dimly remembered medium exposé (NSFW detail)

[Nate Whilk]

I remember very few details about it. IIRC I saw it mentioned in the early 1980s, when I was on AOL. A professor (possibly Swedish) was offering it as a text file upon request. I got a copy, but I lost it at some point.

IIRC it was written by an American man whose career as a medium was in the 1950s. In his book he told his story, exposing tricks he and other mediums used. He said he had had credible death threats from other mediums.

His conversion began when a new client who was a widow somehow touched his conscience, and he soon admitted to her he was a fraud. She forgave him without anger or judgement, and they became friends due to her magnanimity. With some gentle persuading from her he finally ended his career.

The only other detail I remember is NSFW. On one occasion he stood in for another medium who had to be out of town. Most of the clients were fine with him as a substitute. One exception was a widow who wasn't completely happy and told him so, but she refused to tell him the exact reason. The returning medium later told him the reason: he regularly used a dildo or vibrator on her as a "materialization" of her late husband!

Weird story, I know, and few details. But does this ring any bells?

 

[Matthew Ellard]

The only other detail I remember is NSFW. On one occasion he stood in for another medium who had to be out of town. Most of the clients were fine with him as a substitute. One exception was a widow who wasn't completely happy and told him so, but she refused to tell him the exact reason. The returning medium later told him the reason: he regularly used a dildo or vibrator on her as a "materialization" of her late husband!

Harry Houdini worked with Scientific American in debunking mediums. I will find the reference in a Houdini book downstairs, but, in Chicago around the end of the 19th century, prostitutes advertised their services as one on one mediums who would do private readings for men in the prostitute's home. It would seem that a lot of "medium work" was simply a way of advertising prostitution.

I think this may relate to your story.

 

[Spektator]

Allen Spraggett, author of The Psychic Mafia?

 

[Nate Whilk]

That's it! Thank you!

 

[Athyrio]

I remember very few details about it. IIRC I saw it mentioned in the early 1980s, when I was on AOL. A professor (possibly Swedish) was offering it as a text file upon request. I got a copy, but I lost it at some point.

IIRC it was written by an American man whose career as a medium was in the 1950s. In his book he told his story, exposing tricks he and other mediums used. He said he had had credible death threats from other mediums.

His conversion began when a new client who was a widow somehow touched his conscience, and he soon admitted to her he was a fraud. She forgave him without anger or judgement, and they became friends due to her magnanimity. With some gentle persuading from her he finally ended his career.

The only other detail I remember is NSFW. On one occasion he stood in for another medium who had to be out of town. Most of the clients were fine with him as a substitute. One exception was a widow who wasn't completely happy and told him so, but she refused to tell him the exact reason. The returning medium later told him the reason: he regularly used a dildo or vibrator on her as a "materialization" of her late husband!

Weird story, I know, and few details. But does this ring any bells?

Only for the widow.

 

[Nova Land]

Here's a link to a previous discussion of the book. It's not a very long thread, but I thought you might be interested in what people said about it 14 years ago.

One important correction to what's been posted so far in this thread, though. The book is not about Allen Spraggett, who was a writer about the paranormal (as well as a believer in faith healing and astrology); the book is the story of fraudulent medium M. Lamar Keene, as told by Keene to Allen Spraggett.

 

[Spektator]

Here's a link to a previous discussion of the book. It's not a very long thread, but I thought you might be interested in what people said about it 14 years ago.

One important correction to what's been posted so far in this thread, though. The book is not about Allen Spraggett, who was a writer about the paranormal (as well as a believer in faith healing and astrology); the book is the story of fraudulent medium M. Lamar Keene, as told by Keene to Allen Spraggett.

Thanks for the correction. My steel-trap memory rusted.