In this issue, we continue the study of the book, What is Spiritism, launched in Paris in July 1859. This study will be divided into 19 parts. The pages cited in the text and suggested for reading refer to the 20th edition published by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (Federação Espírita Brasileira). The answers to the questions suggested for discussion can be found at the end of this text.
Questions for discussion
A. Is it easy to identify the Spirits that manifest?
B. What are the two criteria suggested by Kardec to know if a message does come from the Spirits?
C. What is the use of studying Spiritism?
Reading Text
153. Mediums of more merit are not free from mystification. In the first place, among us there is no perfect person. Everybody has a weak side that gives access to evil Spirits. Second, because the good Spirits even allow sometimes that the evil ones come so that we can work our reasoning, and learn how to distinguish truth from error, and we stay on prevention not accepting blindly and without analyzing everything that comes from the Spirits. Error will never come from a good Spirit; error comes from a bad source. (Chapter II, item 82, page 179).
154. Mystification can still be a test of patience and perseverance of the Spiritist, psychic or not; and those who become discouraged with some disappointments, give evidence to the good Spirits that they are not instruments with which they can count. (Chapter II, item 82, pages 179 and 180).
155. The reliable medium, the one that can really be described as a good medium, uses his faculty seeking to become fit to serve as interpreter of the good Spirits. The power to attract the good and repel the evil Spirits is the reason of the moral superiority of the medium and in possession of the qualities that make a good man. It is by means of these skills that the sympathy of good is obtained and ascendancy over the evil Spirits is acquired. (Chapter II, item 84, page 180).
156. The moral imperfections of the medium, approaching him of the evil Spirits, take from him the necessary influence to drive them away: instead of imposing himself, the medium suffers their imposition. (Chapter II, item 85, page 180).
157. The evil Spirits know skillfully how to exploit the weaknesses of the medium, to imposed on him, and among our defects which gives them greater margin is the pride, feeling that is most dominant in most obsessed mediums and, especially, on those who are fascinated. It is pride that makes them think they are infallible and do not accept any advice. This feeling is unfortunately stimulated by the praise. (Chapter II, item 86, pp. 180 and 181).
158. The good medium never believes to be quite worthy of the illustrious entities’ communications; he has a healthy distrust of deserving what he receives and does not rely solely on his own judgment. He knows that it would be ridiculous to believe in the absolute identity of the Spirits that manifest to him, and lets third parties judge his work without his self-esteem being offended by any adverse decision. What distinguishes his character is simplicity and modesty; he feels happy with the faculty that he has, because it is a means through which he can be useful and he is not upset if preference is given to other mediums. (Chapter II, item 87, page 181).
159. Like all other faculties, mediumship is a gift of God which can be employed for good or for evil, and which can be also used inadequately. Its goal is to put us in direct relation with the souls of those who lived on Earth to benefit from their teachings and empowerments of the afterlife. One that it is used for good plays a real mission and will be rewarded. The one who makes use of it in an inappropriate manner for futile issues, diverting from its divine purpose, sooner or later will be punished. (Chapter II, item 88, pages 181 and 182).
160. The best guarantee against quackery is an absolute disinterest in profiting by it, and the medium’s integrity; there are people who, by their position and character, are above suspicion. (Chapter II, item 91, page 183).
161. Among the followers of Spiritism there are those who are enthusiastic and exalted; they are generally the worst disseminators, because the way they accept everything easily without an accurate analysis, arouses suspicion. The Spiritist with enlightenment rejects this blind enthusiasm, observes coolly and calmly and thus avoids being the victim of illusions and mystification. (Chapter II, item 92, page 183).
162. The contradictions that are noted often in the language of the Spirits are the consequence of their nature, because they only know things according to their spiritual improvement, and thus many know even less than certain men. (Chapter II, item 97, page 185).
Answers to the proposed questions
A. Is it easy to identify the Spirits that manifest?
No. The identity is one of the major difficulties of Spiritism put into practice, and many times it is impossible to check it, mainly if it refers to Higher Spirits, who lived a long time ago. The identity is easier to check if the Spirits lived recently, and if we know the character and habits of this specific Spirit, because it is by means of these habits and particularities that the identity is revealed with more safely and sometimes in an undeniable way. (What is Spiritism, Chapter II, Items 94, 95 e 96, pages 183 e 184).
B. What are the two criteria suggested by Kardec to know if a message does come from the Spirits?
The first criterion is to subject communication to a strict analysis of reasoning, common sense and logic. The second criterion of the truth is based on the concordance of the teaching. When the same principle is taught in several places by different Spirits and psychics, who do not know each other, and are free from identical influences, we can conclude that it is much more near to being true than the one that comes from only one source and is contradicted by the majority. (Ibid, Chapter II, item 99, pages 185 e 186).
C. What is the use of studying Spiritism?
The study of Spiritism serves to materially prove the existence of the spiritual world. Since this world is formed by the souls of those, who have already lived, this means that, to admit this, one has to prove the existence of the soul and its survival to the body. The souls that manifest reveal to us their happiness or sufferings, according to the way they made use of their time in this world. When they describe their state and situation, they confirm the false ideas they had regarding future life and mainly their misinformation about the nature and the time of penalties. When afterlife goes from the state of a vague theory to a known and positive fact, then man becomes aware of the need to work as much as he can during his present life that is so short, to improve his future life that is infinite. (Ibid, Chapter II, Items 100 e 101, pages 186 to 189).
