The science of souls: how Spiritism became a 'Positive Faith'

Cultures · Published 1 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the 1850s, table-turning séances sparked a global obsession with the supernatural. While many saw it as mere parlor tricks, one French educator sought to turn these phenomena into a rigorous science. He didn't just want to see ghosts; he wanted to map the mechanics of the afterlife.

Founded by Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail—known by his pseudonym Allan Kardec—Spiritism emerged in mid-19th century France as a structured offshoot of American Spiritualism. While Spiritualists were primarily interested in communicating with the dead, Kardec codified a distinct doctrine that integrated reincarnation and moral progression. He sought to bridge the gap between religion, science, and philosophy, framing Spiritism not as a mystical leap of faith but as a 'Positive Faith' rooted in empirical analysis.

Kardec’s methodology was uniquely systematic for its time. In his 1857 foundational text, The Spirits' Book, he posed philosophical questions to mediums across Europe, only including responses that were corroborated by others. This approach was heavily influenced by positivism—the prevailing philosophy of Auguste Comte—which demanded rigorous evidence and rejected purely metaphysical explanations. By treating the spirit world as a subject for scientific study, Kardec aimed to distance his followers from professional fortune-tellers and move toward a doctrine focused on humanity's intellectual and moral perfection.

The movement’s trajectory shifted dramatically across the globe. While it waned in Europe following World War I and the rise of Freudian psychology, it flourished in Brazil (where it is known as Espiritismo). Despite an 1890 official ban in Brazil, the faith became a cultural pillar, eventually reaching a population of between 3 million and 20 million followers. It also left unique marks elsewhere: influencing Vietnam's Cao Dai religion in the 1920s and merging with indigenous and African traditions in Venezuela to form the María Lionza religion.

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