Karma and Spiritism are like oil and water: they do not mix. Be careful with people who preach the doctrine of karma within the spiritist environment, as the understanding of Spiritist Doctrine goes in the opposite direction: we are not incarnated to pay anything to anyone, because we owe nothing to anyone, much less to God!

We incarnate to experience our choices and learn from them, through trials and difficulties, but also through blessed opportunities, which is to have contact with Spiritism, which leverages our progress in many steps, when well understood and experienced.

Everything is part of our choices, including, most of the time, our way of dying. But in that there is no Karma. “But Paulo, so-and-so said that people burned to death at the Kiss nightclub because they killed others by burning other lives!”

Sorry to say, but so-and-so is almost completely wrong. What God would that be, who punishes ignorance in the same coin, in the fashion of Talion, in a way that teaches nothing to anyone? That said, I want to say: yes, there are Spirits that CHOOSE punishment, whether during life or in the way of dying, for BELIEVING in karma and not knowing how to deal with the guilt over their mistakes. We shall see this in Heaven and Hell, Part Two, Chapter VIII: having killed his walled-in wife in the preceding life, even though he had been forgiven by her, he PLANNED a horrible death in order to try to rid himself of this guilt. Look: planned! And needed? No, because in his current life, he was a good man, that is, he sought to LEARN to be a better person.

He understands? We are not here to pay debts, but to learn to be happier Spirits, through the smothering of our imperfections through learning! And this is often done through harsh penalties, including difficult contact with a person to whom, in the past, we have done some harm, and who, still suffering its effects, we try to help in a new incarnation. But, you see: it is a matter of conscious choice.

It is in this sense that the Earth is no longer a planet of trials and atonements to be a planet of regeneration, since the atonement consists precisely in the type of choice made by Antonio B, or by the murderer Lemaire (chapter VI), while better enlightened Spirits they choose not only to suffer in their skin, but rather better opportunities to learn. And, along with that, we come to the topic of education proposed by Pestalozzi, which is increasingly so necessary and important every day.

So, enough blaming yourself. It is clear: if we have done an evil that still exists at the moment our consciousness awakens about it, let us seek, yes, to repair it, but through work, and not through self-flagellation. And that goes for any moment, whether in the flesh or in erraticity. What really matters is learning, developing better habits, developing humility and charity. This does interrupt the cycle of evil and pain.

Earlier today I came across exactly this opinion, in a discussion in a certain Youtube group. It is understandable that many people have it, because they do not understand what Spiritism is, but it is unquestionable that only those who have not dedicated themselves to reading the introduction of The Spirits' Book can issue it - let alone Allan Kardec's other works. . But, before entering these paths, let's make an explanatory introduction to the subject here.

The Bible

First, it is necessary to understand what the Bible really is: a doctrinal compendium made up of man's stories, statements and opinions about divinity and Spirituality. We cannot object, however, that it has not been tampered with at various points by personal interests and by different groups, as the Roman Catholic Church did in historically known episodes. So, in short, it is a work full of a lot of morality, but also permeated with human errors everywhere, including introduced by an anachronistic interpretation of both history, culture and the original language. We know today that, especially in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament, the language was full of neologisms and figures that, for that people, at that time, made perfect sense.

There is also an enormous difference between the two books that make up the Bible – The Old Testament and The New Testament – since, between them, there is a space of centuries that introduced a new mentality in humanity. At first, the "sacred texts" are full of even more backward ideas and permeated with laws and human statements, unacceptable today, which, at that time, had the purpose of legislating with divine powers over a people who had no ability to understand concepts that would later be acceptable. The New Testament, on the other hand, carries an enormous moral content, unassailable in its essence, taught and exemplified by a Pure Spirit, known to us as Jesus. Kardec, in The Gospel According to Spiritism, deals only with the New Testament, due to its degree of elevation, leaving the Old Testament aside.

The big question is that, through the ages, with or without adulterations, the Bible, as a whole, has always been used as a “word of salvation”, which should be obeyed blindly. Precisely there, religions found a wide field to disseminate their own ideas, introducing the various dogmas that, in fact, were not there, in order to command their faithful according to their particular political and material interests.

