By Taylor Goodman

Present:

Alternative spiritual lifestyles (also referred to as spiritualism) is a general term for a science, philosophy, and religion in which one believes he or she can consult, feel, and/or interact with spirit and the non-living.[1]  This lifestyle may include the belief in clairvoyance, mediumship, extrasensory perception (ESP), psychics, spiritual healers, and prophecy. [2] Alternative spirituality has become an academic study, as well as an important, esoteric aspect of our economy.[3]  Some scholars believe that these modern spiritualistic practices are slowly taking the place of institutionalized religion.[4] Surveys indicate that about three in four Americans believe in at least one spiritualistic belief (house hauntings, ESP, spirits, clairvoyance, etc.),[5].  Paranormal investigation is also a large business; A poll reports that 37% of people believe a house can be haunted[6] and there are more than two organizations dedicated to this practice in Eugene, Oregon alone.[7]  However, spiritual business owners face many difficulties.  Overcoming stigmas of fraud is a constant battle, but despite this reputation, the psychic services and spiritualism industry generates two billion dollars a year in the US.[8]

Past:

The origins of alternative spiritual practices can be traced back as early as the presence of prophets in the Bible. [9] Spiritualism became a major part of religious culture after some tales of paranormal activity gained some hype in the 1800s; eventually, spirit consultations became a very popular business in England and France.[10]

Spiritualism faced strong opposition by conventional religion, specifically Catholicism. [11]  Catholics believed that people who entertain spiritualism weren’t interacting with God or good spirits, but rather evil spirit, which would eventually attempt to rid the practitioner of their holy religion.[12]  Despite controversy, the business boomed, but eventually eroded as numerous fraudulent practices were discovered. This enacted Great Britain’s Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951, an attempted to protect consumers from scams.[13]

Future:

IBISWorld predicts the industry will grow. The Gallup poll did not find a decrease in spiritualistic belief since it was previously given in 2001.[14] The New York Times also reports that more people identify as “spiritual but not religious,”[15] which may indicate growing interest.  The industry fiscally grew 2.2% from 2009-2014, so the increase in money may lead to larger business endeavors in the future. [16]