Continuation of the article The Dominion by Lies and Violence

Jesus came to bring us the truth that sets us free! He mentioned the devil in the Bible, but did he believe in the literal existence of the devil? The word “Devil” is written in the Bible, but its meaning goes beyond the literal.

It really all comes down to interpretation. God and Devil are representations of Good and Evil, respectively. However, viewing the Devil as purely malevolent is a misconception. The Devil is not an entity; it resides in those who embrace this false idea. Mal has no form, is not a real entity. No one is inherently evil. Is there anyone truly evil in this world? No, because evil is a false conception that supports a habit. When someone changes their mindset, they stop acting in evil ways, but overcoming the habit is a long process. However, you never overcome if your mentality doesn't change.

What will really transform the world is genuine education – not that which merely perpetuates false ideas, that decorates teachings, but rather that which is understood, which liberates. The weapons of good are understanding and explanation. How can I make you understand that the future of the world lies in cooperation? Simply explaining and cooperating endlessly, without worrying about the results.

We are introducing a new habit into the world. By overcoming the false idea of evil, we will see global renewal, offering new opportunities for everyone. There is no Spirit that will not, sooner or later, choose the path of good. However, the good is not imposed; everyone must achieve it with their own effort.

True understanding will free us from this false dichotomy between good and evil, leading us to a life of cooperation and harmony. The following passage from Jesus is revealing:

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me. I came from God and I go [to God]. For I did not come on my own, but He sent me. “

Bible – Volume I: New Testament – The four gospels – Gospel of John (pp. 470-471). Company of Letters. Kindle Edition. Trans. Frederico Lourenço

Jesus said he was sent by God and not by his own means. He came to teach the Law of God.

Doing good is doing the Law of God. That's why there is only one God.

43 Why do you not understand my speech? Why you can't hear my word.

Idem

Science advances mainly through a paradigm shift, that is, a change in ideas.Paradigm comes from the Greek “paradigm”, which means “example” or “model”. Initially, it was applied in grammar (to define its use in a given context) and rhetoric (to refer to a parable or to a fable). From the 1960s onwards, it began to be used to define a model or a standard in any discipline scientific or epistemological context. source: Click here. We have to understand what the new idea looks like. So, after it makes sense, we test it and when we verify its coherence, we adopt it. The key is to share the new idea.
But that doesn't mean everyone will become superior, that's not the world's idea. Children do not need to study at school just to get the best grades, generating competition between them. Each person must seek to learn more than they knew before, as we are all spirits at different stages of evolution. There are very intelligent spirits in our world because they have spent more time experiencing the world. However, the intelligent are not superior to the simple, because in other existences they were simple like them. They came to our world because they felt more prepared there. Intelligent spirits are not malevolent or demonic; however, they must cultivate simplicity to serve and contribute, not to be served. This is the great motto of the world.

To move toward happiness in this world, we need to help remove the blinders from the eyes of those who are blinded by false ideas. However, they will not easily accept acting for everyone. Thus, some leave for another world, where they can progress, help many others to progress technologically more quickly and have a new opportunity to rethink their choices. It is not a punishment or punishment to be sent to another world; it is simply a consequence of a choice that did not allow them to evolve. If they reconsider their attitudes in the other world, renewed, they can return here.

This has occurred in our world; the simple ones were on Earth when the exiles arrived. They were given a second chance by coming here, but now they must contribute in useful ways to the advancement of this world. Unfortunately, many have fallen into the false idea that they must be served, thus creating all the mistaken ideas that permeate the world. But whenever we try to explain the truth, because it is a false idea, they resist.

This is the last opportunity both to change your mindset and to fully participate in this world. Those who refuse to cooperate will not understand the truth through force, memorizing orders, or blind obedience. Only through personal effort can someone understand.

Freedom is 100% respected by spirituality

44 You are [children] of your father the devil; and you want to put your father's wishes into practice. He is homicidal from the beginning and was not and is not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he utters the lie, he utters it from his own; for he is a liar and is the father [of lies]. 45 Me because I tell the truth you don't believe me. 46 Who among you condemns me regarding error? If I speak the truth, why don't you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God listens to the words of God. This is why you do not listen to me: because you are not from God.”

Idem

This part of John's Gospel is pointing out that the “devil” is in the false idea of superiority and purity. When we consider ourselves pure and superior, we tend to judge and condemn others who we consider simple and inferior. However, the act of judging is, in itself, a false idea: when we point out the error in another person, we are actually making a mistake, as we are judging the person instead of their specific behavior. This is equivalent to considering the person as “evil” and condemning them unjustly. Nobody has the right to act like that. Not even benevolent spirits condemn others in this way.

Evil reveals itself in the distortion of divine law, when we seek to satisfy our personal interests at the expense of the submission of the simplest, sacrificing their tranquility and happiness. However, we must reject the notion of superiority due to our knowledge.

In this context, our responsibility becomes even more crucial! Those who possess knowledge have a duty not only to help those less knowledgeable, but also to serve.

Reflect on this: The obligation of those who have knowledge is to serve the simplest! We should not use our knowledge for our own benefit, but rather to cooperate.

We must dedicate our efforts to disseminating knowledge and ensuring that many understand it. The future of the world lies in cooperation, not competition. Any new value must be shared globally so that everyone can benefit.

48 The Jews answered and said to him: “Do we not say well that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”. 49 Jesus answered them: “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I I do not seek my glory. There is one who seek and judge. 51 Amen, amen, I say to you: if anyone observes my word, he will not see death until eternity.”

ibid.

