| Year 14 | Number 76 | 2006 | July 15th, 2006 |
| "Unshakable
faith is only that which can face reason face to
face in every Humankind epoch." Allan Kardec |
|
"The
most
important lesson
that man can learn from his life is not that there is
pain in
this
world, but that it depends upon him to turn it into good account, that
it is
possible for him to transmute it into joy... Man´s freedom is
never in being
saved from troubles, but it is in the freedom to take troubles for his
own
good, to make the trouble an element in his joy... that in pain is
symbolized
the infinite possibility of perfection, the eternal unfolding of joy."
Selected Quotations of RABINDRANATH TAGORE. Compilation
by Alan Smolowe http://www.schoolofwisdom.com/tagorequotes.html |
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| °
EDITORIAL
|
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| The importance of Study | |||
| ° ARTICLES
|
|||
| On Skepticism |
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| ° THE CODIFICATION
|
|||
| THE GOSPEL
ACCORDING
TO SPIRITISM - CHAPTER VII -The mysteries are hidden from learned and
prudent |
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| ° ELECTRONIC BOOKS | |||
| CHRISTIANITY AND SPIRITUALISM BY LEON DENIS | |||
| ° SPIRIT MESSAGES | |||
| Poor
Children Setting Priorities |
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|
|||
| A
campaign to
understand skepticism Spiritism and Spiritualism come close together again First United States Spiritist Medical Congress Dr. Alexander Moreira-Almeida Presents a Perspectives Lecture on Brazilian Spiritism |
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| GEAE's Virtual Meetings |
| ° EDITORIAL |
In normal life, children receive proper education to prepare them not only to understand the world around them, but also to make them good citizens, to allow them to give their contributions to the construction of a better society. In a child´s life, education is like a continuous ladder that leads to happiness and a stable life. Though education will not save her from any troubles in the future, it is expected to prepare the individual to face the problems with courage and determination. A good education is thought to fulfill Tagore´s statement above (see "Quotes"), allowing the individual to transform his/her problems into joy, to continually accept life's troubles as opportunities of new edification.
Now
all serious Spiritualists and Spiritists know the importance of a good
spiritual education. One talks here about the education of people in
understanding his/her future life, the outcome of our struggles here on
Earth,
the continuous evolution of the human soul toward perfection, the
necessity of
a good relationship with our neighbors on the basis of the fraternal
love that
unites all us.
All
people, quite
independently of their creeds, look for a better world, all of them
dream of a
more equitable society, a world in which the human soul would have an
opportunity
of development and realization. However, very few truly understand that
this is
a very slow achievement, that it strongly depends on the cultivation of
good
habits and that proper spiritual education can improve the process. We
talk
here about education of the individual within the context of the
Spiritualist
creeds complemented by well understood Universal notions about
love and
compassion. In this scenario, the spiritualist notion of a
soul´s
progress plays an important rule.
Today,
the
modern world is
incapable of providing a lucid view of the future life, of what is
expected
of us beyond the material world. A future life is ruled out
because it is
thought to be non-existent. But we know that life continues and that we
will be
called to explain and justify our actions and that, most important of
all, that
our happiness is a direct product of our efforts today toward the good.
People speak about a hopeless world, without realizing that
God
every day
renews the opportunity to start a new world through spiritual
education.
Skepticism feeds itself from people ignorance in the spiritual realm.
Study is
the remedy to counteract strict skepticism in the field of spirit and
improve
the world.
Therefore,
all Spiritists and
Spiritualists should care about the role of
spiritual education in
their
lives. To give the children the opportunity to distinguish the good
from the
evil, what is right from what is wrong from the point of view of
Spiritualist
conceptions is actually to improve the society far beyond the level of
common
knowledge – where negation and skepticism abide – because
we are teaching the little ones the reason for their
becoming good people. Therefore, they will act according to the good
not because
somebody told them to do that, but because they know that the good is
the right
path of their future lives . That distinguishes Spiritualist religion
from
other creeds: the importance of reason in the justification of our
beliefs. Let
us therefore not waste the opportunity of good studies as the most
powerful
weapon that God concedes us to struggle for our happiness now and in
the future
life.
