Definition

Noun: A person who claims to act as a medium, receiving communications from the spirits of the deceased. These messages are purportedly delivered through a series of knocking or tapping sounds (raps) on a table or other surface.

Usage

This term is used to describe a specific type of spiritualist medium, historically associated with 19th-century séances and the Spiritualism movement.

Examples

• The skeptical investigator attended a séance to observe the famous spirit rapper.
• In her memoir, she described her brief career as a spirit rapper before denouncing the practice as fraudulent.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical or critical contexts to discuss the phenomena and alleged frauds of Spiritualism.
• It can imply a degree of skepticism about the authenticity of the medium's claims.

Variants and Related Words

• Spiritualist (noun): A broader term for a person who believes in or practices communication with the spirits of the dead.
• Medium (noun): A person believed to act as a channel for communication between the earthly world and the spirit world.
• Table-tipping / Table-turning (noun): A related practice where participants place their hands on a table, which is said to move or rap in response to questions for the spirits.

Synonyms

• Medium (specifically one who uses raps)
• Spiritualist medium
• Psychic (in a broad, modern sense, though less precise)

Related Phrases and Idioms

• In communion with the spirits: A phrase describing the state a medium or spirit rapper claims to be in.
• To hold a séance: To conduct a meeting where people attempt to communicate with the dead, which a spirit rapper might lead.

Noun

1. someone who claims to receive messages from the dead in the form of raps on a table