Customer Reviews (2)

Echo of prior review, plus
I agree with the other reviewer that this book is dry, tough reading but worth it.Spiritualists will find the testing of the key medium extensive and authentic.Sociologists of religion will find good use in their dichotomy of churches that focus on group action vs. churches that focus on individual pilgrimages. (A much more helpful distinction that mainline vs. evangelical or Protestant v. Catholic).The conflict addressed by Haladur's spiritualism is STILL with us: how to deal with translations of holy things that do not mistake a translation as being literal but still considers it holy: Haladur saw the literalists as not credible and the figuratives as not encouraging faith.

Spiritualism examined through the career of a notedMedium.
Academic tome offers some interesting insights into 19th and 20th century Spiritualism in Iceland given Iceland's unique religious history. A bit dry but worth the effort for anyone with this special interest.- Roberta Olsen Kyle, Eye on Iceland ... Read more

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A fascinating story of spirits and conjurors, skeptics and converts in the second half of nineteenth century America viewed through the lives of Kate and Maggie Fox, the sisters whose purported communication with the dead gave rise to the Spiritualism movement – and whose recanting forty years later is still shrouded in mystery.

In March of 1848, Kate and Maggie Fox – sisters aged 11 and 14 – anxiously reported to a neighbor that they had been hearing strange, unidentified sounds in their house. From a sequence of knocks and rattles translated by the young girls as a "voice from beyond," the Modern Spiritualism movement was born.

Talking to the Dead follows the fascinating story of the two girls who were catapulted into an odd limelight after communicating with spirits that March night. Within a few years, tens of thousands of Americans were flocking to seances. An international movement followed. Yet thirty years after those first knocks, the sisters shocked the country by denying they had ever contacted spirits. Shortly after, the sisters once again changed their story and reaffirmed their belief in the spirit world. Weisberg traces not only the lives of the Fox sisters and their family (including their mysterious Svengali–like sister Leah) but also the social, religious, economic and political climates that provided the breeding ground for the movement. While this is a thorough, compelling overview of a potent time in US history, it is also an incredible ghost story.

An entertaining read – a story of spirits and conjurors, skeptics and converts – Talking to the Dead is full of emotion and surprise. Yet it will also provoke questions that were being asked in the 19th century, and are still being asked today – how do we know what we know, and how secure are we in our knowledge?

Customer Reviews (10)

Talking To The Dead
Best book on the Fox sisters i have read.Explores their relationshipwhich is as interesting as the paranormal aspects of the story.

INTERESTING SUBJECT, nicely covered
I very much enjoyed reading this book about a subject and a history I knew nothing about.I was attracted to read, and keep reading this story mainly for the 'intimate' histories of the people involved.I love reading historical details, no matter how small.The details seem to bring the people and time period alive again, and there is plenty of wonderful detail in this novel about the Fox Sisters and spiritualism in the mid/late 19th century.

I am very grateful to the author for exhuming this piece of history and bringing it to our attention by giving it such study.I was alittle disappointed at the book's conclusion though, which seemed 'rushed.'A lot less detail and a sense of urgency at the close of the story and the Sisters' lives.As soon as we come to know and feel close to Maggie and Kate, they're suddenly dead, and quickly buried.And, of course, it would have been nice to have more photos in the book.

The best thing that this author does in this book is to present the Fox Sisters' story in a way that leaves the reader both better educated and more able to understand why these women did what they did, and what 'most likely' was the complicated psycological motivation behind their actions.That's a lot to accomplish in storytelling.Bravo.

For anyone interested in finding out more about the love affair and complications between Elisha Kent Kane and Margaret Fox, there is more information on the Elisha Kent Kane Historical Society website.Lots of extra reading and more depth on the letters and events that occurred.

RECOMMEND!

Above and Beyond.
Though the early accounts of the Fox sisters' encounters with spirits from beyond left me wanting more, as their renowned grew, so too did my interest. Weisberg does an amazing job of situating the rise of Spiritualism within the social climate of the time, touching upon evangelicalism, suffrage and abolition. I was not expecting to walk away from this book feeling that I'd gained a greater understanding of mid-century history, but I certaily did. As a New Yorker, Weisberg also made life in 1800s' New York come alive, for me, by her frequent inclusion of actual names and addresses.

