I suggest the following thoughts, which have inspired me, as a prayer for the good Spiritist student. They are thoughts that I think are useful to reflect on before study meetings.

"Good Spirits, I'm about to start another learning activity together with the group that welcomes me. Much more than a pastime, I understand the depth of this knowledge, which over time will change me and, from me, the human family around me.

I ask my guardian Spirit and the good Spirits who guide me to inspire me with good thoughts at this time. Spirits of our mothers, fathers, grandparents, relatives or close friends; spirits of people who I may not even remember, but who may be grateful to me for the slightest good I have done them, or sympathetic to my difficulties and my will: may my thoughts be more accessible to their good influences, thus warding off the influences of those who, unhappily, even without knowing it, aim at malevolence or frivolity.

Right now, may I look inward, so as not to be hypocritical with myself. Help me to notice my inner dispositions, my mistakes, my bad habits and, perhaps, my imperfections. Before I say "but him", may I turn to myself and say "what about me?", so that I can first see the beam in my own eye before I see the speck in someone else's. May I learn not to see what is wrong with me. May I learn not to see the evil in someone else's mistake, thus creating the evil in myself. May "judge not" be clear in my mind, understanding that seeing another person's mistake should not lead me to judge them for that mistake, which they may not even be aware of and which they often commit while trying to do good.

Help me, finally, not to deceive myself. Learning can only be built through collaborative effort, and happiness is no less a joint effort. If my purpose is to learn, in order to share and help, may I, in learning, first apply the consequences of Spiritism to myself, making the effort that the true Spiritist, the one who has understood the Doctrine at the core of their Being, must make. So, wishing to be a good tool, may I use all this knowledge to develop better habits, replacing the bad ones; may I learn, day after day, to tame my emotions, counting on the good inspiration of you, my fellow Spirits, as well as the group that welcomes me with open arms.

May pride and selfishness gradually leave my being and be replaced by true humility and charity. May personalism find no place in my soul. May vanity not instigate me to think I am superior to anyone, when I am only a mere apprentice, trying to keep on the learning curve of God's Law, and may levity, still characteristic of Spirits like us, not lead me to be careless and behave like pseudo-wise Spirits, who think they know what they don't know. Let praise not instigate my vanity, which I must firmly combat, and let criticism be taken only as an opportunity for reflection. If I have mediumship, may I not think I'm infallible, nor be led to blindly believe in the Spirits who may communicate with me or inspire me, and may, when I may have my attention drawn to them, sullenness and pride be far from my thoughts.

May the innermost purposes of this group with which I sympathize be mine too, and may I learn to do my part, carrying my blocks for the effort that, together, will help to restore the foundations and re-erect the edifice of Spiritist science, so that one day it can once again illuminate the whole of humanity with its torch of light, today overshadowed by contempt and neglect.

Help me so that, leaving this meeting, I can maintain these dispositions in my daily life, knowing that true prayer is experienced every moment, through will, founded on knowledge. Intuade me, out of charity, to remember to find more moments to study this Doctrine, replacing idle time with knowledge of the Good, so that I can ultimately become a more useful individual for the group and for humanity.

Thank you, etc…

Cover photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/pt-br/foto/aluna-com-dor-de-cabeca-na-biblioteca-3808057/

The belief in punishment, even within Spiritism (or the Spiritist Movement) and the belief in nothingness lead man into two very complicated situations. Let's see:

When you believe in nothingness, you focus on enjoying the present at any cost. This is what Kardec shows us in Heaven and Hell (FEAL):

Is there anything more desperate than the idea of absolute destruction? Sacred affections, intelligence, progress, knowledge laboriously acquired, all would be undone, all would be lost! What is the need for the effort to become better, to repress passions, to enrich our spirit, if we are not to reap any fruit from it, especially given the idea that tomorrow, perhaps, it will no longer serve us for anything? If that were so, man's lot would be a hundred times worse than that of the savage, who lives entirely in the present, in the satisfaction of his material appetites, without aspirations for the future. A secret intuition tells us that this is not possible.

By believing in nothingness, man inevitably focuses his thoughts on the present life. In fact, there would be no need to worry about a future from which nothing is expected. This exclusive concern with the present naturally leads you to think about yourself before everything else; It is, therefore, the most powerful stimulus to selfishness. The unbeliever is coherent when he reaches the conclusion: “Let us enjoy while we are here, let us enjoy as much as possible, because after us, everything will be over; let us enjoy quickly, because we don’t know how long it will last”, as well as this other one, much more serious for society: “Let us enjoy, no matter at whose expense; every man for himself; Happiness, down here, is the most cunning.” If religious scruple restricts the actions of some, what restraint will there be for those who believe in nothing? For these, human law only reaches fools, and that is why they dedicate their talent to ways of dodging it. If there is a harmful and anti-social doctrine, it is certainly that of neantism ((Doctrine of nothingness, nihilism)), because it breaks the true bonds of solidarity and fraternity, the foundation of social relations.”

