At the height of the spiritualist movement of the late 19th century, an obscure teen in a small Midwest town became a celebrity. Whether it was the effects of mental illness, an undiagnosed sleep disorder, or an actual case of possession, Mary "Lurancy" Vennum was thrust onto a national stage by true believers who were convinced that she had special powers to talk to the dead.





Baird, A. (1949). The Life of Richard Hodgson. London: Psychic Press.Bruce, H.A. (1908). Historic Ghosts and Ghost Hunters. New York: Moffat, Yard & Co.Hoffman, F.S. (1903). Psychology and Common Life: A Survey of the Present Results of Psychical Research with Special Reference to their Bearings upon the Interests of Everyday Life. New York & London: G.P. Putnam & Sons.Myers, F.W.H. (1903/1961). Human Personality and its Survival of Bodily Death. New Hyde Park, NY: University Books, Inc.Stevens, E.W. (1887). The Case of Lurancy Vennum.  Chicago: Religio-Philosophical Publishing House.

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