We know that Rudolf Steiner didn’t regard spiritualism with much favour, although he certainly had a powerful gift himself. Here’s what Colin Wilson writes about his attitude in his book, Afterlife.

“… what Steiner disliked so much about Spiritualism was its literal-mindedness ~ the trumpets and accordions floating through the air, the tables dancing around the room, the spirits made of ectoplasm. His attitude could be compared to a Christian mystic who wishes to explain that heaven is not full of angels sitting around on clouds and playing harps.

“At the same time there is bound to be an element of unfairness in such an attitude. Many mediums who started off by producing automatic writing later became “voice mediums”, and some even “materialisation mediums”. It is impossible to draw a sharp line between them. Steiner is not really criticising Spiritualism; he is criticising spiritualists.”