What is Spiritualism?

Spiritualism boomed in the 1840s when the Fox sisters produced knocking sounds, claiming it was a spirit. Spiritualism was proof of the afterlife, but people debated its authenticity. It combined scientific forces and religious ideology, and was more inclusive. It became a source of entertainment, and certain influential people of the time endorsed it, while others opposed it.

The Society for Psychical Research (1882) was created to ivestigate paranormal phenomena with difficult scientific experiments. A few decades later, the Fraudulent Mediums Act (1951) made it illegal for false mediums to exploit people for money or rewards.

Houdini and Spiritualism

Houdini's original interest in spiritualism was contacting his dead mother. Mediums he saw were fake, so he investigated and replicated their tricks as proof. As further proof, Houdini promised to try making contact when he died. He and Bess made a secret code to establish legitimacy. By Bess’s death, nobody had made contact, although Houdini seances still go on today.

Houdini recreating a trick many false mediums used to fool their audiences called "Spirit Hands" (Library of Congress).

During appearances, Houdini showed slides of false mediums, gave lectures, answered questions, and even replicated tricks. He got information by disguising himself at seances. Houdini gained popularity and wrote a book called “A Magician Among The Spirits.” One famous case was Mina Crandon, where he created the "fraud preventer" to prove she was not legitimate. These shows gained popularity, and Houdini performed all over the country, but this tour ended with his death. After he died, Bess held seances to contact Houdini, and many claimed to receive messages, but none were confirmed.

"The secret of showmanship consists not of what you really do, but what the mystery-loving public thinks you do."

-- Harry Houdini

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Background image exhibits Houdini and his mother in New York. After his mother died, Houdini attempted to contact her and failed. This was due to the false mediums he chose to aide him, and from then on made it his mission to expose them to the public (Library of Congress).