Spiritualism’s Rise During WWI: Ghosts from the Trenches
In the early 20th century British history is marked by a notable surge in interest in spiritualism and the occult, especially during and after World War I. My historical fiction novel, Roseleigh, touches on this topic. This fascination was driven by historical roots, societal upheavals, and influential personalities, including the infamous Aleister Crowley and mediums like Gladys Osborne Leonard. This article explores the origins and pre-war activities of spiritualism, the impact of prominent organizations such as the Society for Psychical Research and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the role of spiritualism on the battlefield and home front, and its post-war continuation. Through examining these elements, we can better understand the widespread allure of spiritualism in a time in UK history of profound loss and change.
Spiritualism’s Origins and Pre-War Activities
Spiritualism originated in America in the 1840s. It was sparked by the Fox sisters, Margaret and Kate, who claimed to communicate with spirits through rapping sounds. This new belief system quickly crossed the Atlantic, finding fertile ground in Victorian Britain. The fascination with spiritualism blended traditional British folklore, European magical traditions, and Eastern spirituality.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, spiritualism had become a popular form of both entertainment and solace. Large gatherings in theaters soon featured séances where mediums claimed to connect with the dead. These mediums, often women thought to possess innate abilities, used various methods to facilitate contact with spirits. For example, possession, letter arrangement, and Ouija boards.
The Society for Psychical Research
Founded in 1882, the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) played a crucial role in legitimizing the study of spiritual phenomena. The SPR aimed to apply scientific principles to investigate psychic and paranormal activities, attracting intellectuals, scientists, and scholars. They conducted controlled experiments, case studies, and collected anecdotal evidence to understand human consciousness and the possibility of life after death.
The SPR’s commitment to scientific inquiry provided a foundation for the exploration of spiritual and occult phenomena. This also afforded an air of respectability and mitigated some skepticism and ridicule directed at spiritualism.
I portray the SPR’s in my historical fiction work, Roseleigh, set in the WWI period of UK history. Mrs. Stevens and her daughter, Philippa, differ in their opinions of the organization:
I am in good company in my support of [the SPR]. Many prominent people have belonged to the Society, including Edmund Gurney, Prime Minister Balfour, and Lord Rayleigh, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics. The SPR works with intellectuals not only at Cambridge and Harvard, but all over the world.”
“Well, I guess eccentrics occupy all strata of society, especially college campuses,” Philippa chimed in.
Now her mother rolled her eyes. “They are always looking for support, and I think they are a worthy organization.”
Still, in 1930, Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle, along with many other ardent believers in spiritualism, resigned from the SPR to protest what he considered their excessively strict standards of proof.
Other Prominent Organizations: The Golden Dawn
Another significant organization was the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in 1888. The Golden Dawn was a secret society dedicated to the study and practice of the occult, metaphysics, and paranormal activities. Its members included many influential figures in British society, and its teachings combined elements of Kabbalah, astrology, tarot, and alchemy.
Aleister Crowley is probably the best known of the group’s members. He joined in 1898 and rose through the ranks, but was a controversial character and eventually caused a schism.
The Golden Dawn contributed to the spread of occult knowledge and practices, influencing many who were seeking spiritual and mystical experiences beyond traditional religious frameworks. Its rituals and teachings also left a lasting impact on the development of Western esotericism.
Gladys Osborne Leonard: A Prominent Medium
Gladys Osborne Leonard was one of the most notable mediums of the early 20th century. Born in 1882, Leonard began her career as a professional medium and soon gained a reputation for reliability and sincerity. Her work primarily involved trance mediumship. She would enter a trance state to communicate with spirits, notably through her spirit guide “Feda,” a young Indian girl.
Leonard’s collaboration with the SPR and researcher Sir Oliver Lodge, a renowned physicist, further cemented her credibility. Lodge, who was deeply interested in spiritualism following the death of his son at the WWI front, believed Leonard’s abilities provided compelling evidence of an afterlife. Leonard’s accurate and detailed messages during séances were seen as strong support for spiritualist claims.
Lodge wrote about his experiences in Raymond; or, Life and Death in 1916. By 1919, there had already been a dozen printings. Lodge published an abridged Raymond in 1922, still available on Amazon today.
In my historical fiction novel, Roseleigh, Mrs. Stevens invites Leonard to perform a séance at her home. Philippa Stevens is much less enthusiastic than her mother about the proceedings:
[Philippa] found her mother’s coterie assembled at a round table in the middle of the ground floor music room, awaiting the start of the proceedings. Mrs. Leonard was to do Mother’s séance, take a break to rest and eat, then begin another. The room was dimly lit, with red cloth draped on the lamps and shutters closed.
Philippa knew these performances could last for hours, an endless back-and-forth of irrelevant details. In life, neither her father nor brother were loquacious, nor did they equivocate, so why neither could get to the point now gave Philippa additional pause. She sat away from the inner circle so no one would notice her incredulity and she could slip away easily.
The room settled. Mrs. Leonard swaddled her feet and legs in a heavy wool steamer blanket. She leaned back and placed a flimsy handkerchief over her face. A veil of secrecy shrouding divine intervention — or fraud? Her breathing became labored, as if exerting a great effort to move something huge, then wheezy, as if stricken with asthma. After some minutes, a faint whispering began, becoming a loud shrill voice. Feda had arrived.
