Understanding Spiritualism: From Séances to Modern Paranormal Investigation

Spiritualism is the belief that the living can communicate with the dead. Although it is often associated with eccentricity, flamboyant mediums, and the reputation of wild séances, spiritualism was viewed as a religion by its participants.

Communication with the dead was carried out in many ways — séances, trances, automatic writing, and more. Up until the mid-18th century, those who claimed to speak to the dead were often considered witches. Many were sentenced to death or excommunicated from their churches and banished from their communities. Gee, tough crowd. I’m glad it’s not that way anymore!

Catherine & Margaretta Fox: The Fox Sisters

Historical image of Catherine and Margaretta Fox, figures often linked to the rise of the modern spiritualist movement in Hydesville, New York (1848).

Although spiritualism can be found throughout history, the modern spiritualist movement became widely known in the mid-19th century. Its growth accelerated in the post-Civil War environment, as families desperately sought ways to contact loved ones lost through war. Even Mary Todd Lincoln held séances in the White House.

The modern spiritualist movement is often traced back to March 1848, when Catherine and Margaretta Fox experienced numerous disturbances in their new home in Hydesville, New York, where they lived with their parents. The sisters devised a way of communicating with a spirit through a tapping system. They claimed to have discovered that the spirit causing the disturbances had been robbed, murdered, and buried in the house years before the Fox family moved in.

Several neighbors were brought into the home to substantiate the Fox family’s claims of communication with the dead. The press quickly popularized the sisters’ story, and they capitalized on the attention by turning their abilities into a stage act. With the backing of showman P. T. Barnum, they traveled to New York and became stars, enjoying several years of fame as mediums.

The spiritualist movement gained momentum shortly after news of the Fox sisters spread. Their method of communicating with the dead created an organized approach to contacting those who had passed. Much like modern paranormal teams, knocking (tapping) remains a common form of communication. In a current case in Woodstock, CT, this method of knocking proved helpful in finding answers about who was causing reported paranormal activity.

The Fox sisters were credited with inspiring many spiritualist churches. The first church specific to spiritualism was founded in 1849, when a small group of spiritualists met in Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York, on November 14th. As more individuals claimed psychic abilities, the movement continued to grow. The First Spiritual Temple was established in September 1885.

The spiritualist movement made its way to England in 1852, where it became extremely popular during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. By the early 1900s, the movement began to fade but experienced a resurgence after World War I, as many people longed to communicate with fallen soldiers. By the 1920s, however, the movement again lost momentum and has never regained the same level of influence it once held.

Understanding Spiritualism: The Popularity of the Séance

The popularity of spiritualism largely centered around the séance. Séances became popular entertainment among the upper and middle classes. A dinner party might conclude with a medium — often presenting an air of well-perfumed eccentricity — seating participants around a table and instructing them to hold hands. Through incantations and ritual, the medium would enter a trance intended to invite spirits.

When the spirits were believed to take hold, the medium might speak in a voice different from her own or move in ways unlike her normal mannerisms, suggesting that she was channeling a spirit.

Spiritualism Through the 1900s

When the influenza pandemic struck the United States between 1918 and 1920, many Americans searched for answers. Their concerns went beyond the cause of the illness; they questioned what happens after death and whether communication with loved ones was possible. Spiritualism experienced a sudden resurgence in the United States, Great Britain, France, and beyond, promising a perceived window into the afterlife.

Following the exposure of con artists and fraudulent mediums, public interest declined. As World War II approached, séances and even legitimate mediums became fewer and less prominent. Understanding spiritualism became less important.

Spiritualism endured through dedicated believers and those considered legitimate mediums. Many psychics accept that spirits exist and may have messages to share with the living world. Today, contact is often described as more personal and less theatrical than it was a century ago. For modern spiritualists, the intrigue lies in making genuine connections rather than staging performances.

Today’s psychics and mediums — the authentic ones — are not vastly different from those who gained fame during the early spiritualist movement. Even the sensational psychic has reemerged into the public eye. Palm readers and tarot card readers have moved from carnival tents into everyday life.

There will always be a need for true psychics.

Today, as participants, we want more. Beyond connecting with psychics, we want audio recordings, photographs, and video evidence. Why do we seek to connect with the dead? Is it because we question our own mortality? Spiritualism has moved from the shadows into the light.

No doubt the spiritualist movement will continue to exist under the scrutiny of skeptics.