Special

por Rogério Miguez

Are there so many consoling letters?

The faithful medium of Christ, Francisco Candido Xavier, among so many ways to help his contemporaries, reserved part of his time making himself available to the Spiritual plane. Thus, through him, newly disincarnated Spirits could communicate messages and psychographic testimonies to their often desperate and disconsolate loved ones still incarnated, in an attempt to comfort them; also encouraging them equally not to give up the struggles, maintaining trust in God, since all communicants were still very much alive, only temporarily separated by different dimensions of life.

By revealing unsuspected details of their recently ended existence, such as: nicknames, words and phrases in particular languages, mentioning details of familiar objects, unexpected revelations, convinced their relatives, especially mothers, that their children were talking to them, now on the other side of life, thus making it possible to hope that in the near future there will be a reunion between all members of the family.

Countless families have been blessed by this mail from the beyond; it has a double purpose of calming those who should still remain here - as they have not yet completed their learning stages - as well as allowing their children to also strengthen and reassure themselves, considering their parents' worrying and frequent tears, in giving explanations and reasons for the disembodiment, often apparently premature.

How many suicides have been avoided by this true grace from Heaven, when God, by His merciful laws, allows this exchange between His creatures still incarnated with others already disincarnated.

This type of Spiritist function worked at full blast, even converting many consultants to join the Spiritist ranks in face of the reality revealed by the disincarnated. However, this was not the main motivation of the activity. Others remained faithful to their creeds, but considering Chico Xavier like a good brother sent by God.

As time went by, as we know, Chico disincarnated in 2002, but his example was fruitful, as he was still incarnated and motivated other serious mediums, who also predisposed themselves to become fast-moving postmen for Spiritual letters.

However, something happened in the Spiritist movement regarding this particular issue, considering the current reality where there is a multitude of “postmen”, and from what is already known, some are not true employees of the enlightened Spirituality, but instead they interchange with disturbed and ignorant Spirits; others are not even mediums, however, in order to compensate for the absence of the noble faculty, they collude with some incarnated  companions for them to collect detailed information from the consultants about the relationship of the family with the newly transferred to the etheric plane, thus enabling them to reveal true data of the disincarnate.

Even the television media already broadcast articles questioning the veracity of this possibility, casting doubt on the Doctrine itself, which is very serious.

There is an economic law created in the eighteenth century basically establishing the behavior of demand and supply, in general it states that whenever the demand increases, the supply, or increases in the same proportion to meet the new demand, or the prices of the products sought go up when there is no desire to increase supply to meet the growing demand, and, on the other hand, if demand is low, prices fall, or less is produced, to maintain the price.

Paralleling our question under examination, if there is an exacerbated demand for testimonies from the beyond, naturally many people are interested in acting as “postmen”, some honest and true, however, others deceitful and false looking for just one more way to obtain some benefit at the expense of those interested, a pity.

There are two types of consultants: non-Spiritists and Spiritists.

The search for consolation letters by non-Spiritists is perfectly understood, after all, when they “lose” their children or loved ones, they look for any resource with the possibility of bringing a testimony of their loved ones, even when they profess other creeds, some even unbelievers of any faith. This search is perfectly acceptable, because, in despair, experiencing deep sadness and bitterness, especially when disincarnating occurs due to an unusual, tragic fact, the family member makes use of any resource in the hope of hearing consoling words, clarifying testimonies or living testimonies of his loved ones.

However, referring to Spiritists, it is necessary to have a little more criteria, after all, Spiritist literature very well explains, informs, consoles, guides, comforts, through its postulates, clarifying how the so-called death process works. Considering the doctrinal principles, the one studying the religion learns that there is no death, only life, and he is also informed about the immortality of the soul; he comes to know the possibility of reincarnation, and moreover, through the Spiritist moral, i.e. Christian, he understands that the situation is temporary based on the teachings of Jesus, and so many other wise lessons at his disposal. All of this precious information can create the conditions so that there is no excessive concern for those who remain incarnated. Nothing is forbidden, however, something more is expected from the Spiritist disciples of Christ.

The Spiritist knows about the possibility of communicating with his loved one daily through sleep; he can pray for him to be helped by the enlightened Spirituality within the merit of each one; he knows the divine laws that do not forsake anyone; he understands that we are immortal, so why does he knock on the door of mediums willing to perform this delicate activity seeking information about those who never died!? Are Spiritist teachings not enough to calm the afflicted hearts of those who go through this experience, and can it even be an atonement or trial? Furthermore, what would a Spiritist hope to achieve through a consoling letter? Confirmation that life goes on? To be sure that death doesn't exist?