Much peace,
The GEAE Editors
| ° ARTICLES |
By Ademir Xavier
Do
not be
deceived: Skepticism is a
system of faith like any other belief.
But
before
discussing its
principles, one must distinguish between Skepticism
- the belief - and skepticism,
a
practical
position in our life that tells us not to believe blindly in whatever
proposition or fact which is against commonsense or facts of everyday
life. The
late form is benign, supporting our life. Skepticism, however, is a
doctrine of
thought which absolutely denies facts that are not in accordance to
certain
beliefs, i. e., those
accepted by
“Skeptical believers”.
The
name
“skeptical believer”
emphasizes the often hidden “faith” aspect beyond
pure doubt and
questioning
which is so praised by the most reluctant skeptics.
Does
Science
endorse Skepticism?
The answer
to this question seems
pretty obvious to many Skeptical believers, but it is in fact not so
simple.
Scientists are seen as rigorous personalities; their propositions,
because supposedly
based on rigorous testing, cannot be denied. As a consequence,
Skeptical
believers require the highest level of proofs for external claims that
are not
in accordance with theirs.
In
fact,
Skepticism as a system of
faith goes side by side with Scientificism, another
belief for
which
anything to have status of truth, must be rigorously proved beyond any
doubt
through the methods of science.
Science
does
not endorse skepticism.
If it had
done so, it
would have never reached the level that we see today. However, Science
do
possess a kind of internal “heuristic” - a
principle - which prohibits,
to a
certain level - scientist to modify the core principles of their
science. Some
scientists recognize this heuristic principle and call it skepticism,
but this
is a mistake. Moreover, even such negative heuristic should be
abandoned
eventually when an internal crisis leads to a scientific revolution.
During
such fulgent moments, old structures are substituted by new ones that
are often
in contradiction with past beliefs.
Many Skeptical believers are so short minded because they fail to understand the historic process of Science, they tend to think about Science as something ready, that never underwent any previous modification. They cannot accept any modification of the core principles. As scientists, certainly they are not the ones who are going to take the first step toward a revolution in Science.
Our
proposition about Skepticism as
a system of faith finds support if we observe that there are many kinds
of
Skeptical believers:
- ·
Skeptical
scientificists: faith is based on the believed
truthfulness of Science. They believe on rigorous scientific methods,
laboratory experiments, the need of “repeatibility”
as they say;
- ·
Skeptical
by religion:
their religious system of faith prohibits them to go further.
There
is
always a system of faith
behind any skeptical position. In fact, for everything that we do in
our life,
there is always a belief involved. When you go walking, you do believe
that
your legs will support you and that you are not going to be struck by a
car or
meteorite - you know that there is surely a non zero probability for
these
facts to occur, but they should be neglected to some extent, otherwise
you
could never leave your home. There are two ways to understand this
situation:
either you´re constrained to believe that nothing will happen
to
you while
walking around or you must be skeptical enough, despising the
statistical laws
of chance. In either case, there is only some belief involved.
About
meteorites: the history of
their believed origin is vivid example to our study. The fall of
meteors is
surely an interesting fact, because it cannot be produced at will. It
is
something that can never be tested in laboratory. Moreover, their
occurrence
cannot be provoked by any means. In fact, until 1805 the
extraterrestrial
origin of meteors was considered by scientists (and skeptical believers
along
with) as pure superstition, notwithstanding the large number of reports
around
the world.
If
scientists failed to accept the
testimony of a large number of witnesses for a phenomena that belongs
to their
direct interest, how can we expect that they will accept others (such
as
psychic phenomena, mediumship etc.) that surely are outside their
scope?
There
are
here two important features of psychic phenomena that are
relevant to this discussion:
· The
fact
that they do not belong to the well delimited borders of
current science - their nature defies any classification for the normal
scientific practice;
· The
fact
that they cannot
be provoked at will, cannot be controlled, in short, that they should
be
collected in Nature as the vast majority of natural phenomena
(thunderstorms,
natural selection, etc.).
