Wisdom from Beyond: A History of Trance Channeling in the Modern Era, from Swedenborg to A.I.

Some call them prophets. Others call them frauds. History calls them channelers.

For nearly three centuries, remarkable men and women have claimed to receive teachings from beyond themselves—from angels, spirits of the dead, Ascended Masters, extraterrestrials, divine intelligences, and, most recently, artificial intelligence. Some founded religions. Some became international celebrities. Others were dismissed as frauds, visionaries, or mystics. Yet together they produced one of the most influential—and least understood—currents in modern spiritual history.

In Wisdom from Beyond, historian Culver J. Russell offers the first comprehensive history of modern trance channeling, tracing its evolution from the startling visions of Emanuel Swedenborg in eighteenth-century London to today's AI-assisted spiritual conversations.

Along the way you'll encounter an extraordinary cast of characters:

• the Fox Sisters and the birth of Spiritualism
• Helena Blavatsky and the hidden Masters
• Edgar Cayce, the "Sleeping Prophet"
• Jane Roberts and Seth
• Helen Schucman and A Course in Miracles
• JZ Knight and Ramtha
• Darryl Anka and Bashar
• Esther Hicks and Abraham
• Neale Donald Walsch
• Paul Selig
• and dozens more.

But this is far more than a collection of biographies.

Drawing on hundreds of primary and secondary sources, Russell explores what these channelers actually taught, how their ideas spread, why some movements flourished while others disappeared, and the surprising themes that unite them across nearly 300 years of religious history. Rather than arguing for or against the reality of channeling, he approaches the phenomenon as a historian: presenting the evidence, the controversies, the cultural context, and the enduring influence of these extraordinary voices.

Readers will discover recurring patterns that span the entire tradition:

• Why nearly every major channel rejects eternal damnation
• How reincarnation became central to modern esoteric spirituality
• The surprising origins of ideas like "you create your own reality"
• The evolution from spirit communication to extraterrestrial intelligence—and now to AI
• Why some channelers built lasting institutions while others vanished almost overnight

Whether you approach these figures as prophets, mystics, creative geniuses, psychologists, or fascinating historical curiosities, Wisdom from Beyond reveals an overlooked chapter in the story of modern religion.

Balanced, deeply researched, and engagingly written, this landmark volume will become the definitive introduction to one of the most provocative spiritual movements of the modern era.

Who—or what—is really speaking? Whether the voices came from heaven, the unconscious, or somewhere stranger, they changed the spiritual landscape of the modern world. This is their history.