HOUDINI'S HALLOWEEN
Halloween, as a child, was magical -- the old, gnarled tree branches backlit against the moonlight; shuffling through the fallen colors to strange homes for Trick or Treat. In the days before Fright Night was a marketing bonanza, with fog machines and motion-activatedskeletons, one of my neighbors back in 1974 had, in the driveway of his old house, under an old tree, a coffin with a seven foot Frankenstein that could react to my every move, and even talk to me. It was the most unbelievable thing I had ever seen, in all my seven years walking among the living.
It has become increasingly difficult to capture the eeriness of this ghostly night. As we go from high school, to college, to the adult singles scene, The drinks may get slightly more sophisticated, but the spookish vibe and mystery of the hallowed night just isn't there.
“Paranormalists” recruit people around the world gather every Halloween to mark the death of Harry Houdini, and try and bring him back from the grave through a séance.
It all started 179 years ago, when Houdini died on Halloween of 1926. He set up a code with his wife Bess, so that if there were truly a way to contact her after death, he would do it. She attended séances for nine years and then on the tenth year, the séance was held on the roof of the Knickerbocker hotel in Los Angeles. There were clear skies but reportedly a storm rolled in and downpoured soley on the hotel, and then went away. Some saw this "weather phenomenon" as a sign from Harry. But it must not have been the code. Bess never showed up to another séance.
But if a rolling thunderstorm is considered "a sign" then how will we really know it's Houdini, short of his specter screaming 'boo.' People claiming to be paranormal experts says it's subjective. A "sign" could be a creeky floorboard, or a spider falling from the ceiling. But if it's subjective, than what validity does all this have beyond a piece of compelling theater? Better yet, if we're suspending the laws of science to say that someone can make contact from the grave, than why do we need an organized séance to communicate? Why not just shout out "Hey Harry -- you here?"
Because of Houdini's background as an illusionist, he recognized the techniques of mediums and became a crusader against charlatans who took advantage of grieving families, according to Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman of the book "Weird U.S." He frequently attended séances in disguise, in order to expose the mediums.
We all have intuitive abilities -- some people use them; others choose to ignore them. That's insightful. Because while the annual Houdini séance is a great way to experience the eeriness of Halloweens past, it also serves as a warning. As The Great Houdini knew, those who look to "spiritualists" for serious guidance may experience the greatest disappearing act of them all -- their money.