About this episode

This episode features a discussion with Dr. Nick Richbell about the history and significance of spirit guides in Spiritualism.

In this episode of Haunted History Chronicles , I’m joined by Dr Nick Richbell , historian, archivist, and Spiritualist. Together, we discuss the fascinating world of spirit guides : what they are, how mediums have worked with them, and why they became such an important feature of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Spiritualism. We explore famous cases, the rise of the movement, and the controversies surrounding fraud, scepticism, and representation in the Spiritualist press. With Nick’s unique perspective as both a historian and a believer, this episode offers a compelling look at Spiritualism’s past and what its enduring appeal reveals about society’s hopes, fears, and search for life beyond the veil. My Special Guest Is Dr. Nick Richbell Dr. Nick Richbell received his PhD in History from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. His area of research is the history of Spiritualism, and his doctoral dissertation is a biographical history about the medium Maurice Barbanell and his guide, Silver Birch. The teachings of Silver Birch are still talked about in Spiritualist churches today, however, Maurice Barbanell’s name is rarely mentioned. Barbanell spent 61-years dedicated to…

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