KARDEC, Allan. Heaven and Hell, Editora FEAL.

Something diametrically opposed to the nihilistic thinking glorified by Nietzsche:

The discovery of Christian morality is an unparalleled event, a true catastrophe. The sacred pretext of making humanity better appears as the cunning to exhaust life itself, to make it anemic. The concept of the afterlife was invented to devalue the only world that exists - to strip our earthly reality of all purpose, all reason, all purpose! The concept of the soul, of the spirit, and finally of the immortal soul, was invented to despise the body. Finally - and this is the most terrible thing - in the concept of the good man, one sides with everything that is weak, sick, a failure, everything that is passive in itself, everything that must perish - the law of natural selection is contradicted, and an ideal is made out of the opposition to the haughty and successful man, the man who says yes, the man who guarantees and is certain of the future - this now becomes the bad man... And all of this was believed to be moral.

NIETZSCHE, 2008, p. 99-100

On the other hand, when man believes in the idea of the fall through sin or in human life as a way of “paying debts”; in other words: when he believes in the idea of divine punishment, he becomes unable to proactively deal with his problems. A woman who, for example, lives with a bad partner, who attacks her, physically or morally, may believe (and many tell her this) that she is living a “recovery” from past lives. He must, therefore, submit to inhumane conditions, in order, as they say, to “pay off his debts”.

This way of thinking is often taught from a child's earliest days, when they are subjected to punishment instead of being encouraged to develop their own rational autonomy. We've already dealt with this in the article "Punishment irritates and imposes. Don't educate for reason.“

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The fanaticism of credulity creates unbelievers, because it answers nothing. It takes the individual out of control of their responsibility: if they do evil, it's the devil's fault; if they do good, it's divine grace.

The fanaticism of unbelief, on the other hand, goes in the same direction and produces the same thing as the first: the individual, whether he does evil or good, is because of his DNA.

Both turn people into automatons who are left with nothing but worldly pleasures and the prospect of nothingness or eternal damnation. The middle way, in its rational excellence, is Rational Spiritualism and Spiritism (in its origin). See this study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCD2_iAQySw.

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We recommend the following study to everyone:

We would love to create a network with other groups, of all languagesaround the world. If you are part of a Spiritism study group or know of a group, please help us with this initiative, by registering through our form.

Help form this important chain, please.

Kardec, in the article “Exams of the mediumistic communications that they send us”, from the Spiritist Magazine of May 1863, demonstrates the care and seriousness that the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies had with the mediumistic communications that were sent to it. It is a true lesson in seriousness regarding spiritual science, which is why we reproduce it in full:…

“Many communications were sent to us by different groups, already asking for advice and judgment on their trends, already, like a few, in the hope of publication in Magazine. They were all sent to us with the right to dispose of them as we saw fit for the good of the cause. We have examined and classified them, and do not be surprised at the impossibility of publishing them all, when you know that in addition to those already published, there are more than three thousand and six hundred which, by themselves, would have absorbed five years complete from the Magazine, not counting a certain number of more or less voluminous manuscripts that we will talk about later. The summary of this exam will provide us with a topic for some reflections, which everyone can benefit from.

Among them we find some notoriously bad, in substance and in form, evidently the product of ignorant, obsessive or mystifying Spirits who swear by the more or less pompous names with which they sign them. Publishing them would have been giving weapons to critics. A noteworthy circumstance is that almost all communications in this category emanate from isolated individuals and not from groups. Only fascination could lead them to be taken seriously, and prevent them from seeing the ridiculous side. As we know, isolation favors fascination, while meetings find control in the plurality of opinions.

We recognize, however, with pleasure, that communications of this nature form, in the mass, a small minority. Most of the others contain good thoughts and excellent advice, but do not deny that they are all good for publication, for the reasons we will explain.

Good Spirits teach more or less the same thing everywhere, because everywhere there are the same vices to reform and the same virtues to preach, and this is one of the distinctive characteristics of Spiritism, as generally the difference is only in the greater or minor correction and elegance of style.

To appreciate communications aimed at advertising, you cannot analyze them from your point of view, but from the public's point of view. We understand the satisfaction one experiences when obtaining something good, especially when starting out, but beyond the fact that certain people may have illusions regarding intrinsic merit, one does not think that there are hundreds of other places where similar things can be obtained, and what is of powerful individual interest can be banality for the masses.

