IS HOUDINI EARTH BOUND?

IS HOUDINI earth bound? I think he is. The great American has been dead now for over three years. That is sufficient time for the spirit of the average human being to realise that he or she is something different from the flesh and blood of us mortals. In all that time, however, I have only once seen Houdini manifest himself in spirit form--this in spite of the fact that I am an ardent spiritualist, and have several times endeavoured to get in touch with my departed friend.

The solitary occasion of which I speak was at Hannen Swaffer's flat, early in the spring Of 1928. There were several people present at the time, including a well-known amateur trance medium. It was through this person that Houdini appeared to us, strangely different from the man we had known in life.

His wrists were held together as though fastened by unseen handcuffs. He was struggling violently, evidently endeavouring to free himself. "I'm Houdini," he whispered in a hoarse, almost unrecognisable voice. "Don't you know me?" He appeared to want to tell us something, but lacked the power. At last he pulled his wrists apart as though he had escaped from the manacles. A few seconds later he was gone.

The appearance was brief, but sufficiently long to tell me that Houdini was an altered man. "Why should he be?" I asked myself. "There is no reason." Then I hit on what I believe to be the true explanation.

Houdini is lost in his new sphere. He was always a difficult man to convince, and I think it more than likely that he does not realise he is dead, dead, I mean, in an earthly sense. He has lost his perspective, and, as a spiritual being, cannot realise his true position in regard to the friends he has left on earth. He thinks he is still one of us.

He may be at my side as I pen these words, perhaps trying to attract my attention. Who can say? I am not clairvoyant, and am quite unable to sense a spirit presence. I am convinced there is much he has to tell me, that he is determined to tell me. How many attempts he has made to communicate with me since his tragic death he alone knows. This particular séance had been held because an entity who called himself Houdini had said, "Send for Will." So I went along....

On this, the only occasion when he actually succeeded in getting into touch with me, I was struck by the desperate and eager way in which he endeavoured to make himself known. That he failed to tell me all that he wished is ample proof that his spiritual education is not yet complete.