The History of Spiritualism, Vol. I

The History of Spiritualism, Vol. I is a book by Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in 1926. In this opening volume of his two-volume treatment, Doyle traces the development of spiritualism from early visionary figures through the nineteenth-century surge in mediumship and séance culture.

The narrative interweaves biographical sketches, contemporary cases, and debates from psychical research, speaking directly to readers interested in the history of spiritualism, mediumship, life after death, and the cultural impact of belief in spirit communication. The book is written from Doyle’s perspective as both a public advocate and investigator of psychic phenomena.

Written with Doyle’s characteristic rhetorical energy, the volume mixes reverent reportage and polemic. It catalogues influential figures, evaluates notable séances and investigations, and defends spiritualism against sceptical counterclaims while arguing for its importance to grief, consolation, and religious thought. As a work by a literary figure better known for Sherlock Holmes, it helped popularise discussions of the afterlife and psychical research in the early twentieth century and remains a key reference for historical spiritualism and its controversies.