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.”

It is not my custom to address groups or individuals in particular. In this case, in relation to the group “Casa Plataforma de Pração”, I think this is essential, since it uses the name of Spiritism.

I want to start by reminding you that the Mediumship is not exclusive to any religion, nor to Spiritism. Everyone can practice it, good or bad. The problem is when you put aside a science and its knowledge, obtained through hard research work, while, lightly, using the name and terms of that science to give yourself credibility. Amazingly: the main character of this sect claims to be Kardec himself and constantly compares himself to Jesus, lowering the Master to the level of a lowly worldly man.

Even more serious is when, putting aside this science, but using its name, allow yourself to deceive and be deceived precisely because of the errors that would be avoided by the real knowledge it brings.

Spiritism, as we know from our studies, does not cast anathema. Rather it says: to each according to his works. In fact, in no way do I come to judge the intentions of this group, which may be commendable... But I think it is up to us to point out and defend Spiritism when others launch false ideas in its name.

What we unfortunately see, on the aforementioned group's channel, is a great danger that they themselves run: mediums who have given themselves over to blind belief in what the Spirits say, if they say so. They give in to fascination and obsession and lightly, without knowledge, they cite Spiritism, only to deny it.

I do not believe it is necessary to go back to the countless points where spiritist science demonstrated the serious problems into which the practices adopted there throw them. We have some articles that talk about this, like The role of the researcher and the medium in communications with the Spirits, Obsessed and Subjugated — The Dangers of Spiritism and The fight against an obsessive spirit.

There, on the channel of the Casa Plataforma de Oração group, we see not only a persistent action of Spirits who use venerable names to launch the most complete absurdities, which should not happen among people who study Spiritism. We also see frequent reference to Spiritism, but not as sources of studies.

Refer only in name and terms, but only disseminate ideas contrary to the Spiritist Doctrine and they attack the defenders of spiritist science, calling them “impressed spiritists”, for demonstrating that Spiritism contradicts what they say.

The position they adopted is regrettable, much more so for them, who will have a lot to atone for in the future, but also for those who listen to them. Many neophytes may fall into one of their videos, believing that they are talking about Spiritism, and thus accepting the most absurd and even harmful things.

É apenas isso o que desejo destacar, adicionando: é uma pena que, ao invés de buscarem a mediunidade sadia, colocando-se a cooperar, escolhem eles mesmos caírem nos mais terríveis erros, tantas vezes encontrados por Kardec no estudo do Espiritismo. Chegam ao cúmulo de admitir as absurdas ideias que nasceram do livro “Cartas de Cristo”, onde chega-se a afirmar que Jesus, antes de “despertar” para a sua missão, teria sido um fanfarrão, beberrão e mulherengo. Mas não para aí: o principal “médium” ali chega se comparar a Jesus Cristo!

Let this serve as a warning to those who have doubts: what is practiced there is mediumship, practiced without any care, and not Spiritism. If Spiritism were present, through the study of Kardec's works, born of serious scientific methodology, we would not see regrettable mistakes, completely absurd ideas and attacks on reason in their meetings, recorded on video.

Recommended video

Psychography of Chico Xavier: would it be possible to evoke and obtain responses from Spirits like those who animated Chico Xavier and Allan Kardec, among others?

It is a recognized fact in spiritist science that we can evoke Spirits and that, done with good purposes and with the knowledge that this science gives us, they come willingly, with a desire to dialogue with those who seek to learn from them. It would be a mistake to believe that only superior Spirits would qualify in this case, but it is correct to say that only good Spirits, of all elevations, would qualify, since the bad ones will come with bad intentions (unless when evoked with serious and useful purposes). ) and will only find resonance among those in whom they find the imperfections that they themselves carry. The evocation of Spirits like those of Chico Xavier and Allan Kardec is possible and very useful, and no one has a monopoly on them. But it is clear that these communications will depend on the intentions, knowledge and moral state of those who carry them out..

Learn to study the Spiritist Magazine, the reliable source of Spiritist knowledge. Click here.

Those who intend to have dominion over certain Spirits, as well as those who wish to place themselves under the dominion of a particular Spirit, who generally gives a pompous and influential name and who exalt their own pride, will not only be in serious error, ignoring all the wealth of knowledge formed by the dedicated studies of Allan Kardec, how they will be setting themselves on the bitter path that begins with fascination and inevitably leads to obsession and madness.

That said, we want to deal with the evocation of the Spirit of Chico Xavier, exposed on the website Digital Spiritist Magazine. This is a longer article, but we will focus on this Spirit. The highlights are ours:

About Jesus

Another Spirit evoked was Chico Xavier, who was asked the following questions:

1. Could you tell us about how you understood Jesus, when in the body, and how you understand him now, as a Spirit?
2. Did you see Jesus as soon as he left his physical body?

3. Do you see him in our midst now? If you do, could you tell us how you perceive it?

Here are the answers:

“I'm here again, friends, happy for this opportunity that God offers us.