Exceptional
Barbara Weisberg has created the first must-read nonfiction title of the year. This is an assured and satisfying work which vividly brings to life a remarkable episode in the cultural history of the United States. In March, 1848, mysterious knocks are suddenly heard in a small house located in rural, upstate New York. No one is certain who or what is creating the strange sounds, but they recur night after night. Are Kate and Maggie Fox, ages 11 and 14, playing an elaborate trick on their parents and the other members of their small community? Or are the girls really able to channel messages from the dead?
Talking to the Dead charts the saga of the Fox sisters, and the birth of modern Spiritualism. From a small house near the Canadian border Maggie and Kate are catapulted to nationwide fame. On a series of tours across the heartland, tens of thousands of Americans rush to experience a series of readings and seances.
Weisberg's straight-forward yet evocative prose fully engulfs the viewer in the period. Like Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City, this is nonfiction so seamless and compelling that it reads like a novel, yet Weisberg's skills as a scrupulous and careful researcher are evident in the pages and pages of notes that conclude this riveting story. Or does it? For the story really has no definite conclusion, and the ramifications of the Fox sisters' experiences are still with us today. Perhaps they always will be. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Fluid articulate prose probes the details of the Fox sisters
Although at first this book appears to deal with a somewhat esoteric topic, it has much appeal for the general reader.The fluid articulate prose probes the details of the Fox sisters' lives and their impact on spiritualism without burdensome discussion of that movement's inner workings.The focus remains on the sisters and, most interestingly, regularly throughout the text placing their story in the wider context of other significant events and ideas of their day.That it's written without a "point-of-view" on the sisters' authenticity helps this obviously well-researched work better illuminate their unusual lives and the times in which they lived. ... Read more

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Publisher: New York : Fowler ... Read more

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1863. The present compilation of subjects relating to spiritual philosophy has been made with the most earnest desire that it may greatly assist many honest and candid inquirers in their search for truth. These selections and extracts are all from recent publications relating to spiritual science. Partial Contents: Modern Spiritualism, T.B. Hall; The Impossible by Robert Dale Owen; Testimony of N.P. Tallmadge, late U.S. Senator and Governor of Wisconsin; Redeemed Body by Rev. T.L. Harris; Opinion of Heny Ward Beecher; Discourse on the Trinity by Mrs. Newton Crosland; Vision of the Lord, Rev. T.L. Harris. ... Read more

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1906. Contents: Autobiography of W.J. Colville; The Question of Spirit Identity; Bird's-Eye View of Ancient and Modern Spiritual Philosophy; Differing Aspects of Spiritual Philosophy-The Righteous Claims of Egoism and of Altruism; The Spiritual Faith of Ancient Egypt; Influence of Egyptian Thought on Jewish Views of Immortality; The Jewish Kabala Its Teachings Concerning Immortality; Persian Theories of the Soul and Its Destination; Greek and Roman Views of a Future Life; Hindu Conceptions of the Soul and Its Immortality; Vedanta Philosophy; Scandinavian Beliefs Concerning the Spiritual Universe; Etruscan Views of the Future Life; Spiritual Conceptions in China and Japan; Mohammedan Views of the Soul and Its Destiny; Ancient Jewish and Early Christian Ideas of the Soul and of Spirit-Communion; Psychical Researches in Modern Europe; Sleep as an Educator Its Spiritual Purpose and Value; Spiritual Mediumship Reasonable Views of Mediumship Contrasted with Popular Fallacies Concerning It; The Spirit World as Seen and Described by One Who has Visited It Frequently; Telepathy and Clairvoyance; Spiritualism in All Lands and Times; Dr. J.M. Peebles on the Nature and Preexistence of the Soul; and Striking Incidents Related by Well-Known Witnesses. See other works available by this author from Kessinger Publishing. ... Read more

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The words in this truly inspirational book are those of the Author's Spirit Guides and give positive proof that those loved ones who have crossed to the world of Spirit are around us in our daily lives and are deeply concerned for us all and for our future. They have channeled their thoughts through Eileen, an ordinary housewife with no preconceived ideas, not only to move Spiritualism forward with Love, Light and Laughter, but moreover to warn us and our leaders, whatever our race, creed or color, of the dangers we are creating for ourselves--dangers that could eventually lead to the demise of the world that we know and love. These wonderful words of Philosophy, Poetry and Prose are given to you by the world of Spirit and in some way will touch all of your lives, giving comfort to the bereaved and lonely, inspiration to those who are already believers, and food for thought to those who care about their fellow man. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

excellent overview of a complex topic
Owens did a first rate job on this complex subject. She shows insight into the many threads that influence women & their power at this point in history.

