Spiritualism in Lily Dale, New York: A Skeptic's Perception

When my friend told me that she wanted to visit the Spiritualist community in Lily Dale, New York, I must admit that I was more than a bit apprehensive. Did she truly expect me to believe that the supposed energy of the town would make me feel refreshed and healed? Was I really endowed to discover a life changing experience, or would I leave just as skeptical as I did upon arrival?

I decided to research the community, and found that it was located in southwestern New York State. It was founded in 1879. Okay, 1879, so at least it was legitimate in the credentials of age. Still, was I seriously supposed to believe that this haven for the mystical and unexplained would completely alter my ways of thinking?

As we drove there, I reminded myself to keep an open mind. After all, I believed some things the Spiritualists taught, but if I were to get a psychic reading or attend an event, how was I to know if what I was told was, to put it bluntly, a complete load of bull? I decided to test it regardless.

When we arrived in the town, I was shocked to find that admission was required to even enter the town. I begrudgingly forked over ten dollars, and we were free to roam through Lily Dale. As I stepped into the small community, I was surprised to find that it felt overwhelmingly peaceful. Birds sang harmoniously as they flittered around the branches of ancient trees. The sun rose slowly above us, its rays basking the world in a magnificent golden light. Okay, so maybe my imagination was partly to blame in seeing the splendor that unfolded before me, but still... I had never come across a place that felt so relaxed.

After exploring the small town, we decided to find a psychic to get readings. I signed up, and found myself sitting on her front porch half an hour later. I reminded myself yet again to keep my mind open and receptive. After all, I believed in the possibility that some people possessed the gift that this woman claimed to have. However, when my half hour reading was over, I left unimpressed. She had told me things that were not remotely true about myself. She mentioned that my grandmother, Anne, was watching over me. The problem with this statement is not only that both of my grandmothers are still alive, but neither are named Anne. She told me that some of my ancestors were Celtic, which is true, but I come from a predominantly Irish area, so there was a high chance that I was part Irish. Most of what I heard was very vague and even the things she believed were in my soul (my ambitions and goals) were completely wrong. She told me she could see that I wanted to go into the medical field, something for which I've never held interest. Supposedly another goal of mine was to raise a family. I told her that was not so. I could tell she was simply shooting in the dark, picking popular careers and aspirations that many people would find interesting. I left her house dismayed, having wasted forty dollars and half an hour of my life.

My friend told me to cheer up, perhaps I just chose one psychic out of so many who was a fake, or maybe she was just having an off day. I told her I wanted to forget about it and do something else. She suggested that we visit "the Stump", considered the spiritual center of Lily Dale, where people who visited often felt a deep sense of inner peace. I reluctantly followed her, still cynical from my last experience. As we walked down the path in Leolyn Woods, my mood began to soften, my boiling anger gradually calming. It was just something about the town, something that I can neither identify nor explain, something that a person has to feel to be able to fully comprehend and appreciate.

We spent the rest of the trip going to free group readings, ending the day with a spiritual healing in the Healing Temple. Considering I was in a much better mood than earlier, I looked forward to the service. After waiting for my turn, I sat at one of the healing stools and waited for the laying on of hands. I was told to close my eyes and relax. I complied as the healing process began. I can only describe the process as moving. With the healer's hands on my back, I felt energy flowing through my body. I became completely receptive to the peaceful experience. Apparently the process took fifteen minutes, but I was so entranced that it felt like mere seconds.

Shortly after this, we left Lily Dale. The sun was setting, a glowing gem in the western sky. As we got in the car and sped away to the hustle and bustle of our lives, I looked back in the twilight, wishing that we could have stayed longer. All people long for that simplicity, that peacefulness, whether they realize it or not. Lily Dale meets these simple human needs. Yes, I had a bad experience at the beginning of the day that I thought would ruin it completely, but the town redeemed my mood. Maybe Lily Dale is an area of strong spiritual energy, maybe not. However, if you go with an open mind, you'll feel the power that encircles Lily Dale. Perhaps it is from the intense mystical force that so many believe it possesses. Maybe it's just the belief that gives the town such a unique vibe. In retrospect, it doesn't matter. The fact that Lily Dale inspires and changes so many people is enough.