When I was in the body, I saw Jesus as a star of the first magnitude, which illuminated men and Spirits, but which was thousands of light years away from us; this idea was taught to us in our last existence from an early age, through the religious teaching of the past, and after we began to dedicate ourselves to mediumship, Religious spirits came to reaffirm our prejudices regarding this point, which we did not question, because such ideas were settled in our soul.. I thought that Jesus loved humanity, but I didn't realize that he attributed to him some of the characteristics that we see in many of the powerful people on Earth: they are difficult for the average man to access; They appear to be very busy, and therefore we cannot relate to them directly except through a lot of effort and some intermediaries. In fact, I had not understood the lessons that are present in the evangelical tradition, especially that Jesus would not leave us orphans, as well as that he would always be with those who called him, as long as they did not forget to love their neighbors. ((“Wherever two or three people are gathered together in my name, there I will be with them.” (Matt. XVIII, 20). ))

Today, I still see Jesus as a star, but I understand that if there is a huge distance that separates us from his position in the hierarchy, it is not for this reason that he is distant, because, as you know, your perispiritual fluid expands and radiates with perfection, reaching Spirits and men with a range that I would not know exactly. I see him today, above all, as an older and more mature brother who wants to teach us how to walk towards the Father's house.

I didn't see Jesus right after I died because I didn't consider that possibility at all, but if prejudice hadn't been such a big obstacle, I would have immediately sought him out by thought. However, this meeting was postponed for some time, until I could review my preconceived ideas. I learned that we can all see him, touch him, learn from him, and that he never refuses to reach out and help us with our immense ignorance.

I see Jesus here, in our midst, watching over everyone; I glimpse an illuminated face, but I can't capture the nuances of its face. However, I can see your gaze, so tender and so sweet... Your eyes denote an unchanging serenity, and are more beautiful than the most dazzling sunset. Lights come from his spiritual body, which he transmits to all who desire good, communicating his virtue to them and ensuring that his seed reaches the deep soil of hearts of good will. The sight is beautiful, friends, and I must say that all of us who are here bow before him with love and recognition, because his presence inspires pity and deep reverence. May Jesus be the lighthouse where we can all rest our eyes, taking advantage of his lights to walk along the good path that he shows us.

Receive a hug from someone who is very grateful to be among you. I recognize that I am not up to the task of answering such serious questions with benefit, and therefore I ask that you disregard any mistake that I may have made so far.” ((The group had evoked this same Spirit several times to instruct themselves on some issues regarding mediumship, the perispirit and other subjects. This is what he refers to.))

Chico Xavier
(Psychographed on December 6, 2016.)

DIGITAL SPIRIT MAGAZINE. About Jesus and the Spirit of Truth. Accessed on 10/05/2023. Available in https://www.revistaespirita.net/pt-br/artigo/57/sobre-jesus-e-o-espirito-de-verdade

The fact that it is a serious group, with knowledge of Spiritism and with good intentions, makes communication more reliable, although it must always be analyzed with caution, especially when the Spirit presents itself under a well-known and influential name. . In the case in question, it seems to me to be a language very similar to that of Chico in life, with characteristic signs. But what matters most is the background, which, instead of clashing with the Doctrine, confirms it in its nuances.

For example: “its perispiritual fluid expands and radiates with perfection, reaching Spirits and men with a range that I would not know exactly how to define”. This excerpt is in perfect agreement with the understanding left in Genesis and ends with a humble recognition of the inability to understand.

My only observation, then, is that this Spirit “materializes” the image of Christ, transmitting a human figure and, on this point, I would question, to be clear, since the predominant idea in the Spiritist Movement is linked precisely to this aspect of an excessive “materialization” of the world of Spirits. It may just be a figure of speech, as it may also be “the religious teaching of yesteryear”.

Let us keep this lesson in mind: we can and must resume practical Spiritism in our homes and small groups, treating it with the necessary seriousness. This cannot be made a source of mere curiosity or entertainment, which would place the participants of such responsibility on that previously mentioned ill-fated path... But, with good purpose and knowledge, communication with the Spirits is useful and beneficial, for both sides. , and does not need to be carried out only in the spiritist center.

I suggest reading the available PDFs in this link.

My mission in this article is to provoke you about the subject: can you practice mediumship at home? I want you to not be able to contain yourself, clicking on the button at the end of it to download a PDF talking about the issue of communications with Spirits. Happy studying!

So does this mean that it is not dangerous to call Spirits into homes?

Another fallacy that has spread, and we want to believe that it is more due to ignorance than the malice of those who defend it, is the danger of communicating with Spirits in homes. Now, if it is possible to communicate with them even in prisons, it is even more possible to call loved ones in homes.

It is not the evocation that attracts the Spirits

Another important point to be considered, in the light of Spiritism, is that Spirits are not attracted by the direct call of men, that is, by evocation. Many of those who have suffered or are suffering from an obsession have never evoked the Spirits and do not even know that this would be possible. All the cures for obsessions that were published by Allan Kardec in his Magazine were from this issue. We were able to see this fact in relation to those who suffered from obsessions today, and who were cured.

Children at spiritist meetings

Many people may wonder: can children participate in spiritist meetings at home? We could answer this question with another: are children part of the family? No one could say no, or say that to be a member of the family you need to be a minimum age. Now, what are children? Aren't they incarnated Spirits, to whom the spiritist world is not strange? Aren't children familiar with their Angels, who are also Spirits, from the cradle, and even before they are born?

Not long ago, I demonstrated, in article is at video, that the reason for the birth of Umbanda was due to an absurd attitude of a spiritist center that prohibited Spirits such as those of the “pretos-velhos”, recognized in Umbanda as one of its entities, from communicating. They mistakenly thought that mediumship belongs to Spiritism. Sad reality of a distorted doctrine, formed by the cooperation of groups and individuals even from Catholicism and Protestantism, who studied it, regardless of their religions.

Today, the Spiritist Movement, which accuses other religions of “mysticism”, also adopts several mystical ideas, to the detriment of existing doctrinal knowledge.

