After the death of my paternal grandmother I began to have nightmares with her. I told the story to a friend of mine, a Spiritist, who explained how the communications between incarnates and discarnates worked. That raised my curisioty. I asked for reading material and she recommended The Spirits’ Book. I began reading at the end of a day and only stopped in the morning of the following day. And I never felt like sleeping. I took the book with me to work (on duty in an accident and emergency unit at hospital) the next day. I often say that I didn’t “become” a Spiritist that day, but I “found out” that I was a Spiritist. 

What aspect of Spiritism strikes you the most? 

The rationality, the logical, organized and crystal clear approach that Allan Kardec used to deal with such difficult and complex issues, leaving, however, room for the development of the ideas. He laid a very solid base that was ready to receive new scientific knowledge as it is produced. 

How did you get involved in the AME? 

After I read The Spirits’ Book my friend invited to join AME-Baixada Santista, where I lived for 22 years. I started attending meetings at an AME even before joining a local Spiritist Centre. 

How is the AME movement in Brazil? What has been the impact of that work? 

There are more than 64 AMEs across Brazil and new groups are formed every day. We have strong, dynamic departments working in Brazil and abroad, with many publications in prestigious magazines and books. AMEs also work in universities, helping organize post-graduation courses and optional subjects. In the Spiritist Movement, we have tried to help develop and disseminate the scientific aspects of the Teachings, without neglecting its moral aspect, taking the Spiritist Centre to the university and the university to the Spiritist Centre. 

What are the main challenges you have faced? 

Many doctors reject Spiritism, while many Spiritist doctors are still worried that we are an elitist movement. But the late Dr Marlene Nobre, who led our movement and created the AMEs with the guidance of the great Spiritual Benefactor Dr Bezerra de Menezes, always reminded us that the AMEs were not a mass movement. She told us not to be too worried about the number of doctors joining the movement and, instead, work hard to rebuild the bridge between science and spirituality. 

Is there anything from your experience as a doctor and a Spiritist that you would like to share with us? 

What I found most remarkable after all these years was how open the Europeans and North Americans were to what we had to say. That openness has led to a number of important partnerships in scientific research and has drawn the attention to Spiritism outside Brazil. Since 2003, when I began taking part in Medical Spiritist events in Europe and the US with Dr Marlene Nobre (who passed away in January 2015) I have witnessed the growing interest in the Teachings. And I have seen how grateful they feel, and especially the Europeans, when we provide them with the possibility of re-establishing their links with God through science, which fits in with their rational way of thinking.

I remember clearly the first congress we had in London, with the help of BUSS (British Union of Spiritist Societies). When I was about to begin my first talk before a packed hall, I noticed that the vast majority of those present put on their headphones so they could hear the translator. Then I thought: “My God, we are speaking indeed for the Europeans, not only for the Brazilians who live in Europe”. That experience was very important experience to me. 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

I would like to highlight the importance that the work of Chico Xavier, dictated by the Spirits, André Luiz and Emmanuel, has for all of us in the AMEs. Those books have been true compasses guiding our way as we attempt to develop science under the spiritualist paradigm. The books written by Divaldo Franco have also been very important. The work of Joanna de Ângelis, his mentor, has played a very important role in the work of psychologists and psychiatrists who work to make progress in the treatment of mental health issues.

What are your final thoughts?

My final words go for our beloved Dr Marlene Nobre, who accepted and carried out relentlessly the task of setting up on Earth the AMEs. She began with AME-São Paulo in 1968 and later developed the regional AMEs, before founding AME-Brasil and AME-International. She deserves our gratitude for the opportunity she has given me to work, enabling me to review the mistakes of the past and help rebuild the much-needed link between science and spirituality.