Best book on spiritualism

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Another classical book is:

INCIDENTS IN MY LIFE.
BY
D[aniel]. D[unglass]. HOME.
[1833-1886]

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JUDGE EDMONDS.
(1863)

It should be noted that D. D. Home was born in Scotland and inherited psychic abilities from his mother and after her death had several visions of her. He went on to become the most famous physical medium of his day. He even held joint sittings in London with Kate Fox. But he is best remembered for his demonstrations in the field of levitation. On December 13, 1868 he went into a trance at a Spiritualist séance in London and then levitated and floated out of a top floor window. From there he was seen hovering over the street for a short time and then returned to the house through another window.

Yet you're not a Spiritualist..... curious. Perhaps more a phenomenalist?

Originally Posted by BigJohn

What does this have to do with the book WAS ABRAHAM LINCOLN A SPIRITUALIST?

Over the last few decades, I have found it interesting that Abraham Lincoln may have attended seances and may have been involved in trying to hold down a levitated piano.

This thread is titled "Best Books on Spiritualism" which implies to me that members of this forum can express what they believe are 'best books' on the subject, which I have done.

I do totally acknowledge your right to express a view about what the best books on Spiritualism are - even though you're not a Spiritualist and you appear more interested in the subject of phenomena. What you had suggested, though, was all Spiritualists should be interested. That's being prescriptive - telling others what they should be interested in.

And I reckon it's the psychic phenomena that pique your interest rather than whether Abe Lincoln was a Spiritualist.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by leadville

Yet you're not a Spiritualist..... curious. Perhaps more a phenomenalist?

Spiritualist are very much into phenomena as far as I am concerned. Just because many Spiritualist have not experienced much phenomena does not mean there is no interest.

For example, some Spiritualists annually pilgrimage to Camp Chesterfield, a leading Spiritualist camp, which offers many of the gifts of spirit such as spirit drawings/paintings/pictures produced on silk or paper during a seance. Materialization of gifts and various spirits also occur during some of these seances. So I would say there is much interest in phenomena.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by leadville

I don't understand what you mean, BigJohn......

If you look at the quote from that book, the events unfolded on the fifth night. I find it hard to believe they were able to accomplish so much by the fifth night. Even today, I have never heard of anybody being able to see what they saw using that method.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by sky123

Bilocation would come in handy, I'm always expected to be in more than one place at the same time


It is actually found in many Ancient Religious Scriptures but very little is found in the Bible for some reason...

That's funny. I always thought that you were "all over the place".

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by leadville

I always find that studying any book thought to have all the answers is rather like the Bible study classes held in our resort and no doubt in mainstream churches. I scratch my head over why any book needs such study-in-depth. If it's so hard to follow that you have to have it explained shouldn't something simpler provide guidance?

We are in complete agreement on that although, in some cases, I do get a deeper understanding of a particular passage years after I originally read it.

I have a book about Hazrat Inayat Khan which did not resonate at all when I first read it. I actually thought that I had thrown it out but found it years later. Upon re-reading it, it has become one of my favorites. Obviously, the book didn't change during those years. If I had studied it in more depth originally, it could have made a difference ... but then I was probably not ready for it then.



I've used the Spirits' Book to "fill in gaps" , as one of my friends said earlier this week. The part on abortions was particularly interesting and I created a separate thread on that topic. However, I'm not sure how much credence I want to put into Spiritist Books since, as you pointed out, these spirits are not "omniscient". I am more inclined towards meditation but this book has definitely expanded my views in some ways but won't be a priority going forward.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

That's funny. I always thought that you were "all over the place".

No it's not funny at all, it's actually an impediment.....

Originally Posted by BigJohn

If you look at the quote from that book, the events unfolded on the fifth night. I find it hard to believe they were able to accomplish so much by the fifth night. Even today, I have never heard of anybody being able to see what they saw using that method.

thank you - Now I follow.

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Spiritualist are very much into phenomena as far as I am concerned. Just because many Spiritualist have not experienced much phenomena does not mean there is no interest.

For example, Spiritualists annually pilgrimage to Camp Chesterfield, a leading Spiritualist camp, which offers many of the gifts of spirit such as spirit drawings/paintings/pictures produced on silk or paper during a seance. Materialization of gifts and various spirits also occur during some of these seances. So I would say there is much interest in phenomena.

I wasn't talking about others' interests or lack of them, BigJohn. I was talking about your interest being phenomenalism rather than your being a Spiritualist.

Of course some avowed Spiritualists will be interested in phenomena and that was never an issue but the production of phenomena for phenomena's sake is not part of the UK Spiritualist philosophy I am familiar with - but I'm not an American and I do understand that Spiritualism here in the US may have a different focus.

An American Spiritualist would be able to explain that for us I'd think but we don't have one here.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by leadville

I wasn't talking about others' interests or lack of them, BigJohn. I was talking about your interest being phenomenalism rather than your being a Spiritualist.

Of course some avowed Spiritualists will be interested in phenomena and that was never an issue but the production of phenomena for phenomena's sake is not part of the UK Spiritualist philosophy I am familiar with - but I'm not an American and I do understand that Spiritualism here in the US may have a different focus.

An American Spiritualist would be able to explain that for us I'd think but we don't have one here.

If you went to Lily Dale, NY, to the largest Spiritual center in the World, or to the camp in Cassadaga, Florida or Camp Chesterfield, what do you think people will see and experience?

At the Spiritualist Churches today, many teach Eastern beliefs such as Chakras, Auras and Reincarnation and very little is devoted to teaching Spiritualist beliefs, especially the history of modern day Spiritualism.