It turns out that this disagreement occurred, on both sides, due to a lack of knowledge of what Spiritism really is, which, at that time, was already distorted on Brazilian soil. On the side of the spiritists, who wanted to dictate the truth based on false concepts, if they had known the content of the Spiritist Magazine, they would know how unreasonable such an attitude would be, since Kardec demonstrated the usefulness of evoking all the Spirits, with one detail: not to hear them and believe in them without reasoning, but to be able to study their communications in a psychological way.

Before I continue, I need to say that if you believe you know enough and don't need to know anything else, this article is not for you. Otherwise, if you are interested in knowing the facts and thus judging by your own conscience, stay with me until the end.

I want to say, to make it clear, based on the knowledge acquired through the study: all Spirits have something to teach, although not in the same way, in the same way that we can learn from the words of the wise, which we seek to internalize, and from the examples of criminals, which we seek not to repeat. This is how, for example, Kardec and others found learning from the guiding Spirit of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, São Luís, to the study of the Spirit of the ragpicker on Noyers Street, who scared the people there and threw stones at the windows. (read Spiritist Magazine 1860 » August » The ragpicker on Rue de Noyers).

dissent

Unfortunately, with dissent, the first founders of the Umbanda religion not only moved away from the Spiritist Movement, with its errors, but also from the Spiritist Doctrine, which was the result of joint and collaborative efforts, coordinated by Allan Kardec, in the methodological and systematic of thousands of evocations, spontaneous communications and various spiritist phenomena. Umbanda was not the only case.

But I'm not here to point fingers at anyone. I am of the opinion that everything got tangled up by the “force of things”, that is, people just repeated what they were taught. It is not too much to repeat: Spiritism, when it really gained strength in Brazilian territory, arrived adulterated in principles and greatly influenced by the ideas of Jean-Baptiste Roustaing, who chose to blindly believe in Spirits who fed his vanity by declaring him the “revealer of the revelations” and who quickly turned against Kardec when he sought to warn him of the danger of doing so, instead of taking care to question the Spirits and his own reason. The FEB itself – Brazilian Spiritist Federation – self-proclaimed responsible for the direction of Spiritism in Brazil, adopted Roustaing's principles since its origins, and this is one of the biggest reasons why evocations were abolished in this country, an influence that is spreading today throughout the world and that turned the Spiritist Movement into a religion, very far from the science that Spiritism actually is.

Due to this distancing from Spiritism, substantially stigmatized by the actions, practices and words of Brazilian “spiritists”, there were countless dissents from the Spiritist Movement, sometimes towards other religions, sometimes towards disbelief. But, here, we come to the problem of the matter: mediumship, for those who had it, was almost never interrupted by the departure of the Spiritist Movement, which does not stop it. Thus, almost always, they began to live mediumship in the way they knew how and how they could, far from the knowledge generated by that collaborative work for which Kardec was responsible, as it was necessary to be at that time.

Stigma

This stigma, generated by the Spiritist Movement, meant that, for a long time, and still today – unfortunately – people from religions such as Umbanda, who practice mediumship, looked at Allan Kardec with prejudice and even with a certain anger, often believing , that he had founded a religion where he intended to adopt the truth. Nothing false anymore, but the truth was very difficult to reach behind so many false ideas that the Spiritist Movement cultivated (and still cultivates). Kardec never took the truth for himself. His role was that of a dedicated researcher, who always sought to act impersonally, always ready to modify his concepts and hypotheses when they proved to be wrong. Thus, through systematic and careful observation, carried out in collaboration with countless groups and people, it was possible to establish several doctrinal principles, which are not the absolute truth, but which reason indicates as the most rational and probable possible.

Umbanda entities

Behind the nomenclatures with African roots, which many still find strange and stigmatized, are the Spirits that communicate in the Umbanda religion. Below Olorum, the orixás of the Yoruba tradition are venerated as superior entities, and they vary according to each branch of the religion. These include Oxalá, Oxum, Oxóssi, Xangô, Ogum, Obaluaiê, Yemanjá, Oyá, Oxumaré, Obá, Egunitá, Yansã, Nanã and Omolu. Below the orixás, spiritual entities are grouped into lines and phalanges, covering different categories, such as the Caboclos, which are indigenous spirits; the Pretos Velhos, which represent the spirits of former Brazilian slaves; the Exus, who are benevolent spirits and messengers of the orixás; the Pomba Giras, identified as ladies of the night or sorceresses; and the Erês, who are childish spirits.

As we can see, they are just nomenclatures, and nothing more than that. Pashas, Zouaves (who were African soldiers), supposed sorcerers, etc. communicated with Kardec or were evoked. When they became more enlightened, they appeared detached from their previous personalities; At least, they said they presented themselves as they were or as they remembered or imagined.

Of course, I cannot help but remember that evocation for the purpose of empty curiosity or play will be reciprocated by the presence of Spirits of like mind. Serious evocations were carried out with the aim of developing the Doctrine.

It is from here that we will approach Spiritism in its reality, without impositions, since, as Umbanda is a religion, it is necessary to recognize the freedom of each person to believe in what they want, and how they want.

The rediscovery of true Spiritism

What I intend to demonstrate, finally, is that the mediumship practiced in Umbanda does not differ from the mediumship practiced by spiritists, or by Catholics, by Buddhists, by any religion, in short, or even by freethinkers, except for one detail: beliefs. And here, I need to be emphatic in repeating that Spiritism, being, from a spiritual point of view, in Nature itself, is thus characterized by a natural science, so that, to understand it well, scientific dedication is necessary. Note that here I am separating Spiritism from the Spiritist Movement: they are two different things.

