José Passini

Analysis of the book “Life Travels on Light”

	Title of the book: A Vida Viaja na Luz  Author: Inacio Ferreira Medium: Carlos A. Baccelli Publisher: LEEPP   Throughout this analysis, we should place quotation marks on the names of the Spirits mentioned, because their words and attitudes do not convince us they are who they say they are. However, we did not do this to make the reading easier.

The texts of the books are copied in bold, the pages in parentheses.

This Spirit, who impersonates Dr. Inacio Ferreira, after dishonoring mediumship, attacking the Spiritists, inventing materializing from ectoplasm drawn from a drunken corpse, also inventing reincarnation in the Spiritual World, and using a language absolutely incompatible with sobriety, dignity and the nobility of the Doctrine, now appears, in a much more moderate language, as a defender of Chico Xavier, forgetting that in the previous book "Chico Xavier Answers" he placed in the mouth of the disembodied medium a clear defense of abortion.

If that Spirit was indeed the famous Dr. Inacio Ferreira, he should enhance the work of the medium Chico Xavier, through the study and development of the points of view of Andre Luiz, as a complement to the Codification. But in an attempt to value the misleading work of the psychic that serves him as an instrument, he first defends the thesis that Chico Xavier was Kardec, and now presents Baccelli, the psychic, as a medium of Chico, therefore, of Kardec himself, who would be returning to complete the Codification.

- But no one may want to silence Chico! – His faithful friend exclaimed angrily.
- It is an attempt to discredit all his messages, via psychic.

Note that some of his psychographic books are challenged, with the apparent purpose of not qualifying them for the completion of the Codification... (22)

When studying the work of Andre Luiz, one has a clear vision of how life is organized in the Spiritual World. Dr. Inacio never mentions the lovely community organization outlined in "Our Home" and other colonies, in which spiritual values, evangelical experience, order, seriousness, merit, and obedience are stressed.

- The next day, very early, in the company of Modesta and Manoel Roberto, I went to see, close to the Hospital, a farm that we could have on loan to make an old dream come true. (25)

- The Hospital of Mediums, from a legal point of view, would be the supporting institution of "Francis of Assisi" Animal Protection Society!

- An Animal Protection Society in the Beyond! (27)

- The Hospital of Mediums, from a legal point of view, would be responsible for the "Francis of Assisi" Society. (30)

In his office and on his desk Dr. Inacio found a confidential letter written by Chico Xavier, as if in that place there was a postal service. (33/35)

This is one of his several attempts to make the spiritual life there similar to the one on Earth, in a clear attempt to minimize the revelations of Andre Luiz. Then he receives a man, who had been sentenced to 200 years in prison in the Spiritual World, and was granted permission by the judge to go for a medical appointment:

- I could never imagine that, in after death life, justice worked as on Earth. As soon as I saw myself outside the body, I was arrested and went to a prison, where I awaited to be sentenced. (49)

Note how the story of the disembodied lumberman goes on:

- As I told you, as soon as I left my body, I had the opportunity to see my motionless body, lying in the bathroom of one of my properties, and two detectives approached and asked me if I was the owner of those properties and the sawmill.

- The detectives said my full name. In other circumstances, since I had run away many times, I would have done the same, but… I had many contacts in the Police, Doctor! (50)

- As I told you, they said I was under arrest and handcuffed me.

- And you were handcuffed?

- Taken in the vehicle?

- They took me to the prison. They took the handcuffs off, and a doctor examined me and prescribed some medicines. I must have slept four or five days in a row ... (51)

The story continues, giving us the impression  that Dr. Inacio became a novelist...

Further, he says he went to Uberaba (city in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil) and having materialized one ear and one eye (was this needed?), he heard some Spiritist talking and witnessed some trivial scenes, the description of which, like many others, serves only to fill pages of books. (58)

Teaching good manners, he says he read in the papers (sic) of the place, where he lives:

- Did you read in the newspapers, the law that was passed recently? – If you are caught throwing paper on the floor, or if you spit, besides being fined, you will be sentenced to a month of community service! (60)

It is hard to make a comment on his the statement about the possibility of drowning resulting in death in the colony "Our Home". After the death, follows the burial, or cremation.