Furthermore, it is necessary to consider that over some time now communications have acquired, in all aspects, proportions and qualities that leave far behind those obtained a few years ago. What was admired then appears pale and mean next to what is obtained today. In most really serious centers, the teaching of Spirits grew with the understanding of Spiritism. Considering that more or less identical instructions are received everywhere, its publication may be of interest only on condition that it presents special qualities, both in form and instructive scope. It would therefore be an illusion to believe that every message must find numerous and enthusiastic readers. In the past, the smallest spiritist conversation was new and attracted attention. Today, when spiritists and mediums are countless, what was a rarity is an almost banal and habitual fact, and which has been distanced by the breadth and reach of current communications, just as school duties are by the work of adults.

We have before us the collection of a newspaper published at the beginning of the demonstrations, under the title of La Table Parlante, characteristic title of the time. It is said that the newspaper had 1,500 to 1,800 subscribers, an enormous figure for that time. It contained a lot of small family conversations and mediumistic facts that then had the enormous attraction of curiosity. Then we look in vain for something to reproduce in our Magazine. Whatever we had chosen, today it would be childish, of no interest. If this newspaper had not disappeared, due to circumstances that are irrelevant, it could only have lived with the condition of following the progress of Science, and if it reappeared now under the same conditions, it would not have fifty subscribers. Spiritists are immensely more numerous than then, it is true, but they are more enlightened and want more substantial teachings.

If communications emanated from a single center, readers would undoubtedly multiply due to the number of followers, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the sources that produce them number in the thousands, and that everywhere they are Once superior things are obtained, there can be no interest in what is weak and mediocre.

What we say is not to discourage publications. Far from it. But to show the need for rigorous choice, condition sine qua non of success. By elevating their teachings, the Spirits made them more difficult and even demanding for us. Local publications can be immensely useful, under a double aspect, that of spreading the teaching given in private to the masses, and then of showing the agreement that exists in this teaching on various points. We will always applaud this, and we will encourage you every time they are done under good conditions.

To begin with, it is worth discarding everything that, being of private interest, is of interest only to those who are interested in it, and then, everything that is vulgar in style and ideas, or puerile in subject matter.

A thing may be excellent in itself and very good for personal instruction, but what must be delivered to the public requires special conditions. Unfortunately, man is inclined to assume that whatever pleases him must please others. The most skillful can make a mistake. The essential thing is to make as little mistakes as possible. There are Spirits who take pleasure in feeding this illusion in certain mediums, so it would never be too much to recommend them not to trust their own judgment. This is where groups are useful, due to the multiplicity of opinions that can be collected. Anyone who, in this case, would reject the opinion of the majority, considering himself more enlightened than everyone else, would clearly prove the bad influence under which he finds himself.

Applying these principles of eclecticism to the communications sent to us, we will say that out of 3,600, there are more than 3,000 who are of irreproachable morality, and excellent as a background, but that of that number there are not 300 for publicity, and only one hundred of unquestionable merit. Considering that these communications came from many different points, we infer that the proportion must be more or less general. From this we can judge the need not to recklessly publish everything that comes from the Spirits, if we want to achieve the objective we propose, both from a material point of view and from the moral effect and the opinion that indifferent people may have about Spiritism.

It remains for us to say a few words about the manuscripts or impressive works that they sent us, among which, out of thirty, we found five or six of real value.

In the invisible world, as on Earth, there is no shortage of writers, but good ones are rare. Such a Spirit is able to dictate good isolated communication; to give excellent private advice, but is incapable of complete work that can stand an examination, whatever his intentions. On the other hand, the name with which he takes pleasure in disguising himself is not a guarantee. The louder the name, the more obliging. Now, it is easier to take a name than to justify it. This is why, alongside some good thoughts, there are sometimes eccentric ideas and the less equivocal traces of the most profound ignorance. It is in these types of mediumistic works that we have noticed more signs of obsession, of which one of the most frequent is the injunction on the part of the Spirit to have them printed, and more than one mistakenly thinks that such a recommendation is enough to find a publisher interested in the business. .

It is especially in such a case that a scrupulous examination becomes necessary, if we do not want to expose ourselves to learning at our own expense. Furthermore, it is the best way to ward off presumptuous and pseudo-wise Spirits, who invariably withdraw when they do not find docile instruments to make them accept their words as articles of faith. The intrusion of these Spirits into communications is ─ and this is a known fact ─ Spiritism's greatest obstacle. There are few precautions to avoid regrettable publications. In such cases, it is better to err on the side of caution, in the interests of the cause.

In short, by publishing communications worthy of interest, you do a useful thing. By publishing those that are weak, insignificant or bad, you do more harm than good.

A no less important consideration is that of opportunity. There are some whose publication is untimely, and therefore harmful. Each thing must come in its own time. Several of them addressed to us are in this case and, although very good, should be postponed. As for the others, they will find their place according to the circumstances and their objective.”

When you want to do good, action is undoubtedly essential, without forgetting that what really counts is the intention. Not because God is writing down intentions, but because it is what counts for the individual's learning or attachment. But we cannot forget that the ideal is to know what to do, so as not to do it wrong. Let's talk about Charity and Spiritism.

