Since biblical times, political leaders have been interested in consulting mediums.
The pharaoh in Egypt had a dream that he couldn't understand. He asked Joseph to interpret the dream, as Joseph was a skilled interpreter because of his mediumistic abilities. [Genesis 41:1-40]
King Ahab consulted Elijah, despite detesting the advice Elijah gave him, and they had an adversarial relationship.
[1 Kings 17:1]
Joash consulted Elisha while Elisha was on his deathbed on whether or not he would be victorious if he waged war on the Arameans. [2 Kings 13:14-20.]
King Josephat and King Ahab of Israel consulted Micaiah about whether or not to go to war. [1 Kings 22:1-28]
King Jeroboam sent his wife to consult the medium about his son's health. [1 Kings 14:1-13]
In Greek culture, Kings, along with other prominent figures in ancient Greece, regularly consulted the Oracle of Delphi, believing it to be the voice of the god Apollo.
Following the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861, Queen Victoria developed a fascination with Spiritualism. She participated in séances and sought comfort in the possibility of communicating with her deceased husband.
She was particularly impressed by a young medium named Robert James Lees, who gave the queen a message from Albert that convinced her of his legitimacy.
Queen Victoria also consulted with her Scottish servant, John Brown, a spiritualist medium. While his primary role was as a personal attendant and loyal companion, Brown's role in Victoria's life, especially after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, was her personal medium.
Daniel Douglas Holmes was a physical medium. It is documented that Home once levitated his body and floated out the third-story window of a London apartment building, then circled around the corner of a building and re-entered through another open window.
Several European monarchs sought his counsel.
Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugene, of France, sat in several Holmes’ séances.
In 1858, Home married a Russian noblewoman named Alexandrina de Kroll in St. Petersburg. Through his marriage, Home became connected to powerful families at court, including the poet Count Alexei Tolstoy and the chamberlain Count Bobrinsky. As his reputation as a medium grew, Home conducted séances for numerous wealthy and notable figures, including Tsar Alexander II of Russia. During his time in Russia, Home reportedly made such an impression that he was even buried in a Russian cemetery in Paris after his death.
Queen Sophia, the wife of King William III of the Netherlands, also consulted with Holmes.
Therefore, it is not unprecedented throughout history for political leaders to consult mediums. U.S. presidents have followed in the historical precedent. Some of them have consulted mediums for various purposes, while others have returned to the White House after their death, hoping to influence the current President.
On January 6, 1853, just months before Franklin Pierce's inauguration, the Pierces were aboard a train not far from Boston when the car they were riding in uncoupled and derailed, and the train car rolled over, split apart, and plummeted down a rocky ledge. Pierce and his wife were slightly injured. However, their eleven-year-old son, Benjamin, was killed instantly, the only fatality in the accident.
This tragedy compounded the already grief-stricken Jane, since her older two sons had died previously. While still in mourning, President-elect Franklin Pierce was inaugurated in March 1853, but Jane, numb with grief, was too devastated to attend. This obviously created an aura of sadness in the White House.
Maggie and Kate Fox were working in Washington, D. C. during February 1853. Congressmen, government officials, and soldiers on leave were interested in receiving guidance from Spirit. Given the recent tragic event that occurred, it was predictable that the First Lady, Jane Pierce, would contact the Maggie Fox to come to the White House to conduct a séance so that she could communicate with her son, Benjamin.
Séances and Mediums were more prominent in the Lincoln administration than during any other presidency.
Dr. J. Ridgeley Martin signed an affidavit that he personally knew a medium Lincoln used to visit, whose last name was Thorp. “Mr. Lincoln received messages from his mother and Ann Rutledge.” It was known that Lincoln and his wife had Spiritualist friends while living in Springfield, Illinois.[1]
[1] Hamilton, Michelle L. "I would Still be Drowned in Tears": Spiritualism in Abraham Lincoln's White House. La Mesa, CA: Vanderblümen Publications, 2013. p. 39.
In July 1867, William H. Herndon gave a reporter a tour of the late president‘s law office [in Springfield, Illinois]. On his bookshelves, along with his law books, were two Spiritualist books. They were Robert Dale Owens’s Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World and Andrew Jackson Davis’s, The Great Harmonia: Being a Philosophical Revelation of the Natural, Spiritual, and Celestial Universe. Both of these book explained the beliefs of Spiritualists.
On March 12, 1861, the Wisconsin Waukesha Freeman, which according to its masthead was “A Weekly Newspaper—Devoted to Republican Politics, Literature, and the News of the day,” published the starting details under the headline, “The President Elect a Spiritualist.” The article published the account of the trance medium J. B. Conklin. According to the revelations of Conklin, Abraham Lincoln, before the election, had attended at least two spirit circles conducted by him [in New York City].
Mediums Lincoln Consulted
Of the 47 United States Presidents, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln consulted the most mediums during their time in the White House. Partially because of the death of their children and the turbulent times during their term in office, the Lincolns consulted 12 different mediums!