- Could it be that if one of us, not knowing how to swim, fell in the waters of the Blue River, would drown and die? Doctor, if the spiritual body has a lung system, if we continue to pump oxygen into the lungs, the answer is logical: yes, you can drown and die! (87)

And not only does it die, but it is buried or cremated...

- Dies and is buried! Goes to the cemetery, or, as it is more common in this Other Side, it goes to the crematorium! (119)

But how can there be disembodiment if there is no flesh, no body? Despite the absurd, Dr. Inacio continues his fallacious reasoning, taking the opportunity to reaffirm his reincarnation thesis in the Spiritual World based on a fallacy created by him:

- Guys, think with me. If on this side, one dies, i.e., disembodies, what prevents us from reincarnating too?

Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians (15: 40), makes no distinction between the human body and the spiritual body, thus showing that it survives death: “And there are celestial bodies and earthly bodies (…)”. But Dr. Inacio mentions the passage by half, trying to mislead the reader:

- "... There are also celestial bodies!" (121)

Continuing in his campaign to spread discontentment within the Spiritist Movement, he makes accusations, as if there were any censor body:

- Yes, on the pretext, for example, of doctrinal purity replacing fraternity, intolerance has been adopted. We are almost repeating the mistakes made by the Church regarding censorship to new ideas with the restriction of freedom of expression. (133)

Next, Dr. Odilon states otherwise, or is it his mea culpa on behalf of Dr. Inacio and warning his psychic?

- It is extremely unpleasant to talk, but the mediums, especially those that psychograph, should be more restrained. Not every medium was born to write under the inspiration of Spirits. Consequently, pressured by the publishers, mediums lose all their evaluation criteria as to what concerns the appropriateness or not to publish this or that work of his co-authorship. (137)

In chapter 19, Dr. Inacio makes an odd interpretation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, in which he adventures as a theologian and produces statements like this, in which he denies incarnation as an evolutionary necessity, when he says that only after the child has left the parental home is that he required the reincarnation (is this a new version of "Angels Fall"?):

- In a metaphysical translation, leaving the Ethereal Plane, he reincarnates! Dives in the experience of reincarnation! Until then, he had no karma, he was free! (158)

Note how the spiritual plane in which Dr. Inacio stands is so “earthly”:

- My dear, where have you been? – I asked Cassio.

- Out there, Doc.

- What are you doing now?

- Teaching and taking care of the clinic.

- You opened a clinic here? (178)

In the book "Our Home" there is a note of Lisias to Andre Luiz, in order to avoid comments that are not constructive. In the book "Emmanuel Foundation," Dr. Inacio refers to a newspaper entitled "Review", which circulated in the region, with comments made on Earth. When he acknowledges some of the unpleasant opinions disagreeing with his thesis, Dr. Inacio shows the middle finger to these Spiritists. In the book under study, there is a mistaken assumption, stating the existence of the press in the colony "Our Home", which is not true:

- Altiva’s observation is interesting, Inacio - said Modesta - the people who read the book "Our Home" do not comment about the Press in the Spiritual World. (179)

Dr. Inacio, always diminishing the Spiritists, and making himself worthy...

- Lately, many newly disembodied Spiritists make an appointment with me. Not that they are ill, but they wish to adjust certain ideas in conflict with life’s reality, which they face in their life after death. (184)

This Spirit, who says he is Dr. Inacio, has somewhat moderated his attacks on Spiritists, as well as the jokes he did in his previous books, but did not stop them completely, as we can see in these dialogues, which he claims to have had with a newly disembodied Spiritist:

- You could not: smile was against doctrinal purity! In fact, for many Spiritists, smoking is more against the purity of the Doctrine than against the purity of the lungs!

The friend now started to laugh loudly.

I myself, Doctor – he considered – have already fought the habit of eating meat... I come to this Other Side and realize that certain Spirits...

- Spirits, no - men! – I corrected.

