Advanced
Study Group of Spiritism
http://www.geae.inf.br/
Founded
on October 15th 1992
The
Spiritist Messenger - Monthly Electronic Report of the
GEAE Group
GEAE
8th year - Number 40 - distributed: July 2003
"Unshakable
faith is only that which can face reason face to face in every
Humankind epoch."
Allan Kardec
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- Presenting
our new colaborator
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- SPIRITISM
: AMERICAN STYLE
Yvonne Limoges, SSF, Florida, US
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- Congress
Medinesp 2003, São Paulo, Brazil
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- In Preparation
(Emmanuel)
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The man whose acquaintance with the world does not lead him deeper than
science leads him, will never understand what it is that the man with the
spiritual vision finds in these natural phenomena. The water does not merely
cleanse his limbs, but it purifies his heart; for it touches his soul. The
earth does not merely hold his body, but it gladdens his mind; for its contact
is more than physical contact, it is a living presence. When a man does not
realise his kinship with the world, he lives in a prison-house whose walls
are alien to him When he meets the eternal spirit in all objects, then is
he emancipated, for then he discovers the fullest significance of the world
into which he is born; then he finds himself in perfect truth, and his harmony
with the All is established.
PRESENTING OUR NEW
COLABORATOR
Dear Friends,
We are glad to introduce our new collaborator, Renato Costa, who will from
now on work together with Ademir Xavier Jr. on the edition of the Spiritist
Messenger as well as on updating the English version of GEAE’s homepage.
Renato is a 48-year-old married engineer who has three children. He lives
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and works as an Assistant Manager for a large
Brazilian Company. He is a medium, and the Web designer for IEJA - Joanna de Ângelis Spiritist Institution
(of which he is an active member) and also manages a discussion board on Yahoo!
where he spreads the teachings of the Spiritist Doctrine throughout the world.
He also has a special interest for languages. He has studied English since
he was nine years old and at the age of fifteen he received the University
of Cambridge’s Certificate of Proficiency in English. He also speaks French
and Spanish. He writes articles in Portuguese and English, which are published
in the “RIE - Revista Internacional de Espiritismo.”, a monthly spiritist
magazine from São Paulo, Brazil, which was founded in 1925 by one
of our spiritist pioneers, Cairbar Schutel.
The members of the Editorial Council of GEAE would like to give a warm
welcome to Renato Costa and we are absolutely convinced that he will aid
in our humble efforts towards the development of a fraternal media for the
study and dissemination of the Spiritist Doctrine, which we hope will help
many people throughout the world in need of higher knowledge regarding the
phenomena of life and its true meaning.
Much peace,
GEAE Editors
SPIRITISM - AMERICAN STYLE
Book Review on Reaching To Heaven
written by James Van Praagh
“Only one sure guarantee exists for spirit teachings:
This is the concordance that exists between revelations which have been
received spontaneously by a large number of mediums not known to each other
and located in different places.”
Statement above taken from The Gospel According to Spiritism
by Allan Kardec, in the Introduction regarding The Authority Behind the
Spiritist Doctrine and The Universal Control of the Spirit Teachings, in
the English edition translated by Janet Duncan.
Throughout history, God has permitted that spiritual truths are given to
mankind by way of intermediaries who transmit information to us on earth,
from the spiritual world to the material world, and these intermediaries
are called mediums. They have come at different times and have been born
in different places, so as to tailor their message in the language, manner,
and approach so that those around them can more clearly comprehend the messages
they convey regarding spiritual truths and realities. These “mediums” are
the bridge between the material and spiritual world. The founders of all
the world’s religions were mediums; the sibyls, oracles, necromancers and
prophets of ancient times were also mediums. American Indian and aboriginal
cultures had, and still have, their shamans and medicine men who are, and
were mediums. Starting with Swedenborg and continuing through the 1800’s
and on to the present, there has also been an outpouring of spirit messages
to the material world The faculty of mediumship has always been with
mankind, among regular people and more famous ones, up unto the present day.
Currently, popular mediums appear on television on Larry King Live and daytime
talk shows like Oprah and Montel Williams.
