Very soon, the title of this article may become reality. After all, North American Space Agency (NASA) report has just been published and it refers to a research accomplished with the Kepler Space Telescope, which detected the existence of three planets that could harbor life outside our solar system. More specifically, from the five planets orbiting the star Kepler-62, at a distance of 1,200 light-years from Earth, two of them (62F and 62e) are in a livable zone. As highlighted in an article published in the Science journal, this indicates that they may have atmosphere and liquid water on the surface, just as Kepler-69c, at a distance of 2,700 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus, another system.

Scientific data point to such a conclusion due to the location of the planets. They are situated in an area not so close and not too far from their stars, which favors the existence of suitable temperature and atmosphere and enough water availability (probably found largely on their surfaces in the liquid stage), essential factors for the formation of life, according to scientists.

This is the information.

Immediately upon reading this news, which has already been passed across the planet, through printed and electronic media, I remembered cartoons such as the "Jetsons" and the "Star Trek" movie, newly released in the cinemas, and the science fiction works of Jules Verne and Aldous Huxley.

Extraterrestrial life. Colonization of the Universe. Contacts with beings from other worlds and galaxies ... From the imaginary to reality? Who knows...

The fact is that, for the Spiritism scholars this is not something new. A long time ago, back to 1857, the "Plurality of Inhabited Worlds" was already mentioned, axiom that supports the spiritist principles[1] which rule the Spiritual Life. This spiritist paradigm is based on Jesus' statement, "There are many mansions in my Father's house" (Jo, 14:2).

Will we come to know other beings from plans similar to ours? - We shall remember the eternal human desire to fly into space, from Dumont's invention to the "lighter than air" spacecraft (piloted or not), and find other plans where there were beings similar to us, circumstance that proliferated in science fiction books and crystallized in known expeditions and space travel like the one that has just been released.

Despite the work developed by the scientists, researchers and scholars, with defined object and methodology, and supported by vast and qualified financial and operational resources, the curiosity of the present readers is now based on assumption and probability. Are there really conditions to live in such orbs? Shall we have conditions meet in person other beings from plans similar to our plan? What does Spiritist Science and Philosophy assure us?

We must begin from the Spiritist theory when cataloguing the worlds: primitive, trials and atonement, regenerators, happy (or blissful) and heavenly (or divine). Assuming that the Earth is still classified, according to its spiritual condition, as the world of trials/atonement, which are the Spiritists/Spiritualists references about the degree of evolution of other planets?

At the time of Allan Kardec, the Encoder, you could only study in detail about the planets that formed the Solar System, according to the Astronomy at that time. In the topic "Incarnation in different worlds," Chapter IV (Plurality of Existences), the second part of The Book of Spirits (April 1857), in a footnote regarding question 188, he clarified that "According to the Spirits, and considering all worlds that make up our planetary system, the Earth has the less advanced inhabitants, physically and morally. Mars is still below and Jupiter is very superior to it in all respects."

Then in the Spiritist Magazine, March 1858 edition, in the topic "Jupiter and Some Other Worlds," Kardec added, "According to the Spirits, Mars would be even less advanced than the Earth. The embodied spirits in Mars seem to belong almost exclusively to the ninth grade, that of impure Spirits, so that the first frame, we mentioned above, would be the image of that world [2]. Several other small globes are, with some nuances, in the same category. The Earth would then follow, [...]. "

What Georges said of Mars - Still in this work, published in a later number, October 1860 issue, the Spirit Georges says, "Mars is an inferior planet to Earth, and it is like a rough sketch of Earth, it is not necessary to inhabit it. Mars is the first incarnation of coarser demons; the beings that inhabit it are rudimentary, they have the human form, but no beauty, they have all the instincts of man without his dignified kindness.

[...]

On this planet, the land is arid; little greenery, shadowy foliage that spring renews; days are equal and gray. The sun, only apparent, never lavishes its parties. Time goes by in a monotonous manner, without alternatives and hopes of new seasons, no winter, and no summer. The day is shorter, not measured in the same way; the night is longer [...], the raging sea separates the continents with no possible navigation, the wind roars and bends the trees to the ground. The waters submerge the ungrateful lands they do not fertilize. The land does not offer the same geological conditions of the Earth and the fire does not heat; volcanoes are there unknown; mountains, just high, offer no beauty, they tire our eyes and discourage exploitation; everywhere, finally monotony and violence; everywhere the flower with no color and fragrance, everywhere, men without foresight, killing for a living."

In other works of the Codification and in the Revue itself we can find details about the plurality of worlds. Kardec prudently and generically commented these aspects or reproduced psychic messages, supported by expressions not at all categorical using sometimes the verbs in the conditional and imperfect such is the inaccuracy of the physical data, many a times not establishing postulates or doctrinal principles. Also, the main concern of the Lyonnais master was to distinguish the moral-spiritual characteristics of the inhabitants of the several world categories, only presenting a few traces of the physical-material constitution of the worlds, according to what the Spirits had passed to him with no further additions.

