spiritualist

The term "spiritualist" is most often used for a person who believes that the spirits of the dead still exist and can communicate with living people. This belief is usually connected with mediums, who are thought to pass messages from the spirit world to those still alive. In ordinary English, this is the meaning most people will understand first when they hear the word.

Historically, the word is strongly tied to Spiritualism, a movement that became widely known in the mid-19th century, especially in America and Britain. The Fox sisters are often mentioned in this history because they claimed to receive messages from spirits through strange knocking sounds. At a time when many families were dealing with grief and loss, this movement offered comfort and the hope that death was not the end. Séances, where people gathered to try to contact the dead, became one of its best-known practices.

In modern use, "spiritualist" can still describe someone who actively follows these beliefs, attends Spiritualist churches, or offers spirit readings. It may also appear in a broader philosophical sense for someone who believes that spirit or mind is more real or more important than physical matter, but that use is less common in everyday conversation.

The tone of the word depends on context. Sometimes it is neutral or respectful, especially within religious communities. In other cases, it may sound skeptical, particularly when people are talking about fraud, stage tricks, or doubtful claims about speaking with the dead. Overall, the word usually points to a belief in contact with spirits, with its broader philosophical meaning appearing mainly in more formal writing.