Research source

THE HEAVEN AND HELL OF SPIRITUALISM CONTRASTED WITH THE HEAVEN AND HELL OF SCRIPTURE 141

Date of account: Published 1855
Source: Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations Demonstrating the existence of spirits and their communion with mortals. Doctrine of the spirit world respecting heaven, hell, morality, and God. Also, the influence of Scripture on the morals of Christians.
Reference: Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations Demonstrating the existence of spirits and their communion with mortals. Doctrine of the spirit world respecting heaven, hell, morality, and God. Also, the influence of Scripture on the morals of Christians. · selected passage 207
Rights: public_domain
Language: English
Record updated: 2026-08-24

Record summary

It was in Boston, and I went as a perfect stranger

Published source text

Read the available text below. Archive transcriptions may contain OCR errors; later context is labelled separately. A recorded claim is not a finding that it happened.

Source passage

Source text · mention only

It was in Boston, and I went as a perfect stranger. Before the sitting commenced, and but few had collected, a strolling musician came along and commenced playing at the door, and every tune played at the door was beaten or rapped on the table. The medium was in the room; I saw her walk up to the table and lay her hand on it, and then walk away, but it made no difference with the raps on the table; they continued, without any person near it, as long as the tunes were played at the door. When it came my turn to question, I asked, Are any of my relatives present? _Ans._ Yes. Will you rap at each letter of your name, if the alphabet is called over. _Ans._ Yes! The alphabet was called, and there was a rap at A, one at L, one at F, one at R, one at E, and one at D,—Alfred: a son that died at the age of twenty-two years. Among a great many questions, I asked, How many years since you died. Is it twelve? Is it eleven? Is it ten? Is it nine? Is it eight? Is it seven? There was a rap at seven, but I asked, Is it six? and instantly there were rapped........; the seventh was fainter. I said, He probably means that it is six and a piece, when instantly they were repeated ........; the last the faintest.

Historical context

Contextual commentary · mention only

This comes from historical psychical research. Methods, witness handling and standards of evidence differ from present-day research and should be assessed from the cited passage and edition.

Modern context

Contextual commentary · mention only

The passage can support a history of claims and recurring descriptions. It does not establish a paranormal mechanism, and competing psychological, social and physical explanations remain relevant.

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