Do we follow the Universal Control of the Teaching of the Spirits? - The pioneering work of the Encoder, in his contact with the Spirits and reception and selection of psychic messages was important to establish the basis of Spiritist Philosophy and Science, thus beginning the contemporary era of attesting the spiritual knowledge of the Divine Laws. Kardec recommended us to continue "in conversation" with the disembodied intelligences. In addition, the model of their work (fundamentally based on the Control of the Universal Teachings of Spirits [3], as a method) should have been followed by post-Kardecian Spiritists, which, in practice, did not occur. The communications were no longer subject to a careful selection, particularly in view of the multitude of communications and the absence of what the French professor called the Central Committee (Spiritism). Institutions or associations, to some extent, have occupied the role and played some of the functions described by Kardec (in texts as "Constitution of Spiritism"), but history shows that there was a decentralization of the responsibility of evaluating the communications to each of the serious Spiritists and interested in the doctrinal context. In other words, with the multiplication of "sources" (books and texts, more specifically), the meticulous selection is up to each reader and scholar, in comparison with the doctrinal structure, as defined in the opening lines of this text.

We recall two guidelines in the Codification, in which we should base our Spiritist analysis of the news that influenced us to write this article and others regarding research, experiments, and scientific papers. The first guideline is authored by Erastus [4] (disciple of Paul of Tarsus) and addressed to Kardec, and it should be considered guidance for Spiritist activities in general, showing that we should reject what reason and common sense reproach. ("It is better to reject ten truths than to admit a single lie, one only false theory"). The second guideline is verbally expressed by Rivail himself, when he establishes spiritual revelation characteristics and he predicts the urgent need, and impossible to overlook, to accompany the progress of human sciences. ("Spiritism, marching hand in hand with progress, will never be outdated because, if new findings showed it to be in error about a determined question, it would change about this specific matter; if a new truth is revealed, it will accept it", italics in the original).

Is Spiritism untouchable and unchangeable? - These two features allow us to arrive to the conclusion that Spiritism is not confined to its original content, selected, and published by Kardec (designated as Codification, and consisting of the basic and additional works, in the twelve volumes of the Revue Spirite - Spiritist Magazine). In addition, that the Superior Spirits should show us, we that are embodied, the new spiritual "revelations" continuing the spiritual exchange of the psychic laboratories. Thus, we should pay special attention to the results of the human scientific research. We can then see if, at some point, and due to the limited knowledge and interpretation of human logic, prevailing in the nineteenth century, when Kardec formulated questions and cataloged answers and statements, and in face of his own personal interpretations about the contents received (and this is demonstrated in the numerous notes, comments and dissertations, in the Encoder's own handwriting), Spiritism cannot be dissociated from the knowledge unraveled by science of men, on this or that point.

Please note that Kardec did not state, promptly and definitely, that Spiritism would be untouchable and unchangeable. The condition for the Spiritist knowledge to be permanent and timeless is the continuity of research and of "revelations." It this fails, the Doctrine assumes a dogmatic character and becomes dissociated from the existential reality, and would then only occupy a place in the context of the traditional beliefs and religions.

In fact, we can never forget the march of human-scientific progress, and the correlation between the scientific advancements and the actual teaching of the Spirits, since allowed the complementation of what is in the Codification with new research and psychic information. This, in the exact agreement that "if the progress of Science overcomes the Spiritist principles and postulates, we stay with Science", since, according to Kardec's guideline, "unwavering faith is only that which can meet reason face to face , in all ages of Mankind. "

Conclusion –Thus, we must conclude:

1) The Spiritual/Spiritist data in the Codification, regarding the existence of many inhabited worlds, remain a priori valid and untouchable;

2) The Spiritual/Spiritist data after the Codification must be analyzed with base on the Kardecian criteria for the selection of information and cannot be dissociated from the Spiritist structure. However, this does not invalidate them at once, neither does it make them acceptable immediately and compulsorily, and sensible Spiritists and scholars are responsible for the evaluation of the new messages according to the principles;

3) The research and scientific findings to date are not far from the information brought by the Spirit of Truth, at Kardec's teaching meetings. Therefore, it is recommended that we continue to monitor the experiments and reports of the space agency for the effective proof of the Spiritist maxim that goes back to Jesus of Nazareth ("many mansions in the Father's house"); and,

4) In the future, with the disclosure of the existence of other embodied beings on other planes, it will be demonstrated in practice, the assurance and completeness of the spiritual teachings, whether they are the original ones (of Kardec) or the additional ones, attesting to the veracity of the Doctrine of the Spirits. 

Therefore, believing in the contents of the Codification Spiritist messages, and accompanying scientific results, Mankind will, in a very near future, face a fact which shall prove what Spiritism has already evidenced it since de mid-nineteenth century, thus anticipating progress;

So, would you like to buy a plot in Kepler-62F?

Marcelo Henrique is Administrative Advisor for the Association of Spiritism Promoters (ABRADE), Vice President Assistant for Culture and Science of Santa Catarina Spiritist Federation (FEC) and Delegate of the Pan American Confederation (CEPA) to Florianopolis.