Bearer of a unique dedication to the doctrinal cause, Yvonne A. Pereira is an important example of the Spiritist idealism. In fact, in addition to her mediumship work itself, i.e., her work as a psychographic medium for Spirits such as Bezerra de Menezes, Leon Denis, Charles, Leon Tolstoi, Camilo Castelo Branco, among others, Yvonne wrote many articles, as an incarnated Spiritist author. Such manuscripts deal with complex doctrinal themes, especially addressing the mediumistic area, in which her doctrinal baggage and her experience as a productive medium provide concrete safety guidelines. 

“Songs of the Heart” is a little publicized work of the mediumship of Yvonne do Amaral Pereira and constitutes a compilation of articles promoted by the Editor of the Leon Denis Spiritist Center (CELD). “Songs of the Heart” presents volumes 1 and 2, and the presently commented chapter is precisely the last chapter of the second volume (the chapters are articles published by the author in the periodical “Doers of Good”). It is a posthumous publication made by CELD, whose first edition was made available in 1994 (Yvonne disincarnated in 1984). The chapter in question (chapter IX) is called "Considerations on Mediumship".

Yvonne always uses Kardec as her main reference and develops the themes based on her personal mediumship experiences and her background as a militant Spiritist, which she acquired through many years of work in the Spiritist movement.

Yvonne's clarifications are motivated by questions about mediumship and mediumistic development. The questions were divided into four topics. After Dona Yvonne's second response, we also commented on some aspects related to psychic development, which were reflections obtained from another notable work by the author, “Delving into the Invisible (Devassando o Invisível)”.

Let us see Ms. Yvonne’s questions and answers:

"Mr. G.S.V., a scholar of Spiritist matters, sent us the following questions: 1 - How to help the practical development of mediumship? 2- What is the method of development for common mediums, without forcing or conditioning them to manifestations? 3- How should we manage this part?

4- What is the safe way, without forcing, that predisposes them to a natural, serious, peaceful development?

Yvonne: "1- The best way to develop mediumship is not to worry about your development, but to prepare yourself morally and mentally to be able to assume the commitment of becoming a developed medium. Such preparation, however, cannot be quick, and, many times, the faculty presents itself and defines itself during its course. It is the safest, natural method, therefore. If mediumship does not present itself like this, spontaneously, naturally, it is a sign that it is not yet mature enough to explode. (emphasis mine)

“You can, however, experiment by sitting the medium at the work table and leaving him at ease. The director of the table, in turn, must not insist, pressuring or constraining the suitor to give passivity, since this method excites the mind of the medium, who ends up giving passivity to himself, with which we will have the suggestion, and not the authentic mediumistic communication. 

“Kardec recommends this experience for up to six months*, and observation has proven that, if there really is some faculty to develop, in much less time the case will be resolved, especially if the medium is prepared through the study and practice of good. (emphasis mine - *It is worth noting that Yvonne indirectly mentions item 204 of “The Book of Mediums”, as she comments on the limit of approximately six (6) months for psychographic tests, as advocated by Kardec). 

“If the suitor feels nothing during this period, he must, strictly speaking, withdraw from the table. The opposite will be to force the gift, with the supervenience of animism, autosuggestion or the suggestion of the leader of the works on the patient's mind. There is  hypnosis that can harm forever when it actually presents itself. In addition, it is what exists most nowadays in Spiritist centers where Allan Kardec is replaced by personal ideas and fads from other Spiritist schools, very much infiltrated in the Kardecian School (emphasis mine). 

“Mediumship is a transcendent, sublime faculty, which cannot support methods inappropriate to its celestial nature, so to speak". Yvonne A. Pereira

Yvonne's response to the first item corroborates Chico Xavier's explanation/guidance that “the phone rings from there to here”. In fact, Emmanuel comments in “Path, Truth and Life” (Caminho, Verdade e Vida) that, most of the time we force our psychic aptitudes and their development to become the so-called “mediums of action” (ostensive mediums with a specific task in the mediumistic area within of the Spiritist Center), the results tend to be negative. This low productivity can be interpreted both in terms of a decrease in the mental and emotional balance of the candidate for the mediumistic task, as well as in terms of the generation of dubious or clearly negative content, doctrinally, morally and spiritually. Yvonne states that this strategy constitutes “...the safest, most natural method”. 

It must be remembered that we are subject to a reincarnation planning, with general and specific tasks. This planning is meticulously prepared by spiritual mentors and, often, by ourselves, taking into account our pressing spiritual needs, past commitments and potentialities for the present and for the future. It is obvious that the planning is not absolute and, depending on our free will and consequent spiritual performance, it can be revised during the reincarnation itself. However, such changes are not so commonplace, as many factors must be considered.

Our reincarnating tasks normally aim at a more intense and secure evolution, with a lower risk of moral falls. Furthermore, not always what we want is the best for us or for our “reincarnating task” properly considered. This is so common that we ourselves, when partially unfolded by the physical sleep, can have a different opinion regarding what we really want (in relation to our aspirations when we are in the waking period in the material body). Due to the illusions that arise, we allow ourselves to be carried away when inserted in the material body, that is, in a state of coincidence with the physical body (see Question 416 of “The Book of Spirits”). 

