Some questions related to the concepts of beauty, specifically considering the human form, are eventually asked in our Spiritist studies: is there a universal standard of beauty, in the same way there in a universal ethical standard? Is there any relation between beauty and intellect-moral development? To what extent are beauty and ugliness evidence chosen by the Spirits in the process of reincarnating? Some of these issues are discussed in this text.

Universal beauty standard

Evolutionary psychologists claim that there is a universal standard of beauty, defined at the beginning of human evolution, through natural selection and sexual selection, and that they are invariable in time and space, that is, they arose with man and manifest themselves in any place in the world. (1)

Obviously, we cannot disregard other factors, such as personal and cultural factors. The idea, already defended in 1757 by the philosopher David Hume, is maintained that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, therefore, should consist of a subjective, learned and cultural experience. Whoever loves the ugly, seems beautiful to him, says the popular saying.

The comment of the chief of a tribe in the Xingu Indigenous Park became famous when the community was visited by the model Gisele Bündchen in 2006. Asked by a reporter about the beauty of the Brazilian model, he said:

- Too thin! No Indian here would want to marry her.

In addition to personal and cultural factors, which are undoubtedly important, evolutionary psychologists clarify that psychological science has identified some transversality in the physical characteristics that influence the perception of attractiveness. Three of these main characteristics are symmetry, mediania (degree of similarity with the average facial proportions of the general population) and sexual dimorphism (presence of facial characteristics that typically distinguish males from females).

Individuals are expected to select long-term partners with fertility and health indicators (youth, beauty, waist and hip ratio). Beauty describes a healthy appearance. Our existence as a species depends on it. Our mind pleases signs that induce patterns of youth, health and fertility, since from an evolutionary point of view only one thing matters: to survive. For the survival of the species we need to identify the best partners. Appearance indicates reproductive quality. Beauty is a sign of fertility and genetic quality.

Symmetry, absence of deformities, cleanliness, spotless skin, clear eyes, intact teeth are attractive in all cultures. Orthodontists have found that a beautiful face has teeth and jaws in optimal alignment for chewing. Exuberant hair always appeals, probably because it indicates not only good health in the present, but also a history of good health in previous years. A subtler sign of good genes is being average in terms of the size and shape of each part of the face. The geometry of beauty was once an indicator of youth, health and no prior pregnancy. Our mind has evolved in this context and still has health detectors through beauty, although a lot has changed.

Three-month-old babies prefer to look at a pretty face, and looking at it, they smile more and fix their eyes for longer periods. This strongly corroborates a concept of beauty innate in the human species. (2)

And as for Spiritism? Does it manifest itself regarding this issue? We did not find in the research that we carried out for this text any targeted and broad approach on the subject, however the considerations that Andre Luiz presents, when examining reincarnating planning (3), lead us towards the theory of a universal model of beauty. Andre uses the following expressions: the male mold showed absolute harmony of lines, like Hellenic art with an ancient taste; the model was the most exquisite anatomical work; that human figure was similar to anything divine; irreproachable forms, as for the exterior lines; less graceful exterior molds; impeccable lines for fitness; perfect physical harmony and bodily ugliness.

Are good and beautiful equivalent?

A common stereotype, known by science as the Hal effect (4), represents our tendency to associate everything that is beautiful with everything that is good. Because of this stereotype, attractive people are usually perceived as having a variety of positive personality characteristics, but also as being more competent and happy. (5)

Ordinary experience shows that this is not true. Beautiful-looking individuals often demonstrate bad character, while people not labeled as beautiful demonstrate evident ethical and compassionate behavior. But, in some way, would the intellect-moral development be reflected in the physical expressions of the beautiful and the ugly, considering that the physical body is shaped by the Spirit itself, when the process of returning to the corporeal dimension?

Kardec suggested this hypothesis in an oral communication made at the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies on February 4, 1869, although such ideas were never published by him, but posthumously. According to the Encoder, the perfection of the form would be the consequence of the perfection of the Spirit; whence it can be concluded that the ideal of form must be that which the Spirits wear in a state of purity. And yet: real beauty consists of the form that is most distant from animality and that best reflects the intellectual and moral superiority of the Spirit, which is the main being. It also adds that the type of beauty consists of the form most appropriate to the expression of the highest moral and intellectual qualities and that, as man rises morally, his envelope will become closer to the ideal of beauty, which is angelic beauty. (6)

This statement found support in several mediumistic communications received at the same meeting. In one of them, an entity that signed itself as Pamphile said the following:

You rightly thought that the primary source of all goodness and intelligence is also the source of all beauty. - Love generates the beauty of all things, being perfection itself. - The Spirit must acquire this perfection, which is its essence and its destiny. He has to approach, by his work, sovereign intelligence and infinite goodness; therefore, it must also cover the increasingly perfect form, which characterizes perfect beings.

Lavater's Spirit was also manifested (7), stating that the connection between the good and the beautiful is a certain and logical fact, when examined from the point of view of the Spirit: we get closer and closer to real beauty, as we that we rise to perfection. He wrote: Beautiful, really beautiful is only what is always and for everyone; and that eternal, infinite beauty is the divine manifestation in its incessantly varied aspects; it is God in his works and in his laws! Here is the only absolute beauty. It is the harmony of harmonies and is entitled to the title of absolute, because nothing more beautiful can be conceived.

