A closer look
Clairvoyance and mediumship became so insanely popular during the 1920s that Scientific American magazine actually offered a massive cash prize to anyone who could produce undeniable, scientifically verifiable psychic phenomena under laboratory conditions. Legendary escape artist Harry Houdini joined the investigative committee specifically because he was so angry at mystics defrauding grieving widows, using his stage magic knowledge to thoroughly expose their cheap tricks. He easily debunked every single medium who applied, catching them hiding chalk under their fingernails, using hidden wires, and violently shaking tables with their knees in the dark. The prize was never collected, officially confirming that the greatest enemy of dark, ancient mystical power isn't a holy warrior or a magical artifact, but just an extremely annoyed vaudeville magician with a flashlight