Spiritism

Unlike the Bible, which was born from the reports and stories of a few men, the spiritist theory, which constitutes a Philosophical Science, was born from the rational observation of facts spread over the entire globe and throughout all times. It is precisely under this authority that Kardec sees space and the need to seek to bring to the spiritist understanding the facts or stories narrated in the Bible. The in-depth study of Spiritism shows us, as always, that Allan Kardec cannot be considered the “father” or “prophet” of Spiritism, as no other could, because his quality was only that of a researcher, like so many others, who, to a “new” discovery, he begins to analyze it with patience, persistence and method, putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to compose an image that, in its separate pieces, cannot be understood or that does not make any sense.

The Spirits' Book was the first work completed by him, born of a vast study of the various spiritual messages obtained before and after the beginning of his studies. Even so, there are huge differences between the first and second editions, especially in concepts that were later investigated further and complemented or corrected. But how did Kardec carry out such a study?

The Methodological Study of Spiritism

The world of spirits cannot be glimpsed as we see our world. It does not produce the effects that in our senses produce the dense matter that constitute our world: the air, invisible to the eye, through the wind is felt by touch; the taste is felt by the taste buds; light is captured by the eyes and processed by the brain. However, the world of spirits can only be perceived by the senses. specials, which constitute what we call mediumship.

In mediumship there are different types of sense – to make an approximation with the world that we understand – and that give, to their “carriers”, the capacities to feel and communicate, or to give communication, to the beings that constitute this world, and these beings are the Spirits, more or less freed from matter and more advanced and superior or rather backward and inferior. Through mediumship, we can verify the existence of something above the material world, of an intelligence that survives matter, and some of them, like several researchers, in addition to Kardec himself, are only questionable due to the worst of pride, such as are mediumship of physical effects and somnambulism. The first obtains physical effects without great moral extension, while, in the second, the moral content is often vast, totally outside the capacities and knowledge of the medium who transmit it. But we will reserve that subject for another article.

It is important to say that it was mainly in the mediums sleepwalkers it is us mechanical psychographers that Kardec most sought out communications, as he perceived them to be richer and less susceptible to his own content. Even so, as a researcher, Kardec knew very well that he could not rely only on the opinion of one or another medium or one or another Spirit: he needed to seek in the generality and agreement of the Spirits' teachings the unshakable basis of the Spiritist Doctrine:

General concordance in teaching is the doctrine’s essential character, the condition even of its existence. It is evident that all principles which have not received the consecration of general agreement can only be considered as a fractional part of this same doctrine, merely as a simple, isolated opinion for which Spiritism cannot assume the responsibility.

It is the concordant, collective teaching of the spirits who have passed beyond which constitutes the logical criterion, giving strength to the spiritual doctrine and assuring to it perpetuity.

Allan Kardec – Genesis

And it couldn't be otherwise, after all, from the researcher's point of view, the world of Spirits is unattainable and impossible to probe and analyze. Let's make a brief effort of imagination: let's say that, wanting to move to another country, without knowing it, we want to gather as much information about that place and its people. Let's say we don't have access to the Internet and we only have the telephone. We got a number from an inhabitant of that country and called him – of course, we think they both speak one same language--in order to get an account of that place: what are the people like there? Are they good or bad? Is there violence or not? Will I be able to count on support or not? Well, it's easy to assume that this single person's account will be in line with their cultural, political, educational, historical, social and even their own perceptions. Tendencies and own concepts. It could be, moreover, that we have inadvertently called a criminal, without knowing it. Shall we, then, sway our decision or our conception of that people by a single account? Of course not: we need, in this context, to call many other people, analyze bibliographic and artistic works produced by its inhabitants, etc.

It is exactly the same as what Allan Kardec did, analyzing countless communications obtained from all sides, by countless mediums and by countless Spirits, drawing, from all this, rational and logical conclusions, postulates and, sometimes, scientific theories, which only future studies could sanction or derogate.

Conclusion

We could truly spend hours and hours talking much more about Allan Kardec's studies, but the fact is that there is already a lot of material about it, especially in Kardec's own work, which, as he always demonstrated, did not have a content born of his own ideas. We leave this necessary search to the reader. We limit ourselves to closing this article, after all this previous approach, demonstrating that Spiritism is not a religion and that, as Science is a Doctrine that presents its studies and its conclusions, in a rational and logical way, and leaves to each one the task to reason for yourself about all the content presented. Now, as even the Modern Sciences, so well established, find their dissidents with their most absurd ideas, Spiritism could not expect less. Still, it's a question of everyone's freedom.

