Spiritualism is a religion that gives an understanding of God and encourages us to act with a high sense of duty towards others. Spiritualism stimulates spiritual growth and prepares us for eternal existence in the spirit-world.

Spiritualism is a science because it is based upon proven facts that can be demonstrated and scientifically classified. Spiritualism is the science of life as it encourages the search for truth in every department of existence, in nature and in human psychology.

Spiritualism is a philosophy that attempts to understand people, their physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual being. As Spirit is the moving force of the Universe, so Spiritualist philosophy embraces the whole realm of nature.

History of Spiritualism

The belief in, and practice of communication with, spirits has existed in all nations. Spiritual phenomena have occurred throughout human history, with people being entranced, inspired and influenced by spirit intelligences. During moments of ecstasy, in dreams, reveries, drug induced states and deep meditations people have experienced spirit awareness. In fact, mankind’s history, literature, folk law and fairytales are full of mystical spiritual beings both good and bad.

In ancient times, primitive man had no doubt that his ancestors survived death and ancestor-worship was a form of religion. Some people had psychic abilities, similar to modern mediums and were aware of psychic forces and could communicate with spirit.

The Greeks consulted oracles and the Egyptians and Romans practised fortune-telling and prophecy to obtain guidance from the gods. Even today some cultures have their witch-doctors and shamans, who invoke the powers of the spirit for healing and giving guidance.

The Christian Church was founded on spirit communication and phenomena that could be described as mediumship. Throughout the bible are many examples of spiritual happenings, inspirational speech, speaking in other languages, spiritual voices, and angel messengers foretelling the coming of prophets. Many spiritualists believe that Jesus had an exceptional psychic and mediumship ability as illustrated in the reports of his healing powers, inspired teachings, the transfiguration, and the many so-called ‘miracles’ that occurred in his presence. After his death, Jesus was seen and heard by his followers and it seems that mediumship played an important part in the spreading of the new religion.

However, in the 4th century, Christian leaders decided that the use of psychic and mediumship abilities was wrong unless performed by the Christian priesthood. All others who demonstrated spiritual abilities were denounced as ‘false prophets’, evil sorcerers, heretics and were liable to punishment.

In 1484 the Pope strongly denounced mediums. The Church also sanctioned the publication of a book entitled, Malleus Maleficarum or ‘Hammer of the Witches,’ that described all people who communicated with spirits as witches and stated that they should be severely punished. After this, there was a long period of persecution where people suspected of using psychic abilities were in danger of trial, torture and execution. During these times thousands of mediums were put to death by the church-sanctioned ‘witch-hunters’.

18th Century

Emmanuel Swedenborg

Andrew Jackson Davis

Wesley family - Epworth Rectory

Spiritual phenomena in the form of knockings also occurred in the 18th century in England at the Epworth Rectory, home of the Wesley family.

Modern Spiritualism

A family who moved to a homestead in Hydesville, New York State, USA were disturbed by noises, knockings, movements of objects and other unusual phenomena.

The two children Catherine and Margaretta discovered that if they spoke out then the mysterious noises seemed to respond and it became clear that the phenomena were not just random manifestations of energy but were under the control of some invisible intelligence. In a world where such happenings were feared and where religion labelled them as evil, these happenings soon gained the attention of neighbours and family friends. The news of these happenings spread far and wide, at times many bystanders came to marvel at the unexplained knockings and noises.

Farmstead of the Fox Family

On March 31, 1848, the two sisters, Margaretta and Catherine Fox, established intelligent, two way  communication with a spirit person who was responsible for producing the phenomena.

A committee of investigation was formed and communicated with the spirit who had been harassing the Fox family. The committee listened out for the response signal knocks and they established that the communicator was Charles Rosna, who had been murdered and buried beneath the cellar of the homestead. An excavation of the cellar later proved that there was indeed the remains of a body buried there.

