The Beginnings of Spiritualism
The belief in the survival of spirit after physical death, and the desire and ability to make contact and pass on messages, (essentially spiritualism), is an ancient one. Ancient cultures had priests, shamen and medicine men who would communicate with ancestors and the souls of the recently departed to pass on messages and elicit healing. Such practices and beliefs, rather than superstition, are considered factual by Spiritualists and the basis of human existence and thus form the core of what these days is modern Spiritualism.
Modern Spiritualism as a movement and religion along with its churches, centres, and groups, has an unofficial beginning in the mid-1800s. It is somewhat vague because some trace its beginnings with one of its central tenants, Mediumship, which in the Western English-speaking world originates with seances conducted in the USA by the Fox sisters, of Hydesville, Arcadia, New York around 1848. While others trace a connection with other religions as precursors like the Shakers.
Nevertheless, by 1860, Spiritualism was a small but worldwide religion. Despite its lack of a centralising authority, there were innumerable Spiritualist societies and churches across the US and Britain and even spiritualist newspapers and magazines. However, organizing federations did begin to make an appearance and in Britain, in 1891 the National Federation of Spiritualists was formed which in 1902 took on its current name, the Spiritualists’ National Union, (SNU). By 1924 the SNU had 309 affiliated churches. That is to say, independent Churches that conected themselves with the SNU and followed its governance rules but still maintained their independence.
By the mid-1950s Britain’s Spiritualist movement was ostensibly divided into two groups. The Spiritualists’ National Union which held Spiritualism to be a religion in its own right, influenced by the beliefs of Arthur Findlay, thus the genesis of the Arthur Findlay College. And Christian Spiritualism which held the belief that Spiritualism is a denomination of Christianity. Furthermore, Mediums themselves often belonged to the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain, (SAGB), separate from their religious affiliations. Although in a much-diminished capacity, the SAGB exists today and continues its good work.
Famous Spiritualists
It may come as a surprise that in the past the ranks of Spiritualism were swelled by famous scientists and thinkers well-known to the public.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The author of the series of novels, based on the character, Sherlock Holmes was a very active Spiritualist who believe that one could communicate with the discorporated and wrote articles and books and made countless public appearances promoting Spiritualism. Sir Arthur, origionally a Catholic, showed interest in Spiritualism as early as 1881 and by 1887 he was attending seances as attested to in an article he penned in a spiritualist magazine, ‘The Light’. In 1894, Sir Arthur, Dr Sydney Scott and Frank Podmore investigated a possible haunting at the home of Colonel Elmore in Dorset. In 1917 Sir Arthur gave his first public lecture on Spiritualism. He was considered a rather credulous believer with absolute faith. Sadly, Sir Arthur’s public belief in Spiritualism did damage his reputation, however, he remained true to himself and his beliefs until and beyond his dying day.
Thomas Edison
Following his invention of the phonograph in 1877, Edison wanted to capture the voices of spirit and communicate through a ‘spirit phone’.
Sir Oliver Lodge
Sir Oliver lost his son Raymond to WWI in Belgium in 1915 and wrote a book describing numerous spirit contacts with his son titled: Raymond or Life and Death.
Arthur Findlay