Kennedy Gomes Marins (photo) is a psychologist from the city of Sertãozinho, in the state of São Paulo. He is a member of the local Spiritist Centre – Deus e Caridade – and of a group that works with alcoholics and drug addicts, known as GRAAUS. He is also a Spiritist public speaker and the coordinator of several study groups. His professional experience adds an interesting perspective to his profound knowledge of Spiritism, as it will become evident in the following interview:

Psychotherapy is a powerful tool to help us face the challenges in our lives, which manifest in various ways, in many different situations. People look for psychotherapy for a number of reasons that afflict human beings, such as depression, fears, insecurity, phobias, anxiety, personal conflicts, marital and family problems, bereavement, problems in social and group relationships and many others. Many also come for psychotherapy as preventive measure, as a way of achieving internal growth and self-knowledge. 

The fact that so many people live now so far from God and immersed in a materialistic society is, in your view, an important factor in their low self-esteem? 

Absolutely, as those who look for realisation in material values, in what is in fact an illusion, will inevitably get frustrated and disappointed. That will bring about a feeling of profound anguish. Self-esteem and self-love are the outcome of being in harmony with our essence, and we are all the children of God. When we move away from the real aims in life and begin living simply as material bodies, all we collect is disappointments. But when we live as spiritual beings, we will have found the real aims in life and will live happier and with more energy. 

The setbacks in life lead to different reactions and injuries in each person. Is there a recipe to manage the events of our lives in a more balanced manner? 

People suffer with the meaning it attaches to what goes on with them, not with what really goes on with them. Hence, two people can go through the same adversity and have very different reactions, according to their interpretation of the facts. Some see in the setbacks an opportunity to learn and progress, transforming their pain into positive changes in their lives. My grandmother used to say that some setbacks happened for a good reason. I never forget grandma Meéca’s recipe to manage the adversities of live in a balanced and measured way. 

Many people feel paralysed by fear and shyness, which are a result of a number of factors. What is your advice to overcome those feelings? 

Fear is a natural feeling and should be part of the natural, healthy emotions of every human being. But one should make a distinction between healthy fear and pathological fear. The former protects us from the dangers of life and comes from the instinct of self-preservation. But fear becomes pathological when the person produces a distorted and unreal interpretation of a situation or an object. Shyness comes generally from a feeling of deep internal insecurity. The shy person needs to reassess how they see themselves. Shy people normally believe they are worthless and incapable. But we are all capable. We have indeed our problems and challenges, but we also have immense potential that can be developed. Why focus only on the negative side? 

Many problems come from grudges, from hurt feelings and even jealousy and envy. As a psychologist, do you have many cases dealing with those emotions? Are they particularly difficult? 

As the Spiritist Doctrine teaches, the biggest wound in humankind is pride and selfishness. From those feelings come all the problems you mentioned. We are still ignorant spirits, we are students lacking discipline, who haven’t yet been able to learn the Law of Love, which was so well taught and exemplified by Jesus. Yes, there are many cases dealing with those issues. Whether they are the most challenging? Let’s direct our thoughts to our Master Jesus, who has been teaching us for 2011 years and remember that we are still stubborn enough not to learn or practice his lessons.  

How big is the family background in the formation of the personality, its neurosis, fears and other characteristics? 

Family is the big school where our feelings are formed. Through the coexistence and the examples observed, children begin registering their first impressions of life and forming their personality. Their experiences within the family ambience will play a very important role in the formation of their psyche, contributing either for a positive make up or an unbalanced personality. Fortunately parents have nowadays better conditions to provide their children with a positive environment, so that they can learn from their examples. Parents are more aware of their responsibility and they have at their hands these days a huge amount of resources to help their children build a healthy and balanced psychological profile, in tune with the true values of Good. 

What is the link between Psychology and Spirtism? 

Psychology is the science of the soul. It deals with human behaviour, the mental processes and their interaction. Spiritism, in the words of Allan Kardec, is the science that deals with the nature, origin and destiny of the Spirits, as well as their relations with the material world. The very definitions of Psychology and Spiritism make it clear that there is a great deal in common between these two fields of science. 

How can that link you mention help us? 

There is no doubt it can help us. Science and religion never really got along well, as there was no reason in faith and they carried on one without the other. The gap between science and religion is being filled by the knowledge of the mechanisms of the Spiritual Universe and its relations with the material world. Once those mechanisms are scientifically proven, a new light will shine on human knowledge. Those studies are being carried out by eminent scientists in the best universities in Brazil and abroad. Spiritism can play a very important role to development of Psychology and other fields of science, as it sums up human knowledge. It can also be illuminated by other sciences. But one thing must be said, and I don’t mean it badly: we can’t make a psychology practice out of a Spiritist Centre and vice-versa. 

What is the assessment you make of the audience in your Spiritist lectures and speeches? 

I think there is a great demand for serious and in-depth studies of the Doctrine. We, as Spirist speakers, should go deeper in our debates, moving away from many superficial issues and the traditional public speaking model, which in many cases works only on our egos. We have huge responsibility, we are committed to disseminating the knowledge of Spiritism, but most of all we must lead by example and live what we teach.  

What else would you like to add? 

It comes to my mind now the beginning of the beautiful song by the Spiritist musician Moacyr Camargo, titled Louis Armstrong:

“I believe

That the world will be

Much better than it is

If we fill our souls with flowers

And become nothing but flower fragrances

Without the thorns that have hurt so much.

Ahead, my friends, we will triumph in Love and Good! Let’s live like spiritual beings in a bodily experience, not like bodies in a spiritual experience.”

May God always bless us. My fraternal embrace to all of you.