On Halloween 1977, on the fifty-first anniversary of the illusionist, Harry Houdini's, death, Gabriel Grayson, instructor of the course the "Amazing Houdini!! The Man . . . The Myth . . . The Magic," stages a séance in the New School auditorium in an attempt to communicate with the spirit of Houdini. In this audio recording comprising the first part of the session, Grayson introduces the program by providing some background on modern spiritualism, indicating that his purpose is to present "freely and fairly" the phenomenon of communication with "some form of consciousness beyond death." Grayson introduces the panelists, some of whom have brought personal items owned by Houdini. The séance begins at 15:57, and after several minutes of silence, medium Ethel Meyers begins uttering words and phrases apparently meant to have been received from Houdini's spirit. The panelists ask questions of Meyers, which she answers as the spirit of Houdini. When asked to recount a message that Houdini left behind with one of the panelists, the medium is unable to do so. Other attempts by panelists to prompt Houdini to prove his identity also fail. The second recording is a continuation of the session. The séance is ended at 7:19, and the floor is opened to questions from panelists and the audience, mainly regarding the process through which the medium channels the spirit of the dead. Participants include Bernard C. Meyer, author of a psychoanalytic portrait of Houdini; Billie Dunninger, widow of the mentalist, The Amazing Dunninger; Henry Muller, president of the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame; Milbourne Christopher, Houdini biographer; Sidney Radner, an "escape specialist"; Louis Rachow, curator and librarian of the Hampden-Booth Theatre Library; and author Morris Young.
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