Method of freeing hands from wax molds

This type of thing happened not only during séances organized by Frank Kluski, but was also frequently performed by many mediums in the late 19th century to demonstrate some spiritual phenomenon while the medium was holding both hands. The fact that the medium couldn't move their hands and that everything happening was the work of spirits or other immaterial entities seemed like perfect proof.

However, we must remember that most séances took place in the dark, without any lighting. Participants could not see each other and had to rely solely on their sense of touch. Under these conditions, if you can make them believe that something is holding the medium's hands, this will be the key to the medium's ability to hydrate their hands.

Are there tricks to make people believe without a doubt that they are holding hands with a psychic, even when they are not?

Of course, such a trick exists. It goes like this: the medium holds hands. Then, pretending to summon the spirits, they shake and tremble, and in doing so, they momentarily free themselves from the hands of the people holding them, as if they had actually removed them.

The séance participant tries to make sure they're holding the medium's hands, but now they're actually holding the hand of the person sitting next to them. Look at the illustrations below. The two images differ in detail: in the first image, the medium has only one hand free, while in the second, they release both. In one image, the hands are touching only at the fingers, while in the other, the hands are joined together, but the basic method is as described above.

The tricks shown in the pictures were discovered by skeptic Richard Hodgson, who was a member of the Society for Psychical Research and attended many séances.

The routine during séances was for everyone to release their hands just before the lights in the room were turned on, so those sitting closest to the medium believed they were holding their hands until the end of the séance.