In this part, it is expressed: “You are contaminated by evil! And there’s a devil!” If someone already thinks the other is a devil, there seems to be no solution. Those who are selfish and arrogant label others as inferior, always seeing the evil in others. Religious fanatics see those who are different as inferior. Materialists judge those who think differently as inferior. The crux of the problem is when an individual believes they are superior and is stubborn about not changing their mind, even when faced with the truth. The truth confronts you, questioning your lofty self-image.

Now, if someone considers themselves superior, they will only recognize their error when they reach that conclusion on their own. Often, this person, deep down, does not really believe in their superiority, which is why they feel the need to affirm it so vehemently.

The only factor that makes us equal is our individuality. We are unique Spirits, each with different experiences to develop and understand. However, having more knowledge does not make us superior to others. What truly defines the evolution of a Spirit is not its intelligence or experience, but its ability to understand the law of God. The goal of the Spirit is to give the best of itself.

God's Law is clear: There is no competition, only cooperation!

This article was prepared based on a lecture given by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo. Click here to meet her.

Continue on The Double Concept of Good and Evil

Those who make mistakes consciously use violence and lies to dominate and act for their own benefit.

Continuation of the article The Truth about Evil and Punishment.

To achieve dominance over others, the strategy is often used to make them believe that the error or failure lies in not obeying, therefore deserving punishment. At the same time, the illusion is propagated that obeying will bring rewards. This is the trap of evil, known as heteronomy. Those who submit are then controlled through conditioning, and this is where the true violence of evil lies.

Evil acts through violence and lies. She proclaims: “You must obey! If you don’t obey, you will receive punishment!” Then she states: “This is the only way to deal with those who refuse to obey.” This is an inversion of values.

Evil manifests itself in the false idea that distorts divine law, seeking the satisfaction of interests and personal joy at the expense of the submission of the simplest, sacrificing their tranquility and happiness. However, we must not be fooled into thinking that we are superior because we have knowledge. And do you know the error of the one who knows? Indifference! Having values and not using values for good.

In this sense, our duty, which you already know, intensifies! The responsibility of those who have knowledge goes beyond simply helping those who are less educated; they must also serve. Reflect: The duty of those who know is to serve the simplest!

We should not think about taking advantage of our knowledge, but rather about cooperating. We must use our efforts to disseminate this knowledge and make many people understand it. The future of the world lies in cooperation, not competition.

Any new value, such as COOPERATION instead of competition, must be shared across the world so that everyone can benefit.

This article was prepared based on a lecture given by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo. Click here to meet her.

Continue on The Truth that Sets You Free

Continuation of the article The True Mindset and the False Idea.

Several times in his works, Kardec mentions Passive obedience and blind faith. Now let us reflect on why they are the principles of False Idea.

The false prophets, in order to conquer through passive obedience, needed to prevent the masses from learning through their own efforts without the experience of trial and error to learn. They, the false prophets, condemned error, as if error were the cause of evil in the world.

However, we all know that You can only learn when you try. From trying, errors and successes are produced. From there, we evaluate and understand the best way to act. And God does not condemn error, because error is part of learning. Think about it: it's very different to make mistakes unconsciously than to persist in making mistakes consciously.

“To rise, man must be tested. Preventing their action and putting an obstacle to their free will would be going against God and in this case the tests would become useless, because the Spirits would not commit faults.. The Spirit was created simple and ignorant. To reach happy spheres, it is necessary for him to progress and rise in knowledge and wisdom, and it is only in adversity that he acquires an elevated heart and better understands the greatness of God.”

Allan Kardec. Spiritist Magazine — Journal of Psychological Studies — 1858 – November

At the same time, when someone does something, whether at work or in everyday life, they have to know what they are doing and what the results of what they are doing are. So, this someone may be doing evil without knowing it or even participating in evil without being aware of the evil. Therefore, the ideal would be to never carry out an activity without understanding it.

The good thing is to try to act with conscience, understanding.

The false idea, through the two principles of passive obedience and blind faith, leads us to believe that the error is evil. Consequently, error generates fear. Is it better to obey without understanding and have faith?

Since ancient times, priests have determined people's behavior, as they themselves claim that God chose them to determine His Law. Priests created the false teaching that the right thing is to obey God to receive divine rewards and be saved. They also propagate that error represents action inspired by the devil, who attacks man to take possession of him. Kardec shows this understanding in A Genesis:

Religion was, at that time, a powerful brake on governing. The people voluntarily bowed before the invisible powers, in the name of which they were subjugated and whose rulers claimed to possess their dominion, when they did not pretend to be equivalent to these powers. To give more strength to religion, it was necessary to present it as absolute, infallible and immutable, without which it would have lost its ascendancy over these almost primitive beings, just initiated towards rationality. It could not be discussed, just like the orders of a sovereign. This resulted in the principle of blind faith and passive obedience, which had, in origin, its reason for being and its usefulness. The veneration of sacred books, almost always considered to have come down from heaven, or inspired by divinity, prohibited any examination65.

Allan Kardec. GENESIS – Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism (Portuguese Edition) . chapter IV, item 2. Kindle edition. ((Genesis – Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism: https://amzn.to/3RM91hF ))

What is the thesis of the priests: if you do what we tell you, you will do what God tells you, then you will do right and you will be saved. If you do things differently using your own reason and conscience, you will not do the same as God, so you will do things wrong. The consequence is that the person will stop thinking. You will only obey. For priests, evil is not obeying. The good thing is to obey.

Whoever disobeys or does not repent will be handed over to the devil, suffering punishment, vicissitudes and pain. Through this false idea, the priests conditioned the masses to believe without reasoning — Blind Faith — claiming that reason does not understand the divine will. Obeying without understanding — Passive Obedience.

