I don't understand who the members of (quote) "....the largest spiritualist group in the USA." actually are or what it's meant to imply.

By contrast in the UK we don't have 'Spiritualist groups'. We do have individuals who see themselves as Spiritualists and who often attend their local Spiritualist church or centre, mainly SNU Spiritualist ones. There they will be with other Spiritualists and sometimes with visitors who aren't necessarily Spiritualists.

In such churches and centers they can attend demonstrations of mediumship by mediums who are Spiritualists. BUT - and this 'but' is very important - mediums are not all Spiritualists and being a Spiritualist is NOT a prerequisite to being a medium.

What you have reported wouldn't happen in a UK Spiritualist setting. It might happen in a commercial one, though. I expect there was a substantial charge to attend the meeting you talked about?

It's interesting to me that there's only a handful of us here who know anything about the religion and philosophy of Spiritualism or are interested enough - or prepared - to discuss the subject.

Perhaps a reflection of changing times?

On my travels around much of the US it was uncommon to find myself anywhere near an NSAC Spiritualist church so I managed to visit only one.

The meeting format felt familiar although it was held in a simple strip-mall room very unlike the hall of a typical UK Spiritualist church. The philosophy address was reassuringly familiar though and later one of the two practitioners came to me.

It was nice to feel included given that I was so far from home and although she related some accurate details it felt more a psychic reading than it did evidential mediumship.

As a very-foreign and polite visitor I didn't make an issue of it but it did serve to reinforce my still-continuing awareness of the differences.

In the USA, we have Spiritualist Camps.
Some are good and some ..............

As for charge, generally about $50.00 for 1 hour group event.

Spiritualism in the USA has changed dramatically in the last 25 years in the USA. Much of it is a blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and Theosophy.

The USA version of modern day Spiritualism began in 1848.
In 1998, I went back to where a lot of it began for the 150th anniversary
only to see Hillary Clinton arriving for the Women's Movement as I was leaving.....

I talked several times to the President of the NSAC Spiritualist Church.

The Spiritualist I know, are not too enthused with the NSAC because of their stand on reincarnation.

Although I use to attend one Spiritualist Church which recited the NSAC's Declaration of Principles at each service.

I agree with you there.

Ask anybody about the Fox Sisters and they have no idea who you are talking about.....

My favorite was Andrew Jackson Davis.

Ah such as the well-known Cassadaga and Lily Dale..... We don't have anything similar in the UK.

Spiritualism in the UK has changed similarly over that same period. I see myself as fortunate that I caught the tail end of the 'old movement' for long enough to now see the differences between old and new.

I've frequently said I'm baffled that the movement that eventually became Modern Spiritualism has its roots in Hydesville, upstate New York, yet in the USA has developed very differently than it did in the UK or - if you include Spiritism which is similar in many aspects - South America, Brazil for example. I haven't visited that area but, then, I don't much care for the east coast anyway - 'west is best'.

On a personal level I would be very uncomfortable with any principles from the religions/followings you've mentioned appearing in the very simple Spiritualist philosophy. I'm not even happy with some of the SNU's so-called Seven Principles! (though I do understand exactly why we have them) The teachings found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Theosophy may be perfectly fine in their own right but I wouldn't want to see 'em in Spiritualism.

I'm heartened you appear to be more of a Spiritualist - or at least know more about Spiritualism - than I had thought. :hug3:

Maybe it's understandable that modern-day folk know nothing of the beginnings and development of Modern Spiritualism - even here on a website devoted to matters spiritual and in a forum called Spiritualism under the umbrella category of 'Religions & Faiths'. For many 'spiritualism' is no different than 'Modern Spiritualism' or 'Spiritualism'. (its short form)

Running the risk of getting accused of being provocative or controversial, I'm going to suggest that nowadays there's much confusion about what's spiritual and what's psychic. It's not helped when practitioners are just called 'mediums' when what's meant (in the US particularly) is either 'psychic medium' or 'spiritual medium'. Sadly those terms have, like so many others, traveled across the Atlantic and are also being used in the UK.

I often sense practitioners bristling and getting indignant when I ask more about their specialism, questions based around what they have told us in the context of a forum focusing on the religion and philosophy of Spiritualism!

So often their activities are psychic rather than spiritual. Again this may be controversial but too many can't clearly explain the nature of their specialties, what they say they can do. Some may get upset when they are questioned.