SPIRITOSCOPE: One Step Between the Sublime and the Ridiculous

INVOCATION OF SPIRITS.

Spirits on high, or far or near,

Who happen our humble chanting to hear,

Our circle with your presence bless;

Our souls with pious emotions impress.

Come, spirits, come! our sand runs fast;

Death waits for his due, and life may be past.

In mercy teach us truth to know,

And, passing death’s portal, whither we go;

Of your abodes the wonders teach,

And how to deserve that haven to reach.

Come, spirits, come! our sand runs fast;

Death’s portal may yawn, and life may be past.

Say how far in the azure sky

The magical homes of immortals lie:

Tell us how angels draw their breath—

That breathing beyond the power of death.

Say, spirits, say I our sand runs fast;

Death’s warrant may come, and life may be past.

The bliss portray which the good enjoy,

The pain and remorse which the bad annoy,

The sun which sheds on earth no rays,

Yet glorious light in heaven displays!

Haste and portray’ our sand runs fast;

Death’s mandate may come, and life may be past.

To the tune of Moore’s “Canadian Boat Song” (from Robert Hare, Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations).

No matter how many creepy poems were allegedly conveyed to mediums by deceased relatives, most believers still harbored doubts of their validity. Unlike table turning, which required group participation to assist the medium, automatic writing was a solo activity. 

To remedy this lack of inclusion, spiritualists began to invent devices that would not only record automatic writing, but test the medium’s ability, allowing confirmation of the phenomenon by those present.

These devices had to prove that the medium was not writing of their own free will, so naturally they had to figure out how to bypass the medium actually writing with their own hand.