What are the instruments to make a person submissive? Believing without reasoning! Obey without understanding! Any understanding that starts from these two principles is a False Idea!

Blind faith and passive obedience occur in any area of activity: science, philosophy, religion, at work, at home, in relationships. In the Middle Ages, the religious dogma to guide actions. Today we use the materialistic dogma. In this way, it's like the middle ages of science!

If a person believes that their work is not and cannot be spiritualized, they are excluded from the environment. Exclusion is the same instrument that the church used, with condemnation, excommunication, persecution, etc. It is true that the church's condemnation led to death, but today exclusion by society is practically dying, becoming marginalized. There are graduates of higher education (or even technical education) who tend to believe in materialism; the others are the excluded. And the fight of the superior versus inferior. Spiritualism is the devil of science! And Materialism is the god of science!

Finally, currently, due to the false idea, those who think differently, whether from other countries or other religions, are enemies, they are controlled by the Devil, and must be fought and destroyed. Those who obey are protected by Good God. Thus, they create exclusivism and war. It is a MATERIALIST exclusivism!

Spiritism is not exclusivist. Spiritism is an idea. And it is through this idea that he will transform the world.

This article was prepared based on a lecture given by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo. Click here to meet her.

Continue on The Truth about Evil and Punishment

Continuation of the article Spiritism: The Idea of Jesus. Are we going to better understand the differences between the true mentality and the false idea?

Over time, the true mindset and false idea have taken root in the world's traditions in various ways. Religions have always embedded competition, dispute and the law of the strongest into their teachings.

The Christian tradition considers that Jesus was announced by John the Baptist and foreshadowed by repentance: “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”. With this thought, we had to repent of our sins, of our mistakes. This education leaves us full of guilt, because if I made a mistake, I need forgiveness to be saved.

TO MAKE AN ERROR IS A SIN, says Christianity.

Religions used this idea to say that only God's forgiveness saves those who make mistakes, and those who disobey are eternally punished and handed over to the devil. This thought was not only implemented by religions: at work, if you make a mistake you will be fired, in the family, if you make a mistake you will be ignored, and this happens in countless situations. In life, you can't go wrong! People use pretense, hide, camouflage mistakes, falsehood, because remember: making mistakes is a Sin. This triggers several consequences, including that people are not as they truly are, nor do they feel included, lost, aimless.

That's why we have to understand Spiritism's message of belonging, of being part, of collaboration. We have to seek this understanding. We have to put aside the idea that the strongest will save the simple, the ignorant, that the strong and outstanding are bigger and better.

To make the truth count, you have to do good! But it is necessary to reform the way these teachings are taught, changing how and what is taught to children, with structural changes in schools. Competition cannot be the stimulus for learning. False ideas are taught when children are told that fighting serves to stand out, to be superior, to be better than others, to be “among the superiors”, so as not to be rejected by society. This mentality is false!

Cooperation is the key to changing the world! It is not the superior that makes the world move forward, but everyone's cooperation! says Spiritism

However, the most recent translation work on the gospels makes it clear that the Greek verb methaneô, linked to the noun metanoia, has the meaning of “changing mentality”. Frederico Lourenço explains: “At the heart of the word is the word nous (“mind”): hence the fact that the essence of the idea is anchored in mental change (of which regret is a symptom)” (New Testament).

Verse 14 of chap. 1, by Mark, goes like this:

14 After John [the Baptist] was betrayed, Jesus went to Galilee to proclaim the good news of God, 15 saying: “The time has come and the kingdom of God has come near. Change your mentality and believe in the good news.”

Mark: 1:14-15

With this simple passage from the Bible, we completely transform the understanding of the meaning of Repentance: there is a need to change our mentality to overcome a false mentality! It is not regretting the mistake, but changing the way of understanding, Change your mindset.

This article was prepared based on a lecture given by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo. Click here to meet her.

Continue on Passive Obedience and Blind Faith – The Two Principles of the False Idea

The Prophecy of the Spirit of Truth has happened.

When the elaboration of the Spiritist Doctrine through dialogue with the spirits was yet to begin, Allan Kardec in 1856 talked to the Spirit of Truth, who presented him with the following Prophecy for Spiritism:

Do not suppose that it is enough for you to publish one book, two books, ten books, and then stay quietly at home.
You have to expose yourself. You will stir up terrible hatred against you; bitter enemies will be conjured for your loss; you will see yourself in arms with malevolence, with slander, with treachery even of those who seem to you the most dedicated; your best instructions will be despised and falsified; for more than once you will succumb under the weight of fatigue; in a word: you will have to sustain an almost continuous struggle, with the sacrifice of your rest, your tranquillity, your health and even your life, because without it, you would live much longer. (Posthumous works, pag. 344)

From 1858 to 1869, when Kardec published his books and the Spiritist Magazine spreading Spiritism, there were offences, slanders and defamations. He defended his ideas and the Spirits tooth and nail. After his death in 1869, the series of adulterations in his works, . Furthermore, countless false ideas were spread about the doctrine. Read the article our position where we explain our conclusions.

Unfortunately, major revelations always face these characteristics as consequences: hatred, betrayal, contempt and false ideas. If Spiritism is of great importance, it is natural for it to happen.

The other revelations, such as that of Moses and Christ, had the same resistance that the Spirit of Truth mentioned.

Overcoming the false idea of the Egyptians, Moses led to the people who followed him the idea of the one God, and the solidary destiny of humanity. Moses did not speak only to the Hebrew people: he called people from all classes of Egypt. And that’s what made the Egyptian priests bother: it was the imminent danger of a social revolution. Hatred and betrayals began.

