Most, though, have bought homes and moved in. Some, such as Gretchen Clark, have grown up in the community. Today, there are 36 registered mediums at Lily Dale. Lily Dale requires all mediums to go through a rigorous testing process to be registered and allowed to set up shop. The Board doesn’t allow just anyone to waltz in and start giving readings, though. All members can vote on Lily Dale building decisions, community matters, and who is elected to the Assembly’s Board of Directors. And while all members are Spiritualists, not all members are mediums. The Reading Room/Alamy Stock PhotoĪll Lily Dale mediums are members of what’s called the Lily Dale Assembly, made up of members from around the world. Lily Dale began as a tented summer retreat for Spiritualists in 1879. For about $80 to $100, you can sit down with a Lily Dale medium as he or she relays messages from family members and friends who’ve passed on, at least until your half-hour is up. ![]() What began as that tented summer commune now is a small hamlet, with about 250 permanent and semipermanent residents, many of whom are registered mediums. As a science, Spiritualism is committed to proving the continuity of life by communicating with spirits who have passed on,” writes Lily Dale medium Janice Dreshman. The basic tenet of the religion is that “life is continuous-in other words, we never die, we just change states of being. Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, actress Mae West, even Thomas Edison (maybe ) all joined in. ![]() Back in the late 19th century, Spiritualism was flourishing, with more than a million followers. Seances, message services, and classes followed. People would come, set up tents, and then wait for the dead to arrive. Lily Dale was founded in 1879 basically as an adult Spiritualism summer camp.
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