Impressions

A Lasting Impression

Colleagues

Gerd H. Hövelmann

HÖVELMANN COMMUNICATION

Being both a philosopher and a member of the Parapsychological Association myself, I was in 

relatively frequent touch with your grandfather throughout the 1980s. I always admired his 

profound knowledge in so many different fields of science. In fact, Dr. Chari first wrote to me 

to express his agreement with what I had written about philosopher Hans Reichenbach (the 

editor of"Erkenntnis", the journal of the Vienna Circle, in the 1930s) in the "Journal of 

Parapsychology". As it turned out, Reichenbach, then a professor of philosophy in Berlin and in 

Istanbul, had been Dr. Chari’s European mentor at a time when the latter still was a student of 

philosophy and physics during the late 1920s and early 1930s. As Dr. Chari told me then, 

Reichenbach also had persuaded G.E. Moore, then the editor of "Mind", to publish Chari’s first 

scientific paper ever. I will briefly comment on this in a biographical paper on philosopher-

psychologist Max Dessoir (1867-1947) that I am currently writing. A few years before his death, 

Dr. Chari shared with me the major documents on which he had based his critique of Ian 

Stevenson’s early reincarnation studies. The documents are still in my files. So far I have not 

published.

Dr.Erlendur Haraldsson

Professor Emeritus of Psychology

University of Iceland

 

I visited your grandfather perhaps several times at his home south of Madras during visits to that city. He told me of his one (I believe) meeting with Sai Baba which I mention in my book on Sai Baba. I knew and appreciated your grandfather´s writings on psychic phenomena but they were written long before I met him. Please see page 384 of the paper ‘The case of Gyatri Swami’ (by E.Haraldsson and J.M.HoutKooper) where I refer to working with him. Thank you for reminding me of these events and people. This now goes back a long time, to the 1970s and early 80s.. I am now 77. Have you seen my book on Sai Baba “Miracles are my visiting cards” In the bibliography I listed four of his publications.

Dr.Michael Lockwood

Rockland, Maine, USA
     Our family's association with your Grandfather, Dr. C.T.K., goes back a long way. My Father, as a bachelor, came out to India, in 1927, to teach mathematics at the American College, Madurai. Your Grandfather was a young teacher at American College, at that time. In 1928, my Mother came to India, and, that December, my parents were married in Madurai. In 1933, I was born at the American Mission Hospital, near the East Gate of the Madurai Meenâkshi Temple (perhaps explaining my long-standing interest in studying Indian temples). So your Grandfather knew me when I was just a baby.
     Our family returned to the U.S., in 1934. And your Grandfather went on to teach at the Madras Christian College. It was therefore really coincidental that when I was invited by Dr. Chandran Devanesen, Principal of M.C.C., to join the Department of Philosophy, who should be the Head of the Department, but Dr. C.T.K.! Those years under his leadership were truly the golden years of our life at the College.
     One further close connection between your Grandfather and me was the fact that he was the Supervisor for my Ph.D. research. Under the system in force at that time (in the 1970s), my examiners were two Philosophy Professors in the U.S. In 1973, I was awarded the degree, and I appreciate Dr. C.T.K.'s part in my achieving that.
     You must also know that I had the pleasure of having Nirmala Ramanujan (CTK’s daughter) as a student in one of my C3 classes. So many happy memories.
               Affectionately, Michael Lockwood

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