An interest in spiritualism was more prominent among affluent women than men in the 19th century. Some people followed these ideas with religious devotion, while others explored the "ism" as a result of a natural curiosity of the unexplainable.
Elizabeth Oaks and the Affects of Spiritualism on Her Writing
Elizabeth Oakes Smith was interested in the subject. Her short novel, Shadow Land; or The Seer, explores this topic and makes a case for artists in support of the unknown. The author quotes Shelley, Byron, Milton, Shakespeare, Poe, and other writers, showing how Anglo-American Spiritualism developed as a result of beliefs in other parts of the world. Smith points out that dreams and astrology influenced the writings of the classic poets.
In this memoir, Smith expresses an openness to the idea of a spirit world, admitting that while she has never seen a ghost, anyone who believes in the soul is apt to be willing to consider that realm. The author argues that people should not fear thinking about the spirit-life because that would be denying a whole part of one's self. Her opinion is that the existence and influence of our thoughts prove the existence of our spirits. There is a chapter recounting tales of souls in a sort of limbo, with a restless desire for tangibility. These become the "rappers," that roam the Earth indefinitely. These spirits, the author believes, are not with God, and therefore cause unexplainable noises and the disappearance of objects in their unrest.
"The rappers have a restless desire for tangibility, and are perpetually trying to command material objects in a way to make themselves known." (18)
While Smith recounts plenty of ghostly tales that have been told to her, she has nothing original to offer the reader from her own experience, which strengthens skepticism against her belief in restless souls.
The Dream World of Elizabeth Oakes Smith
Taking the advice of Socrates, Elizabeth Oakes Smith allows her dreams to guide her waking actions and help her in a "pursuit of wisdom." She dreams of following a narrow road overgrown with weeds while many others are heard "laughing and joyful" on the other path. Often a man is guiding her by the hand and encouraging her to move forward down the uninviting trail during this reoccurring dream. She senses that the figure in her dream is her father, a mariner who drowned when Oakes Smith was three years old. She writes:
"Again, Socrates said, 'all my life I have had dreams, which recommended the same things to me, sometimes in one way, sometimes in another.' "
A Connection to Rhonda Byrnes' The Secret
The author expresses an interest in astrology, upholding ancient astronomers' idea that "God governs the stars and the stars govern men" by admitting the accuracy of her own astrological profile. She recounts dreams that have answered religious questions for her regarding prayer and the existence of heaven or hell. She speaks of mystical experiences related to fainting, swooning, and brain injuries, and those who do not dream at all. While some aspects of the "trauma dream" can be explained scientifically, there is still enough power in these inner experiences to change a life.
Smith suggests that thoughts have energy and power. Recent New York Times Best Selling Author Rhonda Byrnes could have used this memoir as fodder for her book, The Secret. This modern book reiterates the thoughts written in Shadow Land; Or The Seer that the energy you put out into the universe, be it positive or negative, is what is returned to you.
"There is, in truth, a mere enlarged philosophy in supposing that all matter repels and attracts; that the most distant planet held in its sphere, by kindred stars, must feel in its pulse the slightest change of balance; and if matter thus sympathizes with matter, that unrealized portion subject to our own organization must sympathize also." (105)
Smith's Thoughts on Superstition
While she does express a marked belief in the accuracy of her own horoscope, Elizabeth Oakes-Smith makes a distinction in this work between superstitions and looking to dreams for guidance. After giving a brief history of superstitions around the world, she implies that these practices are born from simple minds, (while admitting to holding on to a few herself, being affected by an Irish live-in servant named Mary).
"Heaven bless the Irish; their faith is after my own heart. Nothing is without significancy to them, " she writes. (93)
Like many modern sports figures, Elizabeth Oakes Smith has superstitions connected with her talent. She recounts a conversation with Mary:
"Mary, Good Mary, leave the chair in the same spot."
"Ah, Madam, it would look so much prettier by the window, make the room look so much better."
"Yes, Mary, but I have written there these three whole days." (94)
Interestingly, Oakes Smith goes on to list the superstitions of "good Mary" that the Smith family succumbed to during their various moves from one home to another. They left brooms and even a family cat named Grimalkin behind for the next owners to avoid bad luck.
Published in 1851, Shadow Land; or The Seer gives readers a window into the imagination of Elizabeth Oakes Smith. It can be found at:
Shadowland; Or The Seer at Google digitized books.
References:
Smith, Elizabeth Oakes. Shadowland; Or The Seer. New York. 1851.
