Influence of the Spirits upon
the events of life 

We present in this issue the topic #94 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. Do the spirits exercise any influence upon the events of life? 

2. Is the influence of the Spirits upon us always good? 

3. What has been the cause of countless obsessions, particularly in the most severe cases?  

4. Can the Benefactor Spirits assist us to annul the disturbing forces that eventually threaten us?  

5. What is, according to the Spiritism, the basis of all exchange services between incarnated and disincarnated?

Text

It is very great the influence of the Spirits upon the things of this world

1. Men wrongly imagine that suits the Spirits to reveal their presence only through extraordinary phenomenons. We assume them to be gifted with miraculous resources, always armed with a magic wand, which is obviously a misunderstanding. Their occult influence on the things of our world is, however, very great, whether directly advising us, whether inspiring us to do such or such thing, with the caution of never acting against the laws of Nature. 

2. That way, provoking, for example, the meeting of two people who will evidentially attribute the fact to the chance; inspiring someone the idea of going to a certain place; calling someone’s attention to a determined spot, if this is what they have in mind, they work in a such way that man, supposing to be obeying an own impulse, maintain always his free will. 

3. As the environment which they act upon and the manner how they act differ from what we are used to seeing in the state of incarnation, the effects are also different, which appear to be supernatural only because they are produced with the assistance of agents that are not equal to those which we serve ourselves. As long as, however, that these agents equally belong to Nature and the manifestations will be given in virtue of the laws established by the Creator, there is nothing of supernatural or extraordinary in these manifestations and actions over the events of life.   

4. Given to the fact that they belong to the natural order of things, the spiritist phenomenons have been produced in all times. They consist of different ways of manifestation of the soul and Spirit. And it is through these manifestations that the Spirit reveals his existence, his survival, his individuality.   

Revenge is the cause of many obsessions, particularly in the most severe ones

5. The influence of the Spirits in the events of life can be good or bad; it depends only on the nature of the agent. The superior Spirits only do the good; therefore it’s easy to deduce that their influence is always beneficial to the human creature.  

6. Frivolous and Mocking Spirits feel delighted when they cause vexes which must be taken into account as tests to our patience.  

7. Impure Spirits, being incapable of forgiving the harm that has been done against them, keep - after the disincarnation – exercising the revenge they have started or conceived still during their incarnation. There it is – in the revenge – the cause of many obsessions, particularly in the severe ones, so well known in the Spiritist environment.    

8. We learn from the Spiritism that, although our inner disposition constitutes a relevant factor to the neutralization of the negative influence exercised by our incarnated or disincarnated adversaries, the intercession of the Benefactor Spirits is incontestable, real and very precious in the work of annulment of the disturbing forces that make the rounds and threaten those who are willing to grow spiritually.    

The basis of the exchange between us and the Spirits rests in the mind 

9.  Benefactor Spirits seek to inspire us for the good. Imperfect Spirits seek to induce us for the bad. The first ones fulfil a renewal mission, in favour of Humankind; they are called Missionaries of Love. The second ones influence us in an opposite direction, but in the induction to the bad, they don’t fulfil any mission; they are merely instruments of the shadow.    

10. It is necessary, however, have in mind that most bad things that happen to us depend on ourselves to avoid them or, at least, attenuate them, because God granted us intelligence so we could use it and, through it, obtain the assistance of the Superior Spirits.  

11. For a Spirit – good or bad – to influence someone and, acting this way, interfere in the events of life, it is necessary the existence of a tuning between him and the person cited. And the basis of all exchange services, between incarnated and disincarnated, rests on the mind.  

12. Each soul – affirms Emmanuel – lives in the spiritual climate that elected. Therefore, our companions in Earth or in the Spiritual world are those who we chose with our internal solicitations, once according to the wise words of Jesus, “our treasure will always be where we put our hearts”.

Answer Key

1. Do the spirits exercise any influence upon the events of life?

A.: Yes. Their occult influence on the things of our world is very great, whether directly advising us, whether inspiring us to do such or such thing, with the caution of never acting against the laws of Nature.   

2. Is the influence of the Spirits upon us always good?

A.: Not always. The influence of the Spirits in the events of life can be good or bad; it depends only on the nature of the agent. The superior Spirits only do the good; therefore it’s easy to deduce that their influence is always beneficial to the human creature. Frivolous and Mocking Spirits feel delighted when they cause vexes which must be taken into account as tests to our patience. Impure Spirits, being incapable of forgiving the harm that has been done against them, can, even after their disincarnation, wish for revenge.  

3. What has been the cause of countless obsessions, particularly in the most severe cases?

A.: The revenge.  

4. Can the Benefactor Spirits assist us to annul the disturbing forces that eventually threaten us?

A.: Yes. Although our inner disposition constitutes a determining factor for the neutralization of the negative influence exercised by our adversaries, the intercession of the Benefactor Spirits is incontestable, real and very precious in the work of annulment of the disturbing forces that make the rounds and threaten those who are willing to grow spiritually.    

5. What is, according to the Spiritism, the basis of all exchange services between incarnated and disincarnated?

A.: The basis of all exchange services, between incarnated and disincarnated, rests on the mind. For a Spirit – good or bad – to influence someone and, acting this way, interfere in the events of life, it is necessary the existence of a tuning between him and the person cited. Therefore, our companions in Earth or in the Spiritual world are those who we chose with our internal solicitations, once according to the wise words of Jesus, “our treasure will always be where we put our hearts”. 

Bibliography: 

The Spirit’s Book; by Allan Kardec, questions 525 to 532. 

The Genesis; by Allan Kardec, Chapter XIII, items 6 to 9. 

Guide; by Emmanuel, psicographed by Chico Xavier, Chapter 28, Pages 119 to 121.

And Life goes on; by André Luiz, psicographed by Chico Xavier, Chapter 25.