Francisco
Habermann:
“Trust is the
basis of
therapeutic
success”
A
Spiritist from
birth, a doctor
and lecturer in
the Brazilian
city
of Botucatu,
our interviewee
this week talks
to us
about
health and
spirituality
 |
Francisco
Habermann
(photo) was
born in a
Spiritist family
in the city of
Leme and is
based in
Botucatu, in the
Brazilian state
of São Paulo. He
is retired
Medicine
lecturer and
doctor,
specialised in
Nephrology. He
is also a member
of the Spiritist
Centre Joanna de
Ângelis and the
Medical-Spiritist
Association of
Botucatu. In
this interview,
Mr Ha- |
|
bermann
answers to
several
questions about
medicine and
spirituality. |
As a doctor in
the area of
Nephrology,
focusing on the
prevention of
cardiovascular
diseases, what
would you say to
patients who are
aware of the
immortality of
the soul?
If prevention is
the basis of
physical health,
for the eternal
Spirit
prevention means
the
spiritualisation
of our being.
Prevention can
keep away
illnesses that
could
potentially
cause long-term
damage to our
spiritual body (perispirit)
during and
between our many
incarnations.
Among those
illnesses are
fixed ideas,
neuroses,
behavioural
disturbances
people are born
with, Spiritual
infections and
many others. It
is important to
say that science
will one day
accept the
determinant role
spirituality
plays in human
health. Until
then, religion
will do that
job.
How do you
assess health
problems such as
hypertension,
obesity,
sedentary life
and smoking in
the light of
Spiritism and
our commitment
to spiritual
progress?
There is a
direct link
between the
common behaviour
of so many
people, who
neglect
cardiovascular
risk factors,
and events that
precipitate
their passing
away. Modern
medicine is
already studying
the impact of
the so-called
“potential years
of life lost”.
We need to look
after our bodies
but we also need
to take
preventive
measures in
relation to our
spirituality, so
that we are able
to make the most
of our
incarnation and
advance
spiritually. The
Spiritual
Benefactors
teach us that we
must put into
practice the
principle of
‘mens sana in
corpore sano’.
What can be said
about the
prevention of
the main
avoidable causes
of “lost years
of life”?
During an
incarnation, a
Spirit can be
distracted by
the glitter of
the physical
world and may
well incur in
avoidable
suffering,
bringing about
illnesses that
will precipitate
a precocious
death. While the
idea of the
immortality of
the soul is
usually born
with us, many
people remain
unaware of the
need to look
after their
health in order
to make the most
of their
incarnation on
earth. That
leads not only
to the loss of
useful years of
life, but the
loss of
essential time
for the Spirit,
who will have to
return for
compulsory
reincarnations
aimed at
repairing the
damage done. As
the Spirit André
Luiz said,
spiritual
development does
not come without
a price.
With your
experience in
Medicine and
Spiritism, what
is your
assessment of
human life and
its battles?
Human suffering
has many
palpable
aspects. They
all denounce our
lack of
understanding of
our existence as
a spiritual
blessing from
God. I get sad
when patients
receive a
donated kidney
and neglect it,
losing the
transplanted
organ. As a
professional, I
get seriously
concerned when
patients ignore
medical
recommendations
to change their
habits. The good
news come from a
groups of brave
professionals,
doctors and
researchers of
various
religious
affiliations in
Brazil who have
dedicated their
efforts to carry
out high quality
research showing
the links
between physical
health and
spirituality.
Medicine in the
21st
Century has a
new paradigm:
Spirituality.
And many groups
of researchers
in Brazil and
abroad are now
doing research
on light forms
of energy, the
power of thought
and healing in
animals and
human beings,
following the
most strict
scientific
standards.
How does faith
influence our
health? In other
words, is
religion a form
of therapy? How
and why?
The operational
concept of
Medicine is well
known: trust is
the basis of
therapeutic
success. We have
to start with
the theoretical
knowledge of
Medicine. With
that as a given,
faith enables a
patient’s health
to recover, but
that is not
always the case,
as merit to be
cured is
contained in the
Spiritual memory
of each one of
us, imprinted on
our Spiritual
body. Faith must
be defined here
as the Spiritual
illumination of
either the
patient or the
doctor.
Religion,
however, is an
important
collective tool,
gathering whole
communities, and
thus provides
power and
support to
weakly or ill
individuals.
Religion is an
important
therapeutic
resource,
recognised as
such by the
World Health
Organisation.
Your final
thoughts,
please.
Nothing is lost
when there is a
perfect
relationship
between doctor
and patient,
especially when
there is
spiritual
synergy. The
results,
however, depend
on our merits
according to the
law of action
and reaction and
the guidance
from the
Spiritual
Benefactors. But
we must help
each other and
any good willing
person can and
must do it, as
recommended in
the Gospel.