A very good over view of Victorian Spiritualism
I finally finished "The Darkened Room: Women, Power, and Spiritualism in Late Victorian England." Once I started reading it went quickly, I don't know why it sat on my shelf for so long. The author, Alex Owen, does a very good job of grounding the reader in the period and issues of the day before going on to explore possible meanings.

Two chapters are devoted to case studies, one of a Spiritualist household and one of a woman who was confined to a lunatic asylum against her will. There is an execellent chapter on the lunacy system in England of the time and of some of the reformers that were active. The author used a lot of primary source material and it shows, but not in a way that over-burdens the narrative.

The final chapter falters a bit as it is slips into analsys from a modern perspective rather than letting the narrative carry the day.However the rest of the book stands on it's own and is very well written.

A good book for people interested in the 1850's -1890's, for people interested in the history of Spiritualism, or in power dynamics and social mores. The end notes alone are worth reading for little mini-biographies of some of the main players and for little stories that the author couldn't fit into the main narrative. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Relevant Reading
Informative and factual. Written by a man with thirty four years experience in the field. Contact with the spirit world is a controversial subject matter. There is a great deal of ignorance surrounding this subject. This book clears up the ignorance and uses intelligent reasoning to educate the reader. ... Read more

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Book Order
The book I purchased was just as described.FAST shipping.I would buy from this book seller again!

Through the Gates of Death
Death is a universal experience. No one can hope to escape. It is only a matter of time till it comes to each one of us and each one of those we love. Yet what is it that makes such a natural process so terrible? Most death beds are peaceful when the time comes, so what, then, is it we fear in death that it should be for us a thing of grief and dread?

In Through the Gates of Death, Dion Fortune presents a dynamic assessment of what really happens when the soul finally separates from the physical body, revealing the knowledge that constituted the supreme degree of the Egyptian mysteries.

Spiritism in the Light of Occult Science is Dion Fortune's in-depth study of a phenomenon which swept the world of her day. It covers all aspects of the subject including Communication with the Departed, the Psychology of Trance-Mediumship, The Physical and Mental Phenomena of Trance and the Dawn of the Higher Consciousness.
--- from book's back cover ... Read more

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This work is intended to cover such intensely interesting subjects as Thought-Transference, Mental Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Psychometry, Hypnotism and Spiritualism. Thought-reading is duly considered and explained. A clear distinction is drawn between Musculation, or Muscle and Mind-Reading; and although these pages are not confined to Thought-Reading, as generally understood by the public, the subject itself, and as an entertainment, have been most fully dealt with. Thought-Transference and Telepathy may, indeed, be an indication of a higher mode of communication between human beings after we have severed our temporary connection with matter. Whether or not, the hope should repay our study. I have in the following pages to briefly define and illustrate what these phases of communication are. Double and Psychic Consciousness, Clairvoyance, natural and induced; Psychometry, its natural and leading features as a spiritual faculty; Thought-Transference, visions, dreams, and their portents, are in turn briefly dealt with, in order to extract therefrom some evidence of the action of the human soul. Modern Spiritualism is referred to, in so far as Thought-Reading is likely to throw any light upon its psychological phases, as well as on its physical phenomena. While attempting to cover so much ground my difficulty was not what to write, but what not to write, the materials at my disposal being so abundant. Much has been cut down to get the whole within reasonable compass. Nevertheless, I know the reader will find this book a most valuable work on the above subject. ... Read more

