How Spirit Trumpets Were Used To Communicate With The Dead

A spirit trumpet is a device used in séances and spiritualist circles, primarily during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, to amplify the voices of spirits communicating with the living. This simple tool is conical in shape and resembles a megaphone. The idea behind the spirit trumpet is that it acts as a conduit, allowing spirits to project their whispers into audible sounds.

In a typical séance setting, the spirit trumpet would be placed in the centre of a table or held by a medium. Participants would gather around, often in dimly lit rooms, and focus their collective energy on inviting spirits to communicate. The medium entered a trance-like state, serving as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms. It was believed that spirits could channel their energy through the trumpet, making their voices louder and clearer for the human ear.

Reports from these séances often described the trumpet levitating and moving around the room on its own, seemingly guided by invisible hands, while distinct voices emerged from the trumpet, delivering messages from deceased loved ones or offering guidance from beyond.

The belief in the authenticity of spirit trumpets varied significantly among people at the time. Many participants were genuine believers in spiritualism, a movement that posited the existence of an afterlife and the possibility of communicating with the dead. These believers often took the séances very seriously, seeking comfort, guidance, and proof of life after death. They found the phenomena associated with the spirit trumpet compelling evidence of spirit communication.

On the other hand, skeptics argue that the apparent movement of the spirit trumpet could be easily faked by the medium. One common method of deception involved attaching the trumpet to a long arm or rod, which was painted black to blend in with the dark surroundings. This allowed the medium to move the trumpet around the room without being seen. Additionally, a black pipe could be used to speak through the trumpet, making it appear as though the voices were coming directly from the trumpet itself.

These tricks exploited the low-light conditions and the heightened emotional state of the séance participants, who were often more susceptible to suggestion and less likely to notice trickery. Despite this, many people who experienced spirit trumpet séances remained convinced of their authenticity and found great comfort in the messages they received.

The use of spirit trumpets has declined over the years, largely due to advances in technology and the consensus that spirit trumpets are generally considered outdated and not commonly employed as a serious method of research. The main reason for this is the significant potential for fraud associated with spirit trumpets.

Today's ghost hunters tend to rely on electronic devices such as EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) recorders to capture and analyse potential spirit communication. These modern tools are preferred because they provide data that can be analysed and scrutinised, reducing the likelihood of human manipulation or error.

While the spirit trumpet is not regarded as a credible scientific tool in modern ghost hunting, it remains an iconic tool from the heyday of spiritualism and remains an important part of the history of paranormal research. Its use today is more likely to be found in historical re-enactments or by those who appreciate the cultural heritage of spiritualism.