Kenneth Batcheldor

{{Short description|British clinical psychologist (1921–1988)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox scientist

|birth_name = Kenneth James Batcheldor

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|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1921|3|21}}

|birth_place = Watford, England

|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1988|3|9|1921|3|21}}

|death_place = Exeter, England

|field = Psychology

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|alma_mater = University College London (UCL)

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|known_for = Parapsychology, Psychokinesis

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Kenneth James Batcheldor (27 September 1921 – 9 March 1988) was a British clinical psychologist whose scientific experiments advanced the study of paranormal phenomena, particularly psychokinesis, building on the work of Michael Faraday to investigate unconscious muscular action as an explanation for table-turning.{{cite journal | last1 = Faraday | first1 = M. | year = 1853 | title = Experimental Investigation of Table-Moving | url = https://zenodo.org/record/1428516| journal = Journal of the Franklin Institute | volume = 56 | issue = 5 | pages = 328–33 | doi=10.1016/S0016-0032(38)92173-8}} Batcheldor investigated the mental states that were conducive or inhibitory to the effect, attempting to create a repeatable process by which anyone might produce it.{{cite journal | last1 = Batcheldor | first1 = K.J. | year = 1965–66 | title = Report on a Case of Table Levitation and Associated Phenomena | journal = Journal of the Society for Psychical Research | volume = 43 | pages = 339–56 }} Amongst other techniques, he pioneered the experimental use of infrared video recording to observe the actions of subjects in the dark.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}