Leonardo Marmo Moreira

The Control of the Concordance Regarding the Spirits’ Teachings in the World after Allan Kardec

In all areas of knowledge, in the search for Truth, we need rational criteria to conclude about life’s natural events. Obviously, these prerequisites also include Spiritual matters of Nature. However, the application of these criteria to psychic phenomena and emancipation of the soul (the so called "paranormal phenomenology"), and especially to the knowledge of the characteristics and details of the daily life in the Spiritual world does not consist of a trivial study, i. e., it covers a larger number of complexities when regarding the evaluation of the message content.

The number of vibrational bands of the spiritual world is countless, as well as the number of the evolutionary steps of the Spirits. Moreover, the "poverty of the language" used by the embodied limits the ability of the Spirits in revealing nuances of the same spiritual world even though they may use analogies. In addition, Spiritual Mentors often provide information gradually, so that step by step, we can go deeper into spiritual contents without precipitation. And there are also limitations referring to mediumship that end up restricting spiritual information. If this was not enough, the texts from the spiritual world may also be affected by unfortunate editorial revisions, or in some cases, be published without any review or critical analysis in the light of the Doctrine.

Moreover, the difficulties associated with the "capture" of the information of the spiritual world occur due to the limitations of obtaining consistent data on the part of scholars, who are not ostensible mediums and who do not have opportunity to study with ostensible mediums, which, besides their psychic intensity, they should have a high intellectual and moral knowledge for themselves and for the information they release. Thus, very often the evaluation of the content of the message ends up occurring after the final publication of the psychic or allegedly psychic material.

The work of Andre Luiz still today causes discussions - In the current spiritual movement, this situation causes concern, because the volume of psychic literature has grown a lot, and it has become a true publishing phenomenon.

However, the issue of doctrinal quality of this huge production, especially in what cannot be easily evaluated (such as information about life in the spiritual world), consists of a discussion that cannot be postponed or maintained in the background.

To illustrate this difficulty concerning the study of the spiritual world, we can mention the work of the spiritual benefactor, Andre Luiz, which still causes discussions within the spiritual movement.

In this context, we have observed within the spiritual movement the existence of different doctrinal interpretations by various groups of confreres. Some tend to reject much of the psychic origin of works by claiming that this information has not been confirmed by the universal agreement of the teaching of the Spirits. In this case, according to some confreres, the information that has not been explicitly recorded and widely disclosed by Allan Kardec cannot be accepted as belonging to the "Doctrine" (incidentally, many confreres use the expression "Doctrine" exclusively for the texts of Allan Kardec without admitting any other authors).

On the other hand, other confreres defend the development of mediumship and psychic work groups based on a single sentence of "The Book of Mediums" stating that "All are mediums."

They are two opposite opinions, i.e., two quite different doctrinal interpretations, because if there is no psychic credibility, the development of psychic tasks would be useless, if not harmful to the pursuit of Truth.

"Evoke a rock and it will answer" - In addition to the two aspects mentioned, there is a third group of members who, paradoxically, defend the increase of psychic groups in Spiritist Centers, but reject all information that is not explicitly recorded in the basic works of Allan Kardec. Indeed, it is a contradictory position because if we cannot accept anything besides what was authored by Allan Kardec, why then should we increase the number of psychic groups? Some say that the increase of psychic groups would serve for initial psychic exercises and works that have the purpose of comforting the suffering Spirits. Although we are aware of the relevance of this purpose, if we do not accept the information obtained, to the point of rejecting any data that was not previously established by Allan Kardec, what is the use of this work? We admit that there could be some indirect relevance but still very limited.

In addition, many members, who do not accept information from most reliable psychics, have recommended the practice of the "direct evocation of Spirits" in mediumship meetings, a practice discouraged by mediums and spiritual writers such as Chico Xavier, Emmanuel, Yvonne Pereira, Divaldo Franco, Herculano Pires (who criticized and quoted the phrase showing the temerity of such a practice, "Evoke a rock and it will answer!"). But, if we do not accept the information about the spiritual world obtained spontaneously by ostensible mediums (which are very dedicated workers), how can we directly evoke the Spirits? And very important, through which mediums would we do this? What, therefore, would be the reliable psychic instruments to use?

This proposal of initial psychic tasks would be quite reasonable. However, we could expect that for a minority of psychic groups, it would be expected that some information could be might be worthy of review and/or publication since they should be of public knowledge. 

The evolutionary feature of Spiritism is emphasized by Kardec - At least from the perspective of those who support the idea of increasing the number of psychic groups within Spiritist Centers, some information obtained by these groups should develop and increase our doctrinal knowledge.