And the Jews, who were among those who adopted his thought, deviated from the proposal of universal harmony. They elaborated the exclusivist beliefs and practices, separating pure and impure, those who would be from God and those dominated by the devil. were the false ideas that were far from what Moses proposed. The idea of God, devil, heaven and hell, pure and impure, is not part of this revelation. And that’s what Jesus came to do by putting things in his way.

Jesus came among the Jews to bring the true mentality and denounce the false idea. His good news represented the arrival of the full divine law for mankind. Jesus predicted that his ideas would be distorted. If Jesus predicted this with his own teaching, why would it not occur with the Spiritist Revelation?

26. Meanwhile, Christ adds: "Many of the things I say to you cannot yet understand, and many more I would have to say, but you would not understand; therefore I speak to you in parables; but later I will send you the Comforter, the Spirit Truth who will restore all things and explain them all.

Allan Kardec. GENESIS – Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism

If Jesus announced that it would be necessary to restore the lost teachings, we clearly deduced that something was abandoned, both in the teachings of Moses, in Jesus and in Spiritism.

E Kardec empreendeu uma luta que realmente acabou tirando dele a saúde, como foi a profecia do Espírito da Verdade. Pelos estudos sabemos que as melhores instruções da Doutrina Espírita foram desprezadas em muitos casos, e pior, falseadas em outras. Precisamos recuperar esses ensinamentos perdidos! (( texto elaborado a partir da palestra proferida por Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo, Click here para mais detalhes ))

Below is the complete communication of the Spirit of Truth of 1856:

June 12, 1856 (At Mr. C...; medium: Ms. Aline C...)
My mission
Question (to the Truth) - Good Spirit, I wanted to know what you think of the mission that some Spirits signed me.
Tell me, I beg you if it’s evidence of my self-love. I have, as you know, the greatest desire to contribute to the propagation of the truth, but from the role of the simple worker to that of missionary in chief, the distance is great and I do not understand what can justify in me such grace, preferably to so many others who have talent and qualities that I do not have.
Answer - I confirm what was said, but I recommend you a lot of discretion if you want to do well. You will later learn things that will explain what surprises you. Do not forget that you can triumph, how you can fail. In the latter case, another would replace you, for God’s designs do not rest on a man’s head. Never, therefore, speak of your mission; it would be the way to make it fail. It can only be justified by the work done and you have done nothing yet. If you fulfill it, men will know how to recognize it, sooner or later, since the quality of the tree is verified by the fruits.
P. - I certainly have no desire to boast of a mission I hardly believe in. If I am destined to serve as an instrument for Providence, may it dispose of me. In that case, I claim your assistance and that of the good spirits, in the send

A. - Our assistance will not be lacking, but it will be useless if you do not do what is necessary. You have your free will, which you can use as you see fit. No man is constrained to do anything.
Q. - What causes could determine my failure? Would it be the insufficiency of my abilities?
A. - No; but the mission of the reformers is pregnant with obstacles and dangers. I warn you that yours is rude because it is about shaking and transforming the whole world. Do not suppose that it is enough to publish a book, two books, ten books, and then be quietly at home. You have to expose yourself. You will stir up terrible hatred against you; bitter enemies will be conjured for your loss; you will see yourself in arms with malevolence, with slander, with treachery even of those who seem to you the most dedicated; your best instructions will be despised and falsified; for more than once you will succumb under the weight of fatigue; in a word: you will have to sustain an almost continuous struggle, with a sacrifice of your rest, your tranquillity, your health and even your life, because without it, you would live much longer. Well! not a few retreat when, instead of a flowery road, only see under the steps heathers, sharp stones and snakes. Intelligence is not enough for such missions. It is necessary, first, to please God, with humility, modesty and disinterest, since He slaughters the proud, the presumptuous and the ambitious. Courage, perseverance and unwavering firmness are indispensable to fight men. Prudence and tact are also necessary in order to conduct things properly and not to compromise their success with untimely words or measures. Finally, devotion, self-denial and willingness to all sacrifices are required. You see, thus, that your mission is subordinate to conditions that depend on you.
Spirit of Truth

I - Spirit of Truth, thank your wise counsel. I accept everything, without restriction and without preconceived ideas.

Posthumous Works, pg. 343-5

In Posthumous Works, follows an interesting note made by Allan Kardec more than 10 years later:

NOTE - I write this note on January 1, 1867, ten and a half years after I was given the above communication and I attest that it took place at all points, as I experienced all the vicissitudes that were predicted to me. I fought with hatred of hardened enemies, with slander, slander, envy and jealousy; infamous libels were published against me; my best instructions were falsified; those whom I trusted most betrayed me, I was paid with ingratitude by those to whom I served. The Paris Society was the focus of continuous intrigues against me by those who declared themselves in my favour and who, in good face in my presence, hit me in the back. They said that those who kept me faithful were my soldiers and that I paid them with the money I earned from Spiritism. I was never given to know what rest is; more than once I succumbed to overwork, had shaken health and compromised existence.
Thanks, however, to the protection and assistance of the good spirits who incessantly gave me manifest proofs of solicitude,
I have the fortune to recognize that I have never felt the slightest faintness or discouragement and that I have continued, always with the same ardour, in the performance of my task, without worrying about the wickedness of which I was the object. According to the communication of the Spirit of Truth, I had to rely on all this and everything was verified. But also, along with these vicissitudes, which I experienced of satisfaction, seeing the work grow so prodigiously!
I am fortunate to recognize that I never felt the slightest weakness or discouragement and that I continued, always with the same ardor, in the performance of my task, without worrying about the wickedness of which I was the object. According to the communication of the Spirit of Truth, I had to rely on all this and everything was checked. But also, along with these vicissitudes, which I experienced of satisfactions, seeing the work grow so prodigiously!

