[bobjob]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Has Spiritualism had an effect on your life?

Yes it has actually had a significant effect on my whole life but learning about survival beyond death has had a far bigger one. Modern Spiritualism is founded on that simple truth of survival and showing evidence of it by communication with some of those who have passed over.

Do you resonate with the 'American' version or the 'European' versions?

I'm a Brit living half my time in the UK, half in the US, and find the Brit version closer to my understanding of 'Spiritualism'. The dearth of American churches and centers results in would-be members being unable to find them in many states and counties. Additionally without a network of affiliated churches those that do exist may focus on very different things, potentially losing the simplicity of the message Spiritualism espouses.

Have you ever attended a Spiritualist Church?

Yes but only one in the US.

What about attending a seance?

Yes but not in the US.

Involved in table tipping, etc.?

ditto

Please discuss.

I'll be happy to discuss the subject of Spiritualism.

For the record, Modern Spiritualism in the UK is a structured, registered and recognised religion and philosophy. (The situation in the US is similar I believe.) Its churches are often found under the umbrella of the SNU, the Spiritualists' National Union. (The NSAC also has a list of affiliated churches.) Also for the record I'm a long-time Spiritualist who rarely visits a church anywhere and has no affiliation to any.

A seance is essentially just a meeting, a gathering of those usually of like mind. The seance or meeting can be anything its members want it to be - meditation, messing with a ouija board, using a crystal ball, scrying, psychometry or whatever else. But none of that necessarily has anything directly to do with Spiritualism itself, the discussion topic.

Table tipping and the production of other phenomena are not part of Spiritualism. It's arguable they may sometimes have a serious purpose in development but equally they may be carried out more as entertainment in an informal setting.

At a more focused, a more serious level a seance may be for the purpose of the development of its members and/or evidential mediumship provided by an experienced medium. In this regard it IS all to do with Spiritualism even if members don't class themselves as Spiritualists.