The Vital Message

What It's About

The Vital Message is Arthur Conan Doyle's 1919 sequel to The New Revelation, in which he sets out his case for spiritualism and the survival of the human personality after death. Written in the shadow of the First World War and its immense toll of bereavement, the book blends personal testimony, philosophical argument, and reported evidence from séances and mediums to make the case that communication with the dead is possible. Doyle also uses the book to argue for a reform of institutional Christianity, which he felt had grown distant from what he saw as the genuine spiritual truths being revealed through psychic research.

Key Concepts

Central themes include the survival of consciousness beyond death, the evidential status of mediumship and séance phenomena, psychic photography, and a critique of orthodox religious doctrine in light of these claimed revelations.

About the Author

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a British physician and writer. In the latter part of his life he became one of the most prominent public advocates of spiritualism, lecturing and writing extensively on the subject, a stance that drew both a devoted following and considerable ridicule from the mainstream press and scientific establishment of the time.