Unveiling the Seance Craze of the 1920s: Illustrated Talk by Rob Zabrecky

We are thrilled to welcome Rob Zabrecky back to the Philosophical Research Society, this time for a presentation on the Seance Craze of the 1920s!

Step into the flickering candlelight of a bygone era as Rob Zabrecky—Magic Castle legend and theatrical medium—brings to life the strange and seductive world of early 20th-century séances. In this captivating illustrated talk, Zabrecky explores how séances, more than any other element of the Spiritualist movement, captured the public’s imagination and turned drawing rooms into stages for the dead.

Twice named Lecturer of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts, Zabrecky resurrects the atmosphere, characters, and cultural obsession that fueled the séance craze of the Jazz Age. With over 15 years of experience conducting performances in the legendary Houdini Séance Room at Hollywood’s Magic Castle, he offers a rare insider’s look at the art and theatrics of spirit communication.

Blending historical insight with haunting showmanship, Zabrecky guides audiences through the rise of Spiritualism, from its 19th-century origins with the Fox Sisters to its height in the 1920s—when séances became both a social ritual and a spectacle of wonder. He examines the philosophical roots laid by figures like Emanuel Swedenborg, while focusing on the séance as the movement’s most vivid and controversial expression.

Through evocative storytelling, archival images, and live demonstrations of vintage séance techniques, Zabrecky recreates the uncanny ambiance of the era, showing how mediums used illusion, psychology, and stagecraft to summon the “spirit world.” These were more than party tricks—they were emotionally charged performances born from grief, hope, and the universal yearning to pierce the veil.

A particular focus is given to the women who dominated the séance scene—mediums like Margery, the infamous “Witch of Lime Street,” whose feats captivated the public and challenged skeptics like Harry Houdini. At a time when women had few platforms for influence, the séance table became a rare space for power and performance.

While the fever pitch of séance culture began to wane by the late 1920s, its echoes can still be heard in today’s paranormal media, ghost tours, and Spiritualist practices. Zabrecky’s presentation isn’t about converting belief—it’s about conjuring a lost world where the dead were nightly headliners and the living gathered in darkness, waiting for a knock from the beyond.

Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or simply curious, this talk offers a mesmerizing journey into one of the most bizarre and beguiling chapters of cultural history—where grief met theater, and the séance reigned supreme.

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

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