Spiritualism and
Communication with the Dead
Jessica Mentz, 11/29/00
Channels, Declaration of Principles, Medium, Mediumship, Séance, Spirit, Spiritualism, Spiritualist
I.
Abstract
Modern Spiritualism is variously considered a science, a religion, and a philosophy. The main goals of the system are contact with the Spirit World and bettering one’s morals and values through this contact. It offers a basic set of moral standards practicing Spiritualists are advised to follow, but there is no supreme authority or book of “scripture”. Contact with the Spirit World is most often attained during a séance when a medium or channel enters a trance and is capable of a higher level of communication. The first séances were conducted by the Fox Sisters in the mid-1800’s and were found to be a hoax. Today Spiritualism has moved away from the commercial aspect focused upon by the Fox Sisters and focuses mainly on living a moral life.
II. Scope
and Purpose
Today's practicing Spiritualists define their beliefs as a science, a religion, and a philosophy. Spiritualism claims to be a science, because it investigates the laws of nature and God with an open mind and need to attain new information about the earthly and spiritual worlds. It is identified as a religion because it recognizes an "Infinite Intelligence" as the creator and governor of the universe.[1] As a religion Spiritualism encourages humanity to search for knowledge and understanding that will help it grasp its relationship to everything in the universe and therefore be better equipped to deal with this life and a future spiritual existence. Finally, Spiritualism claims to be a philosophy because it presents a theory for applying the knowledge gained through investigation of life.[1]
The main purpose of Spiritualism is to establish a belief in the existence of the soul after the death of the earthly body. Spiritualists generally do not fear death, but look at it as an end to earthly existence. It is possible to communicate with the souls of the dead through mediums or channels. These mediums or channels are capable of contacting the higher self and establishing a favorable atmosphere for communication with the dead.
Spiritualists believe that there is an Earth Plane and also a Spirit World. The Earth Plane includes things such as: houses, cars, and trees. The Spirit World exists on the same plane as the Earth Plane and surrounds us like a type of invisible fog. All things in both of these worlds emit "vibrations". The vibrations of the Spirit World are higher than those of the Earth Plane. Therefore, if one can transcend the low vibrations of the Earth Plane and reach those of the Spirit World, they are capable of communicating with the dead.[1]
Spiritualism was most prominent during the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, but is still practiced today. This is made evident through the existence of several different Spiritualist churches in locations such as: the United States, Britain, and Latin America. People found in all levels of society practice Spiritualism.
a. The Spiritualists pride themselves on avoiding a sacred text or glorifying the insight of one particular sage or prophet. Spiritualists draw inspiration from Christianity and other religions. Many view the Bible as worthy of reflecting upon, and as something that provokes thought about the meaning of life. Many Spiritualists believe in the existence of a God, but most do not see him as ruler of the universe. He is seen more as a "God of Understanding," and something to be defined by each individual. Spiritualists may also believe in Jesus, but rather than glorifying him as the Savior he is seen as one of the greatest mediums of all time.
Spiritualists follow a "Declaration of Principles" that does not spell out morals, but offers guidance on proper behavior in certain situations. The beliefs of this system appear to be maintained upon the faith and support of its followers alone.
Due to the vague sources and criteria of valid knowledge, it seems likely that people become interested in Spiritualism through personal experience and hearing of the experiences of others. Today it is possible to learn about Spiritualists and their beliefs through sources such as the Internet. One can find listings of the churches and general Spiritualist assumptions.
b. The main source of knowledge for Spiritualists is in personal experience, most often through attending a séance. The séance is usually held in the home of the medium or one of the sitters (person who is trying to reach someone in the spirit world). In conducting the séance, there are several guidelines that must be met:there must be more than one person present, the same number of men and women must be present, skeptical sitters must be avoided (their presence decreases the chances of spiritual contact), there must be no more than eight people present, the chairs must be arrange around the table in a circular shape, hands must lay flat on the table (sometimes touching or clasped), new members can only be brought into a group after 6 sittings with the original group, there must be only 2 or 3 séances weekly unless the spirit requests more time, the medium must remain on a fairly level emotional plane, sitters cannot grab the medium (this may bring about a sudden return to consciousness resulting in illness or even death), music and conversation are very important to the atmosphere, hymns and prayers are recited throughout the sitting.[1] An alternative to the séance is another type of sitting with a very large congregation. In this meeting, the medium sits at the head of a large group and waits for a spirit to contact him. He then singles out a person in the audience who is being beckoned by someone in the spiritual world. After this person is located, they are presented with a 5 to 10 minute message.[1]
Spiritualists claim that mediumship itself proves the main assertion of Spiritualism in demonstrating the existence of life after death. An example of this could be illustrated through a person trying to reach a recently deceased aunt. The medium gives the sitter information that only the aunt and the sitter know. This proves to the sitter that the medium has made contact with the aunt who is living on the in spiritual world. This sharing of knowledge exemplifies the only proof Spiritualists can offer for the validity of this belief system. When confronted with this "lack of proof", Spiritualists argue that religions do not have "proof". People follow their religious beliefs on the basis of what they deem to be correct and viable in today's world.[1] Spiritualists also firmly believe that only those who have no skepticism about the validity of life after death can communicate with spiritual beings. These assertions are very similar to those applied by people who believe in things such as sorcery and magic. Any failure in these two systems is based upon a forgotten step in a spell or a lack of belief in the power of witchcraft, just as in Spiritualism any failure to make contact with the spirit world is the result of someone present being skeptical. In each of these systems, the followers create a reason for any deviation from the expected results. Although today’s Spiritualists claim their beliefs are scientific (based upon their belief in collection of evidence through observation), they do not attempt to apply the scientific method to their claims.[2]
c. The Spiritualist system is only loosely organized. There is no central authority or official hierarchy of accredited practitioners or professional teachers. The closest example of a person of authority in this system is the medium.