(Posthumous works, pag. 344)

Continued in article Spiritism: The Idea of Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.ª. Têm os Espíritos errantes ((Espírito errante é o Espírito entre uma vida e outra)) lugares de sua predileção?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13th. Will there be ways to expel them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We presented in the last LIVE one of the Conversations Beyond the Grave from the Spiritist Magazine of 1859, dealing with the theme of Materiality beyond the grave.

This time they talk to a soldier killed in battle.

The government allowed non-political newspapers to report on the war*. As, however, reports are abundant in all forms, it would be useless to repeat them here. The biggest news for our readers is a story from another world.

Although it is not taken from the Moniteur's official source, it is nonetheless of interest from the point of view of our studies. So we thought to interrogate some of the glorious victims of victory, presuming that we could extract some useful instruction from them. Similar subjects of study, and mainly of current affairs, do not appear at every step. Not personally knowing any of the participants in the last battle, we prayed to the spirits who assist us to send us someone. We came to think that the presence of a stranger would be preferable to that of friends or relatives overcome by emotion. Given an affirmative answer, we obtained the following communications.

RE 1859 The Zuavo of Magenta

This took place in the Second Italian War of Independence. The war took place in 1859, and was fought between the Kingdom of Sardinia, led by Camillo di Cavour, and France, led by Emperor Napoleon III, against the Austrian Empire. We will expose some excerpts from this long conversation beyond the grave.

1. ─ We pray to Almighty God to allow the spirit of a soldier killed in the battle of Magenta to come and communicate with us.

─ What do you want to know?

2. ─ Where were you when we called you?

─ I wouldn't know.

3. ─ Who told you that we wanted to talk to you?

─ Someone smarter than me.

4. ─ When in life was it doubtful that the dead could come and converse with the living?

─ Oh! Not that.

5. ─ What sensation do you experience by being here?

─ This gives me pleasure. I am told that you have great things to do.

6. ─ To which army corps did you belong? (Someone says in a low voice: From the language it looks like a “zuzu”)

─ Ah! Well you say!

7. ─ What was your position?

─ Everyone's.

8. ─ What was your name?

—Joseph Midard.

9. ─ How did you die?

─ Do you want to know everything without paying anything?

10. ─ I'm glad you haven't lost your joviality. Say, say; we will pay later. How did you die?

─ From a plum [projectile] I received.

11. ─ Were you upset by death?

─ No! I'm right here.

12. ─ At the moment of death, did you realize what happened?

─ No. I was so stunned I couldn't believe it.[note below]

NOTE from AK: This is in line with what we have observed in cases of violent death. Not realizing its situation immediately, the spirit does not think it is dead. This phenomenon is explained very easily. It is analogous to that of somnambulists, who do not believe they are sleeping. Indeed, for the somnambulist, the idea of sleep is synonymous with the suspension of intellectual faculties. Now, as he thinks, he does not believe that he sleeps. Only later is he convinced, when he becomes familiar with the meaning attached to this word. The same happens with a spirit surprised by a sudden death, when nothing is prepared for separation from the body. For him, death is synonymous with destruction, with annihilation. Well, since he lives, feels and thinks, he understands that he is not dead. It takes some time to recognize yourself.

13. ─ At the time of your death, the battle was not over. Did you follow their adventures?

─ Yes, because as I told you, I didn't think I was dead. I wanted to keep hitting the other dogs.

14. ─ What sensation did you experience then?

─ I was delighted, as I felt very light.

15. ─ Did you see the spirits of your comrades leaving their bodies?

─ I didn't even think about it, because I didn't believe I was dead.

16. ─ What was the multitude of Spirits who lost their lives in the tumult of battle transforming into at that moment? ─ I believe they were doing the same as me

17. ─ Finding themselves reunited in this world of the Spirits, what did those who fought the hardest think? Did they still throw themselves at each other?

─ Yes. For a while, and according to his character.

18. ─ Do you recognize yourself better now?

─ Without this, they wouldn't have sent me here.

19. ─ Could you tell us if among the spirits of soldiers who died a long time ago, there were still some interested in the outcome of the battle? (We beg Saint Louis to help him with the answers, so that, for our instruction, they are as explicit as possible).─ In large numbers. It is good for you to know that these combats and their consequences are prepared well in advance and that our opponents would not have become involved in crimes, as they did, if they had not been compelled to do so by reason of the future consequences, which you will soon learn about.

20. ─ There must have been spirits there who were interested in the success of the Austrians. Would there then be two battlegrounds between them?

─ Evidently.

OBSERVATION: Doesn't it seem that we are seeing Homer's gods taking sides here, some for the Greeks, others for the Trojans? Indeed, who were these gods of paganism, if not the Spirits that the Ancients had transformed into divinities? Are we not right when we say that Spiritism is a light that will clarify various mysteries, the key to numerous problems?

21. ─ Did they have any influence on the combatants?

─ Very considerable.

22. ─ Can you describe to us how they exerted such influence?

─ In the same way that all the influences of the Spirits are exerted on men. [by thought]

NOTE: It is a fact, as it becomes more and more evident, that the mentality of the Spirit creates scenarios of fluidic matter around it. Another thing could also be possible: they continue on the earthly battlefield, probably with some “fluidic additions”. All these must be indistinguishable at first when in the state of disturbance. However, it is not a rule, that is, it does not constitute a general truth for every soldier killed in war (see O Tambor de Beresina, RE, July 1858). The mistake is always to take the words of any spirits without analyzing their background, especially when the spirit is in post-death disturbance or is little enlightened, which is denoted by their own ideas. Here is Kardec's long work of Experimental Psychology!