Well then: the merit of Kardec and all those who seriously studied Spiritism in its first steps, was to analyze with methodology and scientific rigor the results of mediumistic communications and various phenomena, obtaining, as I mentioned, a theory composed of several doctrinal principles, exhaustively verified. Kardec, for example, several times questions how the Spirit got there so quickly, not being satisfied with the first answer. It was thus possible to understand who the Spirits are; how they find themselves after leaving the material body, after its death, etc., which later gave rise to Kardec's other works, including “The Book of Mediums or Guide to Mediums and Evocators”, a true practical treatise on the science of communication with the Spirits. With this, it was possible for the mediums and scholars of the time, who naturally came from different religions, apart from the freethinkers, to overcome several errors and become increasingly useful in the propagation of knowledge that every day converted more to good. and to reasoned faith criminals, depressives to the point of despair, disbelievers, etc.

If you've been following me, you'll understand what I'm saying. It's like saying: if there are studies on physics, which explains principles such as inertia, it would be unwise to practice base jumping without calculating the inertia that could cause the individual to fall to the ground, taking the necessary precautions to prevent this from happening. When we talk about mediumship, we say the same thing.

An example of errors made by modern spiritists is the one given at the beginning, when they wanted to prohibit the communication of a Spirit that presented itself under such a nomenclature. Another: it has already been demonstrated that we cannot blindly believe in what the Spirits say, as they do not gain wisdom by leaving the physical body, it is necessary to always reason about what they say and, if there is any room for doubt, it is necessary to investigate further , including through evocations, if necessary, if the Doctrine no longer provides sufficient answers to the subject in question.

One more example: it has already been demonstrated that it is not possible to dominate Spirits through rituals, formulas or objects, and that malicious Spirits often intensify their attacks even more when one tries to do so. This is the result of this methodological study on countless Spirits. Kardec, in fact, tries to make a bad Spirit go away through the force of God's words and name, during an evocation, without success. Still, there are those who deliberately choose to turn a deaf ear to these facts and who, not infrequently, end up magnifying their displeasures or, sometimes, becoming non-believers, who do not find a solution to their disturbances, despite all the formulas, signs, objects and rituals used.

Conclusion

Of course, Kardec did not end Spiritism. Quite the opposite: as a scientist, he always asserted the need to continue his studies. However, for this continuity, all the aspects previously highlighted are necessary. It is not enough to listen to isolated opinions from Spirits and take them as truth, and those who fight against this, deep down, just want to support their own vainly cultivated opinions.

The reflection, to conclude, is this: neither spiritists, nor dissidents, nor other people, religious or not, really know what Spiritism is today, although everyone is capable of practicing mediumship. Therefore, they suffer from various deceptions and harmful effects, the main one being obsession and even possession, in addition to the dissemination of false ideas that delay the development of humanity. Often, these bad results are found by people in good faith, for whom knowledge would be enough. Other times, they are reluctant people, who definitely don't want to open themselves up to the possibility of admitting that they are wrong or that they don't know everything – but this article is not for them.

Let us, therefore, as in Kardec's time, help recover this knowledge. Let's learn what Spiritism really is, through the study of the Revista Espírita from 1858 to 1869; let's practice healthy mediumship, free from false ideas; We will then resume the evocations, and then cooperate between the groups, as Kardec presents in Revista Espírita, not with mediumship restricted to “spiritist centers”, as we know it today, but rather with it spread across small groups and family groups, each one of them a “center”. It does not matter what religion each person has, to which everyone has the right: Spiritism is a natural fact, accessible to everyone.

For a long time, the Spiritist Movement and Umbanda were guided by mysticism, despite having such a rich and serious wealth of knowledge at their disposal. Whether you are a participant in the Spiritist Movement, or another religion, or even a freethinker who wants to know the facts, join this recovery effort. That's the invitation.

I suggest, as a great read, the work “Autonomy: the never told story of Spiritism”, by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo.

Thank you for accompanying me here.

– Ah, você é Espírita? Que legal. Frequenta algum centro?

– Sim, frequento um perto da minha casa.

– E o que vocês fazem lá?

– Ah, a gente assiste palestra sobre o Evangelho, depois toma passe… Aí a gente faz algumas preces, e vai embora. Tem também a evangelização infantil.

– Aaah… Então é tipo uma igreja católica.

– Não! Porque o Espiritismo não tem ritual.

- Huh?! But it's just the same. At church, you arrive, there was a sermon on the Gospel, then you receive the host, then you pray, and you leave. Children participate in catechism.

– Não, mas…

- Admit it, it's the same. Even evangelization, which I know has a positive aspect, is done in this kind of imposing way, isn't it? But what surprises me is that I've already studied a little of Spiritism, but I've never attended a center... And, from what I've studied, there wasn't any of that in Spiritism. For example: do you evoke Spirits to help them?

– Não, não pode evocar Espíritos, porque você pode terminar obsedado.

– Nossa! Quem te disse isso?

– Ué?! Todo mundo do centro! A própria FEB diz isso!

– Ah, a FEB… Mas… Se o próprio Kardec evocava Espíritos para aprender com eles, Espíritos até de suicidas, e muitas vezes terminava ajudando-os a refletir?!

– Ah, but that was in a controlled group, and these Spirits were already calmer. And it was Kardec.

