Spiritualism
in modern philosophy, a belief that the spirits of the departed can and do communicate with the living. A belief that the spirits of the dead communicate with their friends through the medium of dreams is an ancient one. Aeneas, it may be remembered, was warned in a dream by the spirit of his wife Creusa to take flight. Some hints of modern spiritualism may be found, it is claimed, in the writings of Swedenborg and others. Modern spiritualism originated, however, in the state of New York about the year 1848. Andrew Jackson Davis, "the seer of Poughkeepsie," has written over thirty volumes in exposition of spiritualistic ideas.
The first authentic spirit rappings occurred, it is claimed, in the house of Mr. Fox of Acadia, New York. A young girl, a daughter of the family, received communications by rappings from the alleged spirit of a man who had been murdered in the house. One who receives communications from the spirit world is called a medium. A meeting for such communications is known as a seance. The ordinary methods of communication are rappings, table tippings, writing, and speaking. In the latter case the medium passes into a state of trance, and is supposed to be under the influence of the spirit who wishes to communicate with relatives or friends.
Spiritualism has spread abroad from New York to all parts of the United States and Europe. Many eminent people have been believers in the doctrine. It is claimed that Alexander II liberated 40,000,000 serfs of Russia under the influence of a direct command from his father who appeared to him in a trance. There are, at the present time, between 600 and 700 local spiritualist societies in the United States and Canada. They enroll 150,000 members. It is claimed that other believers in spiritualism raise the following to 1,500,000. There are not less than 2,000 avowed mediums who for a fee, or otherwise, place themselves at the service of anxious inquirers and undertake to obtain messages for them from the spirits of departed friends. Several thousand other mediums practice more or less in private. As might be expected much imposture has been practiced on the public. Spiritualism is also associated in the public mind with hypnotism, mind reading, and faith cure.