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Rare are the beliefs and even superstitions that, over the millennia, have no basis in truth. In fact, Allan Kardec has always tried to show that the truth has always been in the history of humanity, transmitted through all times, but that it was only muffled by the characteristic errors of human ignorance and also by the dogmas purposely created to control consciences.

In “Practical Instructions on Spiritist Manifestations”, Kardec defines it as follows:

MAGIC, MAGE — from gr. mageia, deep knowledge of nature; whence magi, sage, scientist trained in magic; priest, sage and philosopher among the ancient Persians. Originally magic was the science of the sages; all those who knew astrology, who boasted of foretelling the future, who did extraordinary and incomprehensible things to the common people, were magicians or sages who were later called magicians. Abuse and quackery discredited magic; but all the phenomena that we reproduce today through magnetism, somnambulism and spiritism prove that magic was not a purely chimerical art and that, among many absurdities, there was certainly much that was true. The vulgarization of these phenomena has the effect of destroying the prestige of those who once operated under the cloak of secrecy and abused credulity, attributing an alleged supernatural power to themselves. Thanks to this vulgarization, today we know that there is nothing supernatural and that certain things only seem to derogate from the laws of nature because we do not know their causes.

Magic in Ancient Egypt

One of the greatest examples of this were the Egyptians, who were deeply knowledgeable about mediumship and many of the truths that Spiritism professes today. However, this knowledge was reserved for the initiates — the priests, in general — and, to the public, the mystical image of terrible and vengeful gods and a false superhuman power attributed to priests and pharaohs was passed on. The same structure was copied by other religions that followed.

The Egyptians also practiced the various rituals of magic (heka) which, far from the negative meaning that the West makes of the word, was one of the gifts granted by the god (in lower case because their belief was not exactly like ours, in a single, sovereign God, etc):

Well attended are men, the cattle of the god. He made heaven and earth for your sake, repelled the water monster, and made the breath of life (to) your nose. He shines in the sky because of you, and he made plants, cattle, birds, and fish for them (everything) to feed them. (however) he killed his enemies and destroyed even his own children when they tried to
rebel. He made daylight for your sake and sails (in the sky) for you to see. He erected […] his sanctuary among them, and when they cry he hears. He made them rulers in the egg, guides to lift the backs of the weak. He made magic [heka] for them as a weapon to deflect the blow of what happens (bad), watching over them day and night. killed the
traitors who were among them as a man beats his son for his brother's sake, for the god knows every name.

(ARAÚJO, 2000, p. 291. Our emphasis)((ARAÚJO, Emanuel. Written for Eternity: literature in pharaonic Egypt.
Brasília: UnB, 2000.)).

The Magic Among the Druids

Both the Egyptians and practically all peoples had their practices of magic. The same happened among the Druids, people in charge of counseling and teaching tasks and legal and philosophical guidance in Celtic society. In general, it can be said that they were priests and sages. They existed since before Christ, more than 3000 years ago.

One of the most legendary mages of all, Merlin, would have also been a Druid.

Considered as witches and sorcerers, full of rituals that would even include human sacrifices (which to date has not been proven) — the reason why they were largely exterminated by the Romans — the druids were, in fact, a priestly class that lived among nature and that gathered from it the elements necessary for their rituals, among them healing.

The magic for millennia

The ideas of magic or healing, as we said, perhaps permeated all people, at all times. In Brazil, we have healers, sorcerers and shamans, among the indigenous peoples and, more recently, faith healers, as well as Wicca, born in Europe, and countless other denominations that, wrapped in dogmas, rituals and particular beliefs, have, in deep down, the belief in the power of prayer (or formulas) and nature to cure illnesses — and they believe, some of them, to cast an evil spell against others. Wiccans, for example, going (to some extent) in the direction of Mesmer's Magnetism, which we will present below, believe that magic is the law of nature still misunderstood or ignored by contemporary science ((Valiente, Doreen (1973). An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present. [Sl]: Hale. 231 pages)), and as such, they do not see it as being supernatural, but as being a part of the “super powers that reside in the natural”.

Mesmer's Magnetism

Kardec would say that “unshakable faith is the only faith that can face reason face to face, in all ages of Humanity“. Let us therefore take care to make an approximation with the science that already exists regarding these beliefs.

