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The effects of
eclecticism and
of heterodoxy in
the French
spiritist
movement
The syncretism,
the miscellania
of Spiritism
with other
spiritualist
schools,
disfiguring
spiritist
practice in its
totality, is the
cause of the
disappearance of
Spiritism in
France
As we know,
Spiritism
appeared in
France in 1857,
with the
publication of
The Spirits’
Book by the
professor
Hippolyte Léon
Denizard Rivail
who used the nom
de plume Allan
Kardec so that a
distinction was
made between
this book and
works
originating from
his profession
as a respected
pedagogue and
disciple of
Pestalozzi.
With the success
of the first
work of the
Spiritist
codification
achieved, a
foundation of
all its
philosophic
construction,
Allan Kardec
decided to
establish the
Parisian Society
of Spiritist
Philosophy in
Paris on 1st
April
1858, the
existence of
which was
justified in the
following
manner:
“The universal
extension, so to
speak, that
spiritist
beliefs have
daily; vividly
need the
creation of a
regular centre
of observations.
This gap has
just been
filled. We have
the pleasure to
announce the
formation of the
Society which is
composed
exclusively of
serious people
who are free
from prejudices
and filled with
the sincere
desire for
clarification.
Since its
beginnings the
Society has
counted upon,
amongst its
associated
people, eminent
men and women
for their
knowledge and
their social
position. We are
convinced that
the Society has
been called to
pay
incontestable
services to the
finding of the
truth. Its
organic law
secures it a
homogeneity
without which
there will be no
vitality
possible. It is
based on the
experience of
man and of
things and on
the knowledge of
the necessary
conditions to
the observations
which are the
object of its
researches. Here
in Paris those
who are
strangers to
spiritist
philosophy and
who are
interested in it
will have a
centre which
they will be
able to visit
and communicate
their own
observations”.
According to the
report of April
1862, published
in the Spiritist
Magazine, the
Society
experienced
considerable
growth in its
first years of
functioning,
with 87
effective paying
members, listing
amongst them:
scientists,
artists,
authors,
doctors,
engineers,
lawyers,
magistrates,
members of the
nobility, army
and navy
officers, civil
servants,
teachers,
artisans and
businessmen. The
number of
visitors reached
almost 1500
people a year,
which was
considerable for
that time.
The Codifier was
strict in the
compliance of
the statutory
rules and with
the issue of
discipline
Kardec who
served in the
post of
president from
its creation,
tired with the
excess of work
and, upset with
administrative
squabbles,
mentioned the
desire to resign
the position
many times.
However, urged
by the Spirits
who were the
coordinators of
the work, he
carried on the
exercise of
president of the
Society until
his death.
According to
what can be
noticed in the
writings,
documents and
testimonies of
the time, the
Codifier was
strict in the
compliance of
the statutory
rules and with
the issue of
discipline with
the management
of the
activities
carried out
there. He
required extreme
seriousness from
all the
participants and
this contributed
to more
credibility for
the institution
and to its
pronouncements
regarding the
themes dealt
with. He was
extremely
prudent and
austere with
recorded
opinions and
never allowed
the Society to
become an arena
for
controversies
and sterile
debates which
were generally
instigated by
those
individuals who
were interested
on deviating
Spiritism from
the course
established by
the works of the
Codification.
With his death
which was due to
an aneurysm, one
of his closest
collaborators
Pierre Gaëtan
Leymariewent on
to carry out the
functions of the
editor in chief
and director of
Revue Spirite
magazine(1870-1901)
and manager of
the Librairie
Spirite (1870 to
1897). However,
without the same
credentials of
the Codifier and
because of his
excessive spirit
of tolerance, he
was not able to
obstruct the
action of
pseudo-supporters
who perverted
the purpose of
the magazine,
opening its
pages to
advertisements
of spiritualist
philosophies
including to the
ideas Roustaing,
which differ
from Spiritism.
At the same time
there as a
perversion of
the Revue
Spirite’s
purpose, where
“free space was
given to the
fighters of all
schools with the
condition that
they defended
spiritualist
causes or causes
of essentially
humanitarian and
moral order,
thus opening
itself to fierce
criticisms from
some, to the
accusations or
dissatisfaction
of others...”,
according to the
work entitled
The process of
the Spiritists”
(published
by Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation,
pages 22 &23, 2nd
edition).
In Brazil, in
present times,
we can clearly
observe that
history is
repeating
itself
Within these
“fighters of all
schools”, are
included
supporters of
Orientalism such
as theosophists,
Buddhists,
occultists,
esoteric etc..,
as the work
entitled
Allan Kardec
(FEB, volume 3)
by Zêus Wantuil
and Francisco
Thiesen informs
us.
That is
therefore the
cause of the
disappearance of
Spiritism in
France. The
syncretism and
the miscellanea
of Spiritism
with other
spiritualist
schools
perverted the
spiritist
practice in its
totality, so
much that today,
in France and
practically all
of Europe, it is
confused with
all kinds of
superstitions
such as
astrology,
fortune telling,
witchcraft,
sorcery etc.
In Brazil and in
present times we
can clearly
observe that
history is
repeating
itself, being
that the tactic
of the hidden
enemies of
Spiritism remain
the same: that
of proposing and
enforcing
surreptitious
entry of
questionable
practices and
ideas into the
bosom of the
Brazilian
spiritist
movement.
