In Europe in the past when oracles were popular, they secreted themselves in caverns because darkness added to their mystery. The whole idea of Hades being below ground came from this tradition and, indeed, Romans thought reeds were unlucky because they were hollow and the noises that blew threw them probably came from the suffering souls below ground.
The person seeking the oracle would have seen someone half hidden, lit only by torch light, and quite possibly with either their voice masked or enriched in some way and then oracle would give their prediction which was usually, if those that have come down to us are anything to go by, inexact. So strong was the belief in their mystery and so strong was the longing to know, few people saw through all this and the mysterious books used in Greece called the Sibylline Books, were bought and taken to Rome to be consulted at regular intervals.
And today in the UK people pay fortunes to listen to those who, with well-worn techniques, convince people they are in contact with their dead family members. Clinging to the hope that death is not final and affection never ends.
That people take advantage of this doesn’t surprise me but that people still cling to it is terrifying.
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