Mesmer came into conflict with the science of his time, which, in order to explain everything that could not be analyzed by devices and human senses, created the theory of fluids (for the scientists of the time, electricity would be a fluid, as well as magnetism and even life). For him - which later was confirmed by Spiritism and by current science — there was the Universal Cosmic Fluid, which gave rise to everything. Each different state of matter, even that which was intangible and imperceptible, would only be a different constitution of this original fluid, vibrating at a different frequency (this is exactly what modern physics explains, more than 200 years after Mesmer's theory).

According to Mesmer's theory - and spiritist science - the human being is capable, by will, of interacting on what became known as perispiritual fluid, which constitutes the link between Spirit and matter.

the perispirit

The perispirit, as concluded by Kardec, connects to the body molecule by molecule((KARDEC, Allan. A Gênesis. 2nd Edition. FEAL, 2018)) (in fact, cell by cell, but at that time there was no such organic knowledge) and, through the action of thought, through this intrinsic connection, it influences you positively or negatively, being able to obtain cures or create illnesses. It is the principle of illnesses psychosomatic and, in the background, of placebo effect, for which modern science cannot find a definitive explanation precisely because it ignores the sciences of Magnetism and Spiritism, which they call superstitious.

It should be noted that the perispirit is a theory based not only on everything that great thinkers have always conceived, including Socrates and Plato — and Mesmer himself — but also on reason and the observation of phenomena and spiritist communications, as presented. on here. Kardec would say, in The Mediums' Book:

Numerous observations and irrefutable facts, of which we will speak later, have led to the consequence that there are three components in man: 1st, the soul, or Spirit, intelligent principle, where the moral sense has its seat; 2nd, the body, a gross, material covering, which he temporarily clothed himself in, in fulfillment of certain providential designs; 3rd, the perispirit, a fluidic, semi-material envelope that serves as a link between the soul and the body.

[…]

The perispirit is not one of those hypotheses that science usually uses to explain a fact. Its existence was not only revealed by the Spirits, it is the result of observations, as we will have the opportunity to demonstrate. For now, and as we do not anticipate the facts that we are about to relate, we will limit ourselves to saying that, whether during its union with the body, or after separating from it, the soul is never disconnected from its body. perispirit.

In A Genesis, Kardec concludes:

Experimental Spiritism studied the properties of spiritual fluids and their action
about the matter. It has demonstrated the existence of the perispirit, about which there were suspicions since antiquity, being called by São Paulo Spiritual Body, that is, the fluidic body of the soul after the destruction of the tangible body. We now know that this sheath is inseparable from the soul; which is one of the constitutive elements of the human being; which is the vehicle for the transmission of thought and which, during the life of the body, serves as a link between Spirit and matter. The perispirit plays such an important role in the organism and in many conditions that it is linked to both Physiology and Psychology.

The perispirit is not, therefore, a theory, not even a hypothesis, for Spiritism. Kardec follows, in the same work, stating that…

As a means of elaboration, Spiritism proceeds in the same way as the Sciences
positive, that is, it applies the experimental method. When new facts are presented which cannot be explained by means of known laws, he observes them, compares them, analyzes them and, going back from the effects to the causes, arrives at the law that governs them; then it deduces its consequences and looks for its useful applications. It does not establish any preconceived theory. Thus, it does not present as a hypothesis neither the existence, nor intervention of the Spirits, nor even the perispirit, reincarnation or any other principle of the doctrine.. It concludes for the existence of spirits when it became evident by observation of the facts, and it has proceeded in the same way in relation to the other principles. It was not, therefore, the facts that later came to confirm the theory, but the theory that came later to explain and summarize the facts. It is therefore strictly accurate to say that Spiritism is a Science of observation, and not the product of imagination..

Cures, passes, black magic and sorcery

Here, however, it is necessary to make a very important observation, based on the two sciences mentioned above: since animal magnetism is not a transference of fluids, but an action of the will on perispiritual fluids, it is essential that the other end share the will and acceptance so that this interaction prolonged come true.

When Mesmer and many of his disciples healed, this action took place through countless hours of approaching the patient, from the sympathy of ideas and, figuratively, of energies and, then, the treatment, almost always through passes, started for long hours, and could be carried out periodically, in order to achieve the result. The patient, at this stage, made himself totally available and in favor of the cure, which, not infrequently, took place in a remarkable way. Then, Spiritism came to demonstrate that these cures are almost always associated with kind spirits who help in the process.

