Eusapia Palladino’s Naples séances

Record summary

Eusapia Palladino’s séances in Naples in 1892 attracted investigators associated with psychical research and became an important European test case for table movement, raps, and other physical phenomena. The sittings were later cited both by supporters as evidence for genuine mediumship and by critics as examples of incomplete control and possible cheating. Their comparative value lies in the tension between repeated observation, séance protocol, investigator expectation, and conjuring knowledge. Researchers should consult contemporary reports and later SPR analyses, distinguishing the Naples series from Palladino’s subsequent sittings elsewhere.