Who were the Victorians, why were they so fascinated with the paranormal, and how are they continuing to influence our notions of the unexplained? Séances, paranormal investigations, fortune telling, and other spiritualist practices helped define the Victorian era and continue to shape our world today. In the time of Jack the Ripper, A Christmas Carol, Dracula, and Edgar Allan Poe, spiritualism and the supernatural were cultural touchpoints. In the book Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic, & the Supernatural, author Steele Alexandra Douris explores how Victorians, and spiritualists have left such a profound impact on both the past and present — and how belief in ghosts, fairies, and nature spirits shaped our celebrations for All Hallows’ Eve and Christmas More about the Author: Steele Alexandra Douris is an author, artist, and Victorianist, specializing in Victorian spiritualism, crime fiction, and the gothic novel. She is a PhD candidate in the English department at Stanford University, where she has taught courses on 19th century spiritualism and ghost stories. She holds an MA in English from Stanford University and a BA in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. _______________________________________________________________ Talking Strange Paranormal Podcast with Aaron Sagers is a weekly paranormal pop culture show featuring celebrity and author interviews, with a weekly "Small Talk" mini-sode with reader submitted letters and spooky tales. Sagers is a paranormal journalist and researcher who appears as host of 28 Days Haunted on Netflix, and on Paranormal Caught On Camera on Travel Channel/Discovery+, and Talking Strange is part of the Den of Geek Network. If you like Talking Strange, please subscribe, leave a nice review, and share with your friends. The Talking Strange Paranormal Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you check out spooky content. For more paranormal pop culture, head to Den of Geek, and follow @TalkStrangePod on Twitter. Email us with episode ideas, and guest suggestions, or for a chance to have your letter read on a future episode: TalkingStrange@DenOfGeek.com Follow Host Aaron Sagers: Twitter.com/aaronsagers Instagram.com/aaronsagers Facebook.com/AaronSagersPage tiktok.com/@aaronsagers Patreon.com/aaronsagers (For Q&As, livestreams, cocktail classes, and movie watches) Until Next Time: Be Kind. Stay Spooky. Keep It Weird. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices