Spiritualism is a Christian religious movement that believes in psychic phenomena such as clairvoyance, mediumship and spiritual healing. Members of this movement see a kinship in their faith with that of the early Christian Church, before its nature was changed as a result of the Councils of Nicea in the 4th Century. http://www.s-upton.com/spm/history.htm A contemporary revival of belief in individual experience of spiritual phenomena corresponded with the inspired writings and life experiences of Emanuel Swedenborg, an 18th century Swedish scientist and theologian. http://www.mainemason.org/mlr/swedenborg1.htm The modern spiritualism movement in the United States began in 1848 as a result of the paranormal experiences of the Fox Sisters in New York, after which membership in the church grew to about 8 million. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a prominent believer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism Further information about the Spiritualist Church's beliefs and the life of Emanuel Swedenborg can be found below.

1. Spiritualism is the science, philosophy, and religion of a continuous life, based on the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the spirit world.
2. A spiritualist is one who believes, as the basis of his or her religion, in the communication between this and the spirit world by means of mediumship, and who endeavors to mold his or her character and conduct in accordance with the highest teaching derived from such communication.
3. A medium is one whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the spirit world and through whose instrumentality intelligences in that world are able to convey messages and produce the phenomena of spiritualism.
4. A spiritualist healer is one who, either through his own inherent powers or through his mediumship, is able to impart vital, curative force to pathologic conditions. http://www.unexplainedstuff.com/Mediums-and-Mystics/Spiritualism.html

Emanuel Swedenborg, born in Sweden in 1688 as the son of a theologian, was raised in a religious intellectual atmosphere. He attended Uppsala University where he completed a thesis in moral philosophy in 1709. Swedenborg then extensively studied and published within various scientific disciplines until being employed by the Royal College of Mines in 1723, where he worked until 1747. He underwent a change during the years 1743-1745 as a result of experiencing many visions and dreams. These experiences convinced Swedenborg that he had been called to be a heavenly inspired instrument. Swedenborg's became an international celebrity following demonstrations of his visionary ability. From 1745 until his death in 1772, his writings were theological, culminating 18 writings and his opus, Arcana Coelestia or Heavenly Secrets. http://www.mainemason.org/mlr/swedenborg1.htm http://www.s-upton.com/spm/history.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenborg_Rite