But the messages of all mediums must be analyzed and our intelligence,
experience, and reason must be used to determine the rationality of what
they are transmitting from the spirit world. Spirits in the spirit world
are at all levels of intellectual, moral, and spiritual development, just
as people are; for they are the very same beings, except some are in the
material world and some are in the spiritual world.
As a student of the Spiritist Doctrine, I believe that today in America
there is one popular medium who comes closest to expressing the same spiritual
truths which were transmitted by the spirit world to Professor Allan
Kardec back in the 1850’s and that medium is James Van Praagh, especially
in his book entitled Reaching to Heaven - A Spiritual Journey through
Life and Death published in 1999. It comes as no surprise that he
lists The Mediums Book by Allan Kardec in its bibliography. Now there are
a few sections in the book which may seem very elemental for Spiritists but
the majority of the material, I believe, for America at this time in history,
carries a more clearer message of the more complex spiritual truths to those
who so desperately need it in this country.
There are others who are also spreading spiritual truths such as John Edwards,
Sylvia Brown, George Anderson, and Rosemary Althea, being the main ones who
have had the most impact on the American public. Although their work is very
incomplete by Spiritist standards, this work also has a profitable purpose
because we are not all at the same level in our ability to comprehend spiritual
realities. But all these mediums help to bring to the forefront the ideas
that: we each have a soul and that there can be communication between us on
earth and the spirit world through the intermediary of a person called a
medium. They provide consolation regarding their deceased loved ones to those
left behind here in the material world and they provide hope by providing
proof of an afterlife and that death is not the end of us. They express the
idea that material life has a Divine purpose and the practice of love is paramount.
But I believe, Van Praagh in his book Reaching to Heaven,
goes more into detail regarding the specific nature of spiritual truths and
he brings the most concise and clearest view to the American public of the
science and religious philosophy behind spirit communications. These
views, these principles, these spiritual truths are generally in accordance
with the Spiritist Doctrine. Coincidence? I think not. Although some of the
jargon and terminologies he uses may be different from what Spiritists use
(but which enables him to better communicate with his target audience) the
ideas he expresses are basically the same as Spiritism.
In Reaching To Heaven, he encourages people to become more
in tune with their spiritual natures; he states we have a soul, that it never
dies, and that we should not fear death because it is only a transition.
He states that we have spirit guides who help us while we are in the material
world. He discusses what Spiritists call the perispirit and some of its
properties and explains that the physical brain is not the source of ideas,
but our soul is. He explains that our thoughts have consequences, whether
they be positive or negative. He explains the law of “like attracts like”
and teaches the law of reincarnation, karma, and personal responsibility.
He discusses the impact on us of the fluids of spirit entities, calling it
a “mental atmosphere” wherein we are affected by “the thoughts and feelings”
of those in the spirit world. He calls “death - our way home,” as he wants
people to realize that is where we come from and that is where we will return
to. He agrees we basically “die every night” when we sleep. He explains
the power of prayer and especially that prayer is very beneficial to those
in the spirit world. He discusses what we Spiritists call “collective expiation”
calling it “group death” and explains what it is, according to the laws
of cause and effect, expiation, and reparation. He discusses those spirits
who are troubled and cannot detach themselves from the earth plane to move
on. He explains that our concept of time stops in the spirit world and that
when we return to it, spirits do not automatically understand “all the mysteries
of the universe” and that we are at all different levels of spiritual, moral,
and intellectual development.
He explains, that when our spirit returns to the spirit world, the condition
we are in is based on “a precise reflection of its life achievements and/or
transgressions while on earth.” This a very important concept because
it tells people that when one returns to the spirit world, things are not
always going to be happy and wonderful. Spiritists know this full well. Van
Praagh also states we reap what we sow, and he discusses what awaits those
poor spirits who persist in malicious and evil tendencies which is very similar
to what is described by the spirits in Kardec’s book, Heaven and Hell.