While her mother believes in Leonard’s séances, Philippa has her doubts:
Go to the bookshelf on the main floor. The third shelf from the bottom, the fourth book over, the twelfth page, halfway down the page for the message, etc. What good family doesn’t have a bookshelf on their main floor? What bookshelf isn’t at least three shelves high, containing a book of at least a dozen pages? And of course you’ll find a topic you could interpret as significant because they are YOUR books and represent something someone in the family was interested in!
Spiritualism on the Battlefield
World War I had a profound impact on the popularity of spiritualism. The war’s unprecedented loss of life left many soldiers and their families seeking solace and answers. On the battlefield, soldiers turned to spiritualism for comfort and hope. Some soldiers reported feeling the presence of fallen comrades or visions of the dead, which bolstered their belief in an afterlife.
Published in September 1914, Arthur Machen’s short story, “The Bowmen” depicted spirits from the Battle of Agincourt protecting British soldiers during their retreat at Mons. The Angels of Mons legend came to be viewed as a first-hand factual account, despite Machen’s denials. A belief emerged during WWI that fallen soldiers continued their fight in the spiritual realm. This blurred the boundaries between life and death. The newspapers increasingly featured tales of deceased comrades returning to rescue their fellow soldiers and other instances of celestial intervention.
The constant threat of death in the trenches made soldiers more receptive to the idea of an unseen spiritual world. The war’s brutality and the omnipresence of death led many to seek meaning beyond the material world. This created a fertile environment for spiritualism to thrive.
Spiritualism on the Home Front
Back home, spiritualism served two main objectives for those struggling to come to terms with loss. It brought solace by connecting them with their departed loved ones, showing them in a happier existence. Also, it provided reassurance that their own afterlife would be an escape from their hardships.
Séances and spiritualist meetings soon became commonplace as people yearned for closure and reassurance. Mediums like Gladys Osborne Leonard provided a crucial link between the grieving and their lost loved ones, offering messages of comfort and hope. In 1914, the Spiritualists National Union had 145 affiliated societies. But by 1919, the number had more than doubled to 309.
The home front also saw an increase in the publication of books and articles on spiritualism, further fueling public interest. Emerging technologies also played a key role. People came to understand spiritualism by analogy to radio and telegraphy. For example, mediums would describe contacting the spiritual world as “tuning in” and refer to the “channels” and “wavelengths” of the other side. Inventor David Wilson also claimed he could use a “psychic telegraph” to pick up auras in the ether.
Naturally, many of these practitioners were simply charlatans. More reputable organizations like the SPR made it their mission to expose such frauds. Their legality was also questionable, and authorities used antiquated witchcraft and vagrancy laws to target many mediums. Still, acceptance of spiritualism during this period was widespread, a testament to its ability to provide emotional support and a sense of connection during a time of profound loss.
Post-War Continuation
After WWI, spiritualism continued to thrive as people sought to make sense of the immense loss and societal changes. During the interwar period people continued their interest in such practices, with new mediums emerging and public fascination remaining high. The SPR also continued its work, and the field of parapsychology took shape, furthering the scientific study of psychic phenomena.
The post-war era also saw a shift in spiritualism’s focus, with greater emphasis on healing and personal growth. The movement’s ability to adapt and evolve ensured its survival and continued relevance in the changing social landscape.
Conclusion
The boom in spiritualism and the occult during and after World War I in the UK was a multifaceted phenomenon. It was fueled by a combination of historical origins, societal upheaval, and influential personalities. Spiritualism offered solace both to soldiers on the battlefield and families on the home front. Figures like Gladys Osborne Leonard became central to this movement, providing a tangible link between the living and the deceased. The widespread loss and trauma of WWI created a desperate need for comfort and meaning, which spiritualism and the occult sought to fulfill.
Post-war, the continued interest in spiritualist practices and the development of parapsychology reflected a societal shift towards healing and personal growth. Spiritualism’s ability to adapt and address the emotional needs of the time ensured its survival and relevance in the changing social landscape of the 20th century. Spiritualism stands as a testament to the enduring human quest for understanding and connection in the face of profound loss and change.
What do you think about the rise of spiritualism and the occult in the early 20th century? Let me know in the comments.
If the subject of spiritualism during WWI is interesting to you and you’d like to see how it appears in my historical fiction work, Roseleigh, join my mailing list.
Notes & References
Julie Mathias, “Seeing is Believing: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era-Part 1”, Curious Histories (blog on oldoperatingtheatre.com), January 26th, 2017.
Julie Mathias, “Seeing is Believing: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era-Part 2”, Curious Histories (blog on oldoperatingtheatre.com), January 26th, 2017.
Julie Mathias, “Seeing is Believing: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era-Part 3”, Curious Histories (blog on oldoperatingtheatre.com), January 26th, 2017.
Julie Mathias, “Seeing is Believing: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era-Part 4”, Curious Histories (blog on oldoperatingtheatre.com), January 26th, 2017.
Isabel Lauterjung, “The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn — secrets at the Museum of Freemasonry?” Explore Your Archive, March 8, 2024.
“Gladys Osborne Leonard,” First Spiritual Temple.
