The 19th century was a time of rapid technological leaps: the telegraph, the steam boat, the radio were invented during this century. But this era was also the peak of spiritualism: the belief that ghosts and spirits were real and could be communicated with after death. Seances were all the rage. People tried to talk to their dead loved ones, using Ouija boards and automatic writing. Although it might seem contradictory, it's not a coincidence that this was all happening at the same time.