Godsmith

Welcome, everyone! If you could kindly follow me this way, fear not; there will be ample time for questions later in the tour. As we progress, you will notice a delightful blend of perplexity and burstiness in the content we explore today.

Allow your gaze to rest upon the portrait to your right. Behold the countenance of Samuel D Hoover, the enigmatic spiritualist born in 1804, hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. Initially a revered clergyman in his community, Hoover championed noble causes such as opposing slavery, advocating women's rights, ending capital punishment, and fighting for workers' union rights. Nevertheless, his profound fascination with spiritualism, or what he called "the magnetic life in all of nature," overshadowed all else.

In 1851, Hoover took a peculiar turn. He started claiming to be in psychic communication with luminous beings from an elevated plane of existence, a realm he named the "gleaming." These enigmatic entities possessed knowledge beyond human comprehension, and Hoover considered himself their earthly emissary. They sought to revolutionize the mortal realm by harnessing electrical spiritual energy and establishing a global telepathic Communication System akin to a mental internet. Although seemingly legitimate to some, not all were convinced of the authenticity of his claims.

As skepticism grew, Hoover departed from his role as a clergyman and transformed into a professional medium. Guided by whispers from the gleaming, he embarked on a mission of magnetic healing, attending to the sick and the ailing. Through the directed force of magnetic energies, he achieved some remarkable results, garnering a devoted following in a relatively short span.

In 1854, Hoover experienced a prophetic revelation, urging him to create a device that would serve as the gleaming's new God, a man-made savior. The purpose of this cosmic-scale machine was rather nebulous, much like Hoover's beliefs themselves. It was envisioned to generate limitless free energy, empowering all other machines and eradicating humanity's limitations. This grand mechanism would fuse the Luminous plane with the Mortal realm, signifying the fulfillment of godlike abilities.

Eager to manifest this divine contraption, Hoover and his magnetic spiritualists embarked on its construction, investing two thousand dollars into the endeavor. The resulting six-foot-tall God machine consisted of zinc batteries, metal balls, copper wires, and various magnets, encased within a wooden frame. Quite a marvel to behold!

But the story took an even stranger turn as Hoover endorsed free love and sexual liberation within his congregation, a controversial practice even a century before Alistair Crowley's similar endeavors. Rumors surfaced of a peculiar ritual involving Hoover and an unnamed female volunteer symbolically conceiving their electric Messiah. Amidst this uproar, the momentous day arrived—the activation of the God machine.

Alas, the grand spectacle failed. The machine engulfed in sparks and crackling white lights, ceased to function. The spiritual embryonic heart that Hoover believed he glimpsed remained elusive, and the promises of the gleaming were left unfulfilled.

Rumors and speculations surrounding the machine's failure abound, including one involving an illicit affair between Hoover and his daughter-in-law, leading to sabotage by his son. Though the truth may never be known, the disappointment was evident, leading to the majority of Hoover's followers abandoning him.

The God machine's fate took an unexpected turn when property appraisers discovered it, collecting cobwebs in an abandoned barn in Colorado, a century and a half after its creation. Today, we have the privilege of witnessing this historical artifact, meticulously polished and preserved for your viewing pleasure.

Thus concludes the tale of Samuel D Hoover and his intriguing beliefs. Should you have any inquiries, feel free to ask. Now, let us continue our tour to the next captivating exhibit.