The nature of mediumistic communications
 

We present in this issue the topic #100 from the Systematized Study of the Spiritist Doctrine, that is being presented weekly, according to the programme elaborated by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB), structured in 6 modules and 147 topics.

If the reader uses this program for a study group, we suggest that questions proposed be discussed freely before the reading of the text that follows. If you would like to study alone, we ask you to try to answer the questions at first and only then read the text that follows. The answer key can be found at the end of the lesson. 

Questions

1. How does Kardec classify the mediumistic communications?

2. Is there a difference between gross and frivolous communications?

3. What is the main characteristic of the serious communications?

4. Can a serious communication be false? How to know it?

5. What are instructive communications?

Text

The communication reflects the degree of progress of the Spirit

1. In "The Book of Mediums," Kardec relevantly classifies the nature of the mediumistic communications, the encoder divides them into four groups:

• gross
• frivolous
• serious and
• instructive.

2. The mediumistic communications, teaches Kardec, depend - regarding the content- on the degree of progress of the communicating spirit, which means, on one’s position in the spiritist scale, this subject is discussed in the question of number 100 and following ones in the Spirits’ Book.

3. Just as with the incarnated, the disincarnated spirits present a huge variety regarding intelligence and morality, and because of this, the mediumistic dictation reflects the degree of moral or cultural progress of the communicant.

4. It is said that a communication is gross when is conceived in terms that shock the decorum. Communications of this nature can only come, of course, from spirits of low spiritual condition, covered with impurities of the matter and they do not differ from those which come from vicious and coarse men.

Frivolous communications emanate from banter spirits

5. According to the character of the communicant, gross communications are divided into trivial, wicked, obscene, insolent, arrogant, malicious and even impious. Examining them, the investigator will easily deduct the evolutionary degree of the one who transmitted by this or that mediator.

6. Frivolous communications come from frivolous, sneering or banter spirits, more malicious than bad and that give no importance to what they say. As they don’t contain anything of indecent, such communications please certain individual who have fun with them, because they find pleasure in futile confabulations where much is talked and nothing is said.

7. Such spirits, very often, make mischievous and acrid comments and, not rare, say hard truths that almost always hurt with fairness. As the truth is what they less worry about, they have the malignant pleasure of mystifying.

8. Serious communications are thoughtful regarding the subject and elevated regarding the form. When a communication is free of frivolity and rudeness, and aims at an useful purpose, even being of a particular nature, we can consider it as a serious communication. Since not all spirits are equally clarified, there are things that the communicant can ignore and about what can misguide in good faith.

A communication may be serious and not true

9. Because of this, not always a serious communication is genuine. There are the false ones. This is why the truly superior spirits continuously recommend us to refer all communications to the sieve of reason and the most rigorous logic.

10. As we know, certain presumptuous or pseudo-wise spirits, seek, making use of an elevated language, instill in the incarnated the most false ideas or absurd systems. They have no scruple to be decorated with respectable names, and only with a rigorous and careful exam can such mystification be revealed.

11. Instructive communications are serious communications whose main object is any one lesson, taught by the spirits, on science, moral or philosophy. They are more or less profound, according to the degree of elevation and dematerialization of the communicant Spirit.

12. Instructive communications are by definition true, since what is not true cannot be instructive. To judge the moral and intellectual value of the spirits who dictate them, it is necessary frequency and regularity in the communications, what is easy to comprehend, because if it is necessary to have experience to judge men, much more experience is needed to judge Spirits.

Answer Key

1. How does Kardec classify the mediumistic communications?

A.: The encoder of the Spiritism divides them into four groups: gross; frivolous; serious and instructive.

2. Is there a difference between gross and frivolous communications?

A.: Yes. Gross communications contain, as the name says, discourtesies and can be trivial, wicked, obscene, insolent, arrogant, malicious and even impious. Frivolous communications come from frivolous, sneering or banter spirits, more malicious than bad and that give no importance to what they say.

3. What is the main characteristic of the serious communications?

A.: Their main characteristic is being thoughtful regarding the subject and elevated regarding the form. If the communication is free of frivolity and rudeness, and aims at a useful purpose, even being of a particular character, we can consider it as a serious communication.

4. Can a serious communication be false? How to know it?

A.: Yes. Experience proves that not always a serious communication is genuine. There are the false ones. This is why the truly superior spirits continuously recommend us to refer all communications to the sieve of reason and the most rigorous logic, which is the only way of knowing whether they are true or not.

5. What are instructive communications?

A.: Instructive communications are serious communications whose main object is any one lesson, taught by the spirits, on science, moral or philosophy. Instructive communications are by definition true, since what is not true cannot be instructive.