23. ─ What do you hope to do now?

─ Study more than I did in my last stage.

24. ─ Are you going to return as a spectator to the battles yet to be fought?

─ I still don't know. I have affections that hold me for the moment. However, I hope from time to time to make a break for it, to amuse myself with the subsequent beatings.

25. ─ What kind of affection still holds you back?

─ A sick and suffering old mother, who cries for me.

26. ─ I ask you to forgive me for the bad thought that crossed my mind, regarding the affection that holds it.

─ It doesn't matter. I say silly things to make you laugh a little. It's natural that you don't take me for a big deal, considering the mediocre regiment to which I belonged. Don't worry, I only got involved because of that poor mother. I deserve a little that they sent me to you.

27. ─ When you were among the spirits, did you hear the rumor of battle? Did you see things as clearly as in life?

─ At first I lost sight of her, but after a while I saw much better, because I understood all the tricks. [is speaking in the sense of thoughts]

28. ─ I ask if you can hear the roar of the cannon.

─ Yes.

29. ─ At the moment of the action, did you think about death and what you would become if you were killed?

─ I thought about what would become of my mother.

30. ─ Was it the first time you were set on fire?

─ No, no. And Africa?

31. ─ Did you see the entry of the French into Milan?

─ No.

32. ─ Are you the only one who died in Italy?

─ Yes.

33. ─ Do you think that the war will last a long time?

─ No. It is easy and therefore not very meritorious to make such a prediction.

34. ─ When you see one of your leaders among the Spirits, do you still recognize him as your superior?

─ If he is, yes; if not, no. [note below]

NOTE from AK : In its simplicity and brevity, this answer is eminently profound and philosophical. In the Spiritist world, moral superiority is the only thing recognized. Whoever did not have it on Earth, whatever their position, does not, in fact, have any superiority. There the boss can be under the soldier and the boss under the server. What a lesson for our pride!

35. ─ Do you think about God's justice and are you worried about it?

─ Who wouldn't think of that? Fortunately, I don't have much to fear. I rescued, for some actions that God considered good, the few levities that I committed as “zuzu”, as you say.

36. ─ Watching a combat, could you protect one of your companions and deflect a fatal blow from him?

─ No. We can not do that. The time of death is set by God. If it has to happen, nothing will stop it, just as no one will be able to reach it if its time has not rung.

37. ─ Do you see General Espinasse?

─ I haven't seen him yet. But I hope to see you soon.

SECOND CONVERSATION

(JUNE 17, 1859)

38. (Evocation).

─ Gift! Firm! In front!

39. ─ Do you remember coming here eight days ago?

─ Why not?!

40. ─ You told us that you hadn't seen General Espinasse yet. How could you recognize him, since he didn't take his general's uniform with him?─ No, but I know him by sight. Besides, don't we have a lot of friends around us, ready to reveal the password to us? It's not like the barracks here. People are not afraid to bump into someone, and I assure you that only rogues are left alone.

41. ─ Under what guise do you find yourself here?

─ Zuavo.

42. ─ If we could see you, how would we see you?

- In a turban and breeches.

43. ─ Well done! Suppose you appeared to us in a turban and breeches. Where would you have gotten those clothes, since you left yours on the battlefield?

─ Well, well! I don't know how it is, but I have a tailor who fits them for me.

44. ─ What are the turban and breeches you wear made of? Have you no idea?

─ No. That's right there with the ragpicker.

NOTE from AK: This issue of the clothing of spirits, as well as several other no less interesting ones, linked to the same principle, were completely elucidated by new observations made within the Society. We will report on this in the next issue. Our good Zouavo is not advanced enough to solve it alone. For that, we needed the concurrence of circumstances that fortuitously presented themselves and that put us on the right path.

45. ─ Do you know why you see us, while we cannot see you?

─ I think your glasses are too weak.

46. ─ Is it not for this same reason that you do not see the general in his uniform?

─ Yes, but he doesn't wear it every day.

47. ─ What days do you wear it?

─ Now that! When they call him to the palace.

48. ─ Why are you here dressed as a Zouavo if we can't see you?─ Simply because I am still a Zouavo, even after about eight years, and because among Spirits we conserve that form for a long time. But that's just between us. You understand that when we go to a very different world, like the Moon or Jupiter, we don't take the trouble to do all that toileting.

OBSERVATION: This here is very interesting. What I understand is that he is referring to the fact that the Spirit adopts a perispiritual form according to the world where they go and according to the existence of a personality in that world, without even realizing it. If he had lived in a distant world, for example, an animal seller, when evoked there, he would present himself in this way.

49. ─ You speak of the Moon and Jupiter. Were you there after he died?

─ No. You are not understanding me. After death we find out about many things. Didn't they explain to us a lot of problems of our Earth? Don't we know God and other beings much better than we did a fortnight ago? With death, the Spirit undergoes a metamorphosis that you cannot understand.

50. ─ Did you search the body left on the battlefield?

─ Yes. He is not handsome.

51. ─ What impression did this view leave you with?

─ Of sadness.

52. ─ Are you aware of your previous existence?

─ Yes, but it is not glorious enough for me to strut.

53. ─ Just tell us the kind of life you led.

─ Simple merchant of wild animal skins.

54. ─ We thank you for your goodness in coming for the second time.

─ See you soon. It amuses and instructs me. Since I am well tolerated here, I will gladly return.

OBSERVATION: A tolerância é uma das consequências da caridade. O zuavo se sentiu “acolhido” na comunicação.

THE next post will bring the evocation of the superior officer who was in the same battle as this zuavo.

