It has been suggested by one biographer that the emotional shock he had received a few months earlier, when his first fiancée broke their engagement, contributed to his receptiveness to spiritualism.
Salah seorang biografer mengemukakan bahwa guncangan emosi yang ia alami beberapa bulan sebelumnya, ketika tunangan pertamanya memutuskan pertunangan mereka, berkontribusi terhadap penerimaannya akan spiritualisme.