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Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and its Attainment: An Esoteric Spiritualism Initiation, written by legendary author Rudolf Steiner is widely considered to be one of the greatest classic and historical texts of all time. This great classic will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and its Attainment: An Esoteric Spiritualism Initiation is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Rudolf Steiner is highly recommended. Published by Classic Books International and beautifully produced, Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and its Attainment: An Esoteric Spiritualism Initiation would make an ideal gift and it should be a part of everyone's personal library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Look for a better edition to purchase
Although this may not be the edition of this book to purchase, I'm just glad to see there's a recently published version of this book without the hideous title: "How to Know Higher Worlds," as if it were just some cheap self-help book to be filed away with every other publication like that. Unfortunately, however, the publisher is clearly not all that familiar with Steiner's work, as they even put the word 'spiritualism' in the title, which is a word used in many translations of his work to refer to the techniques of mediumistic and seance-based circles, whose practices are quite separate and crude by comparison to the genuine study of spiritual science. The appropriate word to use for the title would be 'spirituality'.

Having said that, I honestly think that this collection of essays, because of the clear and straight-forward manner in which it handles the subject it does, is quite possibly the most significant written work of the entire twentieth century. And the very idea of having to explain away the title to someone as your handing them this book by saying, "Oh, don't worry about that. It's much better than the title seems," is a total joke and a serious injustice done to such an immensely important subject. Obviously there's nothing wrong with having a laymen edition to a book so that it can attract a wider audience, but finding another version which doesn't contain the words 'how to' in it generally requires going back at least twenty years in publication dates (with the exception of this release, of course).

Hopefully sometime in the near future SteinerBooks or Anthroposophic Press (or any other publishing company) will put together a solid copy of this tremendously important text with no mistakes in the page number references, no flubs on the diction used in the title, a cover that doesn't scream out, 'Hey, I'm just another new age book that's not worth your time," and maybe one that gets rid of the unnecessary numbers indicating each place where the original writing had paragraph breaks. I have yet to see a version of this book which doesn't have any of the preceding hindrances to its accessibility.

Excellent Book, But Beware This Edition
This book is a new edition of the classic Knowledge of the Higher Worlds: How Is It Achieved, first published in two parts in 1909 and 1910. There have been a number of English and German editions over the last century, and this 1947 edition is one of the most readable: an important point since Steiner can be notoriously difficult, both in German and in English.

This remains a superb introduction to Steiner's methods, but there are two important points about this edition. The first is one that I made in a review of his book Anthroposophy in Everyday Life: that the difficult - sometimes tortuous - language appears to be a deliberate attempt to get the listener or reader to get out of his or her comfort zone.

The second problem is more serious: as this edition was typeset, the original references to pages in the book were not re-edited. As a result there are references to pages that make no sense at all. For example on page 128 there is a reference to something on page 131. Yet the book finishes on page 129! The reason is, I think, that this book is a print on demand from the "Forgottenbooks" website, where you can find a large number of books to read on line, and they will print copies that they sell on Amazon.

So if all that you are looking for are the words, this is a nice inexpensive edition. If you are trying to let Steiner's language help your development, go to one of the other editions available on the Amazon website, and if you plan to do some serious study of the material, avoid this edition, which will have soon have you pulling out your hair.

The book gets five stars for content, four for translation and only two for the production.

Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life

A Half Cut Gem
Berlin 1903. The 19th century is finally over and nobody knows what is upcoming, people are really open. Rudolf Steiner is known all over German Theosophy for writing and lecturing, rather concretely, rather graphiclly on subjects like Atlantis, Lemuria, cosmic evolution and the Akashic Records - esoteric stuff indeed. Does he really know what he is talking about? How can you know things like that? Can you? Then C W Leadbeater publishes a series of essays on how to know higher worlds in the English periodical The Theosophist. Steiner latches on and writes his version in the German theo periodical that he himself edits. A series of essays entitled "How can you attain knowledge of the higher worlds?" Not a word there about Atlantis och anything, only brief information about what kind of exercises and processes you can expect to find in an occult school such as the one Steiner intends to make available. The success is immediate, both for the essays and the school, which assigns an average of appx. 100 new students, or should we say disciples, a year until the WWI breaks out and the school has to close down (more about the nature and function of said school in the volume "Freemasonry and Ritual Work", see separate review). The essays contained in this slim but rock solid volume stretch from 1904 to 1905. In 1908 they are collected and published - slightly edited by the author himself - in book form, also in English translation. In 1914 the Esoteric School itself is closed down but the book continues to sell and is by far the most read of all Steiner's 370 volumes in print. It even received the Subba Row Medal, a price for the best theosophical book.