The 19th century was the Century of Reason! This means that there was no gap for mysticism, much less for dogmas. The dogma only disappears when we focus on dedicated and continuous study. This Article that we bring here is from the Spiritist Magazine, October 1862, "What should be the history of Spiritism“.

“With regard to this story, about which we have said a few words, several people have asked us what it would comprise, and for that purpose they have sent us various reports of demonstrations. To those who thought of bringing a stone to the building, we thank you for the intention, but we will say that it is something more serious than a catalog of spiritist phenomena found in many works. Since Spiritism has to be present in the face of Humanity, it will be interesting for future generations to know by what means it will have established itself. It will therefore be the story of the adventures that marked its first steps; the struggles you have faced; of the obstacles that will have opposed him; of its progressive march throughout the world.

True merit is modest and does not seek to impose itself. Humanity needs to know the names of the pioneers of the work, those whose abnegation and devotion will deserve to be inscribed in its annals; of the cities that marched in the forefront; those who suffered for the cause, that they might be blessed; of those who have caused suffering, that they may pray for them, that they may be forgiven. In a word, from his dedicated friends and his confessed or hidden enemies.

Intrigue and ambition must not usurp the place that does not belong to them., nor a recognition and an honor that are not due to them. If there are Judas, they must be unmasked.

One part, which will not be the least interesting, will be that of the revelations that successively announced all the phases of this new era and the events of all kinds that accompanied them.

To those who find the task presumptuous, we will say that we will have no other merit than that of having, due to our exceptional position, documents that are not in anyone's possession, and that are sheltered from any eventualities. Considering that Spiritism is incontestably being called to play a great role in History, it is important that this role is not denatured, and that let the authentic story be shown, as opposed to the apocryphal stories which self-interest might fabricate.

When will she appear? It won't be anytime soon, and maybe not in our lifetime, as it's not meant to satisfy the curiosity of the moment. If we speak of it in advance, it is so that no one is mistaken about its purpose and our intention is noted. By the way, Spiritism is in its beginnings, and many other things will happen until then. So you have to hope that everyone has taken their place, right or wrong.” (our emphasis)

Note: It is interesting to note how it seems that Allan Kardec already knew what would happen in the future. So much opposition in the apocryphal stories and so much personal interest fabricated on the back of Spiritism... As a guarantee, he kept documents for these eventualities that every now and then are published! Let's focus on what matters most

Today we realize that this story is still in full development. We are still slowly learning the teachings that the Spirits brought during Kardec's time. May we all use Will and Imagination to achieve this understanding so supported by Reason!

Ao fazermos o estudo do livro O Céu e o Inferno (( https://mundomaior.com.br/produtos/ceu-inferno-allan-kardec-feal/#:~:text=O%20C%C3%A9u%20e%20o%20Inferno%20%C3%A9%20uma%20das%20cinco%20obras,a%20respeito%20de%20seu%20destino. )), nos chamou a atenção a Nota do Editor 149 ((

With the spiritist autonomous moral theory, prejudices, privileges, pride, selfishness, fanaticism, incredulity, typical of the old world, no longer have any meaning. Competition, which highlights the most capable, proves to be unfair, and should be replaced by cooperation that integrates all of them in solidarity. The resources of education must be invested more widely among the simpler souls, so that they participate actively in society. On this path, humanity will find happiness: “Man is in solidarity with man. It is in vain that he seeks the complement of his being, that is, happiness in himself or in what surrounds him in isolation: he can only find it in MAN or in Humanity. You therefore do nothing to be personally happy, while the unhappiness of a member of humanity, of a part of yourselves, may afflict you.”

Allan Kardec. Heaven and Hell, NE 149 (p. 368). Kindle Edition.

This note he refers to an article that is in the Spiritist Magazine of March 1867. It is one of the Spiritist Dissertations of this edition.

He is particularly interesting for emphatically showing the importance of solidarity in our humanity. In addition, there is a good reflection on the paths that lead to happiness.

We fully share with you:

SOLIDARITY

(Paris, November 26, 1866 – Medium: Mr. Sabb…)

Glory to God and peace to men of good will!
The study of Spiritism must not be in vain. For certain
frivolous men, it's a diversion; for serious men it should be
for real.

First of all, I thought about one thing. you are not on earth
to live there in the manner of animals, to vegetate in the manner of
grasses or trees. The grasses and trees have life
organic, but they do not have intelligent life, as animals do not have
the moral life. Everything lives, everything breathes in Nature, but only the
man feels and feels.

How pitiful and foolish are those who
despise to the point of comparing themselves to a blade of grass or a
elephant! Let us not confuse the genera or the species. They are not
great philosophers and great naturalists who, for example, see in
Spiritism a new edition of metempsychosis and, above all, of
an absurd metempsychosis. Metempsychosis is nothing else

but the dream of a man of imagination. One animal, one
plant produces its congener, nothing more, nothing less. What is this
be said to prevent old false ideas from being again
believed, in the shadow of Spiritism.

Man, be man; I know where you come from and to
where do you go You are the beloved son of Him who made everything and gave you a
end, a destiny that you must fulfill without knowing it at all.
You were necessary to his designs, to his glory, to his own
happiness? Useless questions, because insoluble. You are; thirst
recognized for this; but being is not everything; it must be according to
laws of the Creator, which are your own laws. released on
existence, you are both cause and effect. at least how much
at present, you cannot determine your role, nor how
cause or effect, but you can follow your laws. Well, the
The main one is this: Man is not an isolated being, he is a collective being.
Man is in solidarity with man. It is in vain that you seek the
complement of his being, that is, happiness in himself or in what
surrounds him in isolation; cannot find it except in man or in
Humanity. So you do nothing to be personally happy, as much
as to the unhappiness of a member of Humanity, on a part
of yourself, may afflict you.

