In order to disprove séances, Houdini gave his wife a word before he died. If the attendees of a séance following his death could guess the word, they would receive $20,000 from his estate. Despite hundreds of attempts, no one has ever correctly guessed the word.
Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini were close friends. Even though Houdini did not believe in spiritualism, Arthur Conan Doyle believed his friend had psychic powers.
The popularity of séances greatly declined in 1887, when the Seybert Commission, led by the University of Pennsylvania, exposed many of the most popular American psychics as frauds.
Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini's friendship ended after they went to a séance and Arthur's wife claimed to be channeling the spirit of Houdini's beloved mother.
The word "mesmerize" comes from the name of Franz Mesmer, the founder of modern séance and spirituality.