We spiritualists we believe in Spiritism not out of fear or imposition, but because we naturally understand the rationality contained in this Scientific Doctrine. We believe in reincarnation not because of inconclusive evidence, but because of an inconclusive rationality; we believe in the existence of spirits and in their communication with us also for reason, but also for the seriousness of researchers who have already set out to study the manifestations with great care and who, by themselves, have found irrefutable evidence of such existence; but we do not believe blindly in the teachings of the Spirits, much less in any supposed phenomenon. Kardec himself asserted: Spiritism must go hand in hand with Science. If, one day, it denies some postulates of its Doctrine, we must abandon them and stay with Science. On the contrary, Modern Science is getting closer and closer and confirming the spiritist postulates, just as the Science of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century did.

During 1858, Ermance Dufaux received some autobiographies mediumistic. Among them, the authors were the French kings Louis XI and Charles VIII. Allan Kardec praised the work of Ms. Dufaux and transcribed excerpts from the “Confessions of Louis XI” in the Spiritist Magazine. That same year, Kardec released three messages psychographed by the young sensitive.

This communication specifically doesn't seem to have much relevance to us at this point. They are historical facts, used to evidence the authenticity of the communicating Spirit. We emphasize that Louis XI no it is São Luís, the Spirit who always communicated as one of the “mentors” of Kardec's studies.

In addition to them, she received a mediumistic autobiography from Joan of Arc, already mentioned in the edition of January 1858 RE

For those who want to know more about Ms. Ermance Dufaux, Click here

In this article, Kardec demonstrates the usefulness of evoking Spirits of all kinds, from Spirits with a serious and constructive intention to those who committed heinous crimes, because “to know the customs of a people, it is necessary to study it in all its forms”. scale degrees”.

Therefore, there is always an impasse, because superior spirits have a lot to teach, but our distance from them is quite large. The more “bourgeois” spirits, that is, spirits like us, more common, still stuck to everyday concerns, present many important teachings, for making us able to see ourselves in their own actions and their effects. All of them show us the practical application of the great and sublime truths, whose theory the superior spirits teach us.

Another advantage of some evocations is to verify the identity of the Spirits in a more precise way. When a Spirit presents itself under a great name from the past, it is only possible to believe in words and judge its content on what is known. If the content meets the necessary criteria, we judge it a superior spirit, and that's enough. The name doesn't really matter.

However, when a spirit of lesser evolution presents itself and gives details that prove its identity, we will have, there, great examples that are very “palatable”: “it is the romance of the customs of the spiritist life without fiction”.

We also discussed our personal experiences regarding evocations of family and friends.

Particularly, we always have to be very careful about the content of the communicating Spirit, because he may not be who he says who he is. Some communications bring some comfort to us.

Next, 3 evocations of 3 different Spirits: the first is the Lemaire assassin (about a month after dismeat); The Queen of Oude (about a month after dismeat) and Dr. Xavier (Evocation after many months after disincarnation).

The Doctor. Xavier was a doctor of great talent and who had been very busy with magnetism, on which he had left a manuscript that he supposed would revolutionize Science. Before I died I read The Book of Spirits and wanted a contact with Allan Kardec, which he was unable to do. Months after his death, his evocation took place, at the request of the family, which was carried out in the presence of Kardec. He took care to exclude, in this publication, the questions and answers of a private nature.

After summoning, Dr. Xavier answered questions about the Spirit Doctrine, about the beginning of life, about the union of the Spirit to the new body, as well as the disunity of the Spirit at the end of the corporeal life.

Dr. Xavier said that the Spiritist Doctrine is a great work, and its worst enemy is religions, the beliefs of men. (Author's N.: So current... We can see that not much has changed since then... )

When Dr. Xaier was asked about the body retaining organic life for a few moments after separation from the soul, he said that the body feels what caused it to die only for a few moments.

At the time of separation, he said:

Question. 21 – How does the separation between the soul and the body occur at the time of the body’s death?

Reply. Doctor – Like a fluid that escapes from any vessel. 

Question. 22 – Is there a really clear line of demarcation between life and death?

ans. Dr. — These two states touch and confuse each other; in this way, the Spirit gradually detaches itself from its bonds; he unravels them, he does not break them.

