通靈的崛起
 
正當克羅維的書推波助瀾大幅使大眾對超自然有進一步的認識時，在大西洋的另一邊正興起一場將鬼魂和來世的信仰發展成通靈的新宗教活動。1848年春季，紐約州的福克斯家因住家發出奇怪聲響夜不成眠，瑪姬和凱蒂兩姐妹發現聲音的來源是鬼魂，而且她們能透過提問跟鬼溝通，也能解讀鬼發出的敲擊聲。
 
The ghost claimed that he was a salesman who’d been killed by the house’s former owner, and when human bones were discovered in the basement, the sisters’ story spread across the country. They began traveling from town to town holding séances, where they communicated with other spirits using the same method. As their fame as mediums grew, many others found that they could also contact spirits, and a new religious movement was born. Instead of church, members attended séances, where mediums helped them talk to dead relatives and receive guidance from the spirit world.
 
那個鬼魂自稱是銷售員，是被那棟房子的前屋主所殺，屍骨在地下室被找到後，這對姐妹的故事傳遍全國。她們開始周遊各個城鎮，舉辦降神會，以同樣的方式跟其他鬼魂溝通。隨著她們的靈媒聲望越來越高，也有許多人發現自己能跟鬼魂溝通，於是新的宗教運動就此誕生。信徒不上教堂，而是參加降神會，靈媒在集會上幫他們跟死去的親戚溝通，接受來自靈界的指引。
 
Are ghosts real?
 
When ghosts at séances went from rapping on tables to moving objects and even appearing before audiences, many began to suspect that the mediums were just performing tricks. Clubs and societies were formed to investigate the existence of ghosts, and while a number of mediums turned out to be frauds, some investigators—including doctor and author Arthur Conan Doyle and scientist Pierre Curie—actually became believers. This tradition continues today on popular shows like Ghost Hunter and Ghost Adventures. Although no solid proof has been found yet, it’s hard to prove that ghosts don’t exist.