The publicity which these events aroused and the investigations carried out at the time led to mediumship being discussed openly. The Fox family suffered scorn, ridicule, and persecution but because of them advice came from spirit people as to how to encourage spirit communication. The printing press, cheaper newspapers and books, the improved literacy amongst the people, the rail road and improved postal service meant that many learned about this new spiritual phenomena and how it could be achieved. In many homes, groups of people met and, following the advice, were successful in obtaining spirit communication for themselves. And, once communication was established, the spirit people could direct the process and give specific guidance to further help the process.

It became clear that certain people were naturally mediumistic and the new forms of communication enabled strikingly accurate and detailed information to be communicated. Spiritual phenomena flowed from the many Spiritualist groups which provided, time after time, personal joyful evidence confirming the existence of a spirit world that could communicate with those still on earth. In just a few years many groups of spiritualists formed in America to seek psychic phenomena and to consider the religious implications which lay behind the teaching received from spirit.

In time, both the phenomena and the teachings attracted the attention of eminent scientists and intellectuals in America and Britain. A Mrs Hayden brought the new knowledge to England and openly demonstrated mediumship here. She was persecuted and insulted by the press and by some in the established christian church, however her mediumship was defended by public figures, such as Robert Owen, who embraced spiritualism after witnessing successful spirit communications with her.

In 1853 the first spiritualist church was established in Britain at Keighley in Yorkshire, and the first spiritualist newspaper, The Yorkshire Spiritual Telegraph, was published in 1855. By the 1870s there were numerous spiritualist societies and churches throughout the country.

Today, spiritualism allows all people to witness, and learn for themselves, communication with the spirit world. Before, information about such practices was banned and considered dangerous and evil. However, by the events at Hydesville, ignorance and fear concerning the spirit world is passing away and all people can benefit from the love, guidance, and wisdom from those who have gone before who are now progressing in the spirit world

Emma Hardinge Britten

Emma Hardinge Britten was born in 1823 in the East end of London. As a child, Emma could predict coming events and often saw the spirits of dead relatives and family friends.

In 1855 Emma first visited America and at the boarding house where she was living, she met a spiritualist couple with whom she visited a medium. The spirit communication Emma received there was an experience that changed her entire outlook on life. Emma discovered that she had a mediumship ability for table tipping and rapping, where spirits made themselves known by table movements and noises.

In 1856, Emma held a table séance that spelt out a message from a friend who had died in the ship ‘Pacific.’ However, this ship had only recently sunk and at the time no one knew. Following this message Emma became well known as a medium and demonstrated several forms of mediumship. She practised her mediumship in the same building along with Miss Kate Fox who was one of the ‘Fox’ sisters from Hydesville.

After a while Emma gave up platform mediumship and séances to concentrate on inspirational speaking about spiritual matters; she would take the platform, pass into a light trance and knew little of what then happened until she again came to herself. Emma travelled throughout America and to many parts of the world giving lectures and inspired addresses on the subject of modern spiritualism. By public speaking and prolific writings Emma helped to encourage the formation of many spiritualist groups, societies and churches throughout the world.

The concepts and original wording of the Seven Principles came through Emma's mediumship. She was inspired in 1871, by the communicating spirit of Robert Owen, to summarise the philosophy of spiritualism in principles that all spiritualists would agree on. These have since become known as the Seven Principles of Spiritualism.

In Britain, attempts were made to bring together the various individuals, spiritualist churches, groups and societies. The concept of a national federation of spiritualist churches was discussed and written about in 1889 by Emma Hardinge Britten in the ‘Two Worlds’ magazine, a publication she had launched in 1887. Emma arranged a meeting in Manchester of interested spiritualists to discuss the formation of an organisation that could unite spiritualist churches throughout the United Kingdom. The meeting held on 1st April 1890 agreed to issue a circular giving information and requesting comments from Spiritualist churches, societies and individuals. And in July 1890 a first national conference of spiritualists was held in Manchester.

It seems that Emma Hardinge Britten played a pivotal role in organising and bringing together spiritualists both by her powerful inspired speaking and her ability to communicate by pen and to publish to a wider audience. At the first National Conference in 1890, Emma advocated her concept for the fundamental basis of spiritualist philosophy which later became the Seven Principles of SNU spiritualism. Resolutions were carried unanimously that have since shaped the direction of modern spiritualism.

HOME