Nadja do Couto Valle: 

“Spiritism can help us meet the great demands of
our hearts” 

The teacher and education from Rio de Janeiro talks about
her experience in the dissemination of Spiritism through
talks, books and the media
 

	Nadja do Couto Valle (photo) was born in Rio de Janeiro, where she did her Masters in Education and English Literature and her PhD in Philosophy. She is a lecturer at Rio’s Federal University (UFRJ) and is a volunteer at the Institute of Spiritist Culture of Brazil (ICEB) and the Spiritist radio station, Radio Rio de Janeiro.  In  this  interview  she  talks  about  her
experience as an author, speaker and in the Spiritst media:

What is it like to be the General Coordinator of ICEB’s Revue of Spiritist Culture? 

It is a unique opportunity to produce a publication that adopts the methodology of Allan Kardec as it establishes a dialogue with all fields of knowledge, in fields that deal with the latest, up to date information. We reassert thus the Gospel of Jesus, which contains all the philosophy, the science and the moral. We are a tiny team of volunteers carrying out a harmonious job. And we have the contribution of great experts in each area of expertise, which gives the publication its renowned quality and its unique character. It is distributed to the whole of Brazil and some countries abroad. We are aware that some Spiritist groups gather regularly to discuss and study the material we publish, which is a source of great joy for us. 

Tell us about your experience in the mediumship meetings, with the channelling of Spirits? 

This is also a great source of joy and satisfaction, as it confirms the teachings of Jesus, the Spiritual Benefectors, all the work of Kardec. We must be grateful to Jesus for the opportunity of host our discarnate friends, providing them with the opportunity to open up their inner world and talk about their problems.  

What are the main benefits you have gathered as a producer and presenter of Spiritist programmes at Radio Rio de Janeiro (http://www.radioriodejaneiro.am.br/)? 

At the radio, I am part of the team that studies the Codification works. We study Heaven and Hell IN 30-minute-long weekly sessions, and the feedback we get from the listeners is very positive. I am also a member of a panel in an interactive programme that looks into the main issues in the media in the light of Spiritism. It shows how up to date, deep and wide ranging are the Teachings in the Gospel of Jesus and in Spiritism. I also take part in non-Spiritist programmes, again with very positive feedback. I have a daily programme about education which has led to the publication of three books, one of them on bullying and cyberbullying. 

Tell us a bit more about your books. 

Pelos Caminhos da Educação (Through the Paths of Education) was born of repeated requests by our listeners to publish the programmes they heard on the radio. And they keep demanding that we publish the new ones. We had the same feedback from those who attended my talks, which encouraged me to prepare Reflexões à luz do Espiritismo (Reflections in the light of Spiritism). It is now awaiting publication. I have also been invited to co-author Em torno de Rivail, O mundo em que viveu Kardec, marking the bicentenary of the birth of Allan Kardec. I wrote a chapter on philosophy and Spiritism. I have also contributed to O jovem Espírita quer saber, where I authored a chapter about teenage parents. 

What is your view of mediumship? 

I naturally take on the Spiritist view of mediumship, so well defined by the great Spiritual Benefactor, Emmanuel, as “the light that shines in the flesh”. It provides a blessed opportunity for us to swap pain for constructive work. It is an endless source of Spiritual, elevated happiness, giving full meaning to our lives as it allows us to serve Jesus and our brothers and sisters. It is the antidote to pride and presumption, an excellent tool for us to develop discipline, love, tolerance, understanding, renunciation, enabling us to make optimal use of the time we dedicate to its practice. It demands a great deal of attention, as it deals with issues of a delicate and serious nature. It demands that we have method, patience, humility, that we truly generous and have empathy and really care for all our brothers and sisters. 

What about the Spiritist Movement today? 

I see a healthy, fraternal effort to disseminate the Teachings. There brings about a new challenge for many Spiritist Groups, which have been attracting an ever-growing number of people looking for help. The time announced by Jesus has arrived. I believe we need to spend a lot of our time now “go to the gentiles”. On top of the conventional dissemination of the Teachings, we have now new tools available, such as the Internet, with web radio and web television. We need to get engaged with the universities, which have shown a great potential of spreading the Spiritist message through the philosophical and scientific aspects of Spiritism. Spiritism can help us meet the great demands of our hearts in these times of profound changes, providing comfort and enlightenment through reason as it fully engages in the modern trends of modern society. 

Is there anything special from all your years in the Spiritist Movement that you would like to share with us? 

I am grateful for all the love and affection I have received throughout the years. Once, at the end of a talk, a young man came to me to thank me for being with him for so many years through Radio Rio de Janeiro. He eventually revealed that he heard the radio from his cell in prison and that my “company” had provided great comfort and helped him stand the hard days in jail. When he finished his term, he joined a Spiritist Centre. Another moving scene took place during a mediumship meeting at Grupo Espírita André Luiz in Rio. The Spirit that joined us through a medium said she was a great fan of my work as a speaker and on the radio. But she said she was very shy and, as an incarnate, had also refrained from having a chat with me or hugging me. That is something she had always wanted to do and she thanked for the opportunity of finally doing there, in the mediumship group.