On the other hand, to freeze on Kardec’s teachings "would not be a doctrinaire attitude" for the Doctrine evolves, as the Encoder himself stated. Otherwise, we would be admitting that we already know everything about the spiritual world or we would be saying that little can be enhanced, since Kardec is not physically among us. So, we would believe that Kardec would have said "the last word" about the spiritual world and spiritual matters (after all, the Lyonnais master would have said absolutely everything in a period of 14 incomplete years of study?). There are numerous passages that demonstrate unequivocally that Kardec never had this intention and never wrote anything that could lead us towards this thought.

In fact, the evolutionary character of the Doctrine is well emphasized by the Encoder in "Genesis". If you do not accept this, then Kardec’s books could be interpreted as an "absolutely textual" form (in the same way the Old Testament is read by many Christian groups), and studies, developments, extensions and comparative analyzes with achievements of men’s Science (if applicable) would not be open to discussion. The implications arising from such a paradigm could be controversial for the Spirit Movement, because it would be stalled forever. Any additional knowledge, even if consistent with Kardec’s principles, would be considered only a plausible hypothesis. Thus, we could go down paths that have already been trodden by other religious denominations in Human History (in which, as past incarnations, we directly and/or indirectly took part). Thus, we would be repeating historical mistakes and jeopardizing progress of the spiritual thought. 

How to move forward respecting Kardec’s bases - On the other hand, this does not mean that all the information of all mediums considered Spiritists can be accepted from a doctrinal point of view. Indeed, there is a great number of psychic works that do not resist to the slightest analysis.

The discussion in question leads, directly and/or indirectly, to The Control of the Concordance Regarding the Spirits’ Teachings in the World (CUEE). In fact, the issue is complex as it relates to the pursuit of a study methodology to really secure the advancement of the issue that refers to the knowledge of the spiritual life (with special emphasis on life in the spiritual world and its implications). If we freeze our knowledge, we are rejecting the evolutionary feature of the Doctrine as well as disregarding the scientific feature of Spiritism (Kardec’s texts would then be literally considered "the word of God" or "The Sacred Text" with unavoidable negative consequences for the Spiritist Movement), which is not reasonable if we consider the very thought of the Encoder. On the other hand, if we admit any information of a spiritual origin, we are easily susceptible of fascination and coarse doctrinal misunderstandings. Therefore, in short, the question is how to move forward safely in search of Truth, respecting Kardec’s bases, but accepting to study possible contributions to these foundations?

First, we have to admit that the above method [The Control of the Concordance regarding the Spirits’ Teachings in the World (CUEE)] is a legacy left by Kardec to contribute in our studies (based on the principle that a High Spirit “does not lie” and that, if the psychic is well oriented spiritually, the High Spirits, who guide different psychics, tend to confirm the information passed by other Mentors). This means that his studies were not only valuable for Allan Kardec, but for the mediums who assisted the Encoder in his missionary work to obtain the Third Revelation. It is also useful for us all, militant Spiritists with a sincere desire to learn and contribute for a doctrinal dissemination of good quality. 

The mediums that worked with Kardec were only a few - Many may argue that we are not Allan Kardec, and we do not have the same "category" of the Master of Lyon to "link" the consistent content from various mediums; and furthermore, that the Encoder had a very special mission. Undoubtedly, the two statements are correct. But to "dogmatize" Kardec and to plaster the development of the spiritual thinking goes a long way. If Kardec proposed several measures, he was not only addressing the groups that he directed or his contemporaries - it was obviously also for posterity, i.e., guided to the evolution of the spiritual thought regardless of his physical presence on Earth.

We could analyze, for instance, the first edition of the work "The Book of Spirits", in which the daughters of Mr. Baudin (Caroline and Julie Baudin Baudin) and Ruth Celine Japhet participated as mediums and represent the great part of the information of the spiritual world (obviously masterfully organized by our great Encoder).

Later, for the preparation of the second edition (which became the final one, and it is the one that we study daily in our homes and in the Spiritist Centers), other mediums began to provide an important contribution, as in the case of Ermance Dufaux, as stated by Silvino Canuto Abreu in the introduction to "The First Book of Spirits of Allan Kardec 1857" (section entitled "Translator's Notes" for Canuto Abreu is the translator of the mentioned work into Portuguese. The author presents an interesting study based mainly on Kardec’s information, obtained in the "Spiritist Magazine" and "Posthumous Works". It is worth mentioning too "The Book of Spirits and its historical and legendary tradition").

Anyway, a few psychics assisted Allan Kardec in this first phase, before the Spiritist Societies started to spread in France, Belgium and other countries (and many confreres began to send psychic messages from different Spiritist groups to the Encoder), and this began after the impact of the publication of “The Book of Spirits”. 

