By the early 20th century, spirit photography had already gone through its first major boom and decline. Cameras were becoming more reliable, public understanding of photographic trickery had improved, and mediumship had changed direction. Yet the idea that technology might reveal hidden aspects of the spirit world didn't disappear, it simply evolved.

Instrumental Transcommunication, or ITC, grew from this shift. Instead of focusing on the still image alone, researchers began to explore the possibility that spirits might influence sound waves, electrical signals, video feedback, or even the early forms of broadcast technology. ITC became a broader umbrella for any attempt to communicate with the other side using electronic devices, and visual ITC would eventually become the modern successor to spirit photography.

As investigators looked to newer devices for new ways to test the idea that something unseen might interact with electrical signals, early radios, televisions, tape recorders, and video cameras all emerged...