur evolutionären
Erkenntnistheorie [A language-philosophical critique of evolutionary
epistemology]. Zeitschrift für allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie /
Journal for General Philosophy of Science 15: 92-121.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Animal loquens. Kritische Überlegungen zu Vorannahmen,
Methoden und Interpretationen in einem Teilbereich der vergleichenden
Psychologie [Animal loquens. Critical Reflections on
Assumptions, Methods, and Interpretation in Parts of Comparative
Psychology]. Master's Thesis. Marburg. [iv+187 pp.]
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1985): Bibliographie zur Protophysik und ihrer Rezeption und
Diskussion [Bibliography on proto-physics and its reception and
discussion]. Philosophia Naturalis 22: 145-156.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1985): Natur und Kultur
─ oder: Von
den Tücken einer verfehlten Sprachauffassung [Nature and culture
─ or: The
pitfalls of an inadequate language conception]. In Ziegler, W. (Ed.):
Organismus und Selektion
─ Probleme
der Evolutionsbiologie
[Organism and Selection
─ Problems of
Evolutionary Biology]. Frankfurt/M.: Waldemar Kramer Verlag, pp.
217-224.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1985): Observaciones crítico-lingüísticas a la teoría evolutiva del
conocimiento [Language-critical reflections on evolutionary
epistemology]. Diálogo Filosófico 1: 165-171.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1987): Bibliographie zur Selbstthematisierung der Wissenschaft
[Bibliography on the Self-Reflection of Science]. Erlangen: Institut
für Gesellschaft und Wissenschaft, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg [567
pp.]
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1988): The Science of Science: Some Neglected Problems.
Invited Lecture to the Center of Logic and the Philosophy of Science
and Language, University of Leuven, Belgium, October 1988 [28 pp.].
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1989): Animal 'language' research: The perpetuation of some old
mistakes. Semiotica 73: 199-217.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1989): Animal 'language' research now and then: Problems of method
and interpretation. SRU Bulletin 14: 39-62.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1989):
)Técnica o
imagen del mundo? [Technology or world view? An essay on the purposes
of philosophy of science]. Diálogo Filosófico 5: 364-379.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1990): Space Summit Report. Bericht über die 'International
Conference on Manned Space Exploration', Huntsville, AL, Juni 1990
[Space Summit Report on the 'International Conference on Manned Space
Exploration', Huntsville, AL, June, 1990]. Cologne: DLR [German Space
Agency] [119 pp.]
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1991): Philosophische Fragen im Projekt 'SAPHIR'
[Philosophical questions of project 'SAPHIR']. Invited paper presented
to the Department of Space Systems Analysis at the DLR [German Space
Agency], Cologne, October 18, 1991 [26 pp.].
Fromm, J., Hövelmann,
G.H. (1992): Technology assessment of human space flight: Combining
philosophical and technical issues. Paper presented at the 43rd
Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, Washington,
D.C., Aug. 28 - Sept. 5, 1992 [abstracted in: The World Space
Congress Book of Abstracts. Washington, D.C.: American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), p. 72].
Gethmann, C.F.,
Janich, P., Sax, H., Fromm, J., Hövelmann, G.H. et al. (1992):
Bemannte Raumfahrt im Widerstreit [Controversies around manned space
flight]. DLR-Nachrichten #68: 10-14.
Gethmann, C.F.,
Janich, P., Sax, H., Fromm, J., Hövelmann, G.H. et al. (1993):
SAPHIR: Technikfolgenbeurteilung der bemannten Raumfahrt.
Systemanalytische, wissenschaftstheoretische und ethische Beiträge.
Ihre Möglichkeiten und Grenzen [SAPHIR: Technology Assessment of
Manned Space Flight. Systems-analytic, Philosophical and Ethical
Considerations. Their Possibilities and Limitations]. Cologne: DLR
[German Space Agency] [iii+i+56+660 pp.]
Grunwald, A.,
Hövelmann, G.H., Kozlowski, R. (1993): Methodische Grundlagen
[Methodical foundation]. In: DLR (Ed.): SAPHIR:
Technikfolgenbeurteilung der bemannten Raumfahrt. Systemanalytische,
wissenschaftstheoretische und ethische Beiträge. Ihre Möglichkeiten
und Grenzen. Cologne: DLR [German Space Agency], pp. 11-113.
Hövelmann, G.H.,
Lange, R. (1993): Diskursrekonstruktion: Kennedys Entscheidung für den
Mond [Discourse reconstruction: Kennedy's decision to go to the moon].
In: DLR (Ed.): SAPHIR: Technikfolgenbeurteilung der bemannten
Raumfahrt. Systemanalytische, wissenschaftstheoretische und ethische
Beiträge. Ihre Möglichkeiten und Grenzen. Cologne: DLR [German
Space Agency], pp. 179-244.
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MAJOR BOOK
REVIEWS |
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Hövelmann, G.H.
(1981): Review of John L. Randall: "Parapsychology and the Nature of
Life" (German ed.). Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und
Grenzgebiete der Psychologie 23: 123-127.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1981): Review of Mirjam Gzara: "Scharlatanerie. Zur Sprache und
Beweisführung pseudowissenschaftlicher Literatur" (Dissertation in
Forensic Medicine). Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und
Grenzgebiete der Psychologie 23: 253-259.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1982): Review of Oskar Schatz (Ed.): "Parapsychologie. Ein Handbuch".
Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie
24: 242-247.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Review of Hans Peter Duerr: "Satyricon. Essays und
Interviews". Psychologie heute 10: (1), 92-93.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Review of Betty Shapin & Lisette Coly (Eds.): "Parapsychology
and the Experimental Method". Journal of Parapsychology 47:
68-74 (also published in German in Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie
und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie 26 [1984]: 241-247).
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Review of Martin Gardner: "Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus"
(German ed.). Psychologie heute 10: (10), 74-75.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Review of Eberhard Bauer & Walter von Lucadou (Eds.): "Spektrum
der Parapsychologie. Hans Bender zum 75. Geburtstag". Journal of
Parapsychology 47: 166-170.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1983): Review of Ivor Grattan-Guinness (Ed.): "Psychical Research: A
Guide to Its History, Principles & Practices". Theta 11: 87-89.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Review of Hans Peter Duerr: "Traumzeit" and of Rolf Gehlen &
Bernd Wolf (Eds.): "Der gläserne Zaun: Aufsätze zu Hans Peter Duerrs 'Traumzeit'".
Psychologie heute 11: (3), 74-76.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Review of William G. Roll, Robert L. Morris & Rhea A. White
(Eds.): "Research in Parapsychology 1981". Theta 12: 36-40.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1984): Review of John Beloff (Ed.): "New Directions in
Parapsychology" (German ed.). Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und
Grenzgebiete der Psychologie 26: 232-234.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1985): Review of Rupert Riedl: "Die Spaltung des Weltbildes".
Psychologie heute 12: (5), 79-80.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1986): Review of Stanley Krippner (Ed.): "Advances in
Parapsychological Research. Volume 3". Theta 13/14: 18-20.
Hövelmann, G.H.
(1986): Review of Paul Feyerabend & Christian Thomas (Eds.): "Grenzprobleme
der Wissenschaften". Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und
Grenzgebiete der Psychologie 28: 238-242.
Hövelmann, G.H. (in
press): Review of Martin Isler: "Sticks, Stones, & Shadows. Building
the Egyptian Pyramids".
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