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A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPIRITUALISM
In 1744 Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 - 1772) proposed a comprehensive philosophy for life after death, thus he is considered by many to be the “Father of Spiritualism”... He was truly one of Europe's great minds; and it is becuse of this that we can attribute the success of his mission as a teacher and philosopher of the Spirit.
In the next century, following the works of Mesmer, Justine Kerner (1786 -1862), noted German poet and physician of Weinsberg, authored a remarkable record of supernormal phenomena and experiments in magnetic therapeutics. In 1845 he published a book entitled 'The Seeress of Prevost; or Openings-up into the Inner Life of Man, and Mergings of a Spirit World into the World of Matter'. In Germany the book made a great sensation.
In the United States, on the 31st of March in 1848, The Fox Sisters made a break through with contacting the entity who had been disturbing the family with strange sounds and activities in their home. Their famous “Hydesville Knockings” lead to the investigation of the Mediumship of the Fox sisters and the Birth of modern Spiritualism. Margareta Fox gave the first public demonstration of Mediumship in the Corinthian Hall in New York in 1849.
Cromwell Fleetwood Varley was attracted to Spiritualism in 1850. In later years he had many curious psychic experiences, discovering that he possessed Mesmeric (magnetic) healing power and effected cures on his wife.
Mrs. Maria Hayden traveled to England from America in 1852 and was the first Spiritualist Medium to work in England. The press and clergy were very antagonistic towards her but in spite of this; she succeeded in demonstrating spirit return.
Judge John W. Edmonds (1816 - 1874) was one of the most influential early American Spiritualists had a great public career, as a member of both branches of the New York State Legislature and for some time was President of the Senate and Judge of the Supreme Court of New York. However, in 1853 he resigned this position because of the outcry raised against his Spiritualistic beliefs and, especially, his support of the Fox sisters.
In 1854, Robert Owen (1771 - 1858) Socialist Reformer and Cofounder of the Cooperative society became converted to Spiritualism after sittings with Mrs. Hayden. After he passed to spirit he became the author of 'The Principles of Spiritualism' which he gave through the Mediumship of Emma Hardinge Britten in 1871.
Dr. Henry Slade was an American medium famous for slate-writing Mediumship, in which messages were written on sealed slates. He was thoroughly tested by several eminent investigators and pronounced genuine.
Alexander N. Aksakof (1832-1903) Imperial Councilor to the Czar, became the pioneer Spiritualist of Russia. He was a Swedenborg enthusiast and was introduced to modern Spiritualism through reading Andrew Jackson Davis's 'Nature's Divine Revelations' in 1855.
James Martin Peebles (1822 - 1922) became known as 'the spiritual pilgrim'. He enthusiastically spread his philosophy through his writings and travels across the United States and around the world (six times). As a medium himself, he was surrounded by what he called his 'band of angels' from whom he received inspiration and spiritual guidance
Andrew Jackson Davis (1826 - 1910) established the Spiritualist Lyceum in New York in 1863. The American born medium who, through his visits to the 'Summerland' during 'out of the body' experiences initiated Lyceum education and is acknowledged today as the Father of the Lyceum Movement.
In 1866, Emma Hardinge Britten (1823 - 1899) returned to England from America where she was quickly recognized as a powerful medium, and is perhaps, the most renowned and most respected advocate and proponent in the early Modern Spiritualist Movement. Later, Emma Hardinge Britten received 'The Principles of Spiritualism' from Robert Owen (1771 - 1858) after he passed to spirit.
A conference was held in Liverpool which led to the formation of the British National Association of Spiritualists. The headquarters were in London.
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 - 1891) commonly known as Madame Blavatsky, founded the Theosophical Movement in 1875 and wrote several books and articles.
In 1882, The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) was formed. It still exists today. One of its cofounders, F. W. H. Myers (1834 - 1901) wrote a book 'Human Personality and its Survival of bodily Death'. The SNU recommends that all students of Spiritualism read this book.
In 1883, Sir Oliver Lodge (1851 - 1940) was a world-renowned physicist and a fearless champion of survival. One could not really call him a proponent of the Spiritualist Movement, but he was, surely, an avid believer in Spiritualist concepts.
The National Spiritualists Association of America was founded in 1893
Lord Arthur Balfour (1848 - 1930) served as the British Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905 and through his sister, the wife of Prof. Henry Sidgwick, the first president of the SPR; he became interested in psychic phenomena and the question of survival in 1882. In 1894 he occupied the presidential chair of the SPR. Especially interested in telepathy as it lent itself to experimental work. He was President of the SPR in 1893 and President of the British Association in 1904.
Professor William James (1842 - 1910) was a professor of psychology at Harvard University. He achieved his MD in 1869 and later taught physiology and philosophy. He was one of the founders of the ASPR, president of the SPR in 1894-5.
Prof. Baron von Schrenck-Notzing (1862 - 1929) was a German pioneer of psychical research He was a physician of Munich who specialized in psychiatry which eventually led him into psychical research. He founded the 'Gesellshaft fur Metapsychische Forschung' and began his study of telekinesis and teleplastics which he became famous for. At that time (1894-1929) there was no important medium in Europe with whom he did not conduct personal experiments.
R. Thompson was an English trance medium, whose powers were developed at Frederic W. Thurstan's Delphic Circle. In her early sittings in 1897 and 1898 records which refer to her as Mrs. T., show that she exhibited powerful physical phenomena, raps, movements of objects, psychic lights, elongation, direct voice, apports, scents and materializations. Her chief control was her deceased daughter, Nelly, who died in infancy.