Speaking of the Spiritist Movement, we unfortunately have the practice of some who place themselves in judgment. On the one hand, some who limit themselves to accumulating knowledge for themselves criticize those who focus on practice. On the other hand, some, who limit themselves to action, unwilling to seek knowledge, they judge those who seek knowledge, as if knowledge were not useful. I'm here to show you that both extremes are wrong.

Hell is full of good intentions

There is a popular saying that says: “hell is paved with good intentions”. This means: wanting to do good, but not knowing what to do, one can produce evil. It is clear, of course, that there is no condemnation except by one's own conscience and that the individual who makes a mistake in wanting to do good will feel much less moral suffering than one who makes a mistake in wanting to do evil. But the fact that I highlight is that, to do good, the ideal is to know what you are doing, and that is why understanding Spiritism is so important for the real understanding of what charity is.

Some time ago, a group of young people got together to fulfill a friend's dream: jumping from bungee jump, which consists of attaching yourself to ropes and jumping from a high place. They got the ropes, tied their friend, who then jumped off a cliff, only to fall to the ground and die. The problem? They didn't know the science of what they were doing and didn't calculate the size of the rope well. I think about the guilt that each of them must carry even today.

Accumulating knowledge without doing anything

There are also individuals who focus on accumulating knowledge. But they apply this knowledge neither to themselves nor to the good of others: they only keep it for themselves, so that, whenever possible, they can prove that they know more than others. It is the height of pride and selfishness, but, one day, this knowledge will be useful for you to act when you regret your mistakes.

Report: elderly, poor and with eight children to look after

As a personal story, I can tell you about a spiritist center that I attended for many years. For as long as I can remember, the practice there has been focused on good, but according to the ideas that shape the current spiritist movement, as if it were a religion: attend the weekly “spiritist house” meeting, listen to the lecture, take a pass and leave . Once a month there is a mediumistic meeting to assist suffering Spirits. Outside of there, we don't talk about Spiritism, much less practice it. The Center is empty, because there is no greater interest. With much effort and overcoming enormous difficulties, the participants of the house promote a monthly event to deliver basic food baskets to families in need. And that's it. These families do not participate in household activities and do not know the real beauty of Spiritism. Leaving there, they go to other institutions and churches to look for more necessary items.

Once, when I happened to be present on that food basket delivery day, we noticed a lady who had been there for over two years. She was extremely sad. His situation: at almost 70 years old, he lost two of his children in different accidents. These children left her with a total of eight children, who she tried to support by collecting rubbish and counting on some help she got from here and there.

Disgusted with God

That day, this lady was desperate and angry with God. I couldn't accept this situation. He asked himself: “What God is this that allows such things?” Noticing this, my mother and I started talking to her especially. We managed to make her understand that these things happen, as part of the tests. What maybe whether it was something previously chosen or not, but, in any case, she was playing such an important role in the lives of these children, teaching them the example of love, dedication and, above all, giving them such important moral values. I told him: “these Spirits will be very grateful for your efforts”, which brought a new sparkle to his eyes.

Furthermore, we organized ourselves in different ways and obtained various donations, including mattresses, as the children slept on the floor.

From that day on, we saw a new energy dominate your Spirit. A new determination to face these difficulties dominated his being. She put aside her revolt, because something clear and simple met her reasoning.

The real face of Spiritism

This “something”, clear and simple, is Spiritism in its essence. Not this “spiritualism” with a small “e”, removed from Kardec's scientific studies and trapped by the most diverse errors born from the blind acceptance of the Spirits' opinions, almost always in mediumistic romances. No: the spiritism, philosophical doctrine, developed by the scientific method. “Spiritism is not a work that marches in the shadows. He is known; its principles are formulated clearly, precisely and without ambiguity” (Revista Espírita, March 1863).

Others could wrongly say that this lady would be “paying off” debts from past lives, which is fake ((Although she may have had past connections with these Spirits and, feeling indebted for something, chose to help them in this life, it is not about “paying off” something, but rather learning by helping.)) or Furthermore, these children were born in that environment to pay off their debts. They forget or are unaware that the Spirit also choose such situations for learning, and not just for expiations (the choices of Spirits who seek to detach themselves from an acquired imperfection). Furthermore, they do not reflect on what such words can do to an already disturbed mind.

The point here is not to say that one does more than the other or that one is better than the other. The point is: the Spiritist Movement, without the knowledge of Spiritism, became lame, incomplete, incapable of giving the true face of the Promised Comforter. Without knowledge, charity becomes mere welfare. Who knows, if in that opportunity given by God, we hadn't paid attention to that lady or hadn't been in a position to say something better, she might have continued to be angry or become even more bitter, perhaps taking regrettable actions, shaken by our words?