Note
that
meteors only had the
second property above. All these contributed to generate an
“empty
zone” of
agreement and vehement denial on the part of skeptical believers,
despite ample
evidence for mediumship throughout history.
One
point
often neglected by many
skeptics and psi enthusiasts alike is the true nature beyond psychic
phenomena.
One important feature is that these phenomena do not seem to belong to
the same
class of material facts. The understanding of their true nature is the
key to
promote the advancement of our knowledge about these facts and their
wide
acceptance. The lack of a solid theory (and lack of interest in one) on
the
mind of skeptics is the true reason beyond the current state of
affairs. One
needs to clear out all myths that circle these facts, to dissipate the
aura of
mysticism that surrounds them.
And
this can only be accomplished by Spiritism proposition - believing in
the true
immaterial nature of human being and the possibility of after death
communication - no matter how spectacular this claim may seem. Facing
skepticism, we should always pay attention to their kind and hidden
reasons. Be
convinced that we don´t have the right to force anyone minds
to
believe in
whatever fact or principle, no matter how obvious or frequent it may
seem. As
eternal spirits we all gravitate toward the same center which is Truth.
Further
reading:
Michael
D.
Sofka.
“Myths
of
skepticism”.
| ° THE CODIFICATION |
7.
At
that time Jesus answered and said: I thank
thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these
things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes (Matthew,
11: 25).
9. The same thing has happened today with the great truths revealed by Spiritism. Many of those who are incredulous are surprised by the fact that the Spirits take so little trouble to convince them. The reason for this being that it is preferable to look after those who seek with good faith and humility, rather than offer enlightenment to those who suppose they already possess it; who perhaps
The
power of
God manifests itself in all things,
from the smallest to the greatest. He does not hide His light, but
rather
disperses it in constant waves to every corner of the Universe, to such
an
extent that only those who are blind do not see. God does not
wish
their
eyes to be opened by force, seeing that they desire
to keep
them shut. Their
time will come. But first it is necessary that they feel the anguish of
darkness and so recognise it is the Divinity and not mere
chance
which hurts
their pride. In order to overcome this incredulity, God uses
the
most
convenient means according to each individual. It is not their
incredulity that
prescribes what is to be done, nor is it up to them to say: "If you
want
to convince me, then you must do this or that on a certain occasion
because
this is what could persuade me." Therefore those who are unbelievers
should not be surprised if neither God nor the Spirits who execute His
wishes,
do not submit to these demands. Instead, they should ask themselves
what they
would say if the lowest of their servants tried to impose upon them in
whatever
form. God imposes the conditions and does not accept those who wish to
impose
conditions on Him. He listens kindly to those who direct themselves to
Him with
humility and not to those who judge themselves greater than He.
10.
It is
often asked if God could not touch these
people personally by means of clearly evident manifestations before
which even
the most obstinate unbeliever would be convinced. Beyond all doubt He
could.
But in this case what merit would be gained and more importantly, what
use
would it be? Do we not see people every day who do not bow down even
before
such evidence and who say: "Even if I saw I would not believe because I
know
it is impossible"? If they deny truth in such a manner it is
because
their spirits have not yet reached sufficient maturity to enable them
to
understand, nor their hearts to feel it. Pride is the
cataract
which covers
their vision. What good does it do to show a light to one who
is
blind?
Rather it is first necessary to cure the cause of the ill. This is why,
as a
skilful doctor, He first of all punishes their pride. He will never
abandon any
of His children since sooner or later their eyes will be opened, but He
wishes
this to happen of their own free-will. Then defeated by the torments of
incredulity, they will throw themselves of their own accord into His
arms,
begging to be forgiven just as the prodigal son did.
| ° ELECTRONIC BOOKS |
CHRISTIANITY AND SPIRITUALISM
The History of the Gospels
The Secret Doctrine of Christianity
Intercourse with the Spirits of the Dead
The New Revelation
Vitam Impendere Vero
By
LÉON DENIS
Author of
"Après La Mort, "Dans L'Invisible," ETC.