Mediumship is defined as spiritualist communication with spirits of the dead. It often begins early in life when children see and hear things others are not aware of. An example of this is presented by the story of the medium Eileen Garret, who found at a very young age that she had a strong affinity to the names Anne and Adam. She later learned these were the names of her deceased parents.[1] It may also begin later in life as the result of some trauma such as: a head injury, the death of a loved one, or a near death experience. There are two basic categories of mediumship:mental - communication through inner vision, clairaudience, or mental impressions; physical - actual possession illustrated through table tipping, levitation, materializations, lights, and scents.[3]
In order to develop one's mediumship it is necessary to attend classes instructed by experienced mediums. During these classes one must attempt to learn from both their teacher and their classmates. The learning process takes place in two stages: 1) spiritual unfoldment and 2) mediumship development. In the first stage of the learning process, the medium learns about spirituality in general and develops their own unique spirituality and position in the universe. In the second stage of the process, the medium learns to meditate and begins to develop the proper state of consciousness for communication with the spirits. The medium must also be trained in how to enter the trance in order attain the state of openness and receptivity necessary to communicate with another being.[1]
This development of the medium's talents is very important to the outcome of communication with the dead. Being a medium is a very large responsibility, and one who is involved should strive to reach the best spirit communication. Mediumship is an expression of spirituality, and it is commonly accepted, that "like" spirits are drawn to one another. If one makes fun and games out of Spiritualism, they are likely to be contacted by spirits interested in having fun as well. It is under these circumstances that people have evil or frightening experiences with the after life. It is also true that if one attempts to become a medium on his own, he is not likely to attain his full potential. This creates another circumstance when the medium is likely to be contacted by base spirits who are interested in playing nasty games and pretending to be people they are not. Not everyone is capable of becoming a medium.[1]
The main focus of the medium is: becoming acquainted with the "higher self" - an awareness of the other incarnations and levels of experience, and being a capable mediator between the Earth Plane and Spiritual World.[1]
Spiritualism arose in the mid-19th century from what supporters claimed was evidence of survival of the soul after death (contact with deceased members of society). The mediums brought into the picture during this time in western culture were almost exclusively female. A majority of the mediums were housebound women who yearned for excitement in their lives. They relished the attention communicating with the spirits earned them, and they enjoyed the opportunity to blame outrageous behavior on spirits. The mediums would swear, drink whiskey, and engage in sexually liberal behavior. They then blamed all of these actions on the spirits who dictated their actions while they were under a trance.[1]
Today’s form of Spiritualism fist appeared when Emmanuel Swedenborg, an incredibly intelligent man known for inventing things such as the fire extinguisher and submarine, grew tired of science. He decided to turn his scientific investigation toward the internal world. He was interested in investigating the phenomena of life after death.[1]
The women accredited with the birth of Spiritualism during this time are the Fox Sisters. In 1848 these three women found they were capable of communicating with the spirit of a former tenant of their home who had been buried there. The press sensationalized the story of the Fox sisters, and soon the sisters were conducting séances in public halls packed with the curious and disbelieving.[1] Many investigations were done into the integrity of the Fox sisters, and one doctor actually determined that the rapping noises the sisters claimed to answers of a murder victim, were simply cracks in the toe joints of the sisters' toes.[4] Although the Fox sisters confessed to their fraudulent behavior in 1888, forty years after they began communicating with the dead, their act had sparked an interest in spiritual communication.
At the turn of the 20th century, Spiritualism was finished as a large movement. It had, however, collected a large number of followers. These followers aided in revivals that occurred in times of great loss such as WWI and WWII. During these times there was a great desire to contact the many lost.
Spiritualism today is based simply upon "The Declaration of Principles" and "The Natural Law" (see Fig. 1). Spiritualists attempt to follow a moral life living along the guidelines presented in these vague statements. They also attempt to learn about themselves and others through communication with the spirits of the Spiritual world. The main theory behind communication with the spiritual world is one of vibration. All things in this world and the spiritual one are specified as having vibrations. Positive and happy emotions and feelings possess high vibrations, while negative things possess low vibrations. The Spiritual World is thought to have a higher level of vibration than the Earth Plane, and if one is capable of raising their vibration level, they will be able to communicate with the spirits.[1]
The proof behind these beliefs about communication lie in the mediumship. If a medium is capable of telling a sitter something about a dead person only that person and the sitter would have known, the medium has just proved their truthfulness. Spiritualists also firmly believe that those who do not believe in Spiritualism have absolutely no ability to communicate with the dead. This asserts that non-believers are not capable of studying the system, because even if spiritualist energies are present they would not be detected.