– It wasn't what I read. And it wasn't just Kardec who evoked. Did you know that, at that time, people practiced studies, with evocations even of disturbed spirits, in their homes, in small groups?

– Nossa, e eles não ficavam obsedados, se sentindo mal, por esses Espíritos inferiores?

– Look, we are all inferior in relation to the most advanced spirits. And no, they weren't obsessed or sick. In fact, they often helped these Spirits while learning from them.

There is an evocation, for example, of this suicide, which was just a few days after his death, and he appeared to be in full disarray. Kardec asked some questions, trying to understand what was going on with that Spirit, and with these questions, he understood something. Then he asked for prayers and said goodbye, because he didn't want to talk anymore. I agree that seriousness and control are needed, but Kardec never mentioned any of the mediums becoming obsessed while trying to learn, with the analysis of the situation of Spirits like this, and even murderers!

– Assassinos?!

- Yes! There is an evocation of Assassin Lemaire, look for it in the Spiritist Magazine of 1858, it is very interesting.

– E você disse que evocavam DIAS após a morte?

– Sim. Algumas vezes, horas depois!

– Hours?! But I've always heard that, in addition to not being able to evoke, you have to wait patiently for that Spirit to gain the light and come to communicate of its own accord.

- This is not true. It all depends on the purpose. As the intention was to analyze these Spirits psychologically, there was no problem. Furthermore, it is clear that they respected the will of the Spirits. Many times they did not want to talk about their sufferings. There is another problem there: Kardec has always shown that being available to any Spirit brings the danger of purposeless, often misleading, communications.

But then you don't do evocations in the center?

– Não. Até tem uma reunião de médiuns, mas é fechada para o público.

– Ah, natural. Mas lá eles evocam, então, para aprender e ajudar?

- No no. They are available to any spirit that wants to communicate. These days, they received communication from the Apostle John!

– How do they know it was John, and not another? Did they later question the guiding Spirit of the group?

– Spirit guide? No, the Spirit SAID that he was John the apostle and spoke of Jesus and the need for much prayer because the deadline is coming.

– Ah… Mas… E se esse Espírito estivesse usando o nome do apóstolo e palavras bonitas para passar ensinamentos errados?

– Ah, mas…

– E em casa, vocês praticam o Espiritismo?

– Como assim, praticar?

– Estudar, evocar Espíritos para fins de aprendizado com a análise das situações deles…

– If we don't evoke it even in the center, do you think we're going to evoke it at home? Get out! Will a Spirit decide to stay there?

– Como assim, “ficar por lá”? Os Espíritos estão por toda parte. Com certeza tem alguns aqui agora mesmo.

– Valha-me Deus!

- Yes of course! And they are attracted by affinity of thoughts. If the evocation is done with serious intent and with knowledge, there is no problem. The wrong thing is to evoke it as a joke or lightly. If the evocator is proud, for example, a frivolous spirit can appear and say things that feed that pride. There, without studying, and willing to cultivate his own pride, the subject enters the spirit and ends up fascinated. This is the danger, but this can happen even through intuition, indirectly.

– Nossa, não sabia disso. Eu já tinha ouvido que, se evocar um Espírito perturbado, ele “cola” em você.

– Não, claro que não. Depende da intenção e do preparo. Bom, mas pelo menos existe estudo nesse centro? Tipo, estudar as obras de Kardec, a Revista Espírita…

– Spiritist Magazine? What's that? No, we study works by Chico and Divaldo, because we know that Kardec's works are outdated in many points, right?!

– Outdated? My friend, I know that there are even beautiful and correct things in these mediumistic works, but they were the result of uncontrolled communications. How, without studying Kardec, do they recommend the study of mediumistic works? Spiritism is science!

– Ciência? Não! Espiritismo é religião!

– Não era o que Kardec demonstrava. Você já leu A Gênese?

– Wow, I already took a leaf, but very difficult and, as I said, outdated! Imagine they believed there was life on the moon!!

– But, my friend, that was part of the human science of the time. But there is the part of the spiritist science.

– Ciência Espírita?

– Yes, what was developed by the methodological study of Kardec, with the use of reason and with the need for universal confirmation of the teachings of the Spirits. But then, if there is a group of mediums in the house, how did it form?

– Ah, eles são médiuns bem antigos da casa, e o grupo é fechado.

– Mas e a mediunidade das outras pessoas?

– Ah, se aparecer algum médium “bom” por lá, ele tem que passar por um curso de 5 anos de Espiritismo!

– Mas que curso, se não estudam Kardec?

– Não, aí, lá, tem umas cartilhas da FEB, onde aborda Kardec…

– Pelo menos alguma coisa!

– And then there is the complement with mediumistic works. Have you seen the works of Ramatis, about mediumship??

– Meu Deus…

– Quê?

– Amigo, Ramatis é um pseudossábio.

– Pseudo o que?

– It means that he pretends to be a wise man, but there are several absurdities in these works. We don't even know, in fact, if it's just a Spirit, because anyone can use that name.

– Mas eu já vi algumas coisas dele, pareciam coerentes

– Consistent? Well, being a Spirit, it is clear that something or other will be true... But the problem is that they accept what this or these Spirits say without even reasoning! These works are mystic, not doctrinal.

– How are they not doctrinal? The same thing he says, many others also say. It's not that?

- Not only that. It is necessary to submit this to reason, which demands knowledge. What is already established by this process can only be undone by the same process, that is, it is not enough to say the same thing everywhere, when there is no control, no method, no rationality. For example: Ramatis talks about seven spiritual bodies, which is mystical – you know those things about biblical, kabbalistic numbers? Then!