The Spiritists’ attitude should be one of patience, resignation, faith, waiting, if appropriate, for a letter to arrive on the other side, without asking for it, for example, in a serious mediumistic meeting at the house where he attends or works.

From what is currently observed, in part, the growth in the number of false mediums venturing to bring letters of consolation occurs precisely because of this attitude, characterized by an incomprehensible search on the part of religious people having all the conditions to accept what happened with serenity in their hearts, giving the destiny of their loved ones to God. That is, there is an unusual demand.

However, there are other reasons to assert categorically about the impossibility of having so many mediums bringing this enormous amount of letters from beyond, and these reasons are presented through teachings contained in the Doctrine itself.

Otherwise, let us judge, what would be the example offered to non-followers of the Doctrine, when they watch the Spiritists looking avidly, disconsolately, some almost unbalanced, for information to make sure that their loved ones, newly disincarnated, are really alive!?

The well-known medium Raul Teixeira psychographed an excellent work, among others, dictated by Camilo, his Spiritual guide, fully focused on clarifying the topic of mediumship. Presented through a sequence of questions and answers, along the lines of The Book of Spirits, here are some excerpts from the answer to this question:1

69. Is there always a possibility that the medium will receive news or messages from the disincarnated family members of all who request it?

“That would be chaos in mediumistic relationships. Chaos because everyone would like to contact their “dead” in some way, and this is not possible in general and indiscriminately.”

"It is necessary to take into account the conditions in which many are disincarnated”.

“We must consider the possibilities of the family’s understanding, which was not always aware of this unavoidable reality of life, which is death, [...]. Desperation and anxiety wanting to receive news of their disincarnates are not always supported by the "laws of merit”.

“We still have to think about the mediumistic skills of those who present themselves with the purpose of conveying messages from the “dead”. Not every psychophonic or psychographer medium is in good condition, even qualified to act in this mail between the two worlds, efficiently, since this ability to filter and express the intellectual, sentimental and moral elements of the people, with property, is an expertise in the mediumistic area.”

“Mediums are rare who register accurately, and with little margin for errors, elements such as: names and nicknames, jargon used within the family or by the group of friends to whom it was transmitted, peculiarities of dealing with the different situations of life. This is because: [...] in order to communicate, the disincarnated Spirit identifies with the Spirit of the medium, this identification cannot be verified unless there is, between one and the other, sympathy and, if it is lawful to say, affinity."2

"These mediums are very rare, we repeat."

As we can see, there are several reasons pointed out by Camilo, questioning this real flood of consoling letters being brought from beyond by various "mediums". Of course there are serious, trained, honest workers, who through personal disciplines, built by the serious study of divine laws and unblemished moral conduct, have trained themselves to do so. Thus, they cannot be true mediums all these now considering themselves “post offices” from beyond the grave, no, they definitely cannot.

Therefore, dear reader not professing the Spiritist faith, or even those who still do not profess any faith, if the poignant sadness is present in your lives, if bitterness and longing deeply reach your souls and, in this way, you cannot accept or even live in the face of premature or unexplained deaths of your loved ones, be sure that there is nothing wrong in looking for worthy houses with this same aspiration, however, look for the serious institutions, in which there is no mentioning to possible retribution for the messages received.

Pray, wait, and if the necessary conditions are present, this law of God will allow you to be offered messages of hope, acceptance and resignation. They, the so-called "dead", will surely tell you that they have not been forsaken, much less forgotten, still alive. And for those graced with messages from beyond the grave, take advantage of this increase in divine mercy and try to illustrate yourself by studying the works written by Allan Kardec.

To the Spiritists, we suggest meditating carefully on the Spiritist concepts, reading and rereading the explanations about the functioning of life provided by the Doctrine of the Immortals, by the way, we are all immortals. Remember that the period of sleep opens a passage between the two worlds and if we know how to enter it well through the continued habit of prayer, let us be sure that we will find them once again to share our joys until our time also comes to return to true life again.


References:

1 TEIXEIRA, Raul. Challenges of mediumship. By the Spirit Camilo. 2nd ed. 1st print. Rio de Janeiro: FRATER, 2004. Part III. q. 69. p.86.

2 KARDEC, Allan. The Book of MediumsTrad. Guillon Ribeiro. 80th ed. 4th print. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2012. chap. 20, it. 227.


Translation:
Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br

 
 

     
     

O Consolador
 Revista Semanal de Divulgação Espírita