Yvonne: "2- The practical sessions of development are not advisable. Observation has shown that they are, for the most part. However, there are mediums who spend one, two, five, ten years developing their own faculties without achieving anything authentic and useful, thus wasting precious time that could be used in another sector. However, what is certain is that if, in a few months, they do not have developed faculties, it is not convenient for them to insist, either because they do not have the faculty, or because it has been impaired by factors that should be observed and studied... Furthermore, the complete development of a mediumistic faculty takes time to complete, and requires patience and dedication, a lot of love and a lot of study, progressive moral and mental renewal and, sometimes, many tears and suffering. 

"It is advisable not to forget that the purpose of mediumship is the interchange between the human being and the spiritual entities and it depends of us to reach the glory or failure. The spontaneous development is, therefore, one of the secrets of a good mediumship.

“There are people that seem to demonstrate symptoms of a gift to be developed, but they are excessively nervous. If they try, they reach nothing of useful.

It will be prudent for these, before any experience, an adequate medical treatment, as well as spiritual passes given twice a week, at least, with the assistance of two or three mediums who administrate spiritual passes, evangelical readings, attendance at study and meditation meetings, but not attendance at practical sessions.

“In most cases, these people are more mentally ill, in need of physical and spiritual treatment, than true mediums to develop, since one of the conditions for mediumship is the good health of the medium. They are traumatized people, who is unvigilant or sick mind forges what it presents, withdraws from itself the communications it gives, and they can even be hysterical. When they recover, they will be able to experiment, but it is likely that they will never be faithful mediumistic devices. During the treatment, in order not to waste time, they can be used in charity works for others allied with the Gospel (concentration with the pass-giver), according to the degree of responsibility already acquired, because all this is responsibility, it is commitment to the Law of God. 

“The harvest is plentiful, and there is service for all. Mediumship is love, it is sacrifice, it is renunciation, it is humility, it is a heavy cross, and it is not only in its sector that we can serve God and our neighbor" Yvonne A. Pereira 

The medium of “Memoirs of a Suicide” warns about the problem that candidates for mediumship can be people “...nervous, impressionable...” She states, “If they try, they achieve nothing plausible”. She admits that many may have some significant mediumistic faculty, but without a set of other prerequisites, it will not be possible to obtain minimally reasonable results from this type of mediumistic instrumentation. 

Yvonne also emphasizes that the candidate for mediumistic work must be in good physical and spiritual health, being necessary, when sick, a prior restoration of health for later initiative in spiritual exchange meetings.

It must be emphasized that mediumship development presupposes prior psychic development, that is, an integral personal development, encompassing the parapsychic potential of the candidate for mediumship work. 

Yvonne demonstrates that she found many weaknesses and little productivity in the so-called “meetings of development or mediumship education” in force in our Spiritist Movement. It is impressive to note the bluntness that Yvonne uses right at the beginning of her response to the second item, stating “... observation has shown that they (the practical sessions of development) are, in the great majority, factories of animism and obsession, of suggestion and nervous breakdown...”

Therefore, the experienced medium emphasizes the need for a global development of the Spiritist worker, which must accompany, or even precede, the mediumistic development itself.

It is worth remembering some lectures by Jose Raul Teixeira, such as “The Spiritist Center and the Dynamics of Love”, in which the exhibitor from Niteroi-RJ explains: “The Spiritist Center is the House that takes us out of madness! So, enough of the madness! If the candidate for mediumship cannot attend any other meeting (exclusively for doctrinal study), in addition to the mediumship meeting, why mediumship? And, therefore, why a mediumistic meeting?”

Divaldo Franco also explains in the lecture “Meeting with Directors”, in February 1992, at Grupo Espirita Meimei. He states that it was common for confreres to complain that they had been attending the Spiritist Center Caminho da Redencao (Salvador-BA) for a long time, without being able to develop the mediumship. (“I’ve been going there for 10 years and I still haven’t developed mediumship!”). Divaldo narrates in the lecture that his response was: “If you've been attending for 10 years and still haven't developed mediumship, it's because you don't have it! It is not because everyone has the perception that they have to be an active medium (ostensive medium)”.

Yvonne also thinks that an inefficient pattern of mediumistic meetings, according to her in force in our Spiritist Movement (at least at that time), would be associated with a shortage of safe mediums (“...Hence the shortage of safe mediums at your college…”).

With regard to moral development, special emphasis should be directed to greater action in charity, less predisposition to be touchy, hurt and resentment and greater emotional intelligence, especially with regard to irritation for irrelevant reasons and resilience in the face of inherent difficulties to the constant struggle of material life. With regard to intellectual development, greater cultural growth is needed, encompassing greater notions of spirituality in general, and specifically greater doctrinal deepening. Furthermore, if possible, it would be interesting to have greater linguistic quality, so that the communicator Spirits have more “tools” for a more precise expression; and a greater general knowledge, which will also be a resource used so that the Spiritual Friends can elaborate richer constructions, and more faithful to the “original text” of these own Spirits, which, many times, would already be previously elaborated in the spiritual world.

(Continued in the next issue of this magazine.)

Bibliographic references:

Pereira, Y. A. Songs of the Heart – Volume II (Spiritist Realities). First edition. CELD editions. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, 1994.

Kardec, A. The Book of Mediums [translation by Evandro N. Bezerra]. Second edition. Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB). Brasilia DF. 2021.

Kardec, A. The Book of Spirits [translation by Evandro N. Bezerra]. Fourth edition. Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB). Brasilia DF. 2021.

Pereira, Y. A. Delving into the Inisible. First special edition. Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB). Brasilia DF. 2004.