The Popularity of Fasting Girls Coincided With The Spiritualist Movement
During the Victorian Era, there was a huge rise in Spiritualism, a belief that mediums can communicate with the dead. So, when fasting girls would claim to have supernatural powers, it naturally attracted those who already believed in Spiritualism. However, many of these women, like Mollie Fancher, tried to separate themselves from Spiritualists. Mollie called herself an “earnest Christian” despite claiming that she was clairvoyant. At the time, many saw Spiritualism as a legitimate scientific endeavor. Members of the New York Neurological Society tried to put Mollie’s clairvoyance to the test. Their idea was to put a $1,000 check inside of an envelope on the table across the room from her. If she could identify the correct amount, the name of the bank, and the signature, she could keep the money. But Mollie refused to participate in the experiment.