Translated from the French by
HELEN DRAPER SPEAKMAN
LONDON
PHILIP WELLBY
6 Henrietta Street Covent Garden
1904
This book is out of print indefinitely
1st Electronic Edition by
the Advanced
Study Group of Spiritism (GEAE)
2006
Previous:: “Introduction” (from “Christianity and Spiritism” by Leon Denis, see SM number 75)
CHAPTER I
THE
ORIGIN OF THE GOSPELS
For
about a
century past,
considerable research has been undertaken in different Christian
countries, by
men occupying the highest positions in the Churches and in the
Universities,
and they have been thus enabled to reconstitute the evolution of the
Gospel
traditions in their successive phases. It is especially in the
Protestant
religious centres that this work has been carried on, these researches
so
remarkable for their erudition and their minute character, which have
thrown
such bright light on the origin of Christianity, on the foundation, the
form and
the social importance of the doctrines of the Gospel.¹
It
is the
result of these researches that we shall endeavour to present here,
in a brief and suitable form.
Christ
wrote
nothing. His words, dropped by the wayside, were passed on by word
of mouth from one to another, and finally written down at different
periods
long after His death. A religious tradition formed itself gradually,
which
passed through a constant evolution until the fourth century.
During
this period of three hundred years, Christian tradition never
remained
stationary, and the further it got from its starting point, passing
through
different times and places, the more it became enriched and
diversified. A
strenuous investigation took place, and, according to the forms taken
by the
various Gospel narratives, according to their Hewbrew or Greek origin,
it was
possible to establish with certainty the order in which this tradition
developed, to fix the date and value of the documents which represent
it.
For
nearly half a century after the death of Jesus, the oral and living
Christian tradition was like a running stream, from which all could
draw
freely. It was propagated by preaching, by the teachings of the
Apostles, all
of them, except Paul, simple, uneducated men, but it was illuminated by
the
thought of the Master.
It
was only between the years A.D. 60 and 80 that the first written
accounts
appeared, first that of Mark, which is the oldest, then the first
recitals
attributed to Mathew and Luke, each of them fragmentary and increased
by
sucessive additions, like all popular works. It is in consequence of
the
difficulty experienced by the Church in tracing the real authors of the
Gospels
that the formula was adopted "Gospel according to. ..."
It was
only towards the end of the first century, between the years 80 and 98
that the
Gospel of Luke was born, also that of Mathew
(the first
one which
is now lost), and lastly, about 98 or 100, appeared at Ephesus, the Gospel
of John.
Along
with these Gospels, the only ones since recognised by the Church,
a great
number of others saw the light. We know now of twenty, but in the third
century, Origen cites a far greater number. Luke alludes to them in the
first
verse of the work which bears his name.
For what reason were these numerous
documents declared apocryphal and
rejected?
Very probably because they had become awkward for those who, during the
second
and third centuries, had imposed on Christianity a direction which was
to lead
it further and further from its primitive forms, and after having
rejected a
thousand religious systems, so-called heresies, was to end in the
creation of
three great religious in which the thought of Christ lies hidden,
buried under
dogmas and practices, as in a tomb.
²
The
first Apostles contented themselves with teaching the Fatherhood of
God and
human brotherhood. They showed the necessity of penitence, namely, the
reparation of our faults. This purification was symbolised by baptism,
a
practice adopted by the Essenes, who were the initiators of Jesus, and
from
whom the apostles also borrowed the belief in immortality and
resurrection,
that is to say, the return of the soul to the life of spirit and of
space.
These
morals and teachings drew many proselytes around the disciples of
Christ,
for there was nothing which did not harmonise with certain Jewish
doctrines
preached in the temple and the synagogues.
With
and after Paul, new currents were established, and a number of
confused
doctrines began to appear among the Christian communities.
Successively, the
doctrines of grace, the divinity of Christ, the fall and the
redemption, the
belief in Satan and in hell, were added to and disturbed the purity and
simplicity of the teachings of the Son of Mary.
This
state of things became worse, and was accompanied by political and
social
convulsions which agitated the infancy of the Christian world.