One of the most outstanding chapters of American physical mediumship belongs to the turn of the century mediums, the Misses Elizabeth S and May E Bangs, of Chicago, Illinois. Their gifts included above board, independent writing in broad daylight (mostly slates), and independent drawing and painting; all forms of fully developed clairvoyance, materializations, and direct voices, but their most spectacular phenomena was that of precipitated spirit portraits in full color.
Pearl Curran was the medium through whom the remarkable books of Patience Worth are produced. Her first experience was with the Ouija board which moved under her hands at a rapid rate. She spelled out the letters. They have given highly interesting communications. Later she spoke the letters aloud as they tumbled into her mind.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1858 - 1930) proclaimed his belief in the teachings and truth of Spiritualism. Just as Andrew Jackson Davis was called the 'John the Baptist' of Modern Spiritualism, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was called the 'St. Paul' of Spiritualism. He was a prolific writer on the subject and an avid proponent.
During 1931 to 1935 Arthur Findlay's trilogy published..."On the edge of the Etheric'', "The Rock of Truth" and "The Unfolding Universe", and in 1932 the 'Psychic News' was founded by Arthur Findlay under the editorship of Maurice Barbanell.
The first broadcast on behalf of Spiritualism occurred on the BBC in 1934 (The year that Pluto was discovered in the U.S. by Perceval Lowell), by Ernest Oaten.
Harry Edwards (1893 - 1976) probably did more to permanently affect Establishment attitudes, in the UK at least, towards a particular type of Mediumship (healing) than any other single Spiritualist before or since.
In 1937 Spiritualism was investigated by Church of England Committee set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Cosmo Lang. NOTE: its subsequent favorable report was suppressed but leaked to 'Psychic News'...
In 1938, Arnold Clare (born in 1901) was prompted to attempt receiving communications, after reading an article by Conan Doyle, and found that he was capable of automatic writing. .
In 1940 the Spiritualists National Union gained Government sanction / certificate to act as a Trust Corporation.
Helen Hughes (1893 - 1967) was a superb medium who conducted countless propaganda meetings around the British Isles, in modern (WW II) times when Mediumship was still subject to the antiquated and outdated Witchcraft and Vagrancy Act (formed in 1735).
The Fraudulent Mediums' Act 1951 was passing, removing genuine mediums from the previous provisions of the Witchcraft Act 1735 and from s.4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824, thereby enabling Spiritualists openly and legally to practice their religion.
Eileen J. Garrett (1893 - 1970) established the New York-based Parapsychology Foundation in 1951. She presided over the foundation until her death in 1970. She is, perhaps, the most respected medium of the twentieth century. Her contributions to the investigation and understanding of Mediumship and allied phenomena remain immeasurable.
Lillian Bailey was a deep trance medium who gave supreme survival evidence to many notable personalities in the 20-Century. Kings and Princes consulted her because of her remarkable gift which allowed her spirit-self to leave its mortal shell and thus allow a communicator from the next world to take temporary control of it. In 1957 the Psychic Press published a book about her life (written by W.F. Neech) called 'Death is Her Life'.
In 1964, Stansted Hall was bequeathed to the Spiritualists' National Union by Arthur Findlay to be used as a College for the advancement of Psychic Science. It officially opened in September 1966.
On September 4, 1969, while Ena Twigg (born in 1914), her husband, Harry and canon John Pearce-Higgins sat in the living-room of her home, suddenly heard a discarnate voice that commanded her to switch on the tape recorder. The spirit voice belonged to the missing Bishop Pike, who - unknown to anyone on Earth - had then been 'dead' for twenty-four hours.
The first meeting of the Guild of Spiritualist Healers took place in Stansted Hall in 1970. Then in 1973, a set of by-laws was drawn up for the administration of the Guild. These came to be known as by-laws 'H'.
Coral Polge (1947 - 2001) one of Britain's most well known psychic artists, used her Mediumship, to create portraits of people in spirit. In 1986 she wrote her book 'Living Spirits'.
The S.N.U Centenary was celebrated in1990 by holding Publicity Meetings and a National Celebration at Wembley, London on 31st March; the date of the Hydesville event in 1848.
For many years that the Roman Catholic Church carried out their own scientific experiments with their own mediums. One of the most competent theologians of the Vatican, Father Gino Concetti, stated that, 'According to the modern catechism the Church has decided not to forbid anymore to dialogue with the deceased ... this is as a sequel of new discoveries within the domain of the paranormal.' This appeared in the 'Osservatore Romano', the daily paper of the Holy See, in 1995
John Edwards was Born in 1998 and raised on Long Island, NY. He exhibited psychic abilities from an extremely early age, and was deemed 'special' by many in his family. The fact that he would uncannily know family history and events that took place prior to his birth solidified that fact. Because no fuss was made over these early experiences, he maintained as normal a childhood life as possible. Since psychic phenomena were accepted by his family, it was easy for his abilities to flourish.
As of year 2000, George Anderson, a contemporary American medium, has been achieving some amazing results under controlled conditions in studies at the University of Arizona in which five mediums were tested conducting readings for the same clients and found to be consistently accurate well beyond chance or guessing. The full first study was published in the Journal of the Society of Psychical Research in England in January, 2000. His site, while very commercial, contains some excellent grief support material.
For more detailed information, go to: http://www.members.aol.com/pebblescave/HistoryOfSpiritualism.html
© Copyright of Lyn Rennick 2006
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