Vitor Ronaldo Costa:

“Those who speak or write about Spiritism have a duty to be faithful to the principles laid by Allan Kardec”

The author of “Mentomagnetismo e Espiritismo” (Mental Magnetism and Spiritism) talks about his motivation to write the book and reminds us that magnetism paved the way for Spiritism
 

	Dr. Vitor Ronaldo de Sousa Costa (photo) is a doctor based in the Brazilian capital, Brasília, and the author of three books on Spiritism, health and magnetism. He was born in a Spiritist family in the city of Natal and now works as a volunteer at the Spiritist Centre Atualpa Barbosa Lima, in Brasília.
What motivated you to write the book “Mentomagnetismo e Espiritismo”?

The motivation came from my wish to show the links between mental magnetism and the mediumship focused on the assistance to the sick from both sides of life. The Spiritist Movement generally overlooks the close ties between Allan Kardec and human magnetism. However, he considered magnetism the base for the Teachings he codified. In the March 1858 edition of the Spiritist Magazine, he said “magnetism paved the way for Spiritism and the fast dissemination of the latter are undeniably the result of the popularisation of the ideas of the former”. 

What is the best definition for mental magnetism? 

According to Spiritism, mental magnetism is the electromagnetic phenomena based on focused thinking, strong will and praying, which take the form of mental radiations and through mediumship enable the treatment of the sick on both sides of life. 

What is your assessment of the quality of Spiritist books being published in Brazil? 

My assessment is positive. Good quality Spiritist literature must take an ethical approach to the facts and must be based on the principles of Spiritism, which are immensely important for humankind. The aim must be to clarify the nuances of the extra physical phenomena as well as reflect the intelligent exchange of ideas between us, incarnates, and the Spirits around us. In my view, a good quality Spiritist book is like a collection of elevated teachings and make it clear that we are all Spirits and subject to the laws of reincarnation and of cause and effect. By receiving this type of information, you get an incentive to take personal steps towards inner reform. And good Spiritist books also give us much needed comfort before the big challenges during our journey on earth. 

Which role should Spiritist writers play in the effort to preserve the quality of Spiritist literature? 

Those who speak or write about Spiritism have a duty to be faithful to the principles laid by Allan Kardec. That does not mean curbing the individual initiative of authors, especially as there are so many avenues to pursue in the study of Spiritism. Some authors try to find better ways of explaining mediumship, which is undoubtedly a challenge to researchers and scholars. Others are more at ease writing novels, which are very popular now. However, provided they do not come up with false information and try to dress it as Spiritism, I have no objection. It all comes down to common sense and the honesty in the goals of each author. 

What are the main challenges for Spiritist authors? 

The biggest hurdles are those linked to our imperfections. We need, absolutely, to overcome excessive vanity, which dominates human mind, in order to avoid descending into degrading individualism. That is particularly important for mediums. The best approach is surely to focus on inner reform and try to beat our bad tendencies. Nothing is more important than that. 

Your final message to our readers, please. 

I thank you, first and foremost, for the opportunity to address my fellow Spiritists through this renowned Spiritist magazine. I would like to remind everyone of the importance of remaining balanced and serene in the face of the problems faced by such a considerable proportion of Brazilian society. We are living times of violence, all forms of abuse and an overturn of moral values. However, we Spiritis are fully aware that we are going through a painful period of transition (from a world of Trials and Tribulations into a new period of Regenaration). We are marching towards a better world. Therefore, have faith and hope in better days and let us all take our roles as co-authors in the construction of the new civilisation idealised by Jesus. We are, after all, partners in the task of implementing peace and harmony on our beloved cosmic home: planet earth.