Of course, Mesmer's entire theory did not fail to create scathing enemies, but this is a topic for dedicated reading by the reader ((FIGUEIREDO, Paulo Henrique de. Ibidem)).

As with healing, black magic and sorcery rituals (which, in fact, are the action of the will — albeit maleficent — on the perispiritual fluid, with or without the participation of inferior spirits) depend inexorably on acceptance. counterparty for the influence to be fulfilled. See that, in any case, it is not a fluid that is transferred from one to the other, but the effect of the mental action of one on the other. This is why, simplistically and correctly, the saying “if you don't believe it, don't take it” is accurate.

I'll go further: you know that idea that hateful words are a jet of negative energy that hits the other? It's also a myth. The other only contaminates himself with the bad state if he allows it, and what happens is not that he lets in an energy, but that he himself creates the "bad energy".

We see, therefore, that, with regard to “black magic”, starting by dissolving superstition is the first good thing to do. The creature that doesn't even believe it already places itself one foot away from that influence. However, it remains to be said that the vibration, here, enters with great propriety: the individual who, mentally, moves away from the good, either by ostensible action in evil, or by the cultivation of passions and imperfections, places his perispirit (being matter, but in a state quintessential) in a vibratory state susceptible of being influenced by the thoughts of other Spirits in the same tune, incarnate or disincarnate. Therefore, if the individual is in this state, he will not receive an influx of magic as if it were something tangible, but, through the action of someone else's thought, he will be able to influence himself. In fact, it is not even necessary to resort to magic for this: people influence each other, positively or negatively, day after day.

Is everything energy?

This statement is extremely common: we are energy. However, before proceeding, we have to say: not everything is energy.

Neither God nor Spirits are energy. Energy is something physical. God is something else, and Spirit is something else yet. If they were energy, they would be matter and, therefore, would be subject to the transformations of matter, including disaggregation and, therefore, would have an end. But we know that the Spirit is immortal and that God, in addition to being immortal, also does not have a beginning.

That's why anything that which is material has an influence on the Spirit, unless he believes it. By the same principle, nothing that is spiritual has direct action on matter. If it were not so, it would be very easy for an evil Spirit to promote a material evil action on an incarnate, including creating diseases and installing control "chips". We emphasize: all this is nothing more than superstition, and it is in this sense, so well understood here, that, in The Spirits' Book, the following appears:

Can a bad man, with the help of a bad spirit dedicated to him, harm his neighbor?

551. Can a bad man, with the help of a bad Spirit dedicated to him, harm his neighbor?

— "No; God would not allow it.”

KARDEC, Allan. The Spirits' Book, 1860

In “God wouldn't allow it” is closed all the explanation made so far: a bad man, with or without the help of an evil spirit, cannot do evil against others, through spells, spells or conjurations. "It's the law of God."

We would say, however: “but a man can harm another by direct, even physical means”. This seems logical… But, if we think about it more deeply, even this harm done physically, such as, for example, a wound by a weapon or even death, can only represent harm to its victim if he allows himself to be hit. Now, the other performs an action, far from good, out of ignorance that he is doing evil to himself. As much as it hurts me, it is my choice to let myself be hit by this action, allowing myself to dwell on thoughts of anger, anguish, revolt, revenge, etc., which is when I myself do harm to myself. See what thought liberator!

Want a practical example? Let us think of Jesus: from our point of view, we have done him a lot of harm. From his point of view, however, nothing we did hit him, and he suffered no harm other than physical pain, for his degree of spiritual elevation no longer made him susceptible to anything they did. Here's our goal.

Flushing baths, coarse salt, herbs and amulets

Arriving at this point, we suppose that the principle of “energetic” action between incarnate beings and the principle of the inexistence of an energetic action between Spirits and incarnates, and vice versa, is already quite clear. It was evident that no Spiritual action, whether of an incarnate or disembodied Spirit, can directly affect another incarnate individual (and it remains to be ruled out that the action between disembodied Spirits is always moral and depends on the acceptance of the other). Therefore, to recommend any material artifices to attract or repel these influences is almost entirely a waste of time, since what is wanted is for the affected part rationally to take a firm stand against the influences of extraneous thought, which only happens. with the active moral transformation of the individual.