Spiritualists believe that their religion is much more applicable to life today than most of the other existing religions. They base this on the fact that it is very adaptable, and is not based on archaic writings.[1]
Those who believe in Spiritualism and communicate with the dead feel it gives them a new purpose and reason. It also gives them the feeling they are being protected and watched over.
The position of the system on the following items will be rated on a scale of 1 to 10.
a. 1-emaphasis on traditional authority --- 10-emaphasis on the testimony of experience
Rating: 10
Spiritualism is based solely on the testimony of experience. Although spiritualists do believe scripts such as the Bible are useful, description of proper conduct is found completely in testimony of believers.
b.1-centralization of authority --- 10 decentralization of authority
Rating: 5
Spiritualism does not have one centralized figure of authority such as the Pope in Catholicism, but they do have the “elevated” position of medium.The medium does not actually hold a position of authority, but not everyone is capable of being a medium and mediums are often asked questions by humbler followers.
c. 1-emphasis on invisible (spiritual/heavenly) realities --- 10-emphasis on material ones
Rating:1
Spiritualism is based completely upon invisible realities. The main focus of the system is the spirit, as indicated by the name, an invisible entity. The goal of Spiritualists is communication with the dead and elevating themselves to higher spiritual levels-both completely invisible concepts.
d. 1-spiritual or moral objectives --- 10-pragmatic aims
Rating:3
The main goal of the Spiritualists is living by the Declaration of Principles which exemplifies good moral expectations. There is a slightly pragmatic aim, that may be illustrated by a sitter who is trying to obtain needed information about the past from a dead person in order to solve a problem.
e. 1-most power or agency reserved for a divine being --- 10-realizable in individuals
Rating:9
Spiritualism does not support a divine being, and power is realizable in most individuals. Many people have the ability to communicate with the dead, but it is true that some people are not capable of making the connection.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
This
book is an autobiographical account of the struggles of Eileen Garret as she
learned to be a medium and accept her natural abilities. It details her experiences with
communicating with the higher self and also the ridicule she faced by her
family and society.
This
website gives a very thorough outline of major points of the Spiritualist
religion. It confronts any
questions and also misconceptions an interested party may have about the
system.
This
website offers a description of the beliefs and practices of today’s practicing
Spiritualists. It lists many of
the moral standards and values modern mediums and Spiritualists adhere to.
This
book presents an account of the history of mediumship and many of the famous
mediums of the United States. It
describes where mediumship began, its founders, and also many of the roadblocks
it faced and still faces today.
This
book offers an objective account (mostly concerned with the history) of
mediums, mediumship, and Spiritualism.
This book offers a detailed description on how to become a medium and how to come in contact with the Spirit World. It also defines many of the terms used in describing the phenomena involved in spiritualism.
Figure 1 – Declaration of Principles
2. We believe that the phenomena of Nature, both physical and spiritual, are the expression of Infinite Intelligence.
3. We affirm that a correct understanding of such expression and living in accordance therewith, constitute true religion.
4. We affirm that the existence and personal identity of the individual continue after the change called death.
5. We affirm that communication with the so-called dead is a fact, scientifically proven by the phenomena of Spiritualism.
6. We believe that the highest morality is contained in the Golden Rule: “Whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you do ye also unto them.”
7. We affirm the moral responsibility of the individual, and that we make our own happiness or unhappiness as we obey or disobey Nature’s physical and spiritual laws.
8. We affirm that the doorway to reformation is never closed against any human soul here or hereafter.
9.
We affirm that the precepts of Prophecy and Healing contained
in a all sacred texts are Divine attributes proven through Mediumship.
[1] “Spiritualism.”The Spiritualist Church of
Awareness.2000.Online.Internet.Available:http://chruchofawareness.org/
[1] Joseph A. Loffredo.“Spiritualism.”The Spiritualist
Religion Page.2000.Online.Internet. Available:http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Cyprus/5927/
[1] Rosemary Ellen Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Ghosts
and Spirits(New York:Facts on File Inc., 1992)298-299.
[2] Loffredo
[2] Loffredo
[3] Church of Awareness
[3] Eileen Garret,Search for the Meaning of Mediumship(New
York:Arno Press, 1975)4.
[4]Guiley 220.
[4] Kathryn Ridall,Channeling:How to Reach Out to your
Spirit Guides(Toronto:Bantam Books, 1988) 18.
[4] Loffredo
[4] Ridall 12.
[4] Guiley 220.
[4] Ridall 22.
[4] Guiley 128.
[5] Milbourne Christopher,Mediums, Mystics, & the Occult(New
York:Thomas Y. Crowell Company,1975)8.
[5] Loffredo
[5] Ridall 142.