Kardec has already demonstrated, through studies with the Spirits and in a scientific way, that what exists is the perispirit, formed by the universal cosmic fluid. Just that. This story of seven bodies, after all, is materialistic.

– Friend, I don’t understand anything anymore! You mean everything I've been told is wrong?

– Not all, but most of it. When Spiritism was disseminated in Brazil, the Spiritist Movement was already worn out and weakened, due to an adulteration of principles after Kardec's death.

Well, the question is this: do you want to study, or are you comfortable with what you experience in this center?

– Ah, eu me sinto bem, e é tão difícil tentar entender Kardec!

– Really, there are things difficult to understand in Kardec. But the dedicated study of the Spiritist Magazine, from 1858 to 1864, helps to understand a lot! Also, there are many study groups, and I myself participate in one. But, you see, these are study groups. There is no professor, nor is it a course.

Give it a chance, study it, and your reason will lead you, with the intuition of good spirits, along the path that best suits you.

– É… Vou pensar…

———————————————————-

I didn't want to title this text. We don't need to give exhaustive names. It is enough that we understand the distance that exists between the Spiritist Movement and Spiritism. This distance needs to be overcome through dialogue, through facts, but only by those open to dialogue and learning. It's no use fighting the recalcitrant.

SUMMARY OF THE LAW OF SPIRITIST PHENOMENA is one of Kardec's not-so-publicized works (Click here For download). It was written in 1864, and would be a summary of the summary of the Book of Spirits and Book of Mediums, I think. Because it is a compact work, only 20 pages, it conveys the very general concept of what the Spiritist Doctrine and the Spiritist Phenomena are.

It is divided into 5 parts: Preliminary Observations, On Spirits, Manifestations of Spirits, On Mediums, On Spiritist Meetings.

Destaco, a título de exemplo, um dos itens que faz pertence a parte “Manifestações dos Espíritos”:

23. Spiritist evocations do not consist, as some imagine, in bringing back the dead with a gloomy aspect of the tomb. It is only in novels, in fantastic tales of ghosts and in the theater that one sees the emaciated dead emerge from their tombs dressed in sheets and making their bones crack. Spiritism, which has never performed miracles, this one as well as others, has never revived a dead body; when the body is in the grave, it is definitely there; but the spiritual, fluidic, intelligent being is not involved with its gross envelope; he separated from him at the moment of death, and once the separation has been effected, it no longer has anything in common with him.”

Summary of the Law of Spiritist Phenomena, page 12, A. Kardec

It is worth knowing it or simply sending it to that friend who wants to understand what Kardec's Spiritism is in a nutshell...

Kardec opens the month of September 1858 with a long and deep digression – a real lesson on the DANGERS OF SPIRITISM. As at that time, today it is still said that mediumship can pose dangers to mediums and assistants. In a word, that contact with spirits can be dangerous. Will it be?

“[…] If we wanted to banish from Society everything that could pose danger and give rise to abuse, we would not know very much what would be left, even of those essential things, starting with fire, the cause of so many misfortunes; then the railways, &c. etc”. 

Kardec's Thought, RE 1858

This denotes that, yes, there are some dangers, but, taking the necessary precautions, if the advantages outweigh the inconveniences, then one should not outlaw such investigation.

Kardec continues, highlighting: 

“Actually, Spiritism presents a real danger, but it is not the one that is supposed. It is necessary to be initiated in the principles of Science to understand it well. We do not address those who are alien to it, but the adepts themselves, those who practice it, since it is for them that there is danger.”

Idem

Observation: Mediums and scholars. For example: Roustaing was fascinated by what he received through a medium.

See also the group study we did on the topic.

What does this danger consist of, anyway? It consists of the haste or the exaggerated enthusiasm of those who put themselves in contact with the Spirits, who often allow themselves to be influenced. Now, when they obtain any mediumistic phenomenon, how many are not amazed by it – and why do they sink?

Here, the big question is precisely with regard to the medium's knowledge: he could avoid many evils, including his morals. We already know that spirits are not special beings, but only human beings outside the flesh and that, therefore, as shown, they guard their vices and their virtues.

We also know that we are incessantly surrounded by a “cloud” of Spirits, of the most diverse classes and inclinations, the quasi connect to us as they become attached to our spiritual reality, in acting and in thinking, that is, to our deepest inclinations towards the passions or for the virtues.

Passion is a term that designates a very strong feeling of attraction to a person, object or topic. Passion is intense, enveloping, an enthusiasm or a strong desire for something. The term is also often applied to designate a lively interest or admiration for an ideal, cause, or activity. In the 19th century, psychology called passions what we now call emotions.

Due to the condition of our planet, we know that the inferior spirits are more abundant here than the superior ones. This should put us on alert, us, initiates in the Spiritist science, in relation to the Spirits that we attract to us.

We also know that imperfect spirits, when they find a breach in the human heart, can attach themselves to it and, if their moral ancestry – however inferior it may be – is accepted, it can reach the point of subdue, fascinate and obsess the incarnate.

Returning to the mediums, Kardec observes: 

"The cold man, on the contrary [from excited], is impassive. He is not deceived; it combines, weighs, examines maturely and does not allow itself to be seduced by subterfuges. This is what gives you strength. The malevolent spirits, who know this as well or better than we do, also know how to take advantage of the situation to subjugate those they wish to have under their dependence.”

idem

Let us remember the imposter spirit of Father Ambrósio, questioned by Kardec (July/1858):

“16. ─ Why don't you sustain the imposture in our presence? ─ Because my language is a touchstone, with which you cannot be deceived.”