Without charity there is no salvation

When Kardec stipulated this standard of Spiritism, “outside of charity there is no salvation”, she was creating a counterbalance to the phrase of the Catholic Church, which said that “outside the Church there is no salvation”. But not only that: he exactly defined the principle of charity through Spiritism, as a means of salvation, being one's own effort to do good or return to it.

What is charity for Spiritism? And the moral duty. It is action for good, which does not expect rewards. And doing good is wanting to be useful to others, helping and being helped, learning and teaching. Now, how can you be really useful without knowing what you are doing? We could, wishing to be useful, tie ropes to someone else's legs, to push them off a cliff, without measuring the size of that rope.

I have always highlighted, because I went through this myself, as that lady also went through and as many others also went through: in the most difficult moments of our lives, in the most overwhelming ones, our conscience seeks rational answers to what we go through. And faith, as Kardec said, when it cannot face reason, weakens. Many move away from religion and any spirituality when it happens.

I repeat what Kardec said about Spiritism: “its principles are formulated clearly, precisely and without ambiguity“. It was the knowledge of these principles, acquired only after thirty three years living in the Spiritist Movement, which allowed me to give clear, simple and rational words to that lady. It was this knowledge that allowed me to get out of depression, through long and uninterrupted work of study.

Conclusion

What I intend to demonstrate, finally, is that Spiritism is a scientific doctrine that gives us the knowledge to make much less mistakes, doing good with more assertiveness and transmitting fewer wrong ideas. Today, I look back and see countless examples of people who moved away from the Spiritist Movement due to the false ideas that dominate this environment, which became a religion like all others.

Warm up a being that is cold; give him food so he doesn't succumb to hunger; water to quench your thirst: all are necessary and urgent acts of charity. But what about helping you change your inner dispositions through understanding, something that Spiritism achieves with unparalleled clarity? What about welcoming him, listening to his complaints, his pain, and then giving him an idea of a philosophy that allows him to see life in another way, clear and rational, as well as simple? After all, many who are in these conditions lack the will, often precisely because they believe they are like this because of punishment.

The original idea of Spiritism is much clearer, rational and forgiving. It reflects the goodness of divine justice. Charity, according to Spiritism, is something simple and profound: it consists of doing good without expecting a return. Moving away from this knowledge has made us unhelpful or even harmful in our speech and actions, even when we aspire to do good.

Muitos adeptos do movimento espírita utilizam o termo “kardecismo” ou “kardecista” para se referirem à sua “religião” ou “crença”. Em apenas uma frase, já temos três erros, com os quais podemos começar.

spiritism is science

Firstly, it is important to highlight that Spiritism is a science. As such, it is one. It could have branches of study areas, such as Physics, Quantum Physics, Mechanics, Optics, etc. But Physics is one, just as Spiritism is one. Talking about “kardecism” would be like stopping talking about Physics to talking about Newtonism or Einsteinism, which would be a mistake, since Newton and Einstein were researchers who, using the scientific method, studied Physics and generated their ideas. scientific theories. Allan Kardec did the same.

To say “kardecism” is to give a personality to spiritist science, reducing it to the expression of Kardec’s ideas, which is false. Kardec was the researcher responsible for centralizing the studies, yes, and it is his works that form the Spiritist Doctrine as it is known. But it is necessary to remember that his works are the result of collective and collaborative work. Kardec never gave himself the right to dominate the truth.

The other mistakes would be treating Spiritism as a religion, what is not true, or as belief, which would be to demote it from the level of science and transform it into mere belief. It is necessary to distinguish what is born from blind belief in what someone says, from the “belief” born from scientific reasoning. They are different things.

Spiritist Movement became religion

Unfortunately, it is important to highlight that what became the Spiritist Movement became beliefs and religion. For most modern spiritists, Kardec has the same weight as Jesus in religions linked to the Old Testament: his name is spoken of, to give credibility, but only the surface is known, preferring to stay with the distortions.

Conclusion

When asked about my religion, do not say that you are a spiritist, Kardecist, etc. If you have a religion, say your religion and say that, in addition, you study Spiritism. If you have no religion and study spiritist science, say: “I have no religion: I study spiritist science”.

This article brings, in full, the chapter from The Book of Mediums that deals with haunted places. It is excellent and clear in itself, so that we do not find it necessary to make further comments.

The article in question was raised by the topic of Spirit Boxes, discussed in homonymous article is at recent video.

The Book of Mediums — Second part — Spiritist manifestations > Chapter IX — Haunted places

132. The spontaneous manifestations, which have occurred at all times, and the persistence of some Spirits in showing ostentatiously their presence in certain locations, constitute the source of origin of the belief in the existence of haunted places. The following answers were given to questions asked on this subject:

1st. Do Spirits attach themselves only to people, or also to things?

“It depends on their elevation. Some Spirits can become attached to earthly objects. The miserly, for example, who have hidden their treasures and who are not yet dematerialized enough, often persist in watching and guarding them.”

