History
The History of Spirituality goes back many thousands of years to a time when belief in the “Gods” and the “Afterlife” was practiced by many civilisations including the Romans, Greeks, Aztecs, Egyptians, many indigenous nations including Australian. Each having their own way of appeasing the “Gods” and understanding and working with Nature.
Adam had a direct link to “God” but he was very different.
Adam was “the first living soul” 1 Corinthians 15:45. (and not the first human being)
1 Corinthians 15:44 says that “there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body”.
This then focuses to the question of who we really are.
We all know that everything mortal has a limited life cycle (3 score years + 10).
However the spirit is something totally different and can stand the test of time and is eternal.
All through the ages many people were able to “Connect” with the Spirit World.
They were known as a Sages, Mystics, Witch Doctors, Magicians, Sorcerers, Fortune Tellers, etc.
The ability to do this “connecting” has not waned over the years, in spite of all the “witch-hunts”.
Ever since the First Settlement in Sydney as a Penal Colony in 1788 with 1480 people, Australia has been in catch-up mode, spiritually.
In 1848 Spiritualism, as it became known in a modern sense, got a big revival in Hydesville, New York State, USA with the 3 Fox Sisters. That was 60 years after the first settlement in Sydney.
Australia was experiencing a very basic and simple penal lifestyle until the Gold Rush Era from 1862 to 1893. During that period which started in Victoria, 64 different mining locations spread across the nation and each promised gold and good fortune. Word spread around the world including the USA, UK, Europe and Asia. Many people rushed to these mines from all around the world and with them Fortune Tellers, Gypsies and Psychics. Each operating independently and in fact were in competition with each other and it would be unrealistic to expect all of them to have been totally genuine and it has not changed to this day.
Spirituality, as with many things in life, has been viewed and applied in countless different ways while some formed organisations having set views and procedures that reflect their specific opinions e.g. there are over 40 different versions of the Bible and over 4,300 religions around the world as at 2023 and each saying they are the “right” one.
Don Davis, a medium, who lived in Kiama Downs in his later years and died in 2000, established the Australian Spiritualist Association in the early 1970’s and this was the first national attempt to unite the Spiritual/ist Fraternity in Australia. The then ASA was set-up with a separate Committee in each state and a National Group operating as the Governing Body. All seemed to be going well until some Branches eventually brought about the downfall of the whole organisation.
As a result of the dedication and efforts of Don Davis and his supporters of which there were many, the Spiritualist Fraternity in Australia accepted a number of Principles of Faith. Over time a number of religious denominations were formed, each with their own interpretations, which the Australian Government recognised even if only for the purposes of the Marriage Act, and they are –
1. 1975 – USOA United Spiritualism of Australia (started in NSW)
2. 1983 – VSU Victorian Spiritualist Union (started in Victoria)
3. 1995 – ICS International Council of Spiritualists (started in Victoria)
4. 1987 – ACSCOA Associated Christian Spiritual Churches of Australia (started in Victoria)
In the 1990’s a second attempt to unify the Spiritual Fraternity was initiated by Henry Zarth and known as the Australian Spiritual Association. The Association lasted 20 years and after a number of very successful early years wound up also because of a number of internal Committee problems.
Spirituality in it’s broad form, has a number of variations and includes Spiritualism, Spiritism, Spiritist, Christian Spiritual, Christian Spiritualist, Christian Spiritual amongst the many as in the United States, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil, Australia. They are often confused because they share an understanding that the Spirit realm is real and that a “connection” can be established between our mortal life which has a limited life span and our spiritual life which has a unlimited life span. Most established world religions acknowledge that life in some form exists after physical death. Spirituality also acknowledges that LIFE in all forms, physical or not, can and does communicate between its various levels, whether or not you are also having a mortal experience at the same time.
Spirituality specifically advances a persons’ own unique understanding of beliefs, morals, codes, values, respect, etc. that they have developed over their own lifetime. It also respects and nurtures the many benefits of Natural Healing Energy and Therapies in its many forms.
Spirituality empowers a person to decide for themselves as to “what is right” and discard what doesn’t fit.
It enables a person to develop and mature at their own pace, feel comfortable along that journey and not be burdened with guilt, fear or concern about the reality of life, the spirit world and afterlife.
The journey is enriched with a holistic approach to the Body, Mind and Spirit.
This clearly defines every single person as a very unique individual in their own right, fit for purpose and for their own specific objectives.
Spirituality is therefore the essential principle and back-bone of life. It is a way of life.