Marcus Machado Ramos Souza de Souza (photo), from the Brazilian city of Feira de Santana, works as a biochemist pharmacist and is an active member of the Spiritist Movement in the state of Bahia. He is a member of Associação Espírita Cristã André Luiz, where he coordinates the study groups, and is also a director at the Spiritist Federation of the State of Bahia and coordinator of the Regional Spiritist Council. In this interview, he speaks about the Spiritist Movement in his region.

When and how did you become a Spiritist?

I first came across Spiritism through a great friend of mine, who began attending a Spiritist Centre when I was 17 years old. I found there the answer to many questions that I had been asking myself at the time. He then invited me to join their Spiritist youth group.

What is your assessment of the Spiritist Movement?

It’s very positive. More and more people have been helping disseminate Spiritism around the world. Spiritism has now reached other areas, such as literature, theatre, cinema and other cultural and artistic events. All that has raised the interest of many people in the Teachings.

Which of the three aspects of Spiritism strikes you the most?

The amalgamation made by Allan Kardec was fantastic. It’s a combination of different aspects of knowledge. It’s very difficult to answer this question. At the moment, what touches me the most is the religious aspect, in the wider sense of spirituality. Even though the three aspects – science, philosophy and religion – constitute the foundations of Spiritism I believe the religious aspect stands out. It offers us the only way of transcending the material world as we search for new spiritual aspirations.

Tell us a bit about the Spiritist Movement in your region.

The local federation reaches the whole of the state of Bahia, which is divided by regions. I am the coordinator of the Third Section of the Regional Spiritist Council. We take part in many activities and events promoted by the Federation. And I am part of a group that organises and promotes the Spiritist Week of Feira de Santana, as well as many local seminars throughout the year.

When and how did the Regional Spiritist Conference begin?

In 2019, we held the 41^st edition of the Spiritist Week of Feira de Santana. But the new coronavirus pandemic forced us to hold the Regional Spiritist Conference virtually, gathering Spiritists from the cities of Santo Amaro and Cachoeira online. It effectively replaced the Spiritist Week, with the aim of boosting interaction in the regional Spiritist Movement. The first edition was held in 2020 and it’s our goal to carry on with this event once a year.

How do you think the virtual format has changed the event? How different was it before, when people met physically in the same room?

This event was a watershed in the local Spiritist Movement. We previously broadcast conferences and events online, but there was never something like this. In 2020, we expanded and reached the rest of the world. That has given us more visibility. The traditional model, where people physically turn up for events, is very interesting but it has its limitations. Virtual meetings open up new possibilities for the participation of people without the need of travelling. It also makes it easier for key Spiritist speakers to take part from all corners of Brazil. It has been very easy to secure their presence in the event.

Will you use both systems in the next edition of the Conference, later in 2021? 

I think we will still stick to the virtual, online, model because of the pandemic, which is still there bringing about so much uncertainty to everyone.

What is your strongest memory from the previous editions of the Feira de Santana Conference?

It is certainly the warmth of those taking part and the capacity we’ve all shown of overcoming our limits. We are a very valuable team. We are a tightly knit family. We’ve always made a huge effort, every year, to organise this event. And we have succeeded in our efforts to help disseminate the Spiritist Teachings, with the support of the Spiritual Benefactors. We have learned so much from these experiences and we have been able to bring into our inner lives the Teachings of Jesus.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would like to say what a great experience it was to work with our friends from Cachoeira and Santo Amaro, with Jocélia Lima and Cristina Cardoso, who is coordinator of the Second Section of the Regional Spiritist Council. I really hope that this type of event becomes a new tendency in the Spiritist Movement, helping establish new ties of unity and affection among all Spiritists. Virtual events will also help integrate so many Spiritists from smaller towns, who often aren’t able to organise bigger events.