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I love the Victorian period. It was a time of great invention and creativity. I've always loved stories about the paranormal so I was sold on this book when I read the blurb. If you're interested in spirits and mediums this is a must read. Well written and researched Blum looks at the history of the Society of Psychical Research and its key membership. Through their personal stories and obsessions there are many questions raised.

Blum is an author who knows her subject matter and has delved deep into the Victorian period. Scientists interested in proving the possibility of life after death embarked in investigating the phenomena of mediums. The book charts the controversy and conflict caused between scientists interested in the phenomena and those that didn't believe that this type of research was valid.

While there were many fake mediums during the Victorian period, there were some that could not disproved. The scientists researching mediums faced a quandary, at what point was there irrefutable proof as to life after death? And how could life after death be proven when the phenomena of mediums was so unreliable? Tests could not be replicated even with mediums who had proven to be accurate. The scientists undertaking this research developed many thesis that make for fascinating reading and provide food for thought. The book focuses on the medium Leonora Piper and her work with the Society of Psychical research. There were two things that I found most fascinating about this book.

When Fred Myers, a scientist with the SPR, passed over he made contact through Leonora Piper. During a seance when he was questioned about life after death he presented answers that tied in with Christianity thought of God. SPR concluded that the medium mediates the message. That is whatever messages are sent by a spirit are interpreted by the mediums' thought processes and experiences.

This seems to illustrate why mediums can sometimes be accurate and other times so completely wrong. If the medium does not have knowledge of a particular subject matter or their brain works in a different way to that of the spirit, it's difficult for the message to be sent accurately.

The second was an experiment conducted by Margaret Verrall a friend of Fred Myers. Verrall decided to prove if there was life after death by communicating with Myers. She decided on automatic writing, the phenomena of holding a pen and having a spirit take over and write messages. Over three months she set aside at least an hour every day and waited. After three months of waiting she started writing about other matters.

On the other side of the world the SPR had contacted Myers through the medium Leonora Piper. On the days that there were messages from Fred, Verrall wrote messages that replicated the conversations Myers had with Piper. This makes me wonder if anyone could contact with spirits if they put the time into it. Do we all have the ability to get in touch with the paranormal? Or is it that the spirits are so eager to make contact that they are clamouring for anyone to speak to?

While I still don't know if I believe in life after death, I do believe that there are many mysteries in the world that we are ignorant about. That there is a world we can see and perhaps a world we cannot. Ghost Hunters is a fascinating read and one that will turn your ideas about life and death on its head.