2nd. Do wandering Spirits ((A wandering Spirit is the Spirit between one life and another)) have favorite places?

“The principle is still the same here. Spirits who no longer feel attached to the Earth go wherever they have the opportunity to practice love. They are attracted more to people than to material objects. However, it may happen that some of them have, for a certain period of time, a preference for certain places. These, however, are always inferior Spirits.”

3rd. Does the attachment of Spirits to a location, being a sign of inferiority, also constitute proof of their being evil?

"Certainly not. A Spirit can be little advanced, without being bad. Isn’t the same observed among men?”

4th. Is there any basis for the belief that Spirits preferably frequent ruins?

"None. Spirits go to such places, like everyone else. Men's imagination, awakened by the gloomy appearance of certain places, attributes to the presence of Spirits what is, almost always, a very natural effect. How many times has fear caused the shadow of a tree to be mistaken for a ghost and the cry of an animal, or the breath of the wind, for ghosts? Spirits like the presence of men; hence they prefer inhabited places to deserted places.”

a) However, based on what we know about the diversity of characters among Spirits, we can infer the existence of misanthropic Spirits, who prefer solitude.

“That's why I didn't answer the question absolutely. He said they can come to deserted places, like everywhere. It is evident that, if some remain insulated, it is because they like it. This, however, does not constitute a reason for them to necessarily have a predilection for ruins. There are far greater numbers of them in cities and palaces than in the interior of the forests.”

5th. In general, popular beliefs contain a grain of truth. What was the origin of the belief in haunted places?

“The truth lies in the manifestation of Spirits, in which man has instinctively believed since all time. But, as I said above, the gloomy aspect of certain places hurts his imagination and this naturally leads him to place beings in those places that he considers supernatural. Furthermore, to entertain this superstitious belief, there are the poetic narratives and fantastic tales that comforted him in childhood.”

6th. Are there, for Spirits who usually meet, days and times when they prefer to do so?

"No. Days and hours are measures of time for the use of men and for corporeal life, of which Spirits feel no need and take no notice.”

7th Where did the idea that Spirits preferably come during the night come from?

“From the impression that silence and darkness produce on the imagination. All these beliefs are superstitions that the rational knowledge of Spiritism will destroy. The same goes for the days and hours that many believe are most favorable to them. It is certain that the influence of midnight never existed, except in the stories.”

a) Therefore, why do some Spirits announce their coming and their manifestations for certain specific days, such as Friday, for example?

“This is what Spirits do who take advantage of men's gullibility to have fun. For the same reason, there are those who call themselves the devil, or give themselves infernal names. Show them that you are not deceived and they will not come back.”

8th. Do spirits prefer to visit the tombs where their bodies rest?

“The body was a simple garment. In the same way that the prisoner feels no attraction for the chains that bind him, the Spirits feel no attraction for the envelope that made them suffer. The memory of the people who are dear to them is the only thing that has value for them.”

a) Are the prayers that are said for them at the tombs of their bodies more pleasant than any other?

“Prayer, you know, is an evocation that attracts the Spirits. The greater the action, the more fervent and sincere it is. Now, next to a venerated tomb, one is always more collected than elsewhere, and the conservation of cherished relics is a testimony of affection given to the Spirit and which never fails to touch him. What acts on the Spirit is always thought and not material objects. These objects exert more influence than on the Spirit on the one who prays, because they focus his attention.”

9th. In view of this, does it seem that belief in haunted places should not be considered absolutely false?

“We said that certain Spirits can feel attracted to material things. They can do so in certain places, where they seem to establish domicile, until the circumstances that made them seek out those places disappear.”

a) What circumstances might induce them to seek such places?

“The sympathy for some of the people who frequent them, or the desire to communicate with them. However, they do not always have laudable intentions. When they are bad spirits, they may intend to take revenge on people they have complaints about. Staying in a certain place can also be, for some, a punishment inflicted on them, especially if they have committed a crime there, so that they have it constantly before their eyes*.”

10th. Are places always haunted by their former inhabitants?

"Always no; — sometimes, because, if the former inhabitant of one of these places is a high Spirit, he will worry as little about his earthly home as he will about his body. The Spirits that haunt certain places often have no reason for doing so other than simple whim, unless they are attracted there by the sympathy that certain people inspire in them.”

a) Can they establish themselves in such a place with the aim of protecting a person, or their own family?

“Certainly, if they are good Spirits; however, in this case, they never manifest their presence through unpleasant means.”

11th. Is there anything real in the story of the White Lady?

“Mere tale, extracted from a thousand true facts.”

12th. Is it rational to fear places haunted by Spirits?

"No. The Spirits that frequent certain places, causing disorders in them, rather want to have fun at the expense of men's credulity and armchairs, than to harm them. In fact, you must remember that there are Spirits everywhere and that, wherever you are, you will have them by your side, even in the most peaceful rooms. Almost always, they only haunt certain houses, because they find an opportunity to manifest their presence there.”