Let's see, friends, that Kardec, here, is giving solid foundations for the formation and maintenance of spiritist research.

"Whether for enthusiasm, or for the fascination of the Spirits, or for self love, in general the psychographic medium is led to believe that the spirits that communicate with him are superior, and all the more, the more the spirits, seeing their propensity, do not cease to adorn themselves with pompous titles, according to the need”

“From blind and thoughtless belief in the superiority of spirits who communicate, to trust in their words, there is only one step, as it happens among men.” – And Kardec will give a very practical example of that.

Allan Kardec tells that a young man, educated, carefully educated, of a mild and benevolent character, but a little weak and indecisive, he became a psychographic medium with very quickly and became obsessed by a Spirit. This Spirit began to dictate to him true absurdities, which, as a result, almost led the boy to illness and madness:

"Subjugation had reached a point where he had been told to throw himself into the water or go to the antipodes. [other side of Earth], he would have done. When they wanted to force him to do something he disliked, was dragged by an invisible force.”

“When the creature managed to replace the devil with Jesus, it still does not possess the truth. to have it, it is necessary to believe. God does not give the truth to those who doubt: it would be to do something useless and God does nothing in vain. As most new mediums doubt what they say and write, good spirits, begrudgingly, by God's formal order, they are obliged to lie and have no choice but to lie until the medium is convinced; but as soon as he believes one of these lies, the high spirits rush to reveal to him the secrets of heaven: the whole truth dissipates in an instant that cloud of errors with which they had been forced to envelop their protege.

"At this point, the medium has nothing to fear anymore.. The good spirits will never leave you. However, he must not believe that he always has the truth and only the truth. Whether to try it out, or to punish it for past faults, or even to punish it for selfish or curious questions, the good spirits him inflict physical and moral corrections, come to torment him by the command of God.”

RE October, 1858 (quotes from the psychographs of the fascinated Spirit

The report that Kardec gives, obtained from the psychographies of these obsessing Spirits, through the boy, is even difficult to read, let alone to understand, such is the level of disparity of the ideas presented there. For its extension, we will abstract from the citation. It is worth highlighting Kardec's observation, only: 

"Note that in all this there is nothing coarse or banal. It is a series of sophistical reasonings linked together with the appearance of logic. There is indeed an infernal art in the means employed to deceive him, and if it had been possible for us to relate all these manifestations, one would have seen to what extent the cunning was carried and with what skill they used honeyed words.”

In the midst of all this struggle, however, Kardec highlights that it was easy to recognize another spirit, kind, who struggled to make himself ear. It was his father, who, at one point, wrote: "Yes, my son, courage! You undergo a harsh ordeal, which will be for your good in the future. Unfortunately, at the moment, I can't do anything to free you, and it costs me a lot. Go see Allan Kardec; listen to him and he will save you”

The boy, listening to the good advice, goes to look for Kardec, who starts what today we would call disobsession:

"I used all my willpower to call the good spirits through you; all my rhetoric to prove to him that he was a victim of detestable spirits; that what he wrote was senseless and profoundly immoral. For this charity work I joined a colleague, Mr. T… and little by little we got him to write sensible things. He took a dislike to that bad temper, repelling him willingly each time he tried to manifest himself, and slowly the good spirits triumphed.”

To change his ideas, he followed the advice of the Spirits, to give himself to a rough job, that did not leave him time to listen to bad suggestions.

• But disobsession it does not only aim at the incarnate, who can drive away bad Spirits at will, but it can positively affect the Spirit as well (and often does):

Dillois himself ended up confessing himself defeated and expressed a desire to progress in a new existence. He confessed the evil he had tried to do and gave evidence of repentance. The fight was long and painful and offered the observer really curious features. Today Mr. F. feels free and happy. It's as if you've dropped a burden. He regained his joy and thanks us for the service we have given him.

Kardec begins the conclusion of the article with a reflection: far from proving the danger of mediumship, cases like these show its utility. Now, the spirits are around us, with or without mediumship, and with or without it they can obsess us, if we allow. 

Mediumship only puts us in direct contact with them, which provides an important tool for the spirits themselves to reveal themselves and accuse themselves, allowing the medium or someone else to try to open their eyes – exactly as it happened with the boy.

Finally, mediumship is not what makes the communication of ideas from inferior spirits exclusive. Says Kardec: 

"Who says that among all these ridiculous or dangerous speculations there will not be some whose authors are driven by malevolent spirits? Three-quarters of our evil actions and our evil thoughts are the fruit of this hidden suggestion.”

"In short, the danger is not exactly in Spiritism, because it can, on the contrary, serve as a control[…]. The danger lies in the propensity of certain mediums to, very lightly, believe themselves to be instruments exclusive to superior spirits and in a kind of fascination that does not allow them to understand the nonsense of which they are interpreters. Even those who are not mediums can be dragged along.”

