Most people are familiar with the “War of the Currents,” the famous rivalry between scientists Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. History tells us that Tesla ultimately triumphed over his former boss and rival, securing the dominance of alternating current over Edison’s preferred direct current. This bitter conflict, as we know, fueled a lifelong rivalry between the two men. However, what is less commonly known is their strange competition to communicate with the dead.
In 1901, while working late in his lab, Tesla was experimenting with a crystal radio when he suddenly heard disembodied voices coming through his device. He documented the event in his diary:
“My first observations positively terrified me, as there was present in them something mysterious, not to say supernatural, and I was alone in my laboratory at night.”
Then, in 1918, Tesla encountered the voices again while conducting a similar experiment. Intrigued but puzzled, he speculated that the voices were human, though in a language he had never heard before. While Tesla refrained from claiming he had made contact with the afterlife, he could not offer a rational explanation for the phenomenon.
This, however, did not deter Edison. When news of Tesla’s experiment reached him, Edison was determined to beat his old rival to the prize. By 1920, he had developed the Spirit Phone. In an interview with The American Magazine that same year, Edison stated:
“I have been at work for some time building an apparatus to see if it is possible for personalities who have left this Earth to communicate with us.”
Edison’s approach differed significantly from Tesla’s Spirit Radio. His theory was heavily influenced by Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity. Edison believed that if matter cannot be destroyed, only converted into energy, then perhaps he could detect this energy. Furthermore, he theorized that if “energy” retained some form of cognizance, it might leave behind detectable patterns when it interacted with other energy.
Later in 1920, Edison invited journalists, spiritualists, and mediums to witness a demonstration of his invention. The device resembled a projector, casting a beam of light onto a screen. According to Edison, the device was sensitive enough to detect objects too small for the human eye to see. The mediums were asked to contact spirits, including one of Edison’s own assistants. It seems that Edison and his assistant had made a pact—whichever of them passed away first would attempt to communicate with the other from the afterlife.
Despite the mediums’ claims of making contact with spirits, the machine failed to provide any tangible proof. After that, the device was never tested publicly again. There are no records of the Spirit Phone—neither patents, designs, nor prototypes. Most experts, including those handling Edison’s estate, deny that the device was ever built.
Tesla, however, did complete his version of the device. We know this because he filed a patent for it. In fact, you can still purchase the parts needed to build your own for about $25. But did Tesla truly communicate with the dead through his Spirit Radio? The answer is most likely no. What Tesla heard were low-frequency radio waves, which, while eerie, are perfectly explainable. It wasn’t until nearly two decades after his death that these frequencies were fully understood. When considering Tesla’s other writings, it’s doubtful that he believed the voices were from the dead. Instead, he likely considered them communications from other worlds, perhaps even from Mars.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