13th. Will there be ways to expel them?

"There is; What they often do for this, however, attracts them, instead of pushing them away. The best way to expel bad Spirits is to attract good ones. Therefore, attract the good Spirits, doing all the good you can, and the bad ones will disappear, since good and evil are incompatible. Always be good and you will only have good Spirits with you.”

a) There are, however, very kind people who live with the mischief of evil Spirits. Why?

“If these people are really good, this perhaps happens as proof, to exercise their patience and encourage them to become even better. Be certain, however, that it is not those who continually talk about virtues who possess them the most. He who is possessed of real qualities almost always ignores them, or never speaks of them.”

14th. What should we think about the effectiveness of exorcisms to expel evil spirits from haunted places?

“Have you had the opportunity to verify the effectiveness of this process? Have you not seen, on the contrary, the troubles redouble in intensity, after the exorcism ceremonies? It's just that the Spirits that cause them enjoy being taken over by the devil.

“Also, those who do not present themselves with malevolent intentions can manifest their presence through noise and even by becoming visible, but they never commit disorder or nuisance. They are often suffering Spirits, whose suffering you can alleviate by praying for them. Other times, they are even benevolent Spirits, who want to prove that they are with you, or, rather, frivolous Spirits who play. As those who disturb the rest are almost always Spirits who are having fun, the best thing for those who find themselves persecuted to do is to laugh at what happens to them. Disturbers get tired, finding that they cannot be afraid or impatient.” (See chapter V above: On spontaneous manifestations.)

It follows from the explanations above that there are Spirits that attach themselves to certain places, preferring to remain there, without, however, having the need to manifest their presence through sensitive effects. Any place can be the obligatory or favorite home of a Spirit, however bad, without any manifestation ever taking place. Those who attach themselves to certain locations, or to certain material things, are never superior Spirits. However, even if they do not belong to this category, it may be that they are not bad and have no bad intentions. Often, they are even more useful than harmful commensals, because, as long as they are interested in people, they can protect them.

• See Revue spirite, from February 1860: “Story of a Damned Man”.

Another idea that reigns in the Spiritist world: mediums would be indebted Spirits who are born to redeem debts from past lives.

I would like people who repeat these ideas to show where they appear in Allan Kardec's work. It will be a difficult task, as they will not find it. Mediumship is a choice, often aiming to lead the individual to the study of Spiritism, but many end up stumbling along the paths of vanity and pride and waste this opportunity.

This idea comes from false ideas linked to karma, as always. We've dealt with this several times.

We don't have much to say about this, because the idea is easily overcome. We just want to say that, to be a good medium, it is important to know how to deal well with this true science that allows us to communicate with Spirits. Allan Kardec's studies, organized by the Spirit of Truth, provided the basis for this science and were the only ones to approach, with scientific methodology, mediumistic phenomena. Don't leave this study aside if you want to be really useful.

You need to be very careful. It is not that outside of Kardec there is no truth: it is that, without a scientific method in communicating with Spirits, lies, illusions and truths are admitted, blindly and indiscriminately.

It is very clear to observe that Ramatis (or every Spirit that identifies with this name) transmits rational and scientific absurdities, many of which have already been refuted by elementary science.

These Spirits start from the wrong idea of the fall through sin, and thus teach, because they believe or because they want to mystify, false ideas linked to a punishing God, who punishes error. It is exactly the principle of errors in religions and, in this sense, there is nothing about Spiritism there – just study Heaven and Hell, Genesis and the Spiritist Magazine, from 1858 to 1869, to make sure of this.

Through a medium, any Spirit can speak. If, on our side, we believe blindly, we will be easily fascinated by mystifying Spirits.

Leia o artigo “The role of the researcher and the medium in communications with the Spirits“.

“Canal Espírita”, by Luiz Fernando Amaral, on YouTube, is a channel that already has almost eight hundred thousand followers, with thousands of views. Due to its size and the expressiveness it has in this environment, it is worrying to see, there, the circulation and dissemination of certain ideas that are even contrary to the Spiritist Doctrine. In a way…

In no way do I doubt Luiz Fernando's good intentions. I just don't understand why there is resistance to studying and promoting Spiritism as it really is, since this knowledge helps us make fewer mistakes and be more useful.

By leaving Kardec, we leave aside the efforts of the Spirit of Truth himself

Many do not think that, by leaving Kardec aside to focus on “news” that do not come from the scientific method, they leave aside the efforts of superior Spirits and the Spirit of Truth himself, who coordinated the initiative for the birth of the Spiritist Doctrine. This is not about the opinion of one man, but about the Comforter promised by Jesus. Kardec did not end up in his position by chance: it was planned by a superior effort. The method he developed — universal agreement submitted to the criterion of reason — is required and cannot be abandoned!