Question. 23 – Does this detachment of the soul operate more readily in some than in others?

ans. Dr. – Yes: in those who in life have already risen above matter, because, then, their soul belongs more to the world of Spirits than to the terrestrial world.

Question. 23 – At what point does the union between the soul and the body occur in children?

Reply. Doctor – When the child breathes; as if it received the soul with the outside air.

RE March 1858, Dr. Xavier

Observation (Allan Kardec) – This opinion is a consequence of Catholic dogma. In fact, the Church teaches that the soul cannot be saved except by baptism; Now, as natural intrauterine death is very frequent, what would that soul become, deprived, according to her, of this only means of salvation, if it had existed in the body before birth? To be consistent, baptism would have to be performed, if not actually, then at least intentionally, from the moment of conception.

Our observation – The theory given by this Spirit about the moment of union between the soul and the body is not absolutely exact. The union begins from conception, that is, from the moment when the Spirit, without being incarnated, connects to the body by a fluidic bond, which is increasingly tightened until the moment the child sees the light. . The incarnation is only completed when the child breathes.

Follow the conversation with the Spirit of Dr. Xavier about intrauterine life, about spontaneous and induced abortion, about how the Spirit happens in these situations, in short, about the union of soul and body. This complete and very well explained understanding is in the Book of Spirits, by Allan Kardec, cap VII – From the return of the Spirit to Corporal Life, Union of the soul and the Body, from questions 344 to 360.

In addition to the passages cited from the Spirits' Book, we suggest consulting O Céu e o Inferno, Allan Kardec, Part Two: Examples, Chapter I. The Passage, Publisher Feal where there is an extensive explanation of what we discussed in the LIVE

The Queen of Oude has been summoned. She was an Indian Queen (her name was Malika Kishwar) who had visited England. On his return trip to India, he fell ill and died in Paris, in 1858. More details here queen of oude From now on, we'll call it Queen.

The queen appeared very disturbed, finding it difficult to understand what was happening to her. From their conversation, we could see their arrogance and pride. Several questions were asked about her opinion of her earthly life, the condition of women, the life of Indians, about Muhammad, God, Jesus, but she said that she was too powerful to be occupied with God.

She said that she missed life, that she hoped her subjects would come to serve her. She said more than once that she was always queen, even in other lifetimes. She was extremely arrogant.

The queen, in addition to being disturbed, seemed quite annoyed with the questions, which was questioned. She said she was forced to come:

question 22 ─ Why did you respond so quickly to our appeal?

ans. Queen: - I didn't want to do it, but they forced me. Do you think that I would deign to answer you? Who are you by my side?

Question. 23 – And who forced you to come?

Reply. Queen: – I don't know myself... since there shouldn't be anyone greater than me.

The Queen of Oude, RE March/1858

The conversation ended as soon as the Espírito de Sao Luis intervened:

question 32 ─ We only ask you to be kind enough to answer two or three more questions.

Reply. Saint Louis – ─ Leave her, poor misguided! Have mercy on your blindness. May she serve as an example to you! You do not know how much their pride suffers.

We thought we would find in this Spirit, if not philosophy, at least a truer feeling for reality and healthier ideas about earthly vanities and grandeur. Far from it, earthly ideas retained all their strength in her: it is pride, which loses nothing of its illusions.

This evocation description is also found in the book Heaven and Hell by Allan Kardec, Second part, chap. VII – hardened spirits.

In this article, Kardec reports the case of a murderer named Lemaire. He was invoked after his execution on December 31, 1857 in Paris.

Lemaire was a young man of 23 – 24 years old. He was arrested several times for theft followed by murders more than once. Escaped from prison, was held back again. He was feared by society. here you go article in french about your life.

When invoked by Kardec, through Ms. Raquel, immediately spoke up for questions. In his words, there was a clear regret for his actions. Besides, he was embarrassed.

Lemaire said he found his victims he murdered and felt remorse. His moral pain was unbearable,

– Do they have hatred and a desire for revenge?

– Do not. Your prayers draw to me the atonement. You cannot appreciate what a horrible torture it is all due to the one who is hated.

In RE, Assassin Lemaire, question 20.

He added, through responses from his summoners, the following:

 ─ How do you plan to rescue crimes?

─ By further evidence, but it seems to me that Eternity is between me and them.

question 32

He was very upset, which must have made them want to be able to give some kind of comfort to the Spirit of Lemaire.

