Spiritist phenomena
have always
occurred on
Earth.
Since the
first man
appeared,
the
Spiritual
world has
been
operating
too, almost
always
indirectly
and
discreetly,
in order to
avoid
interference
in the free
will of
creatures,
and at other
times in an
ostensive
way, with
the purpose
of calling
attention to
the
phenomenon.
It is true
that the
Spiritist
phenomena
were
considered
supernatural,
fantastic or
wonderful,
being
interpreted
as the
language of
the Angels;
at other
times, as
the wrath or
punishment
of the
"gods" or of
Satan.
Mediums, as
time went
by, were
classified
as "saints",
sometimes as
messengers
from Above;
their
instructions
were
followed to
the letter,
or as
witches or
as demons,
messengers
of the
geniuses of
evil; and
other
mediumistic
instruments
paid a heavy
tribute for
their
audacity,
putting at
risk their
own lives,
in acts of
savagery,
with
refinements
of hatred
and cruelty.
Ignorance on
the subject
on many
occasions
bordered
insanity,
such was the
imbecility
and
short-sightedness
in dealing
with
mediumship;
confusion
and
prejudice
reigned over
retrograde
and dogmatic
minds,
drawing many
condemnatory
and unjust
sentences.
Although
Moses
forbade
communication
with the
dead in the
Old
Testament,
because of
the misuse
and worship
of the
golden calf,
and more
recently at
the Council
of Nicaea in
325 of the
Christian
era, the
Spiritist
phenomena
continued to
challenge
prohibitions
and the
hardened men
and
materialists,
although in
a disorderly
and chaotic
way.
Everything
changed when
the
Hydesville
phenomena of
the Fox
sisters took
place in
1848, in
which the
manifestations
of
“tiptology”
- the raps -
revealed
that the
beating
Spirit
Charles
Rosma had
been
murdered and
his spoils
placed in
the basement
of the
house. This
phenomenon
put an end
to the peace
of the Fox
family and
aroused
great
curiosity
and interest
of a large
part of the
North
American
population
in the face
of the most
different
interpretations.
After a
while, the
world was
plagued by
the
phenomenon
of the
spinning or
dancing
tables,
which
aroused the
interest of
society as a
real fever
of curiosity
and
inquiries in
the face of
the answers
given by
blows to
frivolous
and merely
material
consultations
with no
noble
purpose.
Allan Kardec
was called
to observe
the
phenomena of
the talking
tables in
1854, but
somewhat
skeptical
about the
exposition
of his
interlocutor
enthusiastic
about the
phenomenon,
he replied:
"If you
prove to me
that a table
has the
brain to
think and
the nerves
to feel and
that this
may make it
a
somnambulist,
until this
happens,
allow me to
look at it
and just see
a story to
make one
sleep”.
Well,
shortly
afterwards
Kardec
accepted the
invitation
and became
interested
in the
phenomena of
the talking
tables; and
when he was
about to
give up such
sessions,
because he
felt no
greater
significance
in such
manifestations,
a group of
the most
significant
companions,
led by Mr.
Carlotti,
presented
him with 50
notebooks of
different
communications
that could
not be
ordered, for
lack of
capacity,
work done in
five years.
Kardec, at
first,
before the
gigantism of
the
transcendental
task, wanted
to refuse;
yet in an
intimate
meeting a
friendly
Spirit
revealed to
him that in
a previous
life among
the Druids
in Gaul he
had used the
name Allan
Kardec,
encouraging
him not to
give up the
work they
presented
him,
promising
him the
necessary
help.
Kardec
regained
courage, and
with a
determined
soul began
to analyze
the
notebooks
accurately,
eliminating
repeated
facts,
clarifying
obscure
points and
correcting
faults and
improprieties.
For correct
ordering,
Kardec
employed the
experimental
method; from
the effects
and going
back to the
causes, came
to the
conclusion
that these
effects, the
"talking
tables",
were due to
promoters
who were
nothing more
than Spirits
who had
lived on
Earth, souls
of men, who
had neither
the supreme
wisdom nor
pure love,
but beings
in search of
perfection.
In order to
fulfill his
mission,
Allan Kardec
relied on
the work of
more than
ten mediums,
some of whom
were
teenagers,
aged between
14 and 15,
most of whom
were young
with clean
hearts,
without the
strongest
encounters
in life, and
with no
emotions
poisoned by
low
passions,
therefore
pure and
balanced
souls. And
so from what
seemed only
a pastime,
an
entertainment
without much
consequence,
Kardec
devised an
extraordinary
building of
wisdom and
knowledge of
the future
of Humanity,
combining
his powerful
humanistic
culture and
the
revelation
of the
greater
truths given
by a
plethora of
enlightened
Spiritual
mentors, led
by the
Spirit of
Truth.
Thus, on
April 18,
1857, with
501
questions
and the
respective
Spirits’
answers, The
Book of
Spirits was
published in
Paris. On
March 16,
1860, the
second (and
final
edition)
appeared,
with 1,019
questions.
The Book of
Spirits is
the greatest
historical
monument of
Humanity, a
synthesis
book of
knowledge.
In it the
three forces
of the
Universe are
recorded in
general
lines, but
in a very
clear
manner: God,
the
Spiritual
principle
and the
material
principle,
all in
harmony with
the
interrelationship
with the two
planes of
life,
clarifying a
multitude of
hitherto
obscure or
unknown
phenomena.
This book is
the starting
point of the
Spiritist
Doctrine,
which relies
on science,
philosophy
and religion
and has as
its
culmination
to revive
Christianity
in its
primitive
origin,
clear of
grafts and
interpolations,
underhand
and
subaltern
interests
that had
disfigured
its original
meaning.
Spiritism,
also called
the Third
Revelation,
is
Redemptive
Christianity.
Therefore,
without fear
of error, we
affirm that The
Book of
Spirits is
a work of
giants: on
the one hand
Allan
Kardec, one
of the
greatest
cultures of
the 19th
century and,
on the
other, the
Spiritual
team that
acted on
mediums
chosen for
such a large
scale; a
full, dense
and complete
work, not
knowing what
else to
admire:
whether the
intelligent
questions
asked by
Allan Kardec
or the
magisterial
answers
given by the
Spirits.
Guerra
Junqueiro
(Spirit),
who was a
notable
Portuguese
poet, sent
to Earth
through the
medium Jorge
Rizzini,
this sonnet
that
beautifully
sums up the
greatness of
Allan
Kardec:
Allan Kardec
Like the
coarse
pagans with
their human
gods,
Humanity
raises to
the pinnacle
of glory
The vicious
vandals, the
modern
tyrants,
And then it
incenses
them into
the pantheon
of History.
And it
forgets
Allan
Kardec! And
it expels
him from
remembrance!
And the hero
unveiled the
sacred
arcana!
And God put
on his
forehead the
star of
victory
That made
him greater
than the
Kings and
the Roman
Caesars!
But the
brutes and
the evil,
these false
heroes
That the
people deify
and see as
beacons,
Are now in
the
Darkness,
squalid,
crawling,
While Allan
Kardec, the
solitary
sage,
Olympic,
triumphal,
serene,
extraordinary,
Hovers above
the suns and
shines
brighter
than the
stars!
Translation:
Eleni
Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br