Feeling he was perhaps not going to be able to re-start the Esoteric School (he actually did start a re-starting: "The Soverign School for Spiritual Science" in 1924 but fell ill and died upon completing the curriculum for a first third of the introductory class), Steiner added a post script to the new edition after the ending of the war in 1918, saying that in want of a live teacher or school, the book itself woud do - although in the text itself it becomes clear that any written instruction only will do up to a certain point. Be that as it may, the book is wonderful and has helped thousands of seekers in each generation to get going on the path, myself included.

Change the yourself and world!!
I think this work is seminal, and while Steiner is never easy t read, it is quite important.This is a rather straight forward approach to how anyone can work on themselves and the world.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

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Publisher: London : Watts ... Read more

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THIS 18 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Other Side of Death Scientifically Examined and Carefully Described Part 2, by C. W. Leadbeater. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766126099. ... Read more

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Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Part 2 of the Findlay Trilogy - Christianity vs Spiritualism
'Truth, whether in or out of fashion, is the measure of Knowledge.Whatever is beside that, however authorised by consent, is nothing but ignorance or something worse.' - Locke.Findlay chose this quote carefully for the title page of a book which in 1933 was one of the first to present to the popular reading public a truthful, historical account of the rise of Christianity, and emphasize the difference between the historical Jesus (assuming he existed merely on the principle of cause and effect, there to this day not being a scrap of historical evidence he actually existed) and the biblical Jesus, as well as Jesus' original message versus the one put into his mouth over three centuries by early Christian scribes.These alterations, plainly evident when comparing early versions of the Gospels, reflect the changing (and clearly man-made and borrowed) Christian doctrine until the Council of Nicaea fixed these evolving scriptures in 325AD.To consider these man-made books to be the Word of God is possibly the greatest blasphemy against any Creator one could make, to be exceeded only by equating this Infinite Intelligence with the murderous, immoral Jehovah.

For those who doubt these results of decades of research by Findlay, consider that in September 1933 he published a challenge to all the Protestant clergymen in Great Britain and Ireland, 28630 of them, to expose any errors or misstatements in The Rock of Truth.A copy of the newspaper in which the challenge was published was personally mailed to every one!A footnote in The Unfolding Universe, which is the third book in the trilogy (the first having been On The Edge of The Etheric), states that no reply had been received after 15 years.That's simply because Findlay didn't make any of this stuff up.It all came from published works in Theology and Religious History that most Christians are completely unaware of, but which are old news to theologians and biblical scholars.

That is essentially part 1 of the book.Having disposed of Christianity, he sets about in part 2 explaining the precepts of Spiritualism, at least those that were promulgated before WWII.He emphasizes the need for a return to a world where behaviour is governed by ethics, those best expressed by Greek philosophers such as Plato, Socrates and Aristotle, whose wise words were all but obliterated by Christianity, but thank God, survived.He shows that a religion which promises salvation on the grounds of belief and not conduct is immoral and unethical, and guaranteed to lead to bloodshed.And, considering too the material in On The Edge Of The Etheric, his own personal 'field reports', he convinces that communications can and do take place between our physical world and the etheric.This is all material which Findlay later expanded on greatly in The Curse of Ignorance and other works, but this book represents his first real expose of it, and is recommended reading. 206 pages. ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Ghosts of Futures Past guides readers through the uncanny world of nineteenth-century American spiritualism. More than an occult parlor game, this was a new religion, which channeled the voices of the dead, linked present with past, and conjured new worldly and otherworldly futures. Tracing the persistence of magic in an emergent culture of secularism, Molly McGarry brings a once marginalized practice to the center of American cultural history. Spiritualism provided an alchemical combination of science and magic that called into question the very categories of male and female, material and immaterial, self and other, living and dead. Dissolving the boundaries between them opened Spiritualist practitioners to other voices and, in turn, allowed them to imagine new social worlds and forge diverse political affinities. ... Read more