This evocation is also described in the book Heaven and hell by Allan Kardec, Second Part, chap. VI – Repentant criminals.

Maybe you who are reading, like me, have already asked that question: “God, why me?”

This questioning, quite natural when we still do not have a full understanding of the teachings of the superior spirits through Spiritism, still finds many inexact or even wrong explanations, precisely because of this lack of understanding, which is born from the lack of study.

Let's present some of these opinions incongruous with Spiritism:

• because God wants
• 'Cause I'm paying for a bad one
• 'Cause I'm being punished for a mistake from other lives
• because it's chance
• It's karma (or karma)
• It's the Law of Action and Reaction (which reflects a bad past)
• It’s “rescuing” other lives

All explanations, except the one that says it is the work of chance, basically reflect the same opinion: if I am suffering it is because God is subjecting me to a punishment, since I made a mistake. One opinion even goes further: God doesn't like me.

We need to detach ourselves a little more from these old conceptions, from a time when the human mentality was not ready to move a few steps forward and understand a God who is all kindness and love. In the past, we believed that God was a cruel, vengeful being, full of wrath and wrath, because we attributed our imperfections to Him, because we were unable to understand a being that did not have them. Today, however, it is no longer that way.

Allan Kardec, in The Spirits' Book, presents a face of God, obtained from the teachings of superior Spirits, never before known on the face of the Earth - at least not as a doctrine:

1. What is God?

“God is the supreme intelligence, primary cause of all things” *

2. What is to be understood by infinity?

“That which has neither beginning nor end; the unknown; all that is unknown is infinite.”

3. Could it be said that God is infinite?

“Incomplete definition. Poverty of the language of men, insufficient to define what is above their intelligence.”

[…]

13. When we say that God is eternal, infinite, immutable, immaterial, unique, omnipotent, sovereignly just and good, do we have a complete idea of his attributes?

“From your point of view, yes, because you believe that you encompass everything. Know, however, that there are things that are above the intelligence of the most intelligent man, which your language, restricted to your ideas and sensations, has no means of expressing. In fact, reason tells you that God must possess these perfections in a supreme degree, since if he lacked one, or were not infinite, he would no longer be superior to all, therefore he would not be God. To be above all things, God must find himself exempt from any vicissitude and from any imperfections that the imagination can conceive.”

Since our conception of God has evolved a lot, how then can we attribute to him the execution of punishments or demands, since he You know that the imperfections we have are only momentary and will disappear with our evolution?

But, we may object, facts are facts: if there is no chance, but I suffer, then there must be a reason for such sufferings. If it wasn't me who caused the suffering, then someone else is subjecting me to them, so it can only be God.

However, we need to analyze this chain of thoughts in a rational way, which is the invitation always made by Kardec in the face of any questions:

First of all, we need to understand that we are incarnate Spirits and while we are connected to the body, especially in such a dense state, we will be subject to the vicissitudes of matter, including the pain and suffering naturally caused by something like, for example, cold and heat.

Secondly, we need to learn to analyze and distinguish the types of suffering caused by ourselves, in the present incarnation, by our ways of acting and thinking. In this sense, Kardec calls us to reflect:

Going back to the origin of earthly evils, it will be recognized that many are a natural consequence of the character and course of those who suffer them.

How many men fall through their own fault! How many are victims of their improvidence, their pride and their ambition!

How many are ruined for lack of order, for perseverance, for bad behavior, or for not knowing how to limit their desires!

How many unfortunate unions, because they resulted from a calculation of interest or vanity and in which the heart took no part!

How many dissensions and fatal disputes would have been avoided with a little moderation and less susceptibility!

How many diseases and infirmities result from intemperance and excesses of every kind!

How many parents are unhappy with their children, because they have not fought their bad tendencies from the beginning! Out of weakness, or indifference, they allowed the seeds of pride, selfishness and foolish vanity to develop in them, which produce the dryness of the heart; then later, when they reap what they have sown, they marvel and grieve at the lack of deference with which they are treated and their ingratitude.

Coldly question their consciences all who are wounded in the heart by the vicissitudes and disappointments of life; go back step by step to the origin of the evils that torture you and check if, more often than not, you will not be able to say: If I had done, or not done, such a thing, I would not be in such a condition.