However, when referring to beauty as a manifestation of corporeality, the author relativizes this concept, stating that harmony, even in evil, produces beauty. There is the beautiful satanic and the beautiful angelic.

Emmanuel expresses an equivalent thought: Not everything that is beautiful is holy. (8)

In conclusion, for now, we can accept that the intellectual-moral condition of the one reincarnating can participate in the physical traits defined in his bodily manifestation, but many other factors intervene in the construction of his body, as we will see below.

Beauty and ugliness as evidence

Kardec defines tests as the vicissitudes of bodily life, by which the Spirits purify themselves, according to the way in which they support them. (9) Beauty and ugliness, when significant, are considered evidence because they have direct implications for the experiences of the reincarnated Spirit. Many studies in social psychology have shown that handsome men and women begin their professional lives with higher salaries, and beautiful women receive less punishment when judged for a crime committed. Taller men advance more quickly in companies than short ones.

Andre Luiz reports on the theme by examining the dynamics of the return of the Spirit to the physical dimension, relating entities that, in the organization of the chromosomal maps that will define their future shape, are concerned with issues related to physical appearance and he states that the anatomical contours of the physical shape, deformed or perfect, long or short, beautiful or ugly, are part of the educational statutes. (10)

According to Andre Luiz, several factors are added when defining the physical appearance of an individual. When describing Sigismund’s reincarnation, he comments:

[...] the anatomical contours and details will develop according to the principles of balance and the law of heredity. The future physical form of our friend Sigismund will depend on the paternal and maternal chromosomes; add, however, to this primordial factor the influence of Raquel's mental molds, the performance of the interested person, the contest of the Constructing Spirits, who will act as employees of the divine nature, invisible to the terrestrial gaze, the affectionate assistance of the friendly entities who will constantly visit the reincarnating, in the months of formation of the new body, and will be able to have an idea of ​​how his physical temple will be like. (11)

Thus, didactically, we can relate the subject's physical appearance to the following factors:

a) Heredity.

According to Andre: Heredity works with inalienable dominance over all evolving beings. Fetal modeling and embryo development obey natural physical laws, which occurs in the organization of forms in other kingdoms of Nature. The organism of the unborn, in its densest expression, comes from the body of the parents, who entertain their lives and create their characters with their own blood. (12)

b) Psychism of the reincarnating portraying his spiritual condition and his most pressing evolutionary needs and the mother's psyche, in close connection with the mind of the fetus.

Andre writes: Heredity, which is accepted in the scientific knowledge of the world, has its limits [...] the parents provide certain resources to the reincarnating Spirit, but these resources are conditioned to the needs of the soul that benefits from their cooperation, because, deep down, we are heirs of ourselves. (13)

Examining Julio's reincarnation, Andre comments: During Zulmira's pregnancy, Julio's mind will remain associated with the maternal mind, influencing, as is fair, the formation of the embryo. The entire cellular cosmos of the new organism will be impregnated by the forces of thought. As we see, the command resides in the mind. The conscience traces the destiny, and the body reflects the soul. Every aggregation of matter obeys the Spirit's impulses. Our thoughts fabricate the ways we use ourselves in life. Certain intimate states of the woman somehow reach the fetal principle, marking it for the entire existence. Is that the work of motherhood resembles a delicate process of modeling, requiring, therefore, great care and harmony so that the task is perfect. (14)

c) Interference by Spirits specialized in the reincarnation process.

Andre Luiz comments that a large percentage of reincarnations in the Crust are processed in a standardized manner for all, in the field of purely evolutionary manifestations. But another percentage does not follow the same program. Raising the soul in culture, knowledge and, consequently, in responsibility, the individual reincarnation process is more complex, evading general expression, as is logical. In view of this, the higher spiritual colonies maintain special services for the reincarnation of workers and missionaries.

He also recalls that heredity works with an inalienable dominion over all evolving beings, but naturally suffers the influence of all those who achieve qualities superior to the general environment. Furthermore, when those interested in new experiences in the Crust plan are worthy of “intercessory” services, the higher forces can print certain changes to the matter, from embryological activities, determining changes favorable to the work of redemption. (15)

The theme is complex and little material on the subject is available in the Spiritist literature. We must be open to new considerations, which may allow, in the future, broader and more precise reflections.

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1 Manual of Evolutionary Psychology, Yamamoto et al.

2 Steven Pinker, How the mind works.

3 Missionaries of Light, chaps 12, 13 and 14

4 The halo effect is the possibility that the evaluation of an item, product or individual may, under some bias, interfere in the judgment on other important factors, contaminating the overall result. For example, in the performance appraisal processes the halo effect is the interference caused due to the friendliness that the appraiser has for the person being evaluated

5 The science of human beauty, Mariana Carrito, in Public, 22/12/19

6 Spiritist Review, August 1869

7 Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741-1801), besides being a pastor, was a philosopher, poet, theologian and an enthusiast of animal magnetism in Switzerland. He is considered the founder of physiognomy, the art of knowing people's personality through physiognomic traits.

8 Our Bread, Introduction

9 Practical instructions on Spiritist manifestations, Spiritist vocabulary.

10 Missionaries of Light, ch. 13

11 Missionaries of Light, ch. 13

12 Missionaries of Light, ch. 13

13 Between Earth and Heaven, ch. 28

14 Between Earth and Heaven, ch. 28

15 Light Missionaries, ch. 13.