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The Paris Review Daily ·Smart escape

A Diary From the Psychic Capital of the World

by Greta Rainbow

Published 2026-06-12 14:06:24+00:00

Can a stranger’s mistaken version of the dead help a family see who they really lost?

0:00 / 15:52 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

In this piece from 12 June 2026, Greta Rainbow follows three generations of women to a spiritualist camp in Florida. The narrative looks past the kitsch of psychics and séances to find something quieter: the way grief makes people look for signs in the dark. It isn't a search for proof of the supernatural so much as an observation of how families carry their ghosts and why the desire to feel watched over remains persistent. The visit to Cassadaga becomes a study in how meaning is made when the facts of a loss are too heavy to hold alone.

Show notes

A journey to Cassadaga, Florida, a historic center for the Spiritualist movement, undertaken by three generations of women following the murder of a relative. While attempting to settle an estate, they participate in a communal séance led by local mediums. The account examines the role of belief and memory in the process of mourning.

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