Allan Kardec – The Gospel According to Spiritism – chap. V

It is very evident that there are many sufferings that are born on account of our actions, even in thought, and about which we can only accuse ourselves.

But what about the sufferings we don't cause in this life? Where do they come from then? If it doesn't come from today, many will say, it is a reflection of other lives. I am just paying for past mistakes. But, we will reflect, if God does not charge or punish us, who is charging me for supposed debts? My victims of the past, some will say. We even suppose that, many times, our victims persecute us for more than one incarnation, seeking revenge. But would that be a rule? Aren't there the countless cases of spirits who forgive their tormentors and go on with their lives? Who, then, who would be charging and punishing us? Where would the court be?

There is, at this point, a very important teaching given by the superior spirits, quoted in The Spirits' Book:

621. Where is the law of God written?

“In conscience.”

This answer is so succinct, but so complete, that it amazes us. Now, we already understand that the Spirit only has free will when it enters the realm of consciousness. Before that, their actions are mechanical, responding only to instincts. When, consciously, however, he begins to have the free choice about his actions and, so to speak, between good and bad.

I am taking a very constructive line of exposition in order to elaborate the thought well: we understand, then, that, from the moment we develop conscience, the Law of God becomes effective in our own mind. So, finally, we come to the crucial answer: who pursues us are ourselves.

When we make an imperfection a habit, we start making mistakes that then make us unhappy. from the moment we become aware of them. When in the state of erraticity, then, we evaluate our actions and their consequences, on ourselves and on others, and to plan new incarnations with trials that we aim to help us learn and overcome these imperfections. Often, however, haunted by great guilt and still undeveloped in understanding, we come to the point of planning great and painful atonements, like the child who, not knowing how to deal with the guilt for some wrong committed, asks his father to punish him.

We see, therefore, that the difficulties and pains of our lives, when not arising from our present actions, are rich opportunities for learning and readjustment. Other times, tragedies and terrible pain are planned by the Spirit itself to seek to ease your conscience about something past. However, a very important lesson remains: as we understand more deeply the mechanics of spiritual evolution, we will make better plans for our incarnations.

We are still spirits very connected to these conceptions of sin and punishment, reaching the point of elaborating reincarnation plans linked to the “Law of Talion” – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But, as we understand that what really matters is to identify our imperfections transformed into bad habits and correct them, understanding that punishment itself teaches little or nothing, we will seek better ways to plan new opportunities, progressively disconnecting ourselves from the need for very brutes to then seek opportunities more linked to a basic spiritual education, from the first steps of material childhood, with a view to strengthening virtues and smothering imperfections.

After all, we want to say: the difficulties of this life, however bad they may seem, if they are not a negative effect of our present actions or of Nature itself, they are opportunities planned by ourselves for our elevation. Let us strive, therefore, to face these trials differently, seeking to learn from them, always relying on prayer and studies of Spiritism, which can do a lot to help change our conceptions even in this life.

To complement this reading, we suggest reading the article on Punishment and Reward, recently published.

Reading suggestions:

1. The case of Antonio B, in Heaven and Hell
2. our reflections about the article A Fatality and Presentiments, presented in the March edition of the Spiritist Magazine of 1858
3. The Lemaire Killer, in the Spiritist Magazine of March 1858

In this article, very connected to the previous one, Kardec, referring to the Spiritist Scale, makes some other conjectures about what a planet could be inhabited by Spirits of the ninth (tenth) class, the immense difficulties, the general state of crime, horror, of physical and moral suffering.

Then, he conjectures a planet inhabited by Spirits all of the third order – impure, frivolous, pseudo-wise and neutral spirits. There, evil would still dominate, although less and less present as those Spirits moved away from the ninth (tenth) class. Pride, selfishness, passions, enslavement and various other moral imperfections would still dominate there.

IN SUCH A SOCIETY, IF IT DOMINATES, THE IMPURE ELEMENT WILL CRUSH THE OTHER; OTHERWISE, THE LESS EVIL WILL SEEK TO DESTROY THEIR ADVERSARY; IN ANY CASE THERE WILL BE A FIGHT, A BLOODY FIGHT, OF EXTERMINATION, BECAUSE THEY ARE TWO ELEMENTS THAT HAVE OPPOSITE INTERESTS. TO PROTECT GOODS AND PEOPLE, LAWS WILL BE NECESSARY, BUT THESE WILL BE DICITED BY PERSONAL INTEREST AND NOT JUSTICE; WILL BE MADE BY THE STRONG, TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE WEAK

Next, Kardec invites us to imagine, in the midst of these Spirits, some of the second order: we would see, then, amidst the perversities, some virtues.

