Incidents in My Life

In this 1872 sequel to his autobiography Incidents in My Life (1863), the nineteenth-century medium D. D. Home responds to the criticism levelled at him by reviewers, sceptics and detractors. He describes séances and spiritual manifestations, travels in Russia, America, Italy and France, and a high profile lawsuit.

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In 1872, D. D. Home (1833–1886), the famous spiritualist and medium, published this sequel to his controversial autobiography Incidents in My Life (1863). In it, Home responds to the criticism levelled at him by reviewers, sceptics and detractors including William Thackeray and Robert Browning. He describes his expulsion from Rome in 1864 owing to the authorities' fear of 'sorcery', opposition from French and American clergy in 1865, a visit to Russia, and the opening of the 'Spiritual Athenaeum' in London in 1867. He also reports numerous séances and spiritual manifestations. The book ends with documents relating to an 1868 lawsuit over a large sum of money given to Home by a wealthy widow, Jane Lyon. Although a promised third volume never appeared, the present book provides fascinating insights into the phenomenon of spiritualism and its attendant controversies during the Victorian period.