The roots of Spiritualism can be traced back to the late 18th century when a number of writers and philosophers began to challenge traditional religious beliefs and doctrines. These thinkers, who included Emanuel Swedenborg, Andrew Jackson Davis, and Allan Kardec, argued that there was a spiritual dimension to human existence and that spiritual beings could be contacted. Spiritualism as a movement was founded on the principles that the spirit survives physical death, continues to exist in a spirit realm, and can still communicate with the living.
The modern Spiritualism movement began in the mid-19th century, in upstate New York.
In 1848, the Fox family moved into a new home in Hydesville, New York. Soon after, the family began to experience strange noises and unexplained occurrences, such as rapping sounds and moving furniture. The sisters Leah, Margaret, and Catherine (or Kate), claimed they could communicate with the spirit haunting the house. Margaret and Kate claimed the spirit of a murdered peddler was buried somewhere under their home. Later, a discovery of bones in the basement seemed to confirm this.
Word of the sisters’ supposed ability to communicate with the dead spread quickly. Soon, they began to hold public séances in which they would communicate with spirits on behalf of paying clients. Their fame grew rapidly, and they soon became some of the most well-known mediums in the country. They sparked a massive wave of interest in spiritualism across the United States.
In the years that followed, numerous mediums and spiritualist communities emerged.
Many of these communities centered on seances and the communication with spirits. Others were focused on healing, prophecy, and other forms of spiritual practice. Spiritualism also had a significant impact on the broader culture of the time. It was associated with the women’s suffrage movement, as many prominent spiritualists were also advocates of women’s rights. There was also an impact on literature. Writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle incorporated spiritualist themes into their works.
By the winter of 1852-1853 the Spiritualist movement had made its way to Europe.
Instead of the traditional séances, they predominantly practiced ‘table turning’ – sometimes called table-tipping or table-tapping. For this method, people sit around a table with their hands gently resting upon it in view. Then, they’d simply wait for it to move. If a spirit were present, it would rotate or raise the table up – Perhaps even throw it across the room.
What contributed to the growth in the spiritualism movement?
There were several factors that contributed to the popularity of Spiritualism, people were eager to explore the mysteries of the universe. Many saw Spiritualism as a way to understand realms believed to be beyond the reach of scientific investigation.
The influence of the Romantic movement: The Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries emphasized the importance of emotions, imagination, and intuition over reason and science. This philosophy helped create a receptive audience for Spiritualism’s claims of supernatural experiences and contact with the spirit realm.
The appeal of democratic ideals: Spiritualism emerged during a time when democracy was becoming more widespread. It promoted the idea that everyone, regardless of social class or education level, could communicate with the spirit world and have a direct relationship with the divine.
The influence of popular culture: The sensational stories of seances and supernatural phenomena captured the public’s imagination and helped to popularize the movement.
The advocacy of prominent figures: Many well-known figures, including writers, scientists, and political leaders, were supporters of Spiritualism. This helped to lend credibility to the movement and attract more followers.
The death of loved ones: The mid-19th century was a time of high mortality rates, particularly among children. Those mourning were drawn to Spiritualism as a way to communicate and find solace in knowing their loved ones were still present in some form.
Despite its early popularity, the Spiritualism movement began to decline in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It’s probably more accurate to say Spiritualism ebbs and flows. A rash of practitioners exposed as frauds led to a decline. However, there was a revival, largely attributed to high mortality rates and celebrity endorsements. The next major decline came from scientific scrutiny in the late nineteenth century. Scientific skepticism grew louder, challenging the claims of spiritualism. Though most ‘spiritually curious’ will agree these topics should be explored from both angles, inside and outside the parameters of science. With the rise of other spiritual and religious movements, people also became less interested in seances.
Spirit photography was popularized in the late 19th & early 20th centuries.
Spirit photography involved the capturing of images believed to show the presence of spirits. Typically, a photographer would take a portrait of a person or a group of people, often in a darkened room. After the photo was taken, the photographer would develop the negative and claim to have discovered the image of a spirit in the photograph.
Many people believed that spirit photography was genuine evidence of the existence of the spirit world, while others were skeptical and argued that the images were the result of double exposures or other photographic tricks. As technology improved and the methods used by spirit photographers were exposed (pun intended) popularity declined. Today, it’s widely regarded as a curiosity of the Victorian era rather than a genuine form of evidence for the existence of the supernatural.
Let’s not forget the ectoplasm…
Despite the controversy surrounding its authenticity, ectoplasm played an important role in the spiritualist movement of the early 20th century. Many mediums claimed to produce it during their seances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was seen as evidence of the spirit world and the medium’s ability to communicate with the dead.
Just what is ectoplasm? Ectoplasm is considered a physical manifestation of spiritual energy or the materialization of spirits themselves. It often took on the form of a mist or a solid object, such as a hand or face. It could be seen as a white or grayish substance exuded from the medium’s mouth, nose, or ears during a seance. The substance was often captured on photographic plates or film.
What became of the Fox Sisters?
As time went on, Kate and Margaret developed serious drinking problems. A large contributing factor at least for Margret, was her struggle with the growing belief that spiritualism may be evil. She was considering returning to the Roman Catholic faith. Kate and Margaret were also at odds with their sister Leah and other professional spiritualists. It shocked the Spiritualist community when they declared the Hydesville events a complete hoax.
Margret’s confession & recantation…
October 21, 1888, in front of the press and an audience of 2,000 witnesses, Margaret demonstrated how to fake spirit rappings. As her sister Kate stood by in solidarity. She signed a confession admitting that she and her sisters had fabricated their experiences. The sisters who helped breathed life into the spiritualist movement craze, also delivered it a deathblow. That’s not to say spiritualism ended – it evolved. Nor are the Fox sisters outcasts for their hoax. Their role in awakening the Spiritualism movement is still celebrated on Hydesville Day.
What’s ‘Hydesville Day’ and how is it celebrated?
Hydesville Day is typically observed March 31st, to coincide with the anniversary of the first reported spirit communications by the Fox sisters in Hydesville, New York (1848). How it’s celebrated varies by location, but often involves events such as lectures, workshops, and seances. Some celebrations also include a visit to the site of the original Hydesville home or other important Spiritualist landmarks.
Overall, Hydesville Day serves as an opportunity for Spiritualists and others to reflect on the history of Spiritualism and to honor the role that the Fox sisters played in the development of the Spiritualist movement. It is also an occasion to celebrate the ongoing practice of mediumship and most importantly, spiritual exploration. Keep exploring, ask questions, stay curious about the belief in spirits, spirit communication, and the afterlife. You should care, it will directly effect you one day.
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