Now, do we want to treat Spiritism as something lesser? As a minor “effort”, surpassed by the mere ideas of anyone who comes to give their opinion? Now, spiritists, let us put our hands on our conscience!

I am not of the opinion, because it is not a fact, that Spiritism was ended with Kardec; however, because it is a science, to be continued, it necessarily lacks the scientific method, so that we cannot simply accept any ideas and communications as if they were true, no matter which medium they are given or what name the Spirit presents.

In the same way, we cannot simply discard communications from Spirits outside of coding. Once again: we need a scientific and rational method, not just blind acceptance or denial.

False ideas, arising from isolated opinions

Luiz Fernando, on Canal Espírita, among some videos in which he returns to Kardec, frequently makes videos promoting and reinforcing false ideas that have infiltrated the Spiritist milieu. We count, among them, those linked to karma or even the “exile” of Spirits, in addition to the ideas linked to Umbral, unverified generic psychographics, spiritual animal colonies, etc. Ideas that the study of Spiritism quickly demonstrates as uncertain or misleading. And what's the problem with that?

The problem is that, slowly and persistently, blindly accepted ideas are undermining Spiritism and increasingly hindering its progress and its real potential to advance humanity. Due to a lack of knowledge and commitment to science born from the efforts of elevated Spirits, but also due to an attachment to ideas born in novels, slightly inferior, or even imperfect, Spirits are allowed to spread their harmful ideas in the Spiritist environment.

Allan Kardec was emphatic in demonstrating, as a result of his long years of studies, that the Spirits, after leaving the body, continue to be who they were. Many, the vast majority, continue to carry false ideas and attachments. They do not gain full knowledge of the world of Spirits simply by leaving the body. Others are declared enemies of Spiritism, because they find in it the demolition of the ideas they cling to, out of ignorance. This is the reason why many of them present ideas contrary to what has been demonstrated by the study of thousands of evocations and communications from thousands of Spirits, by thousands of mediums, everywhere.

Reluctance to study

But Luiz Fernando, on Canal Espírita, unfortunately seems to choose only to be reluctant, and I say this because of the way he has already responded to me by highlighting inconsistencies between Spiritism and certain ideas disseminated by him, born from isolated opinions. He recently recorded a video criticizing anyone who recommends returning to Kardec, because it seems to be more pleasant to disseminate ideas born from novels and supposed unverified psychographics. Instead of deciding to open Revista Espírita and study, he chooses to affectively refute criticism of his videos with ideas contrary to Spiritism and believes that, being a medium, he would only be guided by good Spirits. Furthermore, he tries to form the idea that criticizing him is giving rise to “low vibrations”.

Yes, we need to resume the development of spiritist science. But, to do so, we first need to revisit it as a science, understanding its principles and methods, developed at the expense of Kardec's health and resources, for years on end. Today, due to the reluctance to study, people make mistakes in the most insignificant, most absurd things, while so simple they could be avoided with a more careful study of Spiritism.

Once again, we recommend everyone to return to study the Spiritist Magazine and Kardec's other works, especially when speaking to many. Even when we study, sometimes we make mistakes, but at least we won't have our conscience accusing us of not having sought to know the knowledge that we insistently used to knock on our door and which, today, is three clicks away.

I hope that my colleague is touched on his conscience as soon as possible. You have huge potential on your channel. All that remains is to use this potential to spread real Spiritism, away from false ideas. Furthermore, I hope he stops taking these issues personally, especially when it comes to science. I myself receive a lot of criticism and I am grateful for it, as there are frequent opportunities to consult my conscience about what I do, never believing that I would be free from mistakes because I believed that only good Spirits would be around me.

“You want to do good, I have no doubt. He wants to talk about Spiritism, because he believes it is good content. But the Spiritism you know is that of the novels, and not the original. It thus reproduces ideas born from the isolated opinions of certain Spirits, which are often incomplete, misleading and even contrary to Spiritism and reason. The effect is the opposite: far from helping people climb steps, it often keeps them away from the stairs.

Spiritism exists in the works of Kardec, well described in Revista Espírita, and was developed based on the scientific method. It has not been completed, but, to be developed, it needs the same method.”

Paulo Degering R. Junior

If spiritists knew what the Spiritist Center is, what its function and significance really are, Spiritism would be the most important cultural and spiritual movement on Earth today. We have in Brazil – and this is a universal consensus – the largest, most active and productive spiritist movement on the planet. The expansion of Spiritism in our land is incessant and continues at an accelerated pace. But what we do, throughout this vast spiritist continent, is an immense effort to churchify Spiritism, to pair it with decadent and outdated religions, forming mystical and, therefore, fanatical nuclei everywhere, disconnected from immediate reality.

José Herculano Pires — The Spiritist Center

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