The Rappers: Oh the Mysteries,Fallacies, and Attributes of Spirit Rapping, Tabletipping and Entrancement

The Rappers: Oh The Mysteries,Fallacies, And Attributes Of Spirit Rapping, Tabletipping And Entrancement by A Searcher After Truth surveys the rise of Modern Spiritualism in 19th-century New York, focusing on spirit rappings, table tipping, and entranced mediums. The author documents visits to public and private circles, recording conversations with mediums, alleged manifestations, and tests, while noting inconsistencies and possible fraud. Book I chronicles a circle of believers and their beliefs, the various types of mediums, and dramatic episodes such as mental communications, possessions, and the dramatic entry of spirits. Book II surveys philosophical, theological, and scientific explanations offered by others, including demonology, ancient rites, and modern arguments, contrasting them with the religion centered on Christ. Throughout, the author maintains a skeptical stance, arguing that communications arise from human imagination, hypnotic states, and physical forces like electricity and odyle, rather than from the spirit world. It remains a significant early critique of Spiritualism and its social and religious effects.