Spiritualism: A Critical Survey by Simeon Edmunds is a wide-ranging examination of Spiritualism, mediumship and purported communication with the dead, written from the perspective of an author deeply interested in psychical research but prepared to examine paranormal claims critically.
Rather than functioning simply as either a defence or dismissal of Spiritualism, the book surveys its history, beliefs, personalities and reported phenomena. Edmunds considers the development of the modern Spiritualist movement alongside the evidence offered for phenomena traditionally associated with mediumship and survival after death.
The book examines different forms of mediumistic activity and the challenges involved in determining what may lie behind them. This inevitably raises questions of fraud, error, suggestion and alternative psychological explanations, as well as the possibility that some reported experiences may not be easily explained by conventional means.
Edmunds also places Spiritualism within the wider history of psychical research. The investigation of mediums played a major role in the emergence of organised psychical research during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with researchers attempting to devise methods capable of distinguishing genuine anomalies from misinterpretation or deliberate deception.
For today's reader, Spiritualism: A Critical Survey provides both an introduction to Spiritualist phenomena and a valuable historical perspective on the long-running debate surrounding mediumship, spirit communication and evidence claimed for survival after bodily death.
The book explores:
The history and development of modern Spiritualism
Mediums and mediumship
Séances and purported spirit communication
Mental and physical mediumship
Evidence claimed for survival after death
Psychical research and paranormal investigation
Fraud and the investigation of mediums
Alternative explanations for psychic phenomena
Spiritualist beliefs concerning death and the afterlife
The relationship between Spiritualism and scientific enquiry
This title will appeal to readers interested in:
Spiritualism and its history
Mediumship and séances
Psychical research
Survival after death
Paranormal investigation
Spirit communication
Critical studies of psychic phenomena
The history of paranormal research
The book is particularly useful because the word "critical" in its title reflects an investigative approach. The history of Spiritualism contains both striking testimony and well-documented instances of deception, making questions of evidence and careful evaluation particularly important when studying the movement.
Book Details
Author: Simeon Edmunds
Title: Spiritualism: A Critical Survey
Format: Hardback / Paperback depending on edition
First Published: 1966
Publisher: Aquarian Press
Language: English
ISBN: Earlier editions may pre-date ISBNs; please see the copyright page of your copy
Pages: Approximately 180 pages, depending on edition
Subjects: Spiritualism, mediumship, psychical research, séances, paranormal phenomena and survival after death