In closing, Kardec makes some remarks. Some we have already dealt with recently, regarding the language of the Spirits and the contradictions:

1st – Every medium must guard against the irresistible excitement that leads him to write incessantly and even at inopportune moments; he must be master of himself and not write unless he wants to;

2nd – We do not dominate superior spirits, not even those who, not being superior, are good and benevolent, but we can dominate and tame inferior spirits. He who is not master of himself cannot be master of the spirits;

3rd – There is no other criterion than common sense to discern the value of spirits. Any formula given for this purpose by the spirits themselves is absurd and cannot emanate from superior spirits;

4th – Spirits, like men, are judged by their language. Every expression, every thought, every concept, every moral or scientific theory that clashes with common sense or does not correspond to the idea that we have of a pure and elevated Spirit, emanates from a more or less inferior Spirit;

5th – Superior spirits always speak the same language with the same person and never contradict each other;

6th – Superior spirits are always good and benevolent. In their language we never find acrimony, arrogance, harshness, pride, boasting, or foolish presumption. They speak plainly, advise, and withdraw when they are not heard;

7th – We should not judge spirits by their material form or by the correctness of their language, but probe their depths, scrutinize their words, weigh them coldly, maturely and without prejudice. Any escape from common sense, reason and wisdom cannot leave any doubt as to its origin, whatever the name under which the Spirit is masked;

8th – Inferior spirits are afraid of those who analyze their words, they unmask their turpitude and do not allow themselves to be caught by their sophistry. Sometimes they try to resist, but they always end up running away, when they realize that they are the weakest;

9th – He who in everything acts with a view to the good, rises above human vanities, expels selfishness, pride, envy, jealousy and hatred from his heart, and forgives his enemies, putting this into practice. Christ's maxim: “Do to others what you want done to you”; he sympathizes with the good spirits, while the bad ones fear him and move away from him.

Let's study?

Check out the study groups that exist, dealing with the Spiritist Doctrine, in which we have learned A LOT. Click here.

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Today and then, many disdain mentions of dwellings on other planets, such as Jupiter. We may have scorned the descriptions of tables running around the room before. Honestly, it is only when we refer to Science that we cannot deny what is presented in a clear, lucid and rational way.

This article is one of the letters received from Victorien Sardou regarding Jupiter.

"If here, in likelihood of explanations, the reader does not find sufficient proof of their veracity; if, like us, you are not surprised by the perfect agreement between these revelations of the Spirits and the most positives of Astronomy; If, in a word, you see nothing more than a skillful mystification in the details that follow and in the drawing that accompanies them, I invite you to explain yourself to the Spirits, of whom I am only a faithful echo and instrument”.

The author invites critics to evoke the Spirits themselves and discuss with them.

Sardou follows the article by giving some descriptions about the dwellings and inhabitants of Jupiter. According to him - and whose source of information is, of course, the Spirits - the bodily conformation of these beings would be like that of a vapor, although much more subtle than that, intangible and luminous, especially in the contours of the face and head, "for there intelligence and life radiate like a very burning focus”.

It is from this vision, says Sardou, that Christian visionaries would have drawn the images of the halos of the saints.

According to him, the Spirits on this planet are incarnated in such subtle matter that they move very quickly and easily detach themselves from the planetary attraction (gravity), according to the action of their own will.

“Thus, some characters that Palissy chose to make me draw are represented as skimming the ground or on the surface of the water or still very high in the air, with all the freedom of action and movement that we attribute to the angels. This locomotion is all the easier the more purified the Spirit is., which is easily understood. Thus, nothing is easier for the inhabitants of the planet than to determine, at first glance, the value of a passing Spirit. Two signs betray him: the height of his flight and the more or less brilliant light of his halo.“

Sardou says that the less advanced Spirits of this planet, when evoked, respond in a laconic way and with a certain haste, as if they had a lot to do: they still don't have the power to radiate themselves simultaneously on two points.

Regarding animals, he says that not even the inhabitants of Jupiter present consensus about their Spirits: if they are Spirits apart or if they are Spirits that will one day reach humanity... It seems to be an enigma for spheres. above of Jupiter. 

Be that as it may, he points out that these Spirits came from other inferior planets, where they spent multiple incarnations, passing through a scale of improvement.

On Jupiter, animals are the only working beings, working on construction and even planting and harvesting. They are not sacrificed, because we already know that everyone there is vegetarian.

From then on, Sardou – or, rather, the communicating Spirit – continues weaving a series of descriptions incredible about the city of Julnius, about how it was formed, etc. He says that there are material parts of cities, on the ground, and diaphanous and flying parts, moved by will, which serve as shelter for human beings on this planet.

Sardou writes that Jupiter, according to the Spirits, has a day and a night, both lasting five hours. Today's data points out that, in fact, they are just over nine hours each.

It is on the right bank of that river, “whose water, says the Spirit, would give you the impression of the consistency of a very light vapor” [we know, today, that there are true rivers of ammonia, from the highest to the most low atmospheres], that the house of Mozart is built, whose design Palissy was kind enough to have me reproduce on copper.

Finally, the article is of general interest. Kardec emphasizes Sardou's honesty and seriousness, noting that Spiritism “does not recruit among fools and ignorant people”.

Kardec takes up the subject of the engravings, reproduced by the medium Victorien Sardou, who, according to Kardec, does not know how to draw or record, about Jupiter's dwellings.

"Even assuming that this drawing is a fantasy of the Spirit that traced it, the mere fact of its execution would not be a phenomenon less worthy of attention. […] not to satisfy the curiosity of frivolous people, but as a subject of study for serious people who want to delve into all the mysteries of Spirit Science” – As far as is known, only through Sardou were these drawings obtained.

It would be a mistake to think that we make the revelation of unknown worlds the main object of the doctrine. This will never be for us more than one accessory, which we consider useful as a complementary study; the main thing will always be for us the moral teaching and communications from beyond the grave we will seek above all that which can enlighten Humanity and lead it to the good, the only way to assure you of happiness in this world and in the next.