Blackwell, Anna (ca. 1870)
British author and publicist for Spiritualism and Spiritism,
which is the name generally given to the form of Spiritualism
developed in France by Allan Kardec. Spiritism differed from
Spiritualism by its incorporation of reincarnation into its belief
system. Blackwell became a follower of Spirtualism in the
1860s, a belief conformed by her own experiences. In 1869 she
gave evidence to the Committee of the London Dialectical Society
and contributed a paper dated July 1870 and published
in their Report on Spiritualism (London, 1871). She had had
some psychic experiences herself, having seen visions and had
spirit forms appear on photographs that she had taken. During
the 1870s she encountered Kardecs writings and began the
process of translating them into English. She emerged as a
prominent exponent of his teachings. Her mature thought was
presented in her last book, co-authored with G. F. Green, The
Probable Effect of Spiritualism upon the Social, Moral, and Religious
Condition of Society (1876).
Sources
Kardec, Allan. Heaven and Hell. Translated by Anna Blackwell.
1878.
. The Mediums Book. Translated by Anna Blackwell.
1876. Reprint, New York Samuel Weiser, 1970.
. The Spirits Book. Translated by Anna Blackwell.
1875. Reprint, Sao Paulo, Brazil Lake-Livraria Allan Kardec
Editora, 1972