In Kardec’s book The Gospel According to Spiritism, at the
end of Chapter 14, a spirit states, “Of all the trials that exist, the hardest
to bear are those which affect the heart.” In James Van Praagh’s book
Reaching To Heaven, in Part Two, The Spirit
Speaks, he states “Though there are myriad tests a soul must go
through on this earth, the lessons of the heart are probably the most challenging.”
It is in this section of Van Praagh’s book, wherein he provides the moral
and philosophical implications of spiritual science, which is represented
through spirit communications supplying moral and spiritual lessons involving
guilt, fear, forgiveness, and love.
Van Praagh states that the soul’s travel towards perfection
is painful but if we realize “what awaits us at the end of our journeys
is worth all the agonizing and arduous steps that we have to take, we would
gladly forge ahead.” Isn’t this what Spiritism teaches us? Yes, because
we know the purpose of material life and it is my opinion that this medium
has done an excellent job in explaining to those who are unfamiliar with “Spiritism”
the same spiritual science as set forth by the superior spirits to Allan
Kardec. The “body of information” that is being supplied in Van Praagh’s
book may not have a name (what we call Spiritism) but, the similar and important
ideas and information have obviously been permitted to be relayed through
mediumship inspiration, with permission by God and the superior spirits,
because the time has come for it to get out with more momentum and clarity
in the new lingua franca of the world, American English.
As written in Kardec’s book, The Gospel According
to Spiritism, are not the similarities in the spirit messages
one of the proofs discussed of the authority, concordance, and the universal
control behind spirit teachings? I believe so.
Yvonne Limoges
The Spiritist Society of Florida
The Advanced Study Group of Spiritism
Congress MEDINESP 2003 - Organized
by AME-BR
June 18 - 21, 2003 Anhembi Convention Center, S. Paulo, Brazil
The main purpose of the Brazilian Medical Spiritist Association - AME-Br
is to promote the study of the Spiritist Doctrine, as established in the nineteen
century by French philosopher and educator Allan Kardec, and its phenomena
especially with regard to their relation, integration, and links with the
areas of Philosophy, Religion, and Science, in particular with the Medical
Sciences. To reach this objective, AME-Br is involved in carrying out
events, studies and experiments to demonstrate the relationship that exists
between each of these areas and the fundamentals of the Spiritist Doctrine.
Every two years AME-Br organizes a national congress for the medical spiritist
community of Brazil, which has also been attended by medical doctors of many
Latin American countries and to which speakers from Europe and North America
have been invited. Attendance to MEDINESP congresses has oscillated
between 600 and 1000 participants. The theme of this year congress MEDINESP
2003, which will be held jointly with the II Congress of the International
Medical Spiritist Association - AME-International, is “Science and Spirituality:
Complementarity and Integration.” As the theme implies, the objective
of the congress is to discuss the many common and complementary aspects that
have been identified in recent years between the modern concepts of Medicine
and Health Care and the scientific, moral and religious teachings of the Spiritist
Doctrine. In addition to Brazilian speakers, around 40 of them, four
foreign scientists have already agreed to deliver plenary conferences, namely
Dr. Harold Koenig (USA), Dr. Peter Fenwick (UK), Dr. Amit Goswami (USA) and
Dr. Uma Krishnamurthy (India).
Additional information on MEDINESP 2003 can be found in the AME-BR web page:
www.amebrasil.org.br.
IN PREPARATION
"I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts. I will
be their God, and they will be my people."
Paul, Hebrews, 8:10
We will translate the Gospel
In all languages
In all cultures
Exalting its magnificence
Emphasizing its sublimity
Spreading its poetry
Commenting on its truth
Interpreting its lessons
Impressing it upon our reasoning
Perfecting our hearts
Reforming our intelligence
Renovating laws
Improving customs
And illuminating pathways.
But the time will come
When the Glad Tidings will need to be imprinted within ourselves
In the intimacy of our minds
in the innermost depths of the heart
Through words and actions
Principles and ideals,
Aspirations and hopes,
Gestures and thoughts.
Because, verily,
If Heaven allows us to disseminate its Divine Message to the world,
One day we will be required to convert ourselves
Into the living examples of the Gospel on Earth.
