Edson Ramos de Siqueira: 

“To cut out meat from our diet is an act of non-violence”

The author of the book Alimentação e Evolução Espiritual (Eating Habits and Spiritual Development) discusses in this interview the implications for human beings of eating meat 

	Edson Ramos Siqueira (photo), an Agricultural Engineer and lecturer at the UNESP university in the Brazilian city of Botucatu since 1980, has been a Spiritist since 1993. He is a member of two Spiritist Centres in Botucatu, in the state of São Paulo. He has published recently a book focusing on animals from a Spiritist perspective – Alimen-
tação e Evolução Espiritual (Eating Habits and Spiritual Development). His explanations shed light on this issue, including human eating habits.

How did you become interested in animal issues? 

In my profession, I learned from experience that other animals are sencient as human beings are. They can feel pleasure, pain, happiness and sadness. And modern science has proven that all animals have that capacity. But there is a more intriguing finding, which is very recent: other animals also have conscience. I was learning at the same time that all Spirits are created simple and ignorant. They reincarnate in different kingdoms and they are all destined to perfection. Those are, therefore, our little brothers and sisters. To ingest their remains is one of the most primitive habits human beings still have. It is a cultural habit rooted in our unconscious, but something that will need to change, as such practice will be unthinkable when the earth upgrades from a world of Trials and Tribulations into a planet of Regeneration.  

What is your assessment of the human approach towards animals, including eating meat? 

Even those who have awakened to vegetarianism should not criticise those who still eat meat. Human society is inundated with information associating the consumption of meat to perfect physical health. That can be changed, as Medical and Nutritional sciences have already proved that is not true. Humankind continues to be fooled. Economic power and blind faith get together to create the impression that things should be as they are. The media portrays meat as though it came from flowerbeds. Others say the Bible authorises the mass murder. Changes are already taking place, but evolution will only come through education. And Spiritism has a crucial part to play in that educational process. This issue needs to be discussed more frequently in Spiritist Groups as Spiritism is clear about the spiritual reality of animals. To cut out meat from our diet is an act of non-violence and therefore, an act of spiritual development. 

From your research about how Spiritism deals with this issue, what would you like to highlight? 

Many brothers and sisters say there is nothing clear in Spiritism about eating meat. What really drew my attention when I was researching for my book was finding clear information about animals in the work of the main Spiritist authors, starting by Allan Kardec (in The Spirits’ Book and Genesis mainly). I must say, however, that Kardec dealt with this subject in a veiled, careful way. After all, he lived in an era when people questioned whether women had a soul. In such times, how would you expect him to be clear about the issue of the soul of other animals? Everything comes at the right time. But one thing we must be sure of: at least the process of questioning the habit of eating meat must begin urgently. 

What is your assessment of how people look into this issue? 

The absolute majority of Humankind is completely unaware of the process of origin and development of Spirits on Earth. Science has not as yet been able to put together the factors that explain the true nature of life, with its process of multiple incarnations. It does not understand that the physical body is a mere educational tool that enables us to learn during our time on the planet. A tiny minority is able to understand what life really is about. And Spiritists are part of that minority. We can no longer say that we did not know that Spiritis begin their journey of Spiritual evolution from the simplest of animals and that they go up through the whole scale until reaching the level of human beings. And then it progresses morally and intellectually until it reaches Divinity.  

Is there anything from your experiences that you would like to share with us? 

A defining experience for me was, as part of my profession, to have been often to slaughter yards. I could see there clearly the inhumanity of the slaughtering process and the suffering our little brothers and sisters go through. I could also feel the heavy, low energy that circulates in such places. Less developed Spirits gather in such places to try to suck out the vital fluid released by the mass murder of animals, in what André Luiz (through the mediumship of Chico Xavier) called the industry of death. So, when I write and talk about this subject, I refer to a sad reality that I had the opportunity to feel. 

Is there anything you would like to add? 

We know that the Earth is going through an important phase of transition into a world of Regeneration. Such transition demands profound Spiritual transformations, which include behavioural changes. We need to emerge from the depths of the ocean of illusions and open our hearts and minds to the reality of the Spirit’s life in the universe. There is no more room for Spiritual inertia for those who have access to the clear information provided by Spiritism and to the scientific information produced on this planet. Among the behavioural changes we need to put into practice is cutting out meat from our menu. The Christian principle of loving other people like we love ourselves clashes with the idea of killing in order to satisfy our archaic gastronomic wishes. We should not, however, nurture a guilty feeling, as meat is a cultural and ancient part of our diet. But the moment has come to carry out some deep reflection; so that once the change comes it occurs naturally and it comes from inside.