Feathersmith explained that acquiring was more enjoyable & fulfilling than having. Perhaps Devlin shared that belief about souls.

That was a chapter of "The Martian Chronicles".

The radio version explained part of this. Sensors detect the beams/explosions and convert them into auditory simulations so that people inside the ships know what's happening.

How would this work as a solution to the family's predicament? With their inherited money, they track down the "old Cajun" (or another skilled craftsmen) to fashion a set of normal-looking masks with the same transforming properties. If it worked once, it can work again to counter the first time.