Emmanuel
("Our daily bread", tranls. by Jussara Korngold and Maria Levinson,
Spiritist Alliance for Books)
THE ASTRAL CITY
A STORY OF A DOCTOR'S
ODYSSEY IN THE SPIRIT WORLD
By Andre Luiz, through
Francisco C. Xavier
(Translated from the
25th Portuguese edition entitled "Nosso Lar". First Portuguese edition published
in 1944 by Federação Espírita Brasileira, Rio de Janeiro,
RJ, Brazil.)
Chapter 27 WORK AT LAST
Never could I have pictured the scene now before my eyes. It was neither
hospital nor a conventional nursing home, but a series of vast inter-communicating
wards crowded with carcass-like human forms. A strange clamoring filled the
air - groans, sobs and plaintive phrases uttered at random. Ghastly
faces, bony hands and monstrous bore witness to their terrible spiritual misery.
So upsetting were my first impressions that I had to resort to prayer to
keep my strength. Tobias called an old nurse:
"There are so few assistants today." He asked, surprised, "What has happened?'
"Minister Flacus sent word that most of them were to accompany the Samaritans
[7] on their rounds in the regions of the Lower Zone."
"Well, the," Tobias decided calmly, "We must fill the gaps. There is no
time to waste."
"Brother Tobias, Brother Tobias! Have mercy." Cried out an old man, clutching
the bed and gesticulating like a madman, "I am suffocating! This is a thousand
times worse than death on Earth. Help! I want to leave this place, to get
out.... I must have air, more air!"
Tobias approached and examined him carefully, and inquired:
"Why is Ribeiro so much worse?"
"He was had one of his worst crises." Informed the nurse, "Assistant Gonçalves
attributes it chiefly to the heavy charge of dense thoughts emitted by his
incarnate relations. As he is still very weak and lacks the mental strength
to break away from his Earthly ties, the poor creature has not been
able to resist their influence."
While Tobias gently stroked the patient's forehead, the nurse continued:
"Early this morning, he rushed out of the ward, crying loudly that he was
needed at home; that he couldn't forget his wife and children; that it was
cruel to keep him here away from them. Lawrence and Hermes tried in vain to
bring him back to bed. Therefore, I thought that it would be in his best interests
to take away his energy and mobility, which I did by applying some prostrating
magnetic passes to him."
"You did well," agreed Tobias thought fully, "I will see that measures
are taken against the influence of his family's attitude. They must be given
a greater share of worries so that they may leave Ribeiro in peace."
I looked intensely at the patient, trying to determine his emotional state.
He wore the typical expression of the mentally deranged and seemed utterly
unconscious of what was being said about him. He called Tobias automatically,
as do children who know their benefactor. My new instructor, noting my amazement,
explained:
"The poor thing is still in a nightmarish phase, during which the soul
is wrapped up in its own afflictions, with little perception of anything else.
Man, my friend, reaps exactly what he has sown. Our poor Ribeiro has been
a prey to numerous illusions."
I wanted to ask about his history and the source of his sufferings, but
remembering Laura's advice on curiosity, I kept my peace. Tobias addressed
the patient with kind words of encouragement and hope, and promised he would
see to the means of improving his condition, that for his own good he should
calm down and take his confinement in bed patiently. Ribeiro, trembling pitiably
and ghastly pale, smiled sadly and thanked him with tears in his eyes.
We walked slowly along, between numerous rows of well-kept beds. Unwholesome
exhalations filled the place, caused, I later learned, by the mental emanations
of those who were still under the painful impression of physical death, or
dominated by the low vibrations of inferior thoughts. "These wards are used
exclusively for male entities."
"Tobias, Tobias, I am parched and starving!" shouted a patient.
"Help me, brother!" yelled another.
"For the love of God, I can't stand this any longer!" cried out a third.
My heart was heavy before so much suffering, and I could not help asking:
"My friend, how sad it is to see all these sufferings and tormented spirits.
Why must there exist such a dismal place?"
Tobias replied with perfect composure:
"In observing this scene, you must try to see beyond the pain and isolation.
