Spiritualism is a belief system that suggests the world is made up of two main types of things: matter, which is physical, and spirit, which is non-physical. This idea is expanded in many ways by describing different spiritual beings, such as souls, the afterlife, spirits of the dead, gods, and people who claim to communicate with spirits (called mediums). It also explains how spirit and matter are connected. The term can also describe a philosophy, set of beliefs, or religion focused on the spiritual side of life.

The word "spiritualism" is also used to describe various practices and beliefs related to psychic or paranormal events that have been recorded in many cultures throughout history.

Spiritualistic traditions are closely linked to shamanism, an ancient practice that may be one of the oldest forms of religion. Mediumship, a practice where people claim to communicate with spirits, is a modern version of shamanism. These ideas are similar to those proposed by Edward Burnett Tylor, who believed in a theory called animism. Animism suggests that there are other worlds besides our own, but these worlds are invisible and not accessible to people in their normal state. A psychic is someone who is believed to be able to connect these worlds. Psychics are described as people with a special ability to sense hidden or mysterious forces, and they may experience visions or receive messages. Some sources say that only a few people have this ability.

Definition

Spiritualism is the belief that spirits can talk to living people through a medium. The word was first recorded in 1796 by Emanuel Swedenborg, an important spiritualist from the 18th century. The term "spiritualism" now has several different meanings. A general definition includes believing in a life force in living things, supernatural or spiritual beings, and that these forces or spirits give life to physical bodies. People who follow spiritualism believe that the spirits of the dead live on after death and can communicate with the living. This belief has been part of traditional indigenous religions for a long time. Today, this belief is growing and can be found in traditional indigenous religions across the world. It also appears in non-aligned groups and some religious movements, and some orthodox religions still view it as a challenge.

Some sources use "spiritism" to mean the same as "spiritualism," but "spiritism" more accurately refers to Kardecist spiritism. A key part of this belief is that spirits of the dead often communicate with the living through a medium. The term has specific meanings in different academic fields, as explained below.

Usage

Spiritualism refers to different meanings depending on the context:

• (Religion) – The belief that people can talk to the dead, along with the ways of doing things and beliefs connected to this idea.

• (Philosophy) – A belief system or idea that spirits and souls exist or that everything in reality is spiritual, not physical.

• (Metaphysics) – Beliefs that the most important part of reality is spirit or mind.

• (Ethics) – The idea that spiritual matters are more important than things in the physical world (a type of idealism or asceticism that is different from secularism).

• (Epistemology) – Another word for mysticism.

• (Art) – "Abstract Spiritualism," a term created by Gerard Tempest, a friend of artist Giorgio de Chirico in the 1950s. It describes Tempest’s "landscapes of the mind's eye." This theme began in 1953 and continued until the 1990s.

Beliefs

"Modern Spiritualism," or "Modern American Spiritualism," refers to a religious movement that began in the 1840s and was most popular between the 1840s and 1920s. It is still practiced today.

The National Spiritualist Association of Churches, USA, has nine principles that guide its beliefs:

• We believe in a higher power that is all-knowing and all-powerful.
• We believe that natural and spiritual events in the world are expressions of this higher power.
• We believe that understanding these expressions and living by them is the true meaning of religion.
• We believe that a person’s identity continues after death.
• We believe that communication with the deceased is real and has been proven through Spiritualist practices.
• We believe the Golden Rule—"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"—is the highest form of morality.
• We believe that individuals are responsible for their actions and that their happiness or unhappiness depends on following natural and spiritual laws.
• We believe that everyone, whether alive or dead, can change and improve themselves.
• We believe that the teachings about prophecy and healing, shown through spiritual communication, are divine gifts.

Spiritualism has connections to early Christianity and has developed into a form of Christian Spiritualism. Examples include the First Spiritual Temple in the United States, founded in 1883, and the Greater World Christian Spiritualist League in the United Kingdom, founded in 1931.

In the United Kingdom, William Stainton Moses, a spiritualist and preacher, played a key role in promoting Christian Spiritualism. He was part of the British National Association of Spiritualists and helped start the London Spiritualist Alliance, which later became the College of Psychic Studies.

In the United States, Leafy Anderson helped create the American Spiritual Church Movement. This movement includes groups like the Metropolitan Spiritual Churches of Christ (founded in 1925) and the Pentecostal Spiritual Assemblies of Christ Worldwide (founded in 1938).

In France, Spiritualism is known as Spiritism. Allan Kardec is its most famous researcher and writer. Early French Spiritualists, such as Alphonse Cahagnet, documented spiritualist practices and influenced the development of Spiritualism in America.

Native American spiritual beliefs have sometimes been used in Spiritualist practices, though Native American traditions have faced challenges from other religions. Some non-Native writers, like Carlos Castaneda and Jamake Highwater, created stories about Native American spirituality that were not accurate. Native American leaders and scholars have criticized these misrepresentations.

In the Caribbean, Spiritualism has blended with other religions. In Cuba, two main forms of Spiritualism exist: La Mesa Blanca Spiritualism, which mixes European, African, and Native influences, and Egungun Spiritualism, which has strong African roots and includes rituals like dancing and chanting.

In Brazil, Spiritualist practices include beliefs about spirit possession and communication with spirits. These practices mix African traditions with indigenous and European influences. In Puerto Rico, trance mediums are part of Spiritualist practices, and similar syncretic practices in Cuba are called Santerfa.

In India, Spiritualism includes both ancient and modern practices that involve contacting ancestors and learning from their wisdom. These practices are found across the country and are part of various religious groups.

Spiritualistic activities

Spiritualism includes several phenomena such as prophecy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, the gift of tongues, laying on of hands, healing, visions, trance, apports, revelations, raps, levitation, automatic and independent writing and painting, photography, materialization, psychometry, direct and independent voice, and other events that support the idea of life after death.

These common practices and the spiritual guidance provided through these activities were classified by Sir William Crookes, a respected British physicist and chemist, into the following categories:

• Moving heavy objects with contact but without using physical force
• Sounds like knocking or tapping and similar noises
• Changing the weight of objects
• Moving heavy items from a distance without touching them
• Tables and chairs lifting off the ground without anyone touching them
• People floating in the air
• Moving small objects without touching them
• Bright lights or glowing objects
• Hands appearing, either glowing or visible under normal light
• Writing without the person's control
• Ghostly shapes or faces
• Events that suggest the involvement of a separate intelligence
• Other events that are hard to explain.

Gender balance

Women have shown consistent interest in the spirit world throughout history. Spiritualism is now popular in the West because women have more power and visibility, making the spirit world more important in society than it was before, especially during past times when many men were also interested.

Among the Sakalava people, most of the people who communicate with tromba spirits have been adult women, typically in their forties or older. This practice is connected to being a woman. In general, a Sakalava ritual that involves feeding spirits cannot take place unless both the spirit and the woman who communicates with it are present and shown to be there.

Notable individuals

A Swedish scientist, philosopher, politician, and theologian is well-known as the "Father of Modern Spiritualism." He practiced spiritualist abilities before the movement began and used them to communicate with the Swedish royal family.

He developed a spiritualist philosophy called Spiritism in the 19th century. This belief was common in countries where French is spoken and in Latin nations.

An anthropologist introduced the term "animism," which refers to the belief that objects, places, and creatures have spiritual qualities.

An American professor and author in the 20th century was known for studying and comparing different religions.

Carl Jung's doctoral research was not about medicine but about studying a medium, his cousin Hélène Preiswerk. In 1916, Jung believed his home was filled with spirits and practiced a type of writing guided by spirits.