Some people describe themselves as being spiritual rather than religious, and it might be tempting to presume that Spiritualism has to do with personal spirituality. In fact, Spiritualism designates a specific school of religious thought in which contact with non-corporeal spirits via mediums is a primary means of gaining further understanding.
The National Spiritualist Association of Churches defines the movement as the following:
Spiritualism is the Science, Philosophy and Religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the Spirit World. (1919)
"Spiritualism Is a Science" because it investigates, analyzes and classifies facts and manifestations demonstrated from the spirit side of life.
"Spiritualism Is a Philosophy" because it studies the Laws of Nature both on the seen and unseen sides of life and bases its conclusions upon present observed facts. It accepts statements of observed facts of past ages and conclusions drawn therefrom, when sustained by reason and by results of observed facts of the present day.
"Spiritualism Is a Religion" because it strives to understand and to comply with the Physical, Mental and Spiritual Laws of Nature, which are the laws of God.
Origins
Spiritualism originated in the 19th century, when belief in seances and mediums became common throughout the Western world. But Spiritualism involves much more than a simple belief in ghosts. It involves a wider worldview involving both the physical and spiritual worlds and how they are interconnected. A large number of mediums and believers of ghosts do not consider themselves Spiritualists.
Basic Beliefs
There are differences between different Spiritualist groups. However, there are several commonly held beliefs.- The existence of an infinite intelligence, a supreme but generally impersonal power that expresses itself through the natural world (both physical and spiritual) and everything within it. As such, all things and all people are part of this manifestation of God.
- True religion is about understanding how this intelligence manifests itself and living in accordance with it.
- Life does not end at death. The soul can experience a variety of existences, of which life on earth is only one. Afterward, the soul can continue to learn and evolve just as it did on earth, passing through multiple spiritual realms.
- Communication with these non-corporeal souls is not only possible but also important in our own growing understanding of the world and ourselves.
- There is no Heaven or Hell. There is always the opportunity for improvement and redemption, both in this life and in life after physical death.
- Each person is responsible for his own actions and his own circumstances.
Relationship with Christianity
Most 19th century mediums were also Christians. As such, Christianity influences some branches of Spiritualism more than others, particularly on moral issues. Overall, however, Spiritualism is its own separate faith.
Fortune-Telling
The rise of seances happened in a time of increased interest in various forms of divination, and some mediums did claim that the spirits could predict the future. This is not the claim of Spiritualists, although they do accept that the spirits can provide guidance about likely future events because they are able to understand the bigger picture.
