In this issue, we continue the study of the Revue Spirite of 1858, a monthly newspaper focused on the divulgation of Spiritism, founded and directed by Allan Kardec. This study is based on the translation into the Portuguese language made by Julio Abreu Filho and published by EDICEL. The answers to the questions are at the end of the text for reading.
Questions for discussion
A. Are there eternal halves?
B. When was the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies founded?
C. How do Spirits make material objects move?
D. Is doubt about death itself common to the recently deceased?
Text for reading
95. A subscriber raises the question of the eternal halves and asks Kardec to analyze the matter. Abelardo and Heloisa, evoked, explain that the idea is wrong, but do confirm the fact that similar souls look for each other, due to the sympathy and similarity of tastes and ideals. (Page 140)
96. St. Louis states that the term “eternal halves” is inexact and that there is no particular and fatal union of two souls. (Page 141)
97. Kardec concludes by saying that it is necessary to reject the idea that two Spirits, created for one another, will one day be united in eternity. (Editor’s Note: St. Louis’ answers and Kardec’s comment rose questions 298 to 303 of The Book of Spirits). (Page 142)
98. Sent by one of its subscribers Revue publishes two interviews with the Spirit of Mozart. (Page 142)
99. Mozart reports that he is living in Jupiter, where there is no hatred, and music is everywhere: in the water, in the leaves, in the wind, in the flowers - everything produces melodious sounds. (Pages 144 and 145)
100. No song, he says, can give an idea of what it is like there. "We do not have instruments: plants and birds are choristers. Thought composes and listeners enjoy without material hearing, without the help of words and at a vast distance". (Page 145)
101. Confirming that we need to reincarnate for our evolution, Mozart says that the belief in God and the dedication to work will bring us calmness. (Page 146)
102. A subscriber from The Hague (The Netherlands) sent an interesting account about the manifestation of Mr. M., who disinherited his close relatives, in favor of the family of his wife, who died shortly before him. (Page 147)
103. With the help of Spiritists based in Lyons, an impostor, who claimed to be Mr. Home, was unmasked. To mislead the public, Mr. Lambert Laroche said he was a great American medium called Hume. (Page 150 and 151)
104. The Revue Spirite informs that the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies was founded on April 1st, 1858. (Page 153)
105. St. Louis talks about fluids and explains how Spirits make material objects move, giving them an artificial life: when the table rises, it is not the Spirit that makes it rise: it is the animated table that obeys the intelligent Spirit. (Pages 155 to 157)
106. Kardec realizes his earlier misconception and concludes that when an object is set in motion, snatched up or thrown into the air, it is not be the Spirit that catches it, pushes or lifts it: the Spirit saturates it with its fluid, by combining it with that of the medium, and thus momentarily “alive” object acts as if it were a living being. (Page 158)
107. The Revue goes on reporting the phenomena of strikes published by the "Bergzabern Journal" in which the psychic was the young Filipina Sanger. (Page 159)
108. Around Christmas the blows and scratches became more violent and lasted longer. There were very loud blows that stirred the house, shook the windows, and gave the impression to the people present that the ground trembled beneath their feet. (Page 165)
109. St. Louis writes about laziness, stating that power was not given to man, and intelligence to his Spirit, for him to spend his days idle, but to be useful to his fellowmen. (Page 170)
110. Kardec talks with the Spirit of Mr. Morisson, the English millionaire, who in the last two years of his life imagined himself living in extreme poverty. St. Louis says that he suffered a lot because of the good he did not do. (Page 171)
111. In regard to this case, St. Louis says that nowhere is man in charge of himself alone. Man answers for those who surround him and not only for the souls that were entrusted to him. (Page 172)
112. Kardec evokes the Spirit of a suicide six days after his death at the Samaritan’s. The man was about 50 years old. (Page 173)
113. The suicide was not aware of his own death, although he felt himself suffocated in the coffin. St. Louis explains that the Spirit of a suicide is linked to the body until the end of its life. (Page 173 and 174)
114. To doubt death is very common in the newly deceased, says Kardec; especially in those who in life did not raise their soul above matter. It is a weird phenomenon, but naturally explainable. (Page 174)
115. After copying part of the confessions that Louis XI had, himself, dictated to Ms. Ermance Dufaux, Kardec says that this work proves that Spiritist communications can help us regarding History, if we now how to put ourselves in favorable conditions. (Page 178)
116. The Revue copies a passage from Henri Martin's "History of France"; he was a famous French historian, who respectfully describes Spiritist facts and the extraordinary faculties of Joan of Arc. (Pages 179 to 181)
117. In all times, says Kardec, the genius of discord has stirred its beam upon Humanity: the lower Spirits, envious of the happiness of men, have a very easy access to them. (Page 182)
118. Kardec went to the annual banquet of magnetizers and declares that he professes this magnetic science for 35 years, since he was 18 years old. (Page 183)
119. St. Louis writes about envy and says that only to work with charity and submission will allow us to approach God. Envy is one of the ugliest and saddest miseries on this globe. Charity and constant faith will make all these evils disappear. (Page 186)
120. The French newspapers reported on the curious phenomenon of the image of the late Mr. Badet, with his cotton cap, photographed on the windowpane, where he used to be during his illness. (Page 186)
121. Evoked, Mr. Badet confirmed the fact, but could not explain it clearly. He, however, confirmed that the Spirit has no eyes, but the perispirit has them. (Page 188)
122. Kardec writes about spontaneous photography and warns that those, who think that the Spirits could give them gold mines, will be very disappointed, since their mission is much more serious. (Page 192)
Answers to the proposed questions
A. Are there eternal halves?
A subscriber raised this question. When Abelardo and Heloisa were evoked, they explained that this idea is wrong, but confirmed the fact that similar souls do look for each other, due to the sympathy and similarity of tastes and ideals. (Revue Spirite, 1858, Pages 140 and 141).
B. When was the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies founded?
It was founded on April 1st, 1858, according to news published by the Revue itself. (The Revue Spirite, 1858, Page 153).
C. How do Spirits make material objects move?
According to St. Louis, Spirits make material objects move by giving them an artificial life: when the table rises, it is not the Spirit that makes it rise: it is the animated table that obeys the intelligent Spirit. Kardec thought differently, but changed his mind with the explanation given by St. Louis. Thus, he states that when an object is set in motion, snatched or thrown into the air, it is not the Spirit that catches, pushes, or lifts it; the Spirit saturates it with its fluid, by combining it with the fluid of the psychic, and thus momentarily gives life to the object that acts as if it were a living being. (The Revue Spirite, 1858, Pages 155 to 158).
D. Is doubt about death itself common to the recently deceased?
Yes. Doubt regarding death is very common in recently deceased individuals, especially when in life they did not raise their soul above matter. (The Revue Spirite, 1858, Page 174).