The first Gospels carry us back to the
troubled times in which Judea,
in revolt
against the Romans, witnessed the ruin of Jerusalem and the scattering
of the
Jewish people (in the year 70). They were written in the midst of tears
and
blood, and the hopes which they express seem to spring from an abyss of
woe in
which these saddened souls were awakening to a new ideal, an aspiration
towards
a better world, called the "Kingdom of Heaven", in
which all
wrongs would be set right.
At that time, all the
Apostles, except John and
Philip were dead, and the bond
which united the Christians was as yet a very febble one. They formed
isolated
groups, and bore the name of Churches ("ecclesia," assemblies), each
one directed by a bishop or superintendent appointed by election.
Each
church followed its own inspiration; it only had as guide an
uncertain
tradition, noted down in a few manuscripts, and which resumed more or
less
accurately the acts and teachings of Jesus, which each beshop
interpreted to
suit himself.
The
three synoptic Gospels (Mark, Luke and Matthew) are strongly
impregnated
with the Judai Christianity of the Apostles, but the Gospel according
to John
begins to show another influence. We find there a reflection of the
Greek
philosophy, rejuvenated by the doctrines of the school of Alexandria.
Towards the end of the first century,
the disciples of the great Greek
philosophers had opened schools in all the most important Eastern
cities. The
Christians came into contact with them, and frequent discussions would
arise
between the partisans of the two doctrines. The Christians, recruited
from
among the lower ranks of the population, were for the most part little
educated
and ill prepared to sustain such arguments. On the other hand, the
Greek
thinkers were struck by the grandeur and moral elevation of
Christianity. From
this arose an interpretation of their doctrines, which showed itself in
many
points. Budding Christianity felt little by little the Greek influence
which
led it to make of Christ, the Word, the Logos, of Plato.
¹ A "resume"
of these researches will be found in the
"Encyclopedia of Religious Sciences," by F. Lichtenberger, Dean of
the Protestant Theological Faculty of Paris. The "History of the
Christian
Theology in the Apostolic Century," by E. Reuss, Professor of Theology,
in
Strasburg, may also be recommended to those specially interested in the
subject.
² See Notes 2, 3
and 4 at the end of volume.
Next: CHAPTER II - THE
AUTHENTICITY OF THE GOSPELS
| ° SPIRIT
MESSAGES |
This
issue
brings a poem by Victor
Hugo, “The Poor Children”. Though not a
Spiritist message (it
was not
obtained by psychic means), its deepest content is truly
spiritual.
Then
Yvonne Limoges blesses us with another spirit communication (Setting
Priorities) of profound importance to our lives.
by: Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
TAKE
heed
of this small child of earth;
He
is
great; he hath in him God most high.
Children
before their fleshly birth
Are
lights alive in the blue sky.
In
our
light bitter world of wrong
They
come; God gives us them awhile.
His
speech is in their stammering tongue,
And
his
forgiveness in their smile.
Their
sweet light rests upon our eyes.
Alas!
their right to joy is plain.
If
they
are hungry Paradise
Weeps,
and, if cold, Heaven thrills with pain.
The
want
that saps their sinless flower
Speaks
judgment on sin's ministers.
Man
holds
an angel in his power.
Ah!
deep
in Heaven what thunder stirs,
When
God
seeks out these tender things
Whom
in
the shadow where we sleep
He
sends
us clothed about with wings,
And
finds
them ragged babes that weep!
This English translation of "The Poor Children" was composed by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909).
When you are alone pray for inner peace, for patience, and humility.
With your immediate family, spend time enjoying their company and thinking of pleasing and caring for them. Human contact and interaction, not activities where everyone does their own thing, is more important for everyone´s well being.
Help you fellow co-workers, your friends, and even strangers. Small kindnesses can mean a lot to many and you receive God´s Blessings for helping all His children.
Those who have more should give more, those who are strong should help the weak, and try to be respectful and kind to all those around you.
You will then awaken within your soul a latent seed that helps expand your spirit, that enlightens it, that helps it to progress, for that is life´s true purpose. Your priority should be to enhance your spirituality!
| ° UPCOMING EVENTS |
Ademir
Xavier (GEAE editor)
We
Spiritists are truly willing to understand Skeptical mind
because we all know we are all sons of the same creation and gravitate
toward
the same aim.
