What do ghost stories, utopian socialism, Spiritualism, and British folk horror have in common?In this episode of Science of Spiritual Reality, Dr. Mitchell K. Jones uncovers the surprising history behind "The Fetch," the haunting 1978 episode of the BBC anthology Leap in the Dark. Far more than a supernatural tale, this classic television drama is rooted in the real nineteenth-century case of Émilie Sagée, preserved by American reformer and Spiritualist Robert Dale Owen in Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World.Watch the full episode here:
This video explores how Owen's investigation of psychic phenomena grew directly out of the utopian socialist movement founded by his father, Robert Owen, and how the dream of creating a better society gradually evolved into a search for hidden dimensions of consciousness and reality. Along the way, we examine the connections between Spiritualism, psychical research, folklore, William Morris, James George Frazer, John Humphrey Noyes, hauntology, Jacques Derrida, Mark Fisher, and the development of British folk horror.Featuring clips from Leap in the Dark: "The Fetch" (1978) and the documentary New Harmony: An Example and a Beacon (1971), this episode traces an intellectual journey from nineteenth-century utopian communities to the eerie supernatural television of the 1970s, revealing how forgotten dreams continue to shape our imagination.Topics include:Robert Dale Owen and Footfalls on the Boundary of Another WorldThe mystery of Émilie Sagée and the phenomenon of the "fetch" or doppelgängerOwenite socialism and the New Harmony experimentSpiritualism as an extension of social reformJohn Humphrey Noyes and the legacy of American utopian movementsJames George Frazer, folklore, and the folk revivalBritish folk horror and Leap in the DarkMark Fisher's hauntology and Jacques Derrida's Specters of MarxWhy unrealized futures continue to haunt modern cultureIf you enjoy discussions of history, religion, New Thought, Spiritualism, American communal societies, folklore, philosophy, psychical research, horror studies, and metaphysics, be sure to subscribe and join the conversation.Brightest Blessings.#LeapInTheDark #TheFetch #RobertDaleOwen #Spiritualism #FolkHorror #Hauntology #MarkFisher #JacquesDerrida #NewHarmony #UtopianSocialism #BBC #Paranormal #GhostStories #OccultHistory #Metaphysics #NewThought #History #Philosophy #ScienceOfSpiritualReality #MitchellKJones
