SEARCHING FOR SPIRITS: ASSESSING THE CREATION AND MAINTENANCE OF BELIEFS WITHIN A SPIRITUALIST NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT
Abstract
This study is an ethnographic account of belief creation and maintenance
within a spiritualist new religious movement (specifically, the Spiritual Science
Fellowship or SSF). The emphasis is placed on personal experiences over a one-year
research period, historical research of spiritualist new religious movements, and
review of contemporary conversion theories within sociology.
The purpose of this study is to examine social factors in the movement, which
may account for the creation and maintenance of specific beliefs held by its
members. I utilize personal experiences obtained through participant observation
to elucidate these factors. I also compare and contrast other contemporary
conversion theories including deprivation and brainwashing against my experiences
with this particular spiritualist group.