Alexander N. Aksakov and the domestication of 'scientific spiritualism' in Imperial Russia, 1865-1875.

In Imperial Russia, Alexander N. Aksakov (1832-1903) worked to establish a scientific approach to 'mediumistic phenomena' between 1865 and 1875. He built an international network of like-minded individuals and translated and published works in multiple languages to foster discussions about the intersections of science and spiritualism. In 1874 he founded Psychische Studien, the first journal dedicated to scientific investigations of spiritualist phenomena. Aksakov's efforts both 'domesticated' spiritualism in Russia and 'internationalized' Russian contributions to its development. The particular social and cultural landscape of post-Crimean Russia both helped and hindered his attempts to educate the public and scientists about 'scientific spiritualism'.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Over the past decades scholars have traced the intersections between science and spiritualism during the second half of the nineteenth century in a variety of locales around the world. This essay examines such intersections in one setting that has largely eluded their attention, Imperial Russia. It investigates the pivotal role played by Alexander N. Aksakov (1832-1903) in developing a scientific approach to 'mediumistic phenomena'. It follows Aksakov's personal journey from Swedenborgian mysticism to 'scientific spiritualism' by tracing his extensive network of contacts with like-minded individuals around the world. It details Aksakov's labours in forging close links between spiritualism and science from 1865 to 1875 and in fostering lively discussions - in Russia, Britain, France, and Germany - on the intersections of these two elements of contemporary cultures. By analysing his translating and publishing activities in multiple languages, up to the founding in 1874 of Psychische Studien, the first journal dedicated to scientific investigations of spiritualist phenomena, it explores Aksakov's role in both 'domesticating' spiritualism in his homeland and 'internationalizing' Russian contributions to its development on the world stage. It argues that the particularities of social and cultural landscape in post-Crimean Russia both facilitated and hampered Aksakov's efforts to educate the Russian public and Russian scientists about 'scientific spiritualism', shaping their forms, locales, and outcomes.