But what about the placebo effect? Of course, we don't rule it out. A person can, yes, believing in the power of an amulet or an herb, or even a bodily cleansing, or the environment, assume a different, more positive and active attitude and, from there, remove the previous influences. However, let's see, here is the will of that person, and not the supposed strength of those elements, which promoted the modification of his state. However, there is a very negative side to this aspect: being motivated by superstitious and unscientific beliefs, the person can often forget the main thing, that the modification itself, granting the desired effect to the action of these elements and, thus, prolonging his own suffering.

And, even clearer, we are not ruling out the effects physicists that matter has on matter; it is, moreover, the beginning of all that we have said above.

Finally, we can even resort to the much-mentioned action of André Luiz's mentor, in the novel Nosso Lar, que vai à Floresta, in the land, and there supposedly collects elements extracted from the trees to treat of the body of the incarnate individual. We know about the principle of spiritual healing, but it is important to remember that, for this action to be possible - from the collection of natural principles, to application to the sick, the existence of a medium is necessary who, even without consciousness, can provide some fluid specific perispiritual for this task. Who knows, following this theory, this didn't happen through André Luiz's own daughter, who demonstrated latent mediumship?

And does prayer or prayer work?

It depends, because the prayer or prayer must have the intention honest of the individual who recognizes his imperfections, his faults and asks for help to win these difficulties. That is the purpose of prayer. Through it, the individual elevates his thoughts, changes his tune and puts himself in contact with the superior spirits - as long as his intention is honest and true.

However, if prayer is made “mouth to mouth”, a mechanical repetition of “sacred” formulas and if, above all, it transfers the responsibility to someone else, whether to God or to a Spirit of any order, it will be ineffective, since the person is not attentive and committed to his own modification. Neither God nor any Spirit do anything for us, if not to inspire and direct us to the situations, contents and knowledge that can help us. That is, they take us to the door, many times, but opening it and entering is something that depends on us, exclusively.

Let's look at an example:

“[…] I now appeal to the 13th Dimensional Circle of Security to fully seal, protect and augment Archangel Michael’s shield, as well as to remove anything that is not of a Christ nature and that currently exists within this field.

I now appeal to the Ascended Masters and our Christic assistants to completely remove and dissolve each and every implant and their seeded energies, parasites, spiritual weapons and self-imposed limiting devices, both known and unknown. Once this is completed, I call for the complete restoration and repair of the original energy field, infused with the golden energy of Christ.”

This is an excerpt from the well-known "Saint Michael the Archangel's 21-day prayer for spiritual liberation". Analyze this snippet and, if you wish, the rest of it. Compare with everything we have exposed so far. It is full of concepts. false and is based on the heteronomous concept: do it for me.

Therefore, we repeat, to emphasize and conclude: incarnate or disincarnate, all, absolutely all, from evil to cure, depends solely and exclusively on the action of our will. Without her, nothing gets done..

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Reading Recommendations (Books)

• Free PDFs by Kardec – https://bit.ly/3sXXBxk
• Autonomy – The Untold History of Spiritism: https://amzn.to/3PIvbyy
• Allan Kardec's Legacy: https://amzn.to/3RIn2gv
• Final point – the reunion with spiritualism with Allan Kardec: https://amzn.to/48PLaE7
• Neither Heaven nor Hell – The Laws of the Soul According to Spiritism: https://amzn.to/3F2voYO
• Genesis – Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism (unadulterated): Free PDF or https://amzn.to/3RM91hF
• Heaven and Hell: Or divine justice according to Spiritism (unadulterated): Free PDF or https://amzn.to/3ZGrcal
• Spiritist Revolution. Allan Kardec's forgotten theory: https://amzn.to/3t7HIUH
• Mesmer. The denied science of animal magnetism: https://amzn.to/3PYc1X2
• The Book of Mediums: https://amzn.to/3PDNTHK
• The Spirits' Book: https://amzn.to/3QkcFx9
• Spiritist Magazine – complete collection: https://amzn.to/48Uxh7s
• Practical Instructions on Spiritist Manifestations: https://amzn.to/3QiR8Gc
• Spiritism in its Simplest Expression: https://amzn.to/3M6fXT5