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J. Frances Reed presents an account of the methods used to produce physical demonstrations at séances. Writing in 1911 and describing his own experience as a medium, he sets out to explain spirit rappings, messages, materializations and other performances in terms of the actions of the people conducting them.
Short chapters cover trance mediums, clairvoyance, information gathering, ballot tests, trumpets, slate writing, magnetic healing and spirit paintings. Reed also discusses spiritualism as a philosophy and religion, recounts episodes from his own sittings and describes a demonstration conducted under a demanding test. The result combines a personal narrative with explanations of stagecraft, audience expectations and the management of a séance. The full historical text is preserved with its introduction, preface, contents and closing remarks.