A scientist and spiritualist named Thomas Lynn Bradford took his own life in hopes of proving the existence of an afterlife.
For a long time, the afterlife has been a topic that humans are eager to explore. Many believe that physical death is not the end; others think we only live once. Like all other scientific fields, a theory must be tested before drawing conclusions. In an extreme example, a scientist and spiritualist named Thomas Lynn Bradford ended his life in an attempt to prove the existence of the afterlife.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, spiritualism thrived in America, following the Civil War and World War I, which were marked by considerable death and grief. The theory proposed the idea of an afterlife and the ability to communicate with the deceased. Consequently, mediums, spiritualists, séances, and spirit communications were prevalent at that time. Despite the presence of many charlatans and frauds, there were also many respectable individuals in society who believed in life after death. One of these was Thomas Lynn Bradford. (Image: Pixabay).
Bradford was originally from Detroit, born around 1872. He became a university professor and had a deep interest in spiritualism. He was convinced of the existence of the afterlife and the soul.
He believed so strongly that he even thought the only way to provide undeniable proof was to verify the results himself. However, Bradford’s method was quite unique: he actively chose to end his life to prove this. In this way, his soul could connect with the mediums and devices he had arranged beforehand, ultimately confirming the existence of the afterlife.
Obsessed with the afterlife, Thomas Lynn Bradford frequently attended séances and gave lectures on spiritualism. In January 1921, after having a breakthrough idea, Bradford placed an advertisement in the newspaper seeking an assistant to help him conduct experiments in “spiritual science.” News about Bradford appeared in the papers. (Image: Pixabay)
Bradford subsequently ran an ad recruiting an assistant interested in “spiritual science.” A woman named Ruth Doran accepted his offer. She was a writer from a well-known local family. However, she had no experience in this field, later explaining: “After seeing the ad, I came to assist Bradford purely out of curiosity to explore this mystery. But I am not a medium or someone who believes in psychology.”
Upon meeting Bradford, she quickly became captivated by the world of spiritualism and felt a strong, almost obsessive connection to him. Perhaps this is why she didn’t run away upon discovering Bradford was heading toward such a frightening experiment.
He shared his unusual idea with Doran, and she had to promise that after his death, she would always be ready to wait for messages sent from the afterlife. On February 5, 1921, Bradford locked the door to his bedroom, turned on the gas, and successfully took his own life. The police found messages still in his typewriter, stating that his death was voluntary, aimed at proving phenomena related to spirits and the supernatural. An investigation was launched. Initially, police suspected Doran might have been involved in Bradford’s death, but there was no concrete evidence, so she was not charged. (Image: Zhihu).
Bradford proposed his unusual idea to Doran: “In the proper harmony of two minds, one of them must shed the earthly garment.” In other words, Bradford intended to leave his physical body to communicate with Doran in the form of a spirit.
On February 5, 1921, Bradford turned on the gas in his rented room and suffocated himself. Before dying, he typed a few lines explaining what he had done and what would follow. Ultimately, Bradford clarified his purpose, which was to prove the existence of the afterlife through scientific means.
After Bradford took his life, Doran began a two-week prayer vigil in hopes of receiving some form of communication from Bradford. However, all she received was silence. The story later attracted public interest, and the New York Times even published a satirical article titled “The Silent Mediums.”
News of the medium’s death quickly made headlines in major newspapers, with sensational titles updated continuously. Public opinion was curious whether Bradford would fulfill his promise to send a message from the afterlife. Doran, meanwhile, remained in a state of waiting but received no response from Bradford. (Image: Zhihu).
Over time, public interest in what Bradford had claimed gradually waned, and Doran quickly disappeared from the public eye. Records indicate that she continued to pursue the limelight, frequently being invited to give lectures, advertisements, and personality analysis services.
Bradford made great efforts to prove what he believed and paid the ultimate price with his life. Although the repercussions of his self-inflicted death caused quite a stir and generated numerous headlines, when public interest faded, he ultimately demonstrated that the afterlife and the soul may not actually exist.