On one hand we
had the adoption
of Roustaing’s
works by the
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation as
its members
nicknamed these
works with the
titles “Higher
Course in
Spiritism”, “The
Fourth
Revelation” and
“Revelation of
the Revelation”.
Thanks to that,
we feel the
effect of these
federalist
politics today,
in that a soppy,
subservient and
church-going
mentality; which
is wrongly
confused with a
charitable and
tolerant
posture; has
become
established in
the movement.
This is due to a
whole set of
works,
mediumistic or
not, which even
though they do
not mention
Roustaing or his
works, were able
to
surreptitiously
instil the neo
docetist full
set of ideas
into the bosom
of the Brazilian
Spiritist
Movement. On the
other hand and
adopting ideas
different from
Roustaing’s; the
supporters of
Orientalism; who
judge themselves
capable of
enriching
Spiritism and
with basis
mainly in the
dictates of the
Spirit Ramatis
to the
spiritualist
medium Hercílio
Maes; insist
upon giving
Spiritism a
mystical facet
that is based on
Eastern
religions from
the past and on
Theosophy. For
such, they do
not fail to call
Kardec and
consequently the
works of the
Spiritist
Codification,
out dated and
the Spiritist
Philosophy in
need of mending
patches, besides
considering the
Spirit Ramatis
himself and his
confused
dictates as the
main artificer
for this
mission, under
the banner of
the
“universalism”,
term generally
used to cover up
syncretistic
ideas and
fetishists
practices.
Kardec affirmed
that the worst
enemies of
Spiritism would
be amongst its
members
The list of
innovations
advocated by
these sectarian
strongholds is
extensive:
adoption of
astrology, of
past life
therapy,
rituals,
terminology
strange to
Spiritism,
belief in
prophecies
regarding the
destruction of
the planet,
belief in extra
and intra
terrestrial
beings with a
mission to save
the planet, and
all kinds of
mystical
divagations
without the
least rational
or factual
basis, thus
generally
inducing a
mystical-religious
alienation that
is not far short
from the
traditional
dogmatic
religions, only
with a different
facet, of an
essentially
esoteric nature.
Therefore while
we experience
all this with
crossed arms,
victimised by
the false idea
that we are
being intolerant
and
non-fraternal by
studying hard
and not
endorsing this
attempt to
distort
spiritist
understanding
and practice
which take place
inside and
outside
spiritist
centres and
federations,
everything will
stay as it is;
with a tendency
to get worse, in
the same way as
happened to
Christianity
which is similar
to a patchwork
quilt due to the
same factors
that threaten
Spiritism today.
The writer Vanda
Simões observes
this reality
attentively and
once wrote an
interesting
article entitled
“Our Imperfect
Spiritists”
which we
transcribe here
and use it to
conclude our
considerations:
“Allan Kardec
once affirmed
that the worst
enemies of
Spiritism would
be amongst its
members. This
affirmation
seems to appear
hard and
radical, but it
came from
himself and he
knew what he was
talking about.
Today in this
world with so
much confusion,
the spiritist
movement finds
itself wrapped
in a tangle of
nonsense that
leave the
serious
spiritists
worried about
the destiny of
the philosophy
in the world. It
is difficult to
understand that
such rational
and pioneering
philosophy could
have prepared
people with a
perception of
life which is so
narrow and hard
set.
One of two:
either Spiritist
Philosophy is
defective or the
spiritists have
not understood
its moral scope.
Knowing the
untruth about
the first
hypothesis, it
is left to us to
bow to the
reality of the
latter.
It is time for
change. The
millennium ends
and a new phase
starts on the
planet
The proof of
this is in the
form of how the
Spiritist
Philosophy is
practiced in the
spiritist
centres of the
entire country,
with perfect
replicas abroad
(mainly in
Portugal and in
the USA),
“forming”
supporters who
are spiritists
in name only.
They are
imperfect
spirits, of
which the
movement is
full, as for
example, those
who publicly
affirm that
Kardec is
outdated and
needs to be
reinterpreted,
when not even
10% of his
thoughts is
known in depth.
They consider
themselves
versed for
having read the
basic works, and
all the
ancillary
literature,
psychographed or
not. To read is
one thing, but
to study, to
understand and
to comprehend is
a totally
different
matter...”
“The modern
spiritist seem
to ignore such
things. And if
they know it,
they do not give
it any
importance, as
they defend
bizarre ideas
which are
contrary to the
Kardecian
fundamentals,
based in
writings
dictated by
misleading and
pseudo-wise
Spirits. These
ideas are easily
infiltrated in
our environment,
because they
find fertile
ground in
naivety and lack
of study which
makes people
accept
everything
without
questioning
it.It is time
for change. The
millennium ends
and a new phase
begin for the
planet. The
spiritist
centres need to
become prepared
to support man
within a life
philosophy which
is better, more
just and broader
in its
comprehension of
divine matters.
“In order to do
so, it needs
serious
spiritists who
understand the
true meaning of
Spiritism and
who can bring a
new order of
practices and
goals into the
spiritist
centres, forming
truly good men.
It needs
spiritists who
are able to
remove from
spiritist
centres
everything that
is not useful
for the
edification of
the creature.
And finally to
show to the
modern Pharisees
the true face of
the Spiritist
Philosophy; as
humanity’s
modifying agent
and not as
instruments of
false virtues,
of mere
self-promotion
and a factory of
fantasies”.
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