Remember, brother, that these patients have already left the Lower Zones,
where so many pitfalls lie in wait for those who have heedlessly neglected
their spirit selves. In these chambers patients are not only cared for, they
are also prepared for their future redemption. We must bear in mind that their
suffering is of their own doing. Man's life is always centered wherever his
heart is."
And, after a pause during which he seemed deaf to the clamoring around
us, he added:
"They are smugglers of eternal life."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"They expected mere earthly acquisitions to have the same value in the
Spirit spheres. They believed that criminal pleasures, the power of money,
infringement of the law and the imposition of self would cross the frontiers
of the sepulcher and still be in force here, offering them new opportunities
for further follies. They were thoughtless businessmen who forgot to exchange
their material acquisitions for spiritual currency. When in the flesh, they
travel to a foreign city, they always took care to provide themselves with
the currency of the country which they visit. Yet, while certain of the inevitability
of the final trip to the spiritual regions, they neglected to acquire spiritual
values. Thus the millionaire of the physical sphere becomes the spiritual
pauper."
How true! Tobias' words could not have been more logical. After distributing
comfort and hope, he leaded me to the next ward. Narcisa, the nurse, followed
us and deferentially opened the door.
As I entered, I nearly staggered with heart-sickening surprise. It was
a chamber of vast proportions where thirty-two men, with sinister countenances,
lay quite still on very low beds. Their almost unnoticeable breath was the
only sign of life they presented.
"These unhappy entities are in a sleep much heavier than that of most of
our ignorant brothers. We call them the negative believers, for instead of
accepting the Lord, they were unconditional slaves of self; instead of believing
in life, action and work, they admitted only the victory of crime, immobility
and eternal nothing. They transformed their earthly experience into the constant
preparation for a long slumber; and as they had no notion of good, of brotherly
cooperation, there is nothing left for them now but to sleep on for years
and years as helpless victims of ghastly nightmares."
I was horrified at these explanations and stared at Tobias, who began to
carefully apply strengthening passes on the patients. When the treatment on
the first two was over, they both began vomiting a black substance, a dark
and viscous matter with cadaverous emanations.
"They are expelling poisonous fluids." Explained Tobias calmly.
Narcisa was doing her best to keep up with the cleaning, but in vain; for
by this time a great number of them had begun expelling the same dark and
fetid matter. It was then that I instinctively got hold of the cleaning implements
and set myself to work. The nurse seemed thankful for my help, and Tobias
threw me a glance that well expressed his satisfaction and gratitude.
The work continued throughout the day, bringing with it a blessed fatigue.
No friend in the physical world could possibly appreciate the sublime joy
of the physician recommencing his self-education from the humblest of nursing
tasks.
7 - Organization of spirit benefactors in the Astral City (A note by the
spirit author.)
Chapter 28 ON DUTY
After the collective prayer in the evening, Tobias turned on the receiver
to listen to the Samaritans at work in the Lower Zones. I learned that the
patrols of workers on such missions communicated with their headquarters at
set hours. I felt somewhat tired from my strenuous efforts, but my heart was
singing with joy. At last I had work to do and was experiencing the mysteriously
invigorating tonic of service. A few minutes after the set had been tuned
in, I heard a strange voice:
"Samaritans to the Ministry of Regenerations… Samaritans to the Ministry
of Regeneration…Heavy labor in the abysses of darkness. We have succeeded
in dislodging a great number of unfortunate entities and have rescued twenty-nine
brothers from spirit shadows. Twenty-two are mentally deranged and seven in
utter psychic exhaustion. Our patrols are preparing transportation. Will arrive
soon after midnight. Please see to the necessary arrangements."
I noticed that Narcisa and Tobias exchanged significant glances, and when
the broadcast ended I asked:
"What do they mean? Why this collective transportation? Aren't they all
spirits?"
Tobias smiled and replied"
"You forget, brother, that you yourself arrived at the Ministry of Assistance
in such a manner. I know all about your coming. We must bear in mind that
in the Lower Zone, just as on Earth, we are clothed in heavy fluids. The ostrich
and the swallow are both birds and have wings, yet the former can't rise
into the air unless transported, whereas the latter will rise to the sky
in swift flight."