Which were the best writing mediums? - Therefore, we could make the following question: Is it possible to state categorically that Caroline Baudin, Julie Baudin, Ruth Celine Japhet and Ermance Dufaux were better writing mediums (and/or psychophonic) than Chico Xavier (CX), Yvonne A. Pereira (YAP), Divaldo P. Franco (DFP) and Waldo Vieira (WV) (considering, in the case of the latter, his contribution until the year 1966, with more than twenty works in partnership with Chico Xavier, or individually) among others? Indeed, the four psychophonic mediums in question would be among the main mediums after Allan Kardec and would they, in the twentieth century provided information about mediumship, emancipation of the soul, obsession and life in the spiritual world, and so on.

The answer most likely is “no”. Despite the little knowledge about the biography of the French mediums, one could rightly assume the opposite (Caroline Baudin, the main medium of the first edition was 16 and her sister fourteen). In other words, despite the high quality they most likely had, the four cited Brazilian mediums could be in a level of psychic life and experience superior, even if we consider the longer periods dedicated to the Doctrine by the Brazilian mediums, if compared to the young mediums of Codification (besides the knowledge acquired regarding Spiritism and spiritual matters between mid-nineteenth century and the twentieth century).

Some confreres may not accept one or more names of the Brazilian mediums names mentioned as examples throughout this text. But in this case, we would fall into the same problem previously mentioned, that is, which would be the appropriate mediums? Or, according to the opinion of some confreres, would we be limited to Kardec’s texts and nothing else? 

News about life in the spiritual world - Information about life in the spiritual world obtained by CX, YAP, DPF and WV is confirmed between them. As an example, we recall that when YAP received the narratives of "Memoirs of a Suicide" (authored by Camilo Castelo Branco) in 1926, Chico Xavier was not yet a Spiritist. In fact, Chico Xavier becomes a Spiritist after a psychic session on 8 July 1927. Since "Memories of a Suicide" was not published until the mid-50s, Chico did not read "Memories ..." before receiving the works of Andre Luiz, nor Yvonne would have read Andre Luiz before psychographing the narratives of "Memories ..." (as it was in 1926 and Chico was not even a Spiritist. In fact, Chico Xavier only began to receive the works of Andre Luiz in 1943). We could also mention other information obtained by Dona Yvonne do Amaral Pereira that confirm information given by Andre Luiz/ Chico Xavier, which are found in the works "Trespassing the Invisible" and "Recollections of Mediumship", in which both Spirits, Charles and Bezerra de Menezes, as well as Dona Yvonne, herself, spiritually unfolded, provided.

Moreover, it is known that while Chico Xavier received a chapter of "Evolution in Two Worlds" in Pedro Leopoldo (city in the state of Minas Gerais), Waldo Vieira received another chapter in Uberaba (another city in Minas Gerais), continuing, with no interruption whatsoever, the thought of the spiritual author, Andre Luiz.

In the case of Divaldo Franco, the books that better confirm the information about the spiritual world obtained through the works of Andre Luiz and Camilo Castelo Branco are the texts of Manoel Philomeno de Miranda.

There is other interesting evidence confirming the mentioned psychic information, as the case of the work of Heigorina Cunha called “The City in the Hereafter” in which drawings are presented showing the "physical layout" of the spiritual colony "Our Home". Chico Xavier confirmed the information, with the support of Andre Luiz, who authored the preface of the book. 

Virtue is in the mid – As if it were not enough, there is also the evidence of authenticity of the information (by CCUEE), regarding the manifestation of different spiritual authors such as Maria Joao de Deus ("Letters of a Dead"), brother Jacob ("I'm back"), Mark ("Children in the Hereafter"), among others, by the same medium, in the case Chico Xavier.
We believe that "virtue is in the mid," that is, we should not accept without any doctrinal restriction, every psychic production, nor reject anything that is not explicitly recorded in the basic works of Allan Kardec.

We should also not indiscriminately increase psychic groups, often without the presence of a single ostensible medium. This does not mean that we should not encourage the formation of psychic groups, if it is done following a slow, gradual and well doctrinal criteria established by the leaders of the Spiritist Centre.

Moreover, it is not because a psychic is respected and honest that all his works necessarily has the same doctrinal value. Some mediums start well and end badly, in their doctrinal tasks. Others will improve with time. Moreover, different spiritual authors, questionable editorial revisions, no doctrinal review, psychic filtration problems, among others, could cause a credible medium, according to the doctrinal point of view, to have one or another work that is of less informative value.

Submitting all messages to a continuous and renewed comparative study, after a prior selection, considering the moral character of the medium, as well as his logic and consistency (if any) in the science of matter, slowly, gradually and consistently we will move forward regarding the knowledge about the so-called spiritual questions of life.