IF THE GOOD ARE A MINORITY, THEY WILL BE VICTIMS OF THE BAD; HOWEVER, AS ITS PREDOMINIUM RISES, LEGISLATION BECOME MORE HUMAN, MORE EQUITABLE AND CHRISTIAN CHARITY IS NO LONGER A DEAD LETTER FOR EVERYONE. FROM THAT SAME GOOD ANOTHER ADDICTION WILL BE BORN. DESPITE THE WAR WHICH THE BAD INCESSANTLY DECLARE TO THE GOOD, THEY CANNOT AVOID esteeming them in their intimate forum. SEEING THE ASCENDANT OF VIRTUE OVER ADDICTION AND NOT HAVING THE STRENGTH OR WILLING TO PRACTICE IT, THEY SEEK TO PARODIATE IT AND TAKE THE MASK OF IT. WHEN THE HYPOCRITES, SO NUMEROUS IN ALL SOCIETY WHERE CIVILIZATION IS STILL IMPERFECT.

After all, Kardec arrives, through imagination, to a whole world inhabited by spirits of the second order, to where, by simple reading, we would like to transport ourselves at this exact moment. Absolute equality does not reign there, since the second order still encompasses Spirits of various degrees of development. However, this inequality does not generate envy of the less advanced nor pride of the most advanced: everyone would be united in the purpose of learning and elevation.

THE CONSEQUENCES WE DRAW FROM THIS FRAMEWORK, ALTHOUGH HYPOTHETICALLY PRESENTED, ARE NO LESS RATIONAL, AND EVERYONE CAN DEDUCT THE SOCIAL STATE OF ANY WORLD, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROPORTION OF THE MORAL ELEMENTS OF WHICH WE SUPPOSE IT TO COMPOSE.

WE HAVE SEEN THAT, WITHOUT THE REVELATION OF THE SPIRITS, ALL PROBABILITIES ARE FOR THE PLURALITY OF WORLDS. NOW, IT IS NO LESS RATIONAL TO THINK THAT NOT EVERYONE IS IN THE SAME DEGREE OF PERFECTION AND THAT, FOR THIS VERY REASON, OUR ASSUMPTIONS CAN PERFECTLY BE THE EXPRESSION OF REALITY.

We see, through this exercise, in which spiritual moment the Earth is and in which it has already found itself. Based on this thought and on the Spiritist Scale, we see which evils we still need to root out of our individualities in order to advance to better positions.

About some neighboring planets, Kardec informs that, according to the Spirits, Mars would be an even more backward planet than Earth, where would incarnate Spirits almost exclusively of the ninth (tenth) class. But, since we didn't find anything on Mars other than dust, should we imagine that the Spirits deceived Kardec? Why, no! just that this incarnation it must take place in a fluidic state, outside of our senses.

Follows Allan Kardec commenting on some teachings about other planets, the most interesting being those that talk about Jupiter, which would be a planet of much higher spiritual elevation than ours. There, according to the reports of the Spirits, only Spirits of the second order would incarnate. These spirits portray wonderful cities.

Will we one day land a probe there and see a civilization that is perceptible to our senses and devices? Maybe yes maybe no. Maybe one day we'll land there and find an icy, desert planet, how can we find some way of life. We don't know and, if the first case occurs, we can also assume that such cities and civilization are also constituted in ethereal matter, as we already know that even in the surroundings of our planet this fact occurs.

Anyway, they are conjectures of a past time that, although valid in many ways, maybe one day – when the methodological studies of the Spirits' communications can be resumed – revisited and complemented or corrected.

The science of Kardec's time is something quite different from what it is today. Many scientific advances were made and, while Kardec could only imagine what the neighboring planets and even the moon would be like, today we have visited the last celestial body several times, we have already landed at least 3 autonomous vehicles on Mars and, a little while ago, we made it reach the orbit of Mercury the first human probe. Huge revolution, compared to a time when you could only think through a telescope.

