Saga - 1984, Page 172

170
PÉTUR PÉTURSSON
Summary
In the early years of this centui y the ideas of spiritualism and theosophy found their
way to Iceland. There had previously been a few followers of the Swedish scientist,
scholar and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg, but they never formed an organised
group. Icelandic intellectuals became familiar with various forms of mysticism
abroad, particularly in Copenhagen, and it was from Copenhagen that theosophy
found its way to Iceland. Psychic research and spiritualism first gained footing in
Iceland once people had read the book Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily
Death (London 1903) by the British psychical researcher F.W.H. Myers. Although
there seems to have been about the same time some interest in occult knowledge,
theosophy and the like in Akureyri, the largest town in northern Iceland, the first
actual séances were not held until 1905, and then in Reykjavík, where a group had
been formed to promote psychic research. Many of the most important people m
Reykjavík joined this group, among them the friends of Einar H. Kvaran, an
important writer and journalist at that time. Most of these men were members of
the political party then in opposition and spiritualism and psychic research became
the subject of much political debate during the first decade of this century.
Soon the religious implications of spiritualism became apparent and although
there was some opposition to the movement within the Reykjavík congregation,
the Church authorities did not want to exclude spiritualists from the Church. The
spiritualists themselves felt that psychic research could only be for the good ot
Christianity and the Church in the fight against materialism and decreasing church
attendance. Spiritualism, they felt, could prove to people thc existence ofa life after
death and thereby strengthen their faith. The leaders of the spiritualist movement,
many of whom had been influenced by the ideas of the realism (eg. Brandes in
Denmark) and positivism of the second half of the 19th century, gained with spi'
ritualism a new foundation for their Christian beliefs. One of these was Haraldm
Níelsson, Old Testament scholar and professor oftheology at the University ofIce'
land. His teachings greatly influenced his students and also many members of the
public. Theosophists also gererally felt that a liberal Christian Church could utihse
their knowledge in order to increase interest in religious matters on the whole and
work against the secularisation which increasingly marked the spiritual life of the
nation. Spiritualists and theosophists made no attempt to form a separate congreS'
ation but operated instead under the banner of science and knowledge. Their mes'
sage was, according to their understanding, based on knowledge and not belief, a'"
though it was naturally meant to influence people’s religious bcliefs.
In the year 1918 the Icelandic Society for Psychic Research was founded m
Reykjavík, membership reaching almost 450 in the first year. That same year there
was a severe epidemic of influenza in Reykjavík, and many ofthose who lost rclo
tives sought the assistence of the spiritualists. Thc intcrest in spiritualism and thr
demand for information about these matters throughout the country was great an ^
the Society for Psychic Research responded to it by publishing books and a journ
on the subject.
In the year 1912 the first Theosophical Lodge was founded in Reykjavík, and in
1920 the Icelandic theosophists formed an independent division within the intcr