Spiritualism is the belief that the spirits of the dead exist and have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living.
In recent history, Spiritualism has grown in popularity. Some people say that they do not believe in it, but most present it as a mystical but true occurrence, however occult some of the practices may be. Furthermore, some even present it as a form of fringe science. The concept that spirits have and want to convey to us knowledge which we do not possess is an intriguing idea. The belief that we can contact our deceased loved ones is even a comforting idea. There are many forms of Spiritualism found in the world today, covering everything from playing with Ouija boards and carrying out séances to paranormal investigations and obsession with ghosts. The Bible is clear on the fact that you should not try this and even has some insights as to why.
Isaiah 8:19 – “And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?”
Lately, the Ouija Board, a popular spirit board, has become one of the most common methods of communicating with spirits. The use of technology (tape recorders, electromagnetic field detectors, thermal cameras, etc.) has even found its way into use in communicating with and detecting these spirits. Many people will say that they do not believe it really does anything, while others honestly believe that you can communicate with the dead using one. These boards appear in movies, at parties, and even in children’s toy stores. So what could possibly be the harm in that? The truth is that once you die, you are dead. No human spirits are floating around out there. There will be an afterlife, in the sense that after your life and death on earth, you will be resurrected in a more perfect body which will last forever. This has not happened yet. So the scary question is, who are you in communication with?
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward – and even the memory of them disappears. What they loved, as well as what they hated and envied, perished long ago, and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth.”
Although there are no human spirits out there, there are plenty of spirits with which you can communicate. Keep in mind that just because you can does not mean that you should. Science has shown that when a person uses a spirit board it is actually the hands of the user which move it. With this being said, where does the information come from to be displayed via the planchette? Furthermore, who is controlling the hands of the user while it is on the planchette? The Bible can answer this by showing us another type of spirit which enjoys controlling human beings and feeding us information.
Acts 16:16–18 – “Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling. She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.’ She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!’ And it came out of her at once.”
It would seem that, even from examples shown to us in the Bible, the information told to us by spirits is not always a lie and sometimes beneficial. Why then would this be wrong? Obviously, all lies will start with a grain of truth, and this is how these spirits lure you in, by giving you the information you want. They can then begin feeding you information that will contradict the Word of God, turning you away from the one true path. You may never realize that you have been led astray, at least not in this life. What does the Bible say? Is this ok to do, or not?
1 Corinthians 10:20-22 – “No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we really stronger than he is?”
So what about paranormal investigations and similar activities? That would depend on your purpose and what you are trying to show. The Bible details how the afterlife works, including the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Given the Bible’s description, there are no human ghosts or spirits out there. Any time you are searching out spirits, you are seeking out demons, which is unwise. If you are properly prepared with your faith in the Lord, you may investigate such matters to expose the evil demonic activity, in order to discourage others from falling for the tricks of demons, but be warned that this can make you a target of Satanic attack. The good news is that God is far stronger.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 – “Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not extinguish the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt. But examine all things; hold fast to what is good. Stay away from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.”
In conclusion, you should abstain from all communications with demons, as they will only try to lead you astray and rob you of your eternal life with God. This can even lead to demonic possession because you are willingly allowing a demon, however falsified its true identity is, to both be in contact with and enter into you. Even if the effects of allowing such contact with demons are not obvious, it can still have just enough pull to lead you astray over time. Any time you see people participating in such activities, you should inform them of what they are doing, and just how serious of an offense and how dangerous these activities truly are.