Talk:Spiritualism

Forgot to sign in before writing this. Thunderkatz 15:19, 3 July 2007 (CDT)

Is this a pseudoscience? Charlatanism, to be sure, but I don't know if there have been any scientific claims here. Maybe a new category? --Kels 16:26, 3 July 2007 (CDT)

I'm not sure. Maybe now-defunct religions. Though I like the idea of charlatanism as a category. or con artistry. Thunderkatz 16:32, 3 July 2007 (CDT)
 * This is obviously not pseudoscience. It is a religion. Thea article says there are "300 spiritualist churches in the UK" so it's obviously a religion. And it deserves the respect that every religion should have.Tolerance 14:03, 11 April 2008 (EDT)
 * !! SusanG 14:06, 11 April 2008 (EDT)
 * Ideas do not get respect because they are some how classified in a particular category (religion, science, fiction, reality TV). They must earn respect, and the standards that must be met to "earn respect" are likely to be different for different people. I respect ideas based on how wrong they are, the less wrong an idea is the more I respect it. Ideas that can not even be wrong or on the bottom rung for me. 14:08, 11 April 2008 (EDT)
 * My understanding is that spiritualism is more of a belief about life after death than a religion. Not much talk of god or prayer at seances.  Rational Ed faith 22:37, 11 April 2008 (EDT)
 * From what recall of my great aunt, there was (always) a reference to a PRESENCE looming around but never seen. SusanG 22:41, 11 April 2008 (EDT)

Thoughts about yer average spirtulaist
While it's pretty obvious how yer average medium thinks (think Joe Power) I have to say in fairness to spiritualists they are mostly sincere and that includes their mediums (who are therefore usually much worse than a properly trained cold reader) - I know this because my dad is one (edit: a spiritulaist, not a medium, he makes no claims of psychic ability!) and my mother humours him and consequently I have met quite a few of them when for lulz I have accompanied them to spirtulaist church services.

Also as woo goes the spirtiualist movement in general ain't that bad - have a look at articles in Psychic News (you may need to order the mag but it's free as a "taster" aiui anyway. Now while they don't really get bruden of proof and the scientific method, so a typical article will usually end up with a skeptic viewpoint and spiritualist viewpoint given equal prominence and a "who knows" conclusion, it is equally fair to say that they at least *try* to be objective in their own credulous way, much more than most of these crazy theories anyway. And again, most spritulaists can be fairly differentiated from the commercial mediums, they really are not in this for the money.

This article could do with a perspective from this viewpoint added in anyway...

P.S. I think spirtiualism is a load of crap, but furthermore I have actually been on a weekend cold reading course given by Ian Rowland, and consequently I also know that most of the "real" spirtitualists are crap cold readers as well. They mean no harm...

Fraud physical mediums
Here is a list of some fraudulent physical mediums. Jenny (talk) 17:40, 4 August 2013 (UTC)

Ectoplasm cheesecloth is real
The spirit world is right here right now and is an integral part of the universe. You are already living in it because spirits (you and me) inhabit this body within this world which Leslie Flint had proven by his ectoplasm cheesecloth voicebox. MU Irreligious Survivalist, The Od, Andrew B. Chung, Zerdini, Eveshi and his life partner Forests, Jon Donnis and Mac knows the truth we are all spirits. Ectoplasm cheesecloths are scientific evidence for life after death and prove that we are spirits. Irreligious Survivalist (talk) 17:41, 3 September 2013 (UTC)