From the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, a handful of dedicated, humble artists and mediums have been producing the most extraordinary and beautiful work, from visionary images to evidential portraiture, that seeks to prove the existence of an afterlife. These enigmatic paintings and drawings have largely been ignored by an uncomprehending art establishment - until now, when they are being recognised as both an important genre deserving of major exhibitions and a vital contribution to the understanding of human consciousness. This is a history that focuses on the major contributors, written from the artists' point of view by a practising spirit artist.