Campagni, Roberto

Contemporary Italian psychic who reportedly demonstrated abilities of materialization and levitation. A surveyor by trade, Campagni discovered his psychic gifts at the age of sixteen after the death of his brother Ruggero. An aunt persuaded the family to hold séances, at which Campagni found himself the medium. Campagni continued to sit regularly with a séance group known as Circle 77 in Florence, at which, it has been claimed, apports materialized. Psychic researcher Gemma Lasta described how Campagni's hands lit up "like a neon sign" with a glow around his fingers. The medium then passed her what she described as a "cloud of light," a weightless glowing mass from which tiny flames leapt with a slight buzzing noise, after which she found a five-pointed star in embossed silver in her hand. Other witnesses have described a blue light around Campagni's hands when apports are materialized.

Father Eugenio Feriaroti, head of a Roman Catholic order in Genoa, attended one séance, at which he stated that the medium "put a luminous ball of light into my hands." The ball of light then materialized into a small silver angel. Psychic researcher Dr. Luigi Lapi of Florence claims at one séance he saw the medium levitate to the ceiling. Genoanese physicist Alfredo Ferraro states he has seen 30 materialized apports and believes trickery is not involved. Parapsychologist Ugo Dettore, who has also studied Campagni's phenomena, suggests that the blue light from the medium's hands is a form of psychic energy working outside the body.

Campagni himself is a shy individual who refuses to be photographed and has never accepted money for his demonstrations during more than 30 years of part-time psychic activity.