Séance Fiction
Harry Houdini died 89 years ago on Halloween, and, for decades, séances have been held every Oct. 31 to explore whether the magician and escape artist’s ghost can be summoned. Magicians have used this ritual to debunk claims of psychic powers, and Houdini, himself a nonbeliever and debunker, would surely have applauded this custom. To have some fun with the tradition — and to mark the 100th anniversary of Houdini’s appearance in San Francisco at the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition — local magician Robert Strong is hosting the
Official Houdini Séance 2015, a three-program event featuring science, history, and illusion. A magic show leads things off, followed by a session with two well-known skeptics. The two-and-a-half-hour séance features doubters, ghost busters, magicians, an escape artist, a Houdini historian, a neuroscientist, and an “earnest séance” as the main event. Organizers are encouraging attendees to wear period costumes, to help everyone get in the spirit.
— Anita Katz
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