But, you will say, it is morality that you teach. Now, morality is a
old commonplace. Look around you: what else is there?
ordinary, more common than the periodic succession of day and
night, what need to feed and clothe yourself? IT IS
to this that all your cares, all your
efforts. And it is necessary, as the material part of the
your being But your nature is not double, and you are no longer spirit
than body? How, then, is it more difficult for you to hear remembering the laws
moral than physical laws, which you apply at all times? if you were
less preoccupied and less distracted this repetition would not be as
necessary.

Let us not stray from our subject. Well
understood, Spiritism is, for the life of the soul, what
Material work is for the life of the body. Take care of him with this
objective and rest assured that when you have done, for your
moral improvement, half of what you do to improve your
material existence, you will have made Humanity take a great step forward.

a spirit

We’re all born. We’re all going to die.

From this truth of life comes the preoccupation of the moment of death are always recurring issues.

In this article, we do not intend to close the subject, quite the contrary! We are only bringing a very small part of this vast subject. After all, we are all going to experience this event.

The Spirits explained that not all Spirits go through the same processes. Each being is a consciousness different from the other. So, The Book of Spirits brings the following conclusions in its chapter III – Return of the Corporeal Life to the Spiritual Life:

163. Leaving the body, is the soul immediately aware of itself? – Immediate awareness is not the term: it is disturbed for some time.

164. Do all spirits experience, to the same degree and for the same time, the disturbance that follows the separation of soul and body? – No, it depends on your elevation. The one who is already purified recognizes himself almost immediately, because he detached himself from matter during his corporeal life, while the carnal man, whose conscience is not pure, retains the impression of matter for much longer.

Comment: Here it is evident that each person experiences a type of perception of death, according to what he has experienced in matter.

Now, in this question 165, Allan Kardec manages to go deeper into the nature of the disturbance, as well as better describe what the Spirits taught in their communications. Note that there is nothing with a set time. This part of the answer, in our view, is the most enlightening.

165. Knowledge of Spiritism exerts some influence on the longer duration
or less of the disturbance? – A great influence, because the Spirit understands his situation in advance: but the practice of goodness and purity of conscience are what exerts the greatest influence.

Kardec continues explaining in the same item how the Spirit experiences these first moments:

“At the moment of death, everything is confused at first; the soul needs some time to recognize itself; she feels stunned, in the same state as a man who has come out of a deep sleep and is trying to understand the situation. The lucidity of ideas and the memory of the past return, as the influence of matter fades and that kind of fog that clouds his thoughts dissipates.

The duration of the after-death disturbance is very variable: it can be from a few hours, to many months and even many years. Those in which it is shorter are those who have identified during their lifetime with their future state, because they are immediately aware of their position. “

Comment: In our emphasis, it seems that he gives a kind of advice.

“This disturbance presents particular circumstances, according to the character of the individuals and above all according to the type of death. In violent deaths, by suicide, torture, accident, apoplexy, injuries, etc., the Spirit is surprised, amazed, does not believe that he is dead and stubbornly maintains that he did not die. However, he sees his body, he knows that it is his, but he does not understand that he is separate. He seeks out the people he loves, addresses them, and doesn't understand why they don't listen to him. This illusion is maintained until the Spirit's complete detachment, and only then does it recognize its state and understand that it is no longer part of the world of the living.”

Comment: There are several reports of Spirits who attend his funeral, who do not understand why they are lying inside the coffin. They are completely lost!

“This phenomenon is easily explainable. Surprised by the unforeseen death, the Spirit is stunned by the sudden change that takes place within him. For him, death is still synonymous with destruction, annihilation; Now, how he continues to think, how he still sees and listens, don't consider yourself dead. And what increases his illusion is the fact that he sees himself in a body similar to the one he left on Earth, whose ethereal nature he has not yet had time to verify. He considers it solid and compact like the first, and when his attention is drawn to this point, he is surprised that he cannot feel it. This phenomenon is similar to that of inexperienced sleepwalkers, who do not believe they are sleeping. For them, sleep is synonymous with the suspension of faculties; Now, as they think freely and can see, they don't think they are sleeping. Some Spirits present this particularity, although death did not take them unexpectedly; but it is always more widespread among those who, despite being sick, did not think about dying. We then see the singular spectacle of a Spirit who attends his own funerals like those of a stranger, speaking about them as if about something that does not concern him, until the moment he understands the truth.”

Comment: The Spirit confuses its spiritual envelope (perispirit) with its carnal body, so that it does not realize that it no longer has a carnal body!

The disturbance that follows death is not at all painful for the good man: it is calm and in every way similar to that which accompanies a peaceful awakening. For one whose conscience is not pure it is full of anxieties and anxieties.

Comment: Once again, the clarifications of the Spirits give us the tips on how to make the moment of death so much softer!

Surprisingly, in the last paragraph of this chapter, Kardec says clearly about the collective disincarnations that occurred in accidents or catastrophes!

“In cases of collective death, it has been observed that all those who perish at the same time do not always see each other immediately. In the turmoil that follows death, each one goes his own way or only concerns himself with those who interest him.”

Kardec, The Spirits' Book, item 165

Comment: Dying at the same time in the same accident doesn't mean much after disincarnation! Everyone pursues their interests.

We do not intend to close the matter! After all, from what you've read so far, it's not conclusive, because each one has its particularities! Throughout Kardec's coding there are many descriptions of that moment and more explanations that the Spirits brought.

But one thing we will never escape: the moment of death.