- You are right. I realize that many men are gradually getting out of the habit gradually... (189)

Continuing the conversation, he started to interview the Spirit:

- Are you Spiritist?

- Yes, over 40 years...

- You died, and?

- Absolutely nothing happened. I am the same.

- You did not hover?

- I barely dragged myself and I'm dragging myself...

- Do you eat and sleep?

- And I drink water!

- Do you have sex?

- I do!

- With what?

- Doctor, you are crazy!

- Answer.

- With things!

- Are you a vampire Spirit?

- No, I'm normal.

- So you have sex with the disembodied?

- Yes! What crossed your mind? I am not a ghost…*

         (* Translator’s note: Also means demon, or bad dream)

- Do you have orgasm...?

Well, excuse me, but the rest of the interview is banned for minors and I do not want to pollute the head of our pious people, who consider that to have an orgasm is a sin in one dimension of life, imagine if we consider the Two dimensions! (190/191)

In an interview given to a newspaper (sic) of the spiritual community where he was, Dr. Inacio declares something unusual, such as the fact that a disembodied Spirit usually does not remember his last incarnation:

- If we are coming from Earth – more materialized - why then do we not remember?

- For the same reason that when he reincarnates the Spirit does not remember where he comes from! (202)

Let us imagine the confusion that it causes on someone who is starting in Spiritism, to be aware that one Spirit, said to be a doctor and who guides spiritual groups, has a cold and a runny nose:

Realizing that I was with a runny nose, my mate asked me:

- Do you have a cold?

- I do not know - I said - if it is the "swine flu", with which people down there are so concerned, my nose is blocked, my head is heavy, and I feel difficulty in breathing... (209)

In all the work of Andre Luiz there is no mention of a disease among the Good Spirits workers. Dr. Inacio presents this novelty.

- Early in the morning of that Thursday, after having been away from my consulting room for three consecutive days to recover from a bad cold, Nelson turned up for one more appointment. (227)

The information below is wrong, for "Our Home" is just one of thousands of spiritual cities. Indeed, one cannot make a parallel with the burlesque presented in the work:

- The said colony is a sui generis organization! There is no parallel regarding this issue in any other work of spiritual nature, transmitted to Earth psychically. (213)

Chapter 28 is devoted to criticize the Unified Spiritist Movement and the Spiritists in general. After much complaining about the work he does as a Medical Director at the Hospital, he refuses to join a unified entity in the Spiritual World. His interlocutor, seeking to approach Dr. Inacio, declares that he is also a Mason (sic). Imagining that he was talking about an action regarding the Hospital, Dr. Inacio, did not miss the opportunity for bravado:

- I do not fear, because first you would have to pass over me. While I'm in the direction of this Hospital, except for Jesus and the Major Spirits that guide us, no one intrudes here. In this sense, if it were the case, I would not hesitate to look for the legal services of a good lawyer! (240)

It seems that Dr. Inacio wants to materialize the Spiritual World in such a way that it becomes unlikely... Finally, after much talk, Dr. Inacio comes out with this, as if money circulated in the Spiritual World:

- You can count on us, including, if appropriate, with money for promotions on the agenda, but we will not join you. (243)

And he goes on with his attacks on Unification:

- I almost ventured to say that in the manner that it is being conducted the Unification Movement is more harmful than helpful to Spiritism. (244)

Then he uses the whole chapter 29 to describe an informal chat with the cook of the sanatorium, which gives the reader the idea that the hospital is on the physical plane... Moreover, he says the cook arrived with the child by the hand, hungry! This is not what we learnt from Andre Luiz, notably in the works "Between Earth and Heaven" and "Liberation", regarding disembodied children.

- Do you remember how I got here, bringing Benedito by the hand? I was afraid and timid like a scared little female dog... You looked at me, joked with Benedito, asked if we were hungry and just brought us here to the Kitchen – you, yourself, prepared a plate for Benedito...

- ... Who ate like a lion!

