The Shaker Spirit Drawing Phenomenon

From 1837 to approximately 1850, the Shaker communities across America experienced an extraordinary period of spiritual visitations known as the “Era of Manifestations” or “Mother Ann’s Work.” Members received visions, messages, and were inspired to create intricate sacred drawings that remain among the most remarkable religious art in American history.

The Shakers

The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing—known as Shakers for their ecstatic worship practices—established communal societies across America in the 18th and 19th centuries. Founded by “Mother Ann” Lee, they believed in celibacy, communal ownership, and direct spiritual communication.

The Era Begins

In 1837, young girls at the Watervliet, New York community began experiencing visions and trances. They reported visits from angels, departed Shakers, and various spiritual beings who brought messages and gifts.

The phenomenon spread rapidly to other Shaker villages throughout New England and the Midwest. Soon, hundreds of believers were experiencing visitations.

The Manifestations

The spiritual experiences took many forms:

Visionary Trances: Members would enter trance states, sometimes for hours, receiving messages from the spirit world

Inspired Speech: Individuals would deliver messages in unknown languages or in the voices of deceased members

Spirit Gifts: Spiritual visitors brought symbolic gifts—spiritual fruits, flowers, garments, and treasures

Sacred Songs: Hundreds of hymns were received through spiritual inspiration

Gift Drawings: Perhaps most remarkably, members produced intricate drawings depicting visions, gifts, and spiritual landscapes

The Gift Drawings

Shaker members—many with no artistic training—created complex, beautiful drawings under spiritual influence. These “gift drawings” feature:

• Intricate symmetrical patterns
• Trees bearing symbolic fruits
• Heavenly architecture
• Messages in careful calligraphy
• Symbolic hearts, hands, and flowers
• Depictions of spiritual gifts received

The drawings were considered sacred objects, not for display but for meditation and spiritual use. Many were later ordered destroyed, making surviving examples rare and precious.

Notable Recipients

Several members became known for their spiritual gifts:

Hannah Cohoon: Produced some of the most beautiful surviving gift drawings at Hancock Shaker Village

Polly Collins: Received numerous spirit drawings at Hancock

Mary Hazard: Created detailed visionary drawings at New Lebanon

The Spirit Messages

Visiting spirits included:

• Mother Ann Lee (founder)
• Various deceased Shakers
• Biblical figures
• Historical persons (George Washington, Napoleon)
• Angels and heavenly beings

Messages typically reinforced Shaker values of purity, simplicity, and devotion.

Skepticism and Control

Some Shaker leaders grew concerned about the phenomenon:

• Fear of fraud or self-deception
• Difficulty distinguishing genuine inspiration
• Disruptive effects on community routine
• Public mockery from outsiders

By the late 1840s, the leadership gradually brought the manifestations under control, eventually suppressing public displays of the gifts.

The Decline

The Era of Manifestations ended around 1850. Various factors contributed:

• Leadership concerns about authenticity
• Fatigue from constant spiritual activity
• Declining membership
• Changed spiritual priorities

Legacy

The Shaker spirit drawings are now recognized as significant American folk art, displayed in museums worldwide. Their combination of vision, devotion, and artistic skill created works of remarkable beauty.

The phenomenon demonstrates how spiritual experiences can manifest through creativity, producing tangible artifacts that transcend their origins. Whether one interprets the Era of Manifestations as genuine spiritual contact or collective religious experience, the gift drawings remain testimony to the power of belief.

The Shakers themselves considered the drawings sacred gifts from another realm—windows into a spiritual world they believed they touched during those extraordinary years.