Forums · ghosts and victorian clothing?
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Sarah, just my own opinion -- if they are actually mediums and not charlatans, they would be picking up on ghosts of various eras. I think people portray the Victorian era as an age of romanticism. Interests in and acceptance of the paranormal had become more widespread during that time and I personally feel that some (certainly not all) people claiming to be mediums play on the public's perceptions and tell them what they want to hear. "Ah, the ghost is wearing a long white dress and has her hair pinned up..." Paints a pretty picture and sounds like something out of a badly written ghost story. It is a trite, overused stereotype, but one a surprising number of people buy into.
Now, the flipside -- If you are in a home or building dating back to the Victorian era that is experiencing paranormal activity, the ghost may very well be from that era, especially if some sort of traumatic event happened during the time. It also isn't unheard of to have a modern home that could be haunted from another era because of events that could have occured on the land itself.
Also, from a historical perspective, the Victorian era is the last time in history that health care was not as wide spread as we know it today. Up until the early part of the 1900's, people died at home rather than hospital beds. Homes from that era saw a lot more suffering and pain than most homes today do.
In a nutshell, if a medium consistantly picks up on nothing but the proverbial lady in a white dress or man in a dark suit and tall hat, 9 chances out of 10, they are bilking the public. I believe most genuine mediums feel that the more recently a person has passed on, the more spiritual energy they maintain.
Now, the flipside -- If you are in a home or building dating back to the Victorian era that is experiencing paranormal activity, the ghost may very well be from that era, especially if some sort of traumatic event happened during the time. It also isn't unheard of to have a modern home that could be haunted from another era because of events that could have occured on the land itself.
Also, from a historical perspective, the Victorian era is the last time in history that health care was not as wide spread as we know it today. Up until the early part of the 1900's, people died at home rather than hospital beds. Homes from that era saw a lot more suffering and pain than most homes today do.
In a nutshell, if a medium consistantly picks up on nothing but the proverbial lady in a white dress or man in a dark suit and tall hat, 9 chances out of 10, they are bilking the public. I believe most genuine mediums feel that the more recently a person has passed on, the more spiritual energy they maintain.