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Health & Fitness

Mark Twain: Paranormal Investigator

Resume: Mississippi Riverboat Pilot. Famous American Author. Worldwide Celebrity. and Paranormal Investigator.

When most people hear the name Mark Twain they think of his remarkable contributions to literary history, his fascinating and inspiring life, and the effect that his words continue to have on today’s society. Few, however, would think of – or even be aware of – his connections and curiosity with the supernatural. But since 2009 research by our organization, as well as staff at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, has revealed a very interesting history which our organization has dubbed “Arcane Twain.”

This link between Twain (whose real name was Samuel Clemens) and the arcane was present throughout his life, but with the popularity of paranormal topics growing, and an investigation conducted by the Smoking Gun Research Agency’s Field Team , with subsequent visits by “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Hunters Academy” television shows, a lot more has been discovered and revealed. An example of this was writings by Twain which showed he held an interest in investigating claims of paranormal abilities by mediums and the acts of séances, attended many in his lifetime, and was even an early and long-term member of the Society for Psychical Research which was based in London.

Twain’s curiosity with science and technology and his personal experiences are documented. One of his friends was Nikola Tesla, who is well known for his technological achievements that have been called “mad science” by some, but also for his interest in the more paranormal realm. Twain was also a very social person in his day, hosting many discussions in his Hartford home and also attending those in the city. This was the height of the Spiritualism movement in American, and many social events were of a Spiritualist nature.

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Thanks to the acceptance of these subjects by the vast majority of the public, locations such as the Mark Twain House & Museum are far more willing to publically share this information with visitors and highlight some of what has been revealed. They do this on a special series of tours of Twain’s Hartford home called the “Graveyard Shift” tours. During the tour they discuss Twain’s now-known interest in the arcane, along with some of the results from the initial investigations and ongoing paranormal research being conducted at the site. And, as we have now been authorized to discuss our findings as well as that of the research, we are happy to be given the opportunity to answer questions and discuss these aspects with the public as well. We have done this through our “Arcane Twain” events, including multimedia presentations, discussions, and others.

Those that would like the experience of visiting a location that has undergone a great deal of actual paranormal investigation, and have the chance to hear about first-hand accounts and corroborated results, can take these tours while enjoying the wonderful setting of Mark Twain’s home. For those that know the Mark Twain of literature fame, a visit to the house (even one that is not ghost related) will divulge an entire aspect of his life that most do not know. This Saturday we led a special tour through the house that focused on our investigation results, as well as the experiences shared by staff members there. Most of the group we took had not visited the house before, and if they had, it was without knowing about the connection with the supernatural.

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“We all learned so much about the history of Mark Twain and left there with a new understand of who Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain was,” said Michelle Cooke who brought her two daughters along for the visit as a teaching experience for them. Her girls were also taking lessons in using equipment to examine claims of paranormal activity as well – something not often done on any tour. Another guest, Mary Ann, had known much of Twain’s history, but found the visit a fascinating addition as she said she also “learned quite a bit about the goings on at the property.” So whether you’re most interested in the history, or the haunts, a visit to Connecticut’s own Mark Twain House will be an enlightening experience for all ages.

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