ENCOUNTER

THE 5TH SPANISH SPIRITIST CONFERENCE
Carlos Iglesia (Brazil)

The 5th Spiritist Conference of Spain was realized on December 5-8 1997.  Since the first conference in 1992 at Madrid - which was in fact a world conference, all the following ones in Spain were national encounters -this event has been yearly organized by a group of Spanish spiritists under the leading of the FEE, the Spanish Spiritist Federation. According to Santiago G. Mateu, FEE current president, the regularity of the conference is an important factor for the national Spiritist movement in Spain. One can easily understand that with this regular opportunity people can exchange knowledge and ideas and thus make their union stronger.

The 5th conference was organized by the ``Centro de Estudios Espirita Allan Kardec'' from Malaga and took place at the Cervantes Hotel, Torremolinos, a touristic resort of Costa del Sol just 15 minutes from Malaga. As a foreigner participant - a spectator intending to better know the Spanish Spiritist movement - I was really surprised with the event organization. Groups from virtually all parts of the country participated in the meeting with exception of a few from the northern regions due to the
recent snowstorms.

The 200 participants represented small and recently created groups  and distinguished themselves by their enthusiasm and dedication to the doctrine study. This was easily seen in the level of the presented seminars and debates (which I hope will be posted on the FEE web page).  I also watched a  public FEE assembly realized on the nigh of December 5. During this meeting one concluded that the Spanish federation has been successful in uniting regional groups around common interests of the doctrine, completely tuned to the work of the International Spiritist Counsel. Since there  is no time nor space to reproduce each of the seminars I limit myself to give a short list of the titles:

``Justicia Divina''
by Juan Jose Torres
C. E. A Camino de La Luz, Manzanares

``Espiritismo e Sancion''
by Jose Manuel Garcoa Moscoso
C.E.M.E.L, Madrid

``El Mensaje Cristico de Jesus''
by Juan Antonio Torrijo
Associacion Espirita de Valencia, Valencia

``La Vida en el Mundo Espiritual''
by Miguel de Jesus Sardano, Brazil

``Fuera de La Caridad no hay Salvacion''
by Jose Aniorte
C. E. Amor Fraterno, Acazar de San Juan

``Evangelio y Espiritismo''
by Rogerio Coelho Brazil

``La Obsession entre encarnados''
Centro Joanna de Angelis, Reus

``Pruebas de la Providencia Divina, Leonardo da Vinci''
by Teresa Vazques

``Los Obreros de la Ultima Hora''
by Mercedes Garcia de la Torre
Fraternidade Espirita Jose Grosso, Cordoba

``La Divina Justicia de la Reencarnacion''
by Juan Miguel Fernandez
Associacion de Estudios Espiritas de Madrid

``Dios y la Creacion''
by Esteban Zaragoza
Centro de Estudio Espirita Allan Kardec, Malaga

``Consolidacion del Espiritismo en el Mundo''
by Rafael Gonzalez Molina, CE y DE, Madrid

``Los trabajos mediumnicos en el Centro Espirita''
by Santiago Gene Mateu
Centro Joanna de Angelis, Reus

There was a vivid interest in the internet and its use for the Spiritist divulgence worldwide. Our friend Johnny M. Moix, the  FEE web master, demonstrated the use of the web using a computer. He also explained the benefits of this new communication system. I believe there will be an increase in the number of Spiritist pages and spiritists connected to the Internet in Spain as a result of the increasing interest in the subject raised by the conference.

One of the topics worth mentioning covered by the conference was the help to the Spiritist movement in Cuba. Spiritism has recently reappeared in Cuba and, in spite of all material difficulties, it has grown up surprisingly. There has been immense efforts toward the study of the doctrine and groups have been formed throughout the isle. One of the major troubles is the uncontrolled mediumistic practice as a consequence of the religious influence of African cultures brought by the slaves. As a result people misunderstand the communication between the material and spirit worlds. The FEE vice-president and president of the ``Centro de Estudios Espirita Allan Kardec'', Isabel C. Gonzalez will return to Cuba in the beginning of 1998 with material help and books.

