Since the early 19th century, psychics have exerted great influence on American political leaders, including none other than President Abraham Lincoln, one of the most influential presidents of all time. Lincoln became president March 4, 1861, and served until shot and killed early in his second term, April 15, 1865. It is well known that he and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, held many paranormal séances in the Red Room of the White House to communicate with their children who had died at the ages of four and eleven. What may be less known is the powerful influence that psychics played on important decisions made by President Lincoln and his closest advisors.
The ingredients for a great alternative history novel!
Some of the decisions President Lincoln made on the advice of psychics may have radically shaped the course of history. So much so that an exploration of how things would be different if a different decision had been made would make a great alternate history novel! Alternate history has become a very popular fictional genre. The premise of alternative historical fiction revolves around a “what if” scenario, that is, what would have happened if a particular historical event had happened in a different way or never happened at all. An in-depth examination of what might have happened if psychological counseling had been disregarded in President Lincoln’s case would be excellent fodder for such a novel.
Did a psychic trance save the Emancipation Proclamation?
In December 1862, a paranormal trance named Nettie Colburn (later known as Nettie Colburn Maynard) was invited to the White House by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. She was only 21 years old at the time and very nervous about meeting the president. For such a young person, she was quite an experienced trance psychic. Not only was she exceptionally gifted, but she had also been practicing her craft since she was fifteen. Mrs. Lincoln had previously attended one of Nettie’s seances, along with former Maine Congressman Daniel E. Somes, a close friend of the president. Both Mrs. Lincoln and former Congresswoman Somes were very impressed with Nettie. In fact, this may have been the reason President Lincoln was willing to attend the séance that evening, as he did indicate upon entering the room that he had heard a lot about her.
Nettie was so nervous that she could only answer the president’s first questions with a shy “yes” or “no.” However, when she fell into a trance, her whole attitude changed. She spoke with authority, as one wise beyond her years, and with the words of a great orator. So much so that after the séance, someone asked the president if she had reminded him of anyone and he immediately looked at the Daniel Webster painting hanging on the wall near the piano. Not only was Webster considered a great orator, but he had declared slavery a “great moral, social, and political evil.”
Several people reported that while in a trance, Nettie spoke in detail about many things she could not have known about. The president was reportedly fascinated by what she said, especially when she started talking about the Emancipation Proclamation, which he was scheduled to sign on the first of this year. However, he was under enormous political pressure to delay it or not sign it at all, substituting watered-down ‘compromise’ versions of it. Nettie urged him not to postpone it, telling him that it would be the crowning achievement not only of his presidency, but of his entire life.
Much has been written about this event with the trance psychic, including interviews with those present. One of the best sources of information, however, comes from the trance psychic himself, who published a book entitled, “Was Abraham Lincoln a Spiritualist?” Curious revelations from the life of a trance medium.” Nettie says that after coming out of the trance, former Congresswoman Somes asked the president if he had been pressured not to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. To this he replied: ‘It takes all my courage and strength to withstand such pressure.’ There are also many historical accounts of how enormous the pressure was on President Lincoln.
Nettie also shares something else President Lincoln said to her after she came out of the trance: “My child, you have a very special gift; but that it is from God, I have no doubt.” Lincoln was deeply moved by the experience in every way and it gave him the strength and reassurance he needed not to succumb to political pressure. Of course, on January 1, 1963, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and this act led to the abolition of slavery. According to some stories, Nettie also channeled a spirit who recommended details about the Freedmen’s Bureau.
Let’s put this in a broader historical perspective
President Lincoln was undoubtedly against slavery, but he did not believe that the office of the President had the authority to abolish slavery in every state as federal law and that it would be overturned if he tried to do so. However, he and his advisors came up with a different plan. They believed that as president during wartime, Lincoln had absolute power over the military and he expected that if he gave military orders, his orders would be followed. This was key to how the Emancipation Proclamation came about and why it was successful in ultimately ending slavery in the United States.
On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln actually published what he would sign on the first of the year. For any states that continued to rebel, all slaves in those states would be immediately and permanently free. This encouraged the border states to stop rebelling, and some did so. It also immediately gave ex-slaves and those who were able to escape to the Northern states the right to enlist in the military, take up arms, and fight for the Union.
Is the White House haunted by the ghost of Lincoln?
According to a 2017 article in the Washington Post, many visitors to the White House over the decades have reported seeing and in some cases hearing the ghost of President Lincoln. This includes some of the most powerful influencers in the world, such as Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Is President Lincoln trying to “pay it forward” and offer them good advice from the spirit world?
Apparently, President Lincoln’s ghost is most often reported in what is now the Lincoln Bedroom. Originally, this was President Lincoln’s office, where he spent much time in solitude and worked with his advisors to make the difficult decisions he made. Is this room now haunted by his ghost, which people with psychic intuition can see? It is said that animals are very sensitive to the presence of spirits. President Ronald Reagan’s spaniel dog, Rex, is said to have roamed freely and happily through every room of the White House EXCEPT the Lincoln Bedroom, a room he refused to enter. Was Rex the dog scared by Lincoln’s ghost?
Final thoughts
What if a psychic in a trance had not advised President Lincoln to remain steadfast and he had yielded to the enormous pressure and delayed or not signed the Emancipation Proclamation? What if the Emancipation Proclamation had not been issued? How would history have changed? Where would the United States be today and what impact would it have had on the rest of the world?
If you really think about these questions, you will quickly realize how influential psychics are. Perhaps a White House séance with a gifted clairvoyant would prompt the mind of President Lincoln to reveal to us what we most need to know. That December night in 1862, the Lincolns expected the paranormal trance to give them communications from their dead sons. Instead, they got the best advice ever given to a president.
