Spiritratherists

Spiritratherists are practitioners who seek contact with spirits or non-physical beings to gain guidance, healing, or insight. The tradition emphasizes disciplined practice to access altered states, interpret impressions, and apply sourced wisdom to everyday life.

Beliefs among Spiritratherists generally hold that spirits inhabit a non-physical plane and can communicate with living people. Relationships with these beings are viewed as ethical and reciprocal, with responsibility to protect the living, honor the dead, and foster community well-being. Spirits may be seen as ancestral mentors, elemental guardians, or benevolent guides that assist in personal growth, decision making, and environmental harmony.

Practices commonly include meditation and trance work to reach receptive states, divination techniques such as automatic writing or channeling, and structured rituals with altars, candles, incense, and symbolic offerings. Dream work, journaling, and group roundtables are used to interpret messages. Many Spiritratherists maintain personal ethical guidelines to prevent exploitation or coercion, and emphasize consent and care in all interactions with others and with the spirit realm.

Historically, the movement arose from late 20th-century and early 21st-century spiritual and occult circles, drawing on a blend of Spiritualist, shamanic, and contemporary psychological ideas. There is no central authority or singular founder; regional groups and schools reflect varied interpretations, terminology, and ritual styles, contributing to a diverse landscape within the broader practice.

Reception among scholars is mixed, with some categorizing Spiritratherists as a contemporary spiritual movement or new religious movement, and others treating the practice as a hobbyist or syncretic path. Proponents underscore personal meaning and communal support, while critics caution about safety, consent, and the potential for sensationalism. Related concepts include spiritualism, channeling, and modern shamanism.