Spiritualism

From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium

Spiritualism is a religious movement centred around belief in the ability of the living to speak with the dead, generally through the use of an intermediary, or medium. The medium is thought to have the ability to communicate with the spirit. Belief in spirits is quite ancient, and can be seen in many cultures. Modern spiritualism began in the mid-nineteenth century in the northeast United States.