The Other Side?
Mediumship has been around for eons, and its influence certainly is felt most heavily in matters of the paranormal. I have to admit, I’m fully on board with the idea that some have the ability to contact the other side, with one caveat, I simply don’t think ;it will work for me. I have no real reason to think this way, I have plenty of dead loved ones. Maybe I’d rather think they're not interested instead of thinking they might just be gone?
But that sounds skeptical, and as I stated, I fully believe in mediums. So when I began to be more exposed through the podcast to more and more mediums and psychics, I began where I usually begin with any of my curiosities: research. In that research, I looked at how long in written human history this ability has been recognized. I looked at the 90s varieties of Miss Cleo and other such 800 numbers. And of course, I looked at how communicating with spirits became so normalized. I won’t go into the massive amount of stories and individuals involved, but I will mention one or two curious things I encountered.
What did escapist Harry Houdini have in common with Sherlock Holmes novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? As it turns out, spiritualism. Houdini made an obsessed vocation out of debunking mediums, whereas Doyle married one.
Our story begins in Rochester, NY with the Fox sisters. Margaretta and Kate, managed by their sister Kate, began careers as mediums known for their rappings and communications during seances. While confessing, and later recanting, that they had made the whole thing up, they still popularized spiritualism, which during the time, was seen more as a religion than anything else. It took off in popularity from around 1840-1920, before persistent claims of fraud eventually ate away at its supporters. Many prominent mediums were women, and most spiritualists were active in the abolition of slavery and the suffrage movement.
As spiritualism began to gather controversy, Houdini joined the critics and became fascinated with debunking mediums whom he believed were conning grieving folks out of their money. He met Sur Arthur Conan Doyle through spiritualism circles, and while friends for a time, ended up on opposing sides of the argument. Ironically enough, the creator of one of the most skeptical and practical characters in literature completely believed in the powers of psychics, while the celebrated magician became so convinced of fraud, he eventually spoke in front of congress urging the passing of legislation which would criminalize fortune telling for hire. Clearly, this was not passed.
I can’t help but wonder why someone whose livelihood depended on suspension of disbelief would be so opposed to the idea of communicating with the other side. I honestly don’t know why anyone who has ever lost someone would not embrace the idea that maybe, just maybe, they might see or hear that individual again. For me, this concept represents hope. Hope that the ones we love are never too far away or unreachable. Hope that all the love we accumulate doesn’t just evaporate, but that it stays and continues.
Personally, I will support believers and non-believers whatever they choose, but for me, I like to think the ones I’ve lost are quietly witnessing and waiting for me to notice.