President James A. Garfield’s father died when James was only two years old. However, when James was 6 years old, he saw the Spirit of his Father, Abram, at the foot of his bed. From that point on, James received regular messages from his father, which included guidance on his education and career, including aspirations to be a college president, a Civil War General, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
When Garfield was only 20 years old, he attended a séance where his father identified himself through “rapping.”
President Garfield followed Spirit’s advice and reformed the civil service laws, which antagonized many people.
Then, President Garfield had a premonition that he would be murdered.
Garfield’s term of office was only 4 months, when he was shot at the Washington D. C. railroad station. He survived for several painful weeks before making his transition to the Spirit World.
President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in October 1919, which left him Incapacitated. His wife, Edith Wilson, secretly carried out the duties of the Presidency for 17 months, since Wilson's health condition was kept a secret from the American people.
The famous psychic Edgar Cayce was secretly summoned to the White House to give a reading for President Wilson. A member of the Secret Service who came from Kentucky, Cayce's home state, arranged the meeting. During the reading, Wilson sat in his wheelchair. Mrs. Wilson was present at the reading.
Cayce predicted that Wilson would not recover from his stroke and would not have long to live. Then Wilson asked Cayce to predict the future of the League of Nations. Cayce predicted it was doomed to failure.
Cayce was sworn to secrecy about his reading for President Wilson.
Wilson lived three years after he left the White House, but never fully recovered from his stroke. Cayce, known for his healing remedies, was unable to help Wilson with his physical condition.
Warren G. Harding, the 29th U.S. president, served from 1921 until he died in 1923. While he was popular during his time in office, a series of scandals that emerged after his death damaged his legacy, and he is now considered among the worst U.S. presidents.
At various times, Mrs. Harding consulted with mediums. While one Washington medium correctly predicted Harding's election, another claimed to see the "Star of Destiny" emblazoned over him, the beacon that would steer him to great prominence. That turned out to be correct, but in a skewed way, Harding presided over one of the most scandal-ridden administrations in U.S. history.
First Lady Florence Harding was among the many wives of politicians in the 1920s who became attracted to the practice of astrology. Florence Harding relied on her astrologer, Madame Marcia. After consulting her charts, Madame Marcia made a startling prediction: President Harding would not live to complete his term in office. When he died under mysterious circumstances on August 2, 1923, only his wife was with him.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 197.
Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, served from 1923 to 1929. Coolidge was known for his quiet demeanor, conservative principles, and support for limited government, earning him the nickname "Silent Cal."
Immediately after becoming First Lady, rumors started up that Grace Coolidge, was consulting mediums and astrologers just as Florence Harding had. At least one medium publicly announced that she'd given readings to Mrs. Coolidge at the White House, but later retracted the claim in the face of negative press and adverse political reaction.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 198.
In 1944, Chimes magazine reported that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had attended seances with several gifted mediums, although the specifics were kept confidential from the public.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 199.
One Thursday morning in November 1944, Dixon received a phone call inviting her to the White House, When she arrived, she was quietly ushered into the Oval Office, where President Roosevelt sat behind his desk. He smiled, greeted her, and thanked her for coming. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, asked her, "How much time do I have to finish the work I have to do?"
With FDR's permission, Dixon placed her hand on his so that she might sense his "vibrations." She was hesitant to say, "Six months or less. Roosevelt said nothing for several minutes.
When he spoke again, he asked Dixon her thoughts about dealing with Russia, a U.S. ally during the War, and what Russia's role would be when the War ended. Dixon [79] explained that her visions showed the United States and Russia would not be allies in the postwar years. However, she added, the two nations would someday, far in the future, again be friendly.
The president asked again, "How much longer in years do I have to complete my work?"
"Mr. President, you cannot measure it in years, only in months. There is less than six months." Dixon repeated.
A short while later, the remarkable meeting between the psychic who could see into the future and the President of the United States was over.
FDR scheduled another reading 2 months later. Dixon noticed how much FDR’s health had deteriorated. After greeting her, Roosevelt wasted no time asking. "How much time do I have now?"
Dixon held her thumb and forefinger up so that there was perhaps an inch of space between them. " The time is short," he agreed, seemingly at peace with himself. "Yes, the time is shorter than we want to think it is," Dixon answered.
Roosevelt then abruptly changed subjects, returning to questions about America's postwar policy and ways to handle Russian demands for carving up Nazi-occupied Europe. Dixon advised FDR not to give anything to Russia that the United States had a right to.
In February 1945, an ailing Roosevelt attended a secret conference at Yalta with British prime minister Winston Churchill and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, in which FDR, against Churchill's advice, agreed to giving the Soviets control over the eastern half of Germany. The weakened Roosevelt also allowed Eastern European and Balkan nations to be carved up and handed over to the Communists. Roosevelt had not listened to Dixon’s warnings, which detrimentally effected the next forty years.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. pp. 78-80.
After FDR contracted polio, Eleanor Roosevelt faced many uncertainties — in her marriage, the state of the world, and her own future — so she journeyed to the modest Indianapolis home of one of the nation’s most renowned palm readers, Nellie Meier. But the gossip that the First Lady of the United States was having the lines and features of her palm read by a person practicing palmistry was a jolt to people who knew about it, although it was kept out of the press. Eventually, Mrs. Roosevelt invited palmist Nellie Meier to visit the White House.