As if to make it known that there was no time for digressions, he turned
to Narcisa and said:
"Tonight's group is a large one. We must take immediate measures."
"We will need more beds!" She exclaimed somewhat anxiously.
"Don't worry," answered Tobias resolutely, "the mentally deranged patients
will be lodged in Pavilion Seven and the weak ones in Ward Thirty-three."
Raising his right hand to his forehead as if trying to make an important
decision, he remarked:
"The problem of lodging will be easily settled; but the ones concerning
assistance won't be so quickly solved. Because of the dark clouds obscuring
the world of the incarnate, our strongest workers have been detailed to reinforce
the services of the Ministry of Communication. We need helpers for night
duty, because those working with the Samaritans will return extremely tired."
"I would be happy to lend a hand to the best of my ability," I exclaimed
spontaneously.
Tobias gave me a look of appreciative gratitude which filled my heart with
gladness.
"But have you really made up your mind to stay in the Chambers during the
night?" he asked, surprised.
"Aren't others doing the same?" I inquired in turn, "I am feeling strong
and fit, and must make up for lost time."
My new friend patted me on the back, saying:
"Well then, I accept your cooperation. Narcisa and the others will also
stay on duty. Moreover, I'll send you Venantius and Salustius, two of our
most dependable brothers. I myself can't remain here tonight, because of
a previous engagement, but I will leave a careful plan of the work to be
done. If anything unexpected should turn up, you or any of the assistants
can get in touch with me."
We all set about making the most urgent arrangements. While Narcisa, aided
by five attendants, prepared the linen and nursing equipment, Tobias and I
moved heavy pieces of furniture into Pavilion Seven and Wart Thirty-three.
I would be at loss to explain what was happening to me. Although physically
tired, I felt exultantly happy.
In the office or workshop, where most are anxious to undertake their tasks
to the best of their ability, to serve is the highest privilege, In truth,
the hour-bonus and any other immediate reward I might gain for my efforts
was far from my mind. Yet I was deeply satisfied at the thought that in my
new position as a humble but worthy worker, I would no longer be ashamed to
face my mother or my benefactors in the Ministry of Assistance. On leaving,
Tobias again embraced me, saying:
"May the peace of Jesus abide with you all. I wish you a good night of profitable
work. Tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. you may rest. In ordinary times, twelve
hours of work is the most we may put in, but these are unusual circumstances."
I replied that I was extremely content with his decision. Later, along with
a great number of nurses and attendants, I began to take a more kindly interest
in the patients. Among my co-workers, Narcisa, with her spontaneous kindness
and maternal solicitude, greatly impressed me. I was attracted by her generosity
and tried to come into closer contact with her. It was easy, and I soon found
myself enjoying the pleasure of her simple but edifying conversation. The
dear old woman was like a living book whose every page breathed devotion and
wisdom.
"But sister, have you been working here for long?" I inquired after a few
minutes of friendly conversation.
"Yes, I have been in active service in the Chambers of Rectification for
six years and a few months, and must continue here for over three more years
being able to fulfill my purpose."
At my questioning look, she continued:
"I need a serious endorsement."
"Endorsement? What do you mean?" I asked, interested.
"You see, I must meet some beloved spirits who are reincarnated on the Earth,
so that together we may work out our advancement. Because of my past errors,
I begged for a long time in vain for the opportunity to carry out my plans.
I was living in an anxious and perturbed condition. One day I was advised
to speak with Minister Veneranda. She agreed to endorse my plans, on the condition
that I work here for ten years to correct certain unbalanced emotional attitudes.
I considered the imposition too hard at first, and felt like refusing, but
I gradually realized that she was right. After all, that corrective measure
was meant to benefit me, not her. I can't tell you how much I ha profited
by having accepted Veneranda's advice. I feel more balanced and understanding
now and I believe I shall live my next experience on the physical sphere with
spiritual dignity."
I was about to express my astonishment, when a patient near us called out:
"Narcisa, Narcisa!"
I had no right to keep that devoted sister from her duties just to satisfy
my curiosity.
Next chapters: 29 & 30.