Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1923 THE HISTORY OF SPIRITUALISM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 16 June 1923, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1923 THE HISTORY OF SPIRITUALISM

SPIRITUAL! SAi began in 1848. That, at least, is the date adopted by spiritualistic associations though the occurrence of occult phenomena goes as far back as any recorded history- of the race. And probably the road to En-dor was a well beaten path long before history began to bo recorded, for spiritualistic practices and' beliefs are almost invariably to be found in full vigour among primitive and savage peoples. But it is from about the comparatively recent date referred to that spiritualists began to form themselves into organised bodies, having more or less of a religious creed and holding the belief in the possibility of communicating with the spirits of the dead.

It was in Hydesville, a small place of a few dozen houses in New York State that, in the year cited, the manifestations began which led ultimately to the formation of the many spiritualistic organisations which are to be found throughout the civilised world to-day. The daughters of a farmer named John D. Fox were found to have medium istic powers. Wherever these girls wentthey were only fifteen and twelve years of age—strange rapping noises could be heard. Even when they were in bed the raps continued. The girls attributed the noises to the presence of spirits and it was soon found that these ghostly attendants were quite willing to answer questions by means of a.sort of Morse Code of raps. Neighbours and friends who visited the Fox household were told how. old they were and the number and sexes of their children; the names of their domestic animals ,their horses, dogs and cattle were spelt out to them. The mother of the girls grew very nervous and before very long the haunted house }vas abandoned. One of the sisters went to live with her married sister in Rochester and the other was sent to relatives in Auburn. But the change of residence made no difference to the mediumistic power ; in fact, it now began to spread to relatives and friends. From Rochester and Auburn the wonder was carried by visitors to other towns arid in a few months the State of New York was in a ferment. In obedience to the dictates of their spirit guides the Fox sisters were now holding public seances to which they charged admission and some prominent public men declared their belief in the genuineness.of the phenomena. The professors of the University of Buffalo were sceptical and they challenged the sisters to give them a sitting. The challenge was accepted, but it Was found that, under the conditions imposed by the scientists jio raps or other manifestations were forthcoming. The general public, however, took little notice of this adverse incident and soon men like Horace Greelv, W. C. Bryant, Fenimore Cooper and Judge Edmonds gave the movement their approval. For the next few years the cult made rapid advance and in 1855 it reached its zenith. There were then ten or twelve spiritualistic journals in circulation and the number of adherents of the new religion—for it had now adopted a creed and held religious services—was perhaps not far short of a million. But from this flourishing position it soon declined, and by 1910 the census showed only about 150,000.

So far, spiritualism in the United States only has been considered. In England and the Continent not much interest was at first taken in the American movement, hut in 1852 Airs Haydon, a prominent medium from the States, arrived and her seances created a favourable impression. Robert Owen, the social reformer, then in the eighty-third year of his age, was one of the most important converts and a sufficient footing was soon gained among his followers to allow of the formation of a “circle” and the establishment of a paper, The Yorkshire Spiritual Telegraph. But for several years the progress was slow, though there was no lack of very striking spiritualistic phenomena. In America the main activities of the spirits had been physical, but in England the chief evidences were of a mental character. Spirit messages were received not only from the lost friends of the still living, but from long dead historical characters. And there was no lack of choice. A Newcastle circle had over 5000 spirits present in one evening, including David and other Biblical worthies, Homer, Demosthenes, Cicero, Luther and John Knox. Alessagcs from Milton and poems from Shakespeare were published in the Telegraph, hut it has to be admitted that the literary genius of both poets had sadly deteriorated since their entrance into the realm of spirits.

During the ’sixties such prominent mediums as Horne, Airs Evcritt, the Davenport Brothers, David Herne, Florence Cook and Katio Fox were before the English public and their remarkable manifestations converted such scientists as A. R. Wallace and Professor Crookes. In ’74 the British National Association of Spiritualists was founded, hut in the years following several of the most trusted mediums were found to have descended to fraudulent practices and this, together with the adverse report of the Seybert. Commission in America, had a had effect on the growth of the movement. Several spiritualistic journals ceased publibation hut, on the other hand, Light, the present organ, came into existence. Tn the ’nineties, however, interest revived somewhat. Eusapio Palladino, a Neapolitan, convinced several scientific men, both in England and on the Continent,

of the genuineness of the phenomena she produced, and by the end of the century she had a large body of followers, including Sir Oliver Lodge, Professor Barret and F. W. Myers. The next eighteen or nineteen years were normal in spiritual development. No striking advance was made, and no serious setback experienced. Then Sir Conan Doyle, who had previously been a mild Rationalist, gave his full support to spiritualism, accepting without demur every kind of supernatural phenomena. There can bo no doubt that Sir Conan s championship enormously strengthened the cause and coinciding, as it did, with a period in which so many thousands of the bereaved wore looking eagerly for some message or sign from those they had lost, it is not surprising that there iias been, in the last lew years, so marked an increase in the ranks of the cult. Whether the advance will he continued or not remains to ho seen. War and sorrow lias helped the movement; will peace and Time’s healing have an opposite effect?