Internationally celebrated medium and author Kenny Kingston tells the story of how he first met Truman in the flesh in 1948 in San Francisco, where he was campaigning for president. Truman wanted “to talk to the spirits,” mainly to learn if they saw him being elected. Kingston assured him of victory.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 168.
Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy both met with psychic and astrologer Jeane Dixon, who ultimately became one of the most famous and popular psychics not only for official families but also for the American public at large.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 13.
I don’t remember when I visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and asked to read a document concerning Jeanne Dixon. The letter was a thank-you note for a gift JFK received from Jeane Dixon. At the time, I did not understand why gifts were exchanged; however, now that I have learned Jeanne Dixon gave President Kennedy a reading, I can understand why she sent a thank-you note.
After President Abraham Lincoln, LBJ was our nation’s most psychic president. Since his childhood in Texas, LBJ had frightening dreams and nightmares, which continued while Johnson was in the White House[1]
It was through a dream that LJB decided to end the bombing of North Vietnam and not to run for a second term.
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 283-4.
“Then, as often happens, Johnson’s answer arrived in a dream that was different from any he’d ever had before. LBJ “saw himself swimming in a river.” He swam from the middle of the water toward one shore, and then toward the other. However, no matter how much he swam, he could not reach the shore, but was simply swimming round and round. LBJ concluded the dream’s message was that he must free himself from politics. So the beleaguered president changed his strategy and ordered an end to bombing north of the twentieth parallel, a major shift in Vietnam War policy. A short while later, Johnson announced to the nation that he would not seek reelection in 1968.”[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 285.
“Also reported while LBJ was in the White House were “phone calls from the departed.” The presidential family members received telephone calls but found no one at the other end of the line. When questioned. White House operators said they’d not been responsible for ringing the phones on those occasions. In those days, the White House phone system was not the digital system of today; it was entirely controlled by operators, who routed the calls. If the operators had not rung the phones of family members and an investigation uncovered no malfunctions to the phone system, who was responsible? It takes only a tiny electrical charge to make a phone ring; and the spirit is actually some form of energy. It is not so unreasonable for Spirit to use electronical means to communicate with the living.”[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. pp. 287-288.
In 1988, White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan wrote For the Record and revealed that the Reagans used astrological predictions of Joan Quigley when planning the President’s schedule.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 299.
When Reagan took his oath as Governor of California, he did so in the middle of the night, on the advice of an astrologer, saying it was the most propitious time.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 302.
Joan Quigley had correctly predicted the assassination attempt on Regan’s life on March 30, 1981. Nancy Regan claimed that astrology was one of the ways she dealt with her fears after the assassination attempt.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 302.
Reagan consulted Quigley before attending a 1986 summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, with Gorbachev on the sensitive issue of an arms agreement. She advised Reagan to press hard for negotiations. She also took credit for urging Reagan to stop referring to the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire.” This softening of tone helped create a path of trust, ultimately easing the way toward the end of the Cold War.[1]
[1] Martin, Joel; Birnes, William J. The Haunting of the Presidents: A Paranormal History of the U.S. Presidency. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 2003. p. 314.
Hillary Clinton was the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, during the two presidential terms of her husband, Bill Clinton. She was far more involved in public policy than most predecessors.
It seems that Hillary Rodham Clinton created a firestorm when she invited channeler Jean Houston to the White House and had “imaginary” conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt and Gandhi.
Apparently, Mrs. Clinton was having a difficult time accepting the defeat of her Health care plan and sought some upliftment from Eleanor Roosevelt, whom she always admired. Mrs. Clinton and Eleanor Roosevelt faced similar difficulties as First Lady, not only politically, but with their husbands, including infidelity. Therefore, seeking guidance from someone who walked in her shoes was natural for Mrs. Clinton.
The public learned of the meeting with Jane Houston and Mrs. Clinton when Bob Woodward released his book The Choice. Woodward describes Jean Houston as “… a believer in spirits, mythic and historic connections to the past and other worlds.”[1]
[1] Woodward, Bob. The Choice. NY: Simon & Schuster,1996.
By reading contemporary newspaper articles,[1] one can easily recognize the political spin put on the event, which downplays not only the conversations but also the mediumistic/psychic qualities of Jean Houston. The fundamentalist Christians began putting forth their own propaganda, claiming that Mrs. Clinton was opening herself up to demonic possession.[2]
[1] New York Times The Associated Press. “Psychic’s Visits To Hillary Clinton ‘Nothing Mysterious,’ Officials Say.” The Spokesman Review. 24 June 1996. Web. 25 October 2025. <https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/jun/24/psychics-visits-to-hillary-clinton-nothing/>. and “Mrs. Clinton consulted spiritual adviser” Tampa Bay Times. 24 June 1996. Web. 25 October 2025. <https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/06/24/mrs-clinton-consulted-spiritual-adviser/>.
[2] Colson, Chuck. “Calling Up the Dead.” Breakpoint Colson Center. 3 July 1996. Web. 25 October 2025. <https://breakpoint.org/calling-up-the-dead/>.