ABSTRACT
The Spiritualist system of beliefs is extremely complex and varied. Spiritualism is far from being a homogeneous religion, and there are many ‘schools’ of thought within the movement. There are numerous groups, each with its own beliefs, which differ in some degree from those of all other groups in the movement. Spiritualism in its belief structure is a very individualistic religion and many of these groups are small and tend to cluster around an individual, usually a medium, with distinctive teachings. The lack of cohesion within the movement as a whole, the existence of many groups and societies, is directly attributable to the lack of a consistent body of teachings accepted by all Spiritualists. Spiritualism has no creed, no dogma. There is no formulation of belief nor any ‘Scriptures’ that would be accepted without question by all those who might be defined, or would call themselves Spiritualists.