We started like this in order to place ourselves in Kardec's time, which is essential to understand his conjectures about nearby astral bodies. It is also very important to note that there are two distinct parts in the Spiritist Doctrine in this regard: human knowledge and conjectures and the knowledge taught by Spirits, in the way that man could understand at that time.

On the human side, Kardec, in this article, makes several conjectures about what other worlds would be like, based on what human science at that time had already been able to observe. It creates hypotheses, quite plausible for the knowledge of the time, about the atmospheric formations of these distant orbs, conjecturing, then, about the possible forms of life that could exist there, including those not detectable by our five senses, that is, those that could be in much more subtle states of matter.

But the intention of this article by Kardec is not only to make philosophical conjectures about life, seen in a scientific way, outside the Earth: it is also to make the reader reflect on the divine greatness, which does nothing by chance and that, also in this sense , would not have made planets just for our enjoyment. In fact, Kardec makes this approach based on the teachings of the Spirits, as we can see in The Spirits' Book:

55. ARE ALL THE GLOBS THAT MOVE IN SPACE inhabited?

“YES AND EARTHLY MAN IS FAR FROM BEING, AS YOU SUPPOSE, FIRST IN INTELLIGENCE, IN KINDNESS AND IN PERFECTION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MEN WHO HAVE VERY STRONG SPIRITS AND WHO IMAGINE THE PRIVILEGE OF CONTAINING RATIONAL BEINGS TO BELONG TO THIS LITTLE GLOBE. PRIDE AND VANITY! THEY JUDGE THAT GOD CREATED THE UNIVERSE ONLY FOR THEM.”

[…]

57. IF THE PHYSICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE WORLDS IS NOT ONE FOR ALL, WILL THE BEINGS THAT inhabit them have different ORGANIZATIONS?

“NO DOUBT, IN THE SAME WAY THAT FISH ARE MADE TO LIVE IN WATER AND BIRDS IN THE AIR.”

Scientifically, at that time, it was already possible to verify that the Moon had no atmosphere, that Mercury would be very hot and that Saturn would be very cold. How, then, could there be life in these orbs? About this, we have two hypotheses, adopted by Allan Kardec:

1. The beings that live there, if they have a physical constitution of the same density as ours, could be adapted to these places, as on Earth there are living beings that survive extreme cold and heat or even chemical compounds that would kill us in a short time, as well as there are animals adapted to live their entire lives in water and others only on land.
2. The beings that live there are made up of ethereal matter, more subtle than our matter and, therefore, they live in conditions that are totally adverse to ours. About this, also in The Spirits' Book, there is an indication:

58. WILL THE WORLD FAR AWAY FROM THE SUN BE DEPRIVED OF LIGHT AND HEAT, BECAUSE THAT ASTRO IS SHOWN TO THEM WITH ONLY THE APPEARANCE OF A STAR?

“THEN DO YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE NO SOURCES OF LIGHT AND HEAT OTHER THAN THE SUN, AND IN NO WAY DO YOU THINK OF ELECTRICITY, WHICH, IN CERTAIN WORLDS, PLAYS A ROLE THAT YOU KNOW AND MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT HAS TO PLAY ON EARTH? FURTHERMORE, WE DO NOT SAY THAT ALL BEINGS ARE MADE OF THE SAME MATTER AS YOU OTHERS AND WITH ORGANS OF IDENTICAL CONFORMATION TO YOURS.”

What Kardec does in this article is, in possession of information obtained by human science and spirit science, reason, together with the reader, about the very natural possibility of there being life, in some way, in all existing orbs in space, and even in space, that is, in “empty” space. There is nothing wrong with this thinking.

However, we can think: “We have already arrived at the Moon and Mars and we have not found anything of what he imagined. Kardec, therefore, was wrong”. Now, by the second hypothesis, no, he was not wrong. There may exist beings in an ethereal state, as among us the Spirits live, walk and interact, through their perispirits, without us even noticing them (except when we have mediumistic faculties for such). Furthermore, we must remember that Kardec never claimed to be the owner of the ultimate truth: he only reasoned based on what science provided him.

It may be that one day we land on a nearby planet and there we find new forms of life, sensitive to our senses, or it may be that all the nearby planets are empty of biological life, perhaps even by divine wisdom that, who knows, understands that man it would only find reasons for wars if it found other living beings on nearby planets. Now, you see, it's just me guessing.