- We were hungry, Doctor. Most people do not know what it is to starve and arrive here after being kicked out of the world ... (260)

Something that has no explanation in the book is the fact that Dr. Inacio receives letters from the embodied and disembodied, like the one he answers below:

"I confess that your works have greatly helped me to understand what Andre Luiz wrote through Chico Xavier. (...) And you are the only Spirit that defends the psychic work of Chico Xavier – in general the majority does not say a single word, except to praise themselves! A hug and kick the ball forward!" (264/265)

Still answering the mentioned letter, he attacks the mediums and the Unifying Movement:

- Spiritism, my friend, for many people, today has turned into a means of subsistence. The inquisition that the "cardinals" of the movement have been doing to the new mediums is only the struggle for power and - amazingly enough! – for money! Many of them without knowing are being used by wolves disguised in sheep... (268)

Next, and still in response to the same "letter" he had received, he defends the psychic work of Chico Xavier, as if the one he received when he was incarnate, as medium, was being challenged. But the defense he makes of these works is supposedly attributed to Chico disembodied, received by Baccelli, and materialized in freaks as "Chico Xavier Answers":

- But before the end, I need to tell you one more thing: do not doubt that in the very Spiritist Movement there is a conspiracy against Chico Xavier’s mediumship works! (270)

At the end of his answer, he goes back to that creepy language he used in his first books:

- Be yourself and, as I said, "kick the ball forward"! Let me just pluralize the word "ball", urging you to be a worthy representative of those who, without being machos, are machos enough to say what they think.

PS: With regard to the courage of testimony and true love for the Cause, I must acknowledge that considering the ovaries, many women have more "balls" than many men! (271)

After speaking in other works about reincarnation in the Spiritual World, Dr. Inacio now tries to soften the thesis, mixing reincarnation with materialization, discussing what is reported by Andre Luiz in "Our Home" and "Liberation":

- In its bases the phenomenon is the same; what differs is the process... hence, en passant, we can think about reincarnation in different spiritual planes of Life, without having to, therefore, consider sex competing in the patterns that it competes on Earth, other worlds and dimensions . (287)

In chapter 36, there is a curious letter, which Chico, disembodied, would have addressed to Dr. Inacio.  Dr. Inacio is always trying to “materialize” the Spiritual World. (314)

Always attacking and diminishing the Spiritists who study and who follow a moral line:

- The orthodox in the field of the Spiritist Philosophy are preventing our people to think – they are committing a crime! This group of reincarnated clerics, who grew tired of kneeling, but not of having others kneeling before them, thinks that the Law of Cause and Effect works by itself! If so, the Reincarnation Law would also work like this - there would be no need to have sex! The sperm - I do not know through which hole - would departure alone wondering around and asking at every corner: - "Have you seen an egg going around somewhere…?" Oh, do not make fun of my so already small intelligence…

- Spiritists do need to update their view of life after death! (318/319)

In another attempt to "materialize" the Spiritual Life, he mentions the Police Force in after death life that would come to Earth to imprison Spirits:

- We will go, but I'll get in touch with Dr. Elpidio, my friend and Chief of Police, to provide a police detachment. Those entities need to be arrested! (319)

- As agreed, Odilon came to meet me at the hospital, and in Elpidio’s company, previously contacted by me and three other detectives under his command we set off toward the Crust (324)

- While we "descended", we were naturally integrating in the environment in such a way as to be identified as newly disembodied entities. Inhaling less rarefied fluids in the Earth's atmosphere, we caused a relative condensation in our spiritual bodies and so we were mistaken for passers of the city we visited. (324)

"We were mistaken for passers." Then they materialized, as told in the work "Love of the Ideal", referring to Edgar Allan Poe, which would have materialized himself through the ectoplasm of a drunken corpse and would have walked the streets of Uberaba, in order to make a consult as if he were an incarnated patient. If it is like Dr. Inacio says, it is difficult to know if we are seeing a Spirit incarnated or a disembodied materialized!

After all, this is a rough work coming from a Spirit who intends to inform mistakenly those who are interested in Spiritism, and he counts with the carelessness of those who, knowing the Doctrine, do nothing to curb his harmful action.

With the word are mainly those who are responsible for Spiritist Centers, bookstores and Spiritist Book Clubs responsible for the promotion of books like this one.