Nature and properties
of the perispirit

We present in this issue the topic #90 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. What is perispirit?

2. Where do the Spirits get the elements which constitute their perispirit?

3. Is the nature of the fluidic envelope identical to everybody?

4. Can we say that the perispirit has its own specific weight?

5. Does the matter – as we know in our world – offer any sort of obstacle to the perispirit?

 Text

The nature of the perispirit maintains a relation with the person’s evolution

1. The perispirit, or the Spirits’ fluidic body, is a condensation of the cosmic fluid around the soul. The physical body, or carnal, results from a bigger condensation of the same element and because of that, it is transformed into tangible matter. 

2. Although both of them have a common origin, which is the cosmic fluid, the molecular transformations are different in these two bodies. This is the reason why the perispirit is ethereal and imponderable. Both are, therefore, matter, but in different states. According to Clarêncio’s teachings, minister at the spiritual colony “Our Home”, the perispiritual body is constituted of similar chemical principles, in their properties, to the hydrogen, expressing themselves through molecules considerably distanced from one another (Between Earth and Heaven, Chapter XXIX).

3. The Spirit produces his perispiritic envelope with fluids removed from the environment in which he lives. As the nature of the worlds varies according to these worlds’ evolution degree, the materiality of the inhabitants’ physical bodies will be higher or lower. The perispirit maintains a relation with its composition, with this degree of materiality. Admitting that a Spirit emigrates from Earth, his fluidic envelope will remain there once he needs to get another fluidic envelope, one more appropriate to the planet he will live.    

4. The nature of the fluidic envelope always maintains a relation with the degree of moral advancement of the Spirit. The Spirit’s moral condition corresponds, as to say, to a certain density of the perispirit. Higher the elevation, lower is the fluidic density. Higher the inferiority, higher is the density, which means, a crude perispirit with a higher fluidic condensation. Even being denser, the fluidic envelopes continue being imponderable.    

Each perispirit has its own specific weight and density

5. In the Chapter XIII of the work above quoted, Clarêncio asserts that the spiritual vehicle is by excellence, vibrative and deeply modifies itself, according to the type of emotion that flows from its essence. As everybody knows, in our own environment the physical mask changes itself when in happy moments or suffering ones, when in sympathy or aversion. In the spiritual dimension, similar transformations are quicker and show intimate aspects of the being with easiness and safety, once the perispirit’s molecules spin in a higher vibratory pattern, with a more intensive movements comparing to molecules of a carnal body.   

6. We can, therefore, considering the relativity of the things, admit that there is a specific weight for the perispirit. Those with a higher specific weight drag the Spirits to inferior regions, not allowing them the access to more elevated dimensions and for this, the ticket to worlds of greater spiritual elevation. The intensity of the perispirit’s density in a wide number of Spirits, leads them to mix up the perispirit with the material body which they used during the last incarnation. This is one of the reasons that make many of them consider themselves still incarnated and still living on Earth, imagining busy with jobs that were usual to them. 

7. The perispirit of superior Spirits has a very low specific weight, which provides them with a lightness that enables them to live in higher dimensions and displace themselves to other worlds. They can, evidently, descend to inferior dimensions and, given the subtlety of their envelopes, they won’t be noticed by less advanced disincarnated entities.

8. When incarnated, the Spirit keeps the perispiritic envelope, constituting the material body a second envelope, cruder, appropriate to the environment he lives in. The perispirit serves, in this situation, as an intermediary between the soul and body. It is the organ which transmits all the sensations that come from the Spirit or that come from the exterior, through the physical body. Due to the crudeness aspect of the matter, the Spirits cannot act directly upon it. So, in order to do that, they use the perispirit. The perispiritic fluids constitute, in this way, under the action of the will, real tools that enable the production of noises, bangs, displacements of objects etc...  

The matter does not offer any sort of obstacle to the perispirit or to the Spirits

9. In normal conditions, the perispirit is invisible, but it can become visible due to the modifications that may experience through the action of the Spirit’s will. These modifications consist of a kind of condensation or, of new arrangements of the molecules that compose it, but it is required the existence of certain circumstances that do not only depend on the Spirit. To become visible to someone, he needs a permission which not always is granted.    

10. Concerning the apparitions, the perispirit commonly presents itself with a vaporous and diaphanous aspect. In other occasions, it has outlined shapes and clean-cut features, being possible to present the solidity of a physical body, meaning, tangible, which does not impede it to retake instantaneously the normal state of invisibility and intangibility.   

11. The matter – as we know in our world – does not offer any obstacle to the perispirit because of the ethereal condition of the spiritual body, which grants the property of penetrability. It goes through the matter as the light goes through transparent bodies. That’s why closed windows and doors do not obstruct the entrance of the Spirits.

12. As it has been said, the Spirits constitute their perispiritic envelope from the spiritual fluids layers which involve the Earth. These fluids are not homogeneous; therefore, depending on the Spirit’s purity, his perispirit will constitute itself from the most pure or most crude parts of the peculiar fluid of the planet he will incarnate in. In this process, the Spirit automatically attracts molecules that match with his vibratory pattern.      

13. The intimate constitution of the individuals’ perispirits who populate Earth is not identical, nor is the space which surrounds them, fact that does not happen with the material body, constituted by the same elements, regardless of people’s spiritual elevation. The perispiritic envelope of the Spirits changes itself according to the moral progress that is achieved in every existence, even reincarnating in the same environment. That way, superior Spirits, even reincarnating in inferior worlds, will have their perispirit less crude than the perispirit of Spirits tied to these worlds, due to their evolutionary level.       

Answer Key

1. What is perispirit?

R.: The perispirit, or the Spirits’ fluidic body, is a condensation of the cosmic fluid around the soul.  

2. Where do the Spirits get the elements which constitute their perispirit?

R.: The Spirit produces his perispiritic envelope with fluids removed from the environment in which he lives. As the nature of the worlds varies according to these worlds’ evolution degree, the perispirit maintains a relation with its composition, with this degree of materiality. Admitting that a Spirit emigrates from Earth, his fluidic envelope will remain there once he needs to get another fluidic envelope, one more appropriate to the planet he will live.  

3. Is the nature of the fluidic envelope identical to everybody?

R.: No. The nature of the fluidic envelope always maintains a relation with the degree of moral advancement of the Spirit. The Spirit’s moral condition corresponds, as to say, to a certain density of the perispirit. Higher the elevation, lower is the fluidic density. Higher the inferiority, higher is the density, which means, a crude perispirit with a higher fluidic condensation.

4. Can we say that the perispirit has its own specific weight?

R.: Yes. We can, considering the relativity of the things, admit that there is a specific weight for the perispirit. Those with a higher specific weight drag the Spirits to inferior regions, not allowing them the access to more elevated dimensions and for this, the ticket to worlds of greater spiritual elevation.

5. Does the matter – as we know in our world – offer any sort of obstacle to the perispirit?

R.: No. The peculiar matter of our dimension does not offer any obstacle to the perispirit because of the ethereal condition of the spiritual body, which grants the property of penetrability. It goes through the matter as the light goes through transparent bodies. That’s why closed windows and doors do not obstruct the entrance of the Spirits.

Bibliography:

Genesis, by Allan Kardec, items 7 a 10, Pages 276 to 279.

Posthumous Works, by Allan Kardec, items 10 to 16, Pages 45 to 47.

Between Earth and Heaven, by Andre Luiz, Chapter XIII and XXIX.