Spiritualism: faith between science and religion

We will survey the historical development of Spiritualism in England and America—from its origins in magic, mesmerism and Victorian stage entertainments, to the emergence of scientific efforts to prove or disprove the reality of the spirit world and the possibility of communication with the dead. We will explore the various techniques discovered in encounters with the spirit world, including séances, spirit photography, spirit manifestation, automatic
writing, levitation, the production of ectoplasm, and the ability of the mind to communicate with both the living and the dead via telepathy or clairvoyance. We will also discuss the manner in which Spiritualists have sought to unite religion and science, freely adapting older religious ideas to the societal and intellectual demands of secularism and technological development.