We live in a world in which
Science
has attained a considerable level of notoriety. To some extent we can
say that
Science has substituted old beliefs and even religious conceptions on
the minds
of many world citizens. Well educated people would hardly present any
opposition to scientific propositions, no matter the degree of
understanding
that these people may have on the matter. Skepticism as any other
belief
presents itself as representing science when the question is to defeat
truth
against what they say are “claims
for the paranormal”.
We would
like to
understand such philosophical position and are requesting contributions
from
both Spiritualist and skeptics alike (see below).
In order to elucidate some topics related to the subject, we have organized a campaign starting with the following questionnaire and will provide some answers in the next issues.
The reader may further complement the answers and questions or send us his/her comments about the topic (send us your contributions for publication in the next SM issues from you and/or your skeptic colleagues). A good work division is to find the largest amount of challenging questions (for the skeptical) and good answers (for the Spiritualists). The aim of this effort is to generate the largest number of questions related to the topic and to boost a debate on the subject. We will see that many of the questions are related, giving us the opportunity to understand skepticism around Spiritualist and Spiritist ideas.
1) What do you
think about the
opposition of modern scientists to spiritualist beliefs? Do they
provide a
strong argument against spiritualist claims?
2) How will you,
Spiritualists and
Spiritists alike, prove your
statements?
3) Scientists are
above all, the most
educated people to
judge these phenomena. If they are not, are you going to substitute
them?
4) You explicitly
describe Spiritism and
Spiritualism as sciences.
How can you be sure about that (prove your statement)?
5) But if they are
sciences, where are your
laboratories? What are
your methods? How does your science progress?
See
the
answers and new questions in
the next SM issues (there is no deadline for the campaign. Start:: at
SM issue
# 76).
After
compilation of questions and
formulation of answers, we can publish a special issue on the topic
(Skepticism) summarizing the main conclusions, references and
suggestions of
future study.
Back to Content
This July, Spiritism and Spiritualism finally come together again. Join us in this historical event on July 21 and 22. Divaldo Franco, Maria Gertrudes and Vanessa Anseloni are giving presentations on Spiritism at the mecca of American Spiritualism at Lily Dale. This event is all organized by the Lily Dale Assembly.
Friday, July 21, 2006 - 1-4pm
REINCARNATION & ITS HEALING FEATURES
Location: Lily Dale Assembly Hall
Presented by: Vanessa Anseloni
Friday, July 21, 2006 - 7-10pm
PAINTING WITH THE SPIRITS
Location: Lily Dale Assembly Hall
Presented by: Maria Gertrudes
Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 9:00am - 1:00pm
PSYCHIC AND MEDIUMISTIC PHENOMENA
Location: Lily Dale Auditorium
Presented by: Divaldo Franco
For registration online and more information, go to http://www.lilydaleassembly.com/
Back to Content
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2006
|
9am – 12pm |
Spirituality in Patient Care |
|
12 – 1pm |
Lunch break |
|
1 – 1:40pm |
The Spiritist Medical Paradigm |
|
1:40 – 2:30pm |
Why Must I Suffer? - Searching for the Soul in
Psychiatry |
|
2:30 – 3:30pm |
Mental Disease in Spiritist & Medical
Treatment |
|
3:30 – 4:10pm |
Spirituality and its Association with
Cardiovascular
Disease |
|
4:10 – 5:20pm |
The Impact of Reincarnation on the Paradigm of
Change |
|
5:20 – 6pm |
Organic and Psychic Phenomenology of Mediumship |
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2006
|
9 – 11am |
Near
Death Experiences – NDE and |
|
11:10am – 12pm |
Spirit Attachment, Spirit Release and Soul
Integration |
|
12 – 1pm |
Lunch break |
|
1 – 1:40pm |
Forgiveness and Reconciliation |
|
1:40 – 2:20pm |
Transdimensional Physiology |
|
2:20 – 3:20pm |
Universities and Spirituality in the 3rd
Millennium |
|
3:20 – 4pm |
The Multiple Faces of Depression |
|
4 – 4:40pm |
Scientific Evidence of Intercessory Prayer: A
Systematic
Review |
|
4:40 – 5:20pm |
Scientific Evidence for Life after Death:
Research on
Mediumship |
|
5:20 – 6pm |
Love and its Healing Power |
For more info see: http://www.ussmcongress.org/index.en.htm
Back to Content
IN GREENPORT
On Wednesday, the 19th of July, 2006, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Eileen J. Garrett Research Library at 308 Front Street in Greenport, Brazilian psychiatrist, Dr. Alexander Moreira-Almeida will give a talk entitled “Spiritism, Mediums and Mediumship in Brazil from 1900 to the Present.”
