William Stainton Moses
Encyclopedia
The Reverend William Stainton Moses (born Donnington
, near Lincoln
, England
, in 1839, died 1892), was an English
clergyman and Spiritualist.
Educated at Bedford School
, University College School, London
and Exeter College, Oxford
, he was ordained as a priest of the Church of England
by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce
in 1870.
He attended his first séance
with Miss Lottie Fowler in 1872. Charles Williams and D. D. Home
were the next mediums he visited. Five months after his introduction to spiritualism
, he had his first experience of levitation. The automatic scripts of Moses began to appear in his books Spirit Teachings and Spirit Identity. The scripts date from 1872 to 1883 and fill twenty-four notebooks. All but one have been preserved by the London Spiritualist Alliance.
Moses published Psychography. A Treatise on One of the Objective Forms of Psychic or Spiritual Phenomena in 1878. In it, he coins the term "psychography" (from psycho- + -graphy) for the spiritist concept of channeling messages from the dead via automatic writing
(also known as "independent writing", "direct writing" or "spirit writing".)
In 1881-1882 he helped to found the Society for Psychical Research
, with Edmund Rogers
and Sir William Barrett
. Its early members included F. W. H. Myers, Henry Sidgwick
, and Edmund Gurney
.
In 1884, he was a founding member, together with Rogers, of the London Spiritualist Alliance, afterwards the College of Psychic Studies
.
He also edited the periodical Light and wrote on spiritualism for Human Nature.
Donnington
Donnington may refer to:*Donnington, Berkshire**Donnington Castle*Donnington, Gloucestershire*Donnington, Herefordshire*Donnington, Oxfordshire**Donnington Bridge*Donnington, Shropshire, in the parish of Wroxeter and Uppington...
, near Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1839, died 1892), was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
clergyman and Spiritualist.
Educated at Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
, University College School, London
University College School
University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views...
and Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, he was ordained as a priest of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce was an English bishop in the Church of England, third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his time and place...
in 1870.
He attended his first séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
with Miss Lottie Fowler in 1872. Charles Williams and D. D. Home
Daniel Dunglas Home
Daniel Dunglas Home was a Scottish physical medium with the reported ability to levitate to a variety of heights, speak with the dead, and to produce rapping and knocks in houses at will. His biographer Peter Lamont opines that he was one of the most famous men of his era...
were the next mediums he visited. Five months after his introduction to spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
, he had his first experience of levitation. The automatic scripts of Moses began to appear in his books Spirit Teachings and Spirit Identity. The scripts date from 1872 to 1883 and fill twenty-four notebooks. All but one have been preserved by the London Spiritualist Alliance.
Moses published Psychography. A Treatise on One of the Objective Forms of Psychic or Spiritual Phenomena in 1878. In it, he coins the term "psychography" (from psycho- + -graphy) for the spiritist concept of channeling messages from the dead via automatic writing
Automatic writing
Automatic writing or psychography is writing which the writer states to be produced from a subconscious and/or spiritual source without conscious awareness of the content.-History:...
(also known as "independent writing", "direct writing" or "spirit writing".)
In 1881-1882 he helped to found the Society for Psychical Research
Society for Psychical Research
The Society for Psychical Research is a non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand "events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal by promoting and supporting important research in this area" and to "examine allegedly paranormal phenomena...
, with Edmund Rogers
Edmund Rogers
Edmund Dawson Rogers , was an English journalist and spiritualist...
and Sir William Barrett
William Barrett
William Barrett may refer to:*William Barrett *William Barrett *William Barrett , American philosopher and critic*William A. Barrett , American politician and a member of the Democratic Party...
. Its early members included F. W. H. Myers, Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick was an English utilitarian philosopher and economist. He was one of the founders and first president of the Society for Psychical Research, a member of the Metaphysical Society, and promoted the higher education of women...
, and Edmund Gurney
Edmund Gurney
Edmund Gurney was an English psychologist and psychic researcher.-Early life:He was born at Hersham, near Walton-on-Thames. He was educated at Blackheath and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took a high place in the classical tripos and obtained a fellowship. His work for the tripos was...
.
In 1884, he was a founding member, together with Rogers, of the London Spiritualist Alliance, afterwards the College of Psychic Studies
College of Psychic Studies
The College of Psychic Studies is a non-profit organisation based in South Kensington, London. They are dedicated to the study of spiritual phenomenon.-History:...
.
Publications
Under the pen name M.A. Oxon, William Stainton Moses published the following books on spiritualism:- Spirit Identity (1879)
- Psychography (1882)
- Spirit Teachings (1883)
- Higher Aspects of Spiritualism (1880)
He also edited the periodical Light and wrote on spiritualism for Human Nature.