For those unaware of the Spiritist history, it may be difficult to realize the enormous importance of such event and the responsibility of its participants. This importance is considerable  in face of the old efforts to make Spiritism known in Spain, of the works of outstanding personalities like Amalia Domingos Soler, Miguel Vives y Vives and many others and in face of the brutal civil war and following repression which virtually banned Spiritism from the Spanish lands.

Such is the responsibility of the new groups brought together  at this 5th conference. I really believe they are already well formed and hope that in the next meeting at Manzanares (Ciudad Real) they will be even more united and numerous than now.

 FIRST GEAE MEETING

The first GEAE meeting is coming up!

We have just started the planning of the first (98) GEAE meeting to take place at Sao Paulo, Brazil. If you want to take part in the arrangements for the event, just write us...

The GEAR Editors

ELECTRONIC LECTURES ON MAGNETIC PASS (*)
Marcello Abreu

In the GEAE report 264, VI year, Fernanda Nunes asked for pictures showing magnetic pass application. I would like to know her e-mail address for me to send her these pictures. Moreover, there is a specific web page

http://www.svn.com.br/mansao (Divaldo's page - in portuguese)

containing lectures on magnetic pass and such pictures which she should know.

Trans. note:
(*) Magnetic pass: the process of imposing hands over a persons body  in order to heal (in the case of healing mediums) or calm him down (in the majority of the cases). Magnetic pass is also named `spiritual healing' by some people.

ON THE DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE
Rodrigo Farias

I was talking to a catholic about reincarnation in a new group list  when he presented me an original objection: Nowadays scientist talk about a possible future death of the Universe either through termic cooling or a contraction (*) which would mean the end of all material world. If such death is confirmed, how one can understand reincarnation? I accept that the spirit world would remain but creation never stops and there would be many beings in need for reincarnation. What would then be their state?

(*)Trans. note: The so called ``big crunch''. In spite of the claim for the validity of the argument, that is, of how one can understand the requirement of reincarnation in face of a possible death of the Universe and so discontinuity of the material world, there is no doubt that the argument is extremely weak. One can not affirm the possibility of a `` big crunch '' (which seems will always remain as a subtle speculation). However, science has some crude indications of a initial explosion (the ``big bang''), so that one can be almost sure by the available experimental data that the Universe had a  beginning - which is in accordance with the spirit teaching - but on idea where it is going.

Interesting enough, the idea of a big crunch is closely related to some Indian myths about the creation and destiny of the Universe [see, for instance, ``Cosmos'' by C. Sagan] which describe several lives for the Universe, a constantly expanding and contracting world. Can one then speak about the Universe reincarnation?

The message of the cross has been bitter since all the times.

An initially incomprehensible and displeasing voice descended from the calvary to the world.

In the Master's martyrdom all arguments of a superficially absolute negation were resumed.

Complete abandonment of the most beloved ones.

Distressing thirst.

Fatal capitulation.

Spontaneous pardoning expressing total humiliation.

Sarcasm and ridiculousness between thieves.

Defeat with no defense.

Injurious death.

However, Christ profits by the seeming failure to teach the way of eternal resurrection, showing that the ``self'' will never approach God without improvement and self sublimation.

Even today the message of the cross is madness for those who endlessly remain within the circles of spiritually low reincarnations.

Such creatures only want to conspire with the death, killing the nicest blossoming of the feeling.

They dominate many, but are incapable of self control.

They accumulate treasures that imprudence spreads away and weave dark threads of stubborn passions on which they countless fall like the spider attached to its own web.

Let us repeat the message of the cross to the brother or sister who drown in the flesh and they will consider us crazy.

But all of us who are being rescued from deeper falls through the notice of a renewing faith are informed that, during the most bitter testimonies, the disciple approaches the Master as the Master ascended to the Father through the hidden glory of crucifixion.