The Eileen J. Garrett Research Library is located at 308 Front Street, in Greenport, on the North Fork of Long Island. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins promptly at 7:00 p.m. The donation is $15.00 at the door ($13.00 for Psychic Explorers Club members). Reservations are required. Call 212-628-1550 or email office@parapsychology.org to reserve. For directions to the Library, click here.
Dr. Moreira-Almeida is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. He obtained his M.D. degree from Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil in 1997, completed his psychiatric residency at the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of São Paulo in 2000, and his Ph.D. in Health Sciences in the same university in 2004. His doctoral thesis focused on the phenomenology and psychology of mediumship. He has published a number of articles on the subject in such journals as Social Science and Medicine (in press), Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (in press), and Transcultural Psychiatry.
Spiritism and mediumship have been very important in the history of Brazilian culture. Moreira-Almeida will present an overview about Spiritism in Brazil and its most influential 20th-century medium, Chico Xavier as well as briefly outline the careers of some other important mediums, among them Divaldo Franco, Gasparetto, Zé Arigó, John of God, and Mirabelli. An engaging speaker, with an excellent command of both English and the history and meaning of Brazilian spiritism, Dr. Moreira-Almeida’s talk should provide an interesting evening.
Set to celebrate its 55th anniversary in December of 2006, the Parapsychology Foundation is a non-profit foundation that provides a world-wide forum to support scientific investigation of psychic phenomena. The Foundation gives grants, publishes books, pamphlets, monographs, conference proceedings and the International Journal of Parapsychology, hosts the Perspectives Lecture Series, conducts the Outreach Program, and at in its new facility at 308 Front Street in Greenport, Long Island maintains the Eileen J. Garrett Research Library with its collection of more than 12,000 volumes, 100 periodicals, and extensive audio-visual materials on parapsychology and related topics
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Join the members of the GEAE-Advanced Study Group of Spiritism to study the Spiritist Doctrine in a monthly virtual meeting at PalTalk, which takes place every second Sunday of each month from 5:00 to 6:30 PM (USA Standard Eastern Time).
Our goal in this study is a simple one, where everyone is seen as a student aiming to promote a friendly and salutary interaction of fraternal and mutual help, which will enable each and every one of the participants to boost their level of knowledge and spiritual awareness.
Although we select the topic of study at each meeting, we are open to questions, comments and input of a broader perspective and all the participants are allowed to take part in in the discussions taking place at the meetings. The meetings have already been ongoing for a year and it has been a great and fulfilling experience to all of us.
The group - GEAE-Spiritism to the World - can be found at Paltalk, inside the category Religious. You may join with a simple double click, on the hours and dates above, and the operational process that allows you to actively participate in the studies is very easy and self-explanatory.
We also invite you to keep checking Paltalk, for we may open the group occasionally at no scheduled dates and times in order to handle informal conversation with those interested in learning about Spiritism in general. If you do so and find the group active, just come in and feel free to talk to us and tell us about your experiences and place your questions that we will be glad to answer them according to the view of the Spiritist Doctrine.
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ADVANCED STUDY GROUP OF SPIRITISM
Electronic weekly report in Portuguese - Boletim do GEAE
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Editorial
Council - mailto:editor@geae.inf.br
Collection in Portuguese (Boletim do GEAE)
Collection in English (The Spiritist Messenger)
Collection in Spanish (El Mensajero Espírita)