Spiritualism as a system of belief holds as a tenet the possibility of contact between the living and the spirits of the dead.
For this reason, death, as an outcome of disease, may not seem as frightening to Spiritualists as it does to those who practice other religions. According to the 20th-century Spiritualist author Lloyd Kenyon Jones, “This does not mean that sickness is unreal. It is real enough from the mortal viewpoint. The spirit feels the pain, senses the discomfiture of the flesh-body, even though the spirit is not ill.”[49] Spiritualism does not promote “mental” cures of the type advocated by New Thought;[citation needed] however, help from the “spirit world” (including advice given by the spirits of deceased physicians) is sought and may be seen as central to the healing process. As with practitioners of New Thought, Spiritualists may combine faith healing with conventional medical therapies. As Jones explained: “We are not taught to put the burden on our minds. We do not ‘will away’ illness. But – we do not fear illness. […] When we ask the spirit-world to relieve us of a bodily ill, we have gone as far as our own understanding and diligence permit. […] We have faith, and confidence, and belief. […] If medicine at times will assist, we take it – not as a habit, but as a little push over the hill. If we need medical attention, we secure it.”
Spiritualism is a belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living. Spiritism, a branch of Spiritualism developed by Allan Kardec and today found mostly in continental Europe and Latin America, especially Brazil, has emphasized reincarnation.
Spiritualism developed and reached its peak growth in membership from the 1840s to the 1920s, especially in English-speaking countries. By 1897, it was said to have more than eight million followers in the United States and Europe, mostly drawn from the middle and upper classes.
The religion flourished for a half century without canonical texts or formal organization, attaining cohesion through periodicals, tours by trance lecturers, camp meetings, and the missionary activities of accomplished mediums. Many prominent Spiritualists were women, and like most Spiritualists, supported causes such as the abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage. By the late 1880s the credibility of the informal movement had weakened due to accusations of fraud being perpetrated by mediums, and formal Spiritualist organizations began to appear. Spiritualism is currently practiced primarily through various denominational Spiritualist churches in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.
Source Attribution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism