Talking to the Other Side: Spiritualism as Vernacular Religion in Central Ohio (original) (raw)

Spiritualism, The beginnings. What was the great fuss about? By

So what is spiritualism and spirit photography?, 2021

According to a definition adopted by the National Spiritualist Association of America, spiritualism "is the science, philosophy and religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, using mediumship, with those who live in the spirit world." [1] So what is spiritualism and spirit photography? The basis of many ancient religions is the idea that disembodied spirits of the dead are able and willing to communicate with the living under certain conditions. Its theme re-occurs in myths, fables, legends and anecdotes from all cultures at all periods in man's history. But it is also fair to say that modern spiritualism, as a social phenomenon, had its origins in a small house in Hydesville, New York, on Friday night 31 March 1848.

The Rise of 19th-Century American Spiritualism, 1854–1873

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2010

During an initial period of rapid expansion, American Spiritualists did not form churches or settle ministers. As a result, something other than numbers and locations of churches and ministers must chart the 19th-century rise of this religious movement. Fortunately, the leading Spiritualist newspaper of the period, the Banner of Light, published extensive lists of public meetings, lectures, and prospective lecturers. In addition, both the Banner and the Spiritual Telegraph newspapers published early lists of their subscription agents. Even though they do not directly address the central Spiritualist activity of the seance, these lists offer a detailed view of where and when the initial and rapid growth of American Spiritualist activity occurred. Data gathered from these lists put explanations about the rise of this 19th-century Spiritualist movement on a better empirical foundation.

Spiritualism Exposed: Scepticism, Credulity and Spectatorship In End-of-the-Century America

European Journal of American Culture, 2010

In recent years, the study of spiritualism and occultism has been proposed as a key to understand the political, social and cultural issues of nineteenth-century America. While the position of spiritualism's supporters has been the subject of most accounts, however, sources that critically questioned the spiritualist claims have been usually left aside. In this article, I will rely on this extremely rich body of sources, in order to understand how the debate about spiritualism played an essential role in the shaping of sceptical perspectives in nineteenth-century America. Focusing in particular on anti-spiritualist performances played on the stage by professional magicians and on psychological writings that questioned the phenomena of the spiritualist seances, I will argue that in both contexts the ‘spirit medium’ came to be understood as a performer, and the sitters as spectators. As a critical reading of texts such as film theory pioneer Hugo Münsterberg's 1891 ‘Psychology and Mysticism’ may suggest, the exposure of spiritualist trickery shaped a discourse on perception and sensorial delusion that anticipated in many ways later debates on cinematic spectatorship.

A LIVING RELIGION – MODERN WITCHCRAFT AND SHAMANISM FROM A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

The goal of my research is to examine the experiences of modern witches and shaman whom practice magick and healing in Southern California, and to examine further how these experiences have developed a common culture of meaning. I studied an eclectic mix of local practitioners of the magickal lifestyle in order to get an intimate picture of these experiences and their diversity. In my review of the literature surrounding Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Shamanism I have found that the original focus of this type of research has been on empowerment: feminism, environmentalism, and homosexual acceptance. I am concerned with the absence of literature on magick, and as such my focus is on magick, as a real experience, and its practitioners. Using both 3 months of field observations and 20 in-depth individual interviews I have found that all of the men and women believe in, and interact with, both masculine and feminine deities. Practitioners of the magickal lifestyle use magickal techniques, such as deity invocation or shifting ethereal energy, to embody a wholly different reality, thus subverting their standpoint of knowledge.