This article brings, in full, the chapter from The Book of Mediums that deals with haunted places. It is excellent and clear in itself, so that we do not find it necessary to make further comments.

The article in question was raised by the topic of Spirit Boxes, discussed in homonymous article is at recent video.

The Book of Mediums — Second part — Spiritist manifestations > Chapter IX — Haunted places

132. The spontaneous manifestations, which have occurred at all times, and the persistence of some Spirits in showing ostentatiously their presence in certain locations, constitute the source of origin of the belief in the existence of haunted places. The following answers were given to questions asked on this subject:

1st. Do Spirits attach themselves only to people, or also to things?

“It depends on their elevation. Some Spirits can become attached to earthly objects. The miserly, for example, who have hidden their treasures and who are not yet dematerialized enough, often persist in watching and guarding them.”

2nd. Do wandering Spirits ((A wandering Spirit is the Spirit between one life and another)) have favorite places?

“The principle is still the same here. Spirits who no longer feel attached to the Earth go wherever they have the opportunity to practice love. They are attracted more to people than to material objects. However, it may happen that some of them have, for a certain period of time, a preference for certain places. These, however, are always inferior Spirits.”

3rd. Does the attachment of Spirits to a location, being a sign of inferiority, also constitute proof of their being evil?

"Certainly not. A Spirit can be little advanced, without being bad. Isn’t the same observed among men?”

4th. Is there any basis for the belief that Spirits preferably frequent ruins?

"None. Spirits go to such places, like everyone else. Men's imagination, awakened by the gloomy appearance of certain places, attributes to the presence of Spirits what is, almost always, a very natural effect. How many times has fear caused the shadow of a tree to be mistaken for a ghost and the cry of an animal, or the breath of the wind, for ghosts? Spirits like the presence of men; hence they prefer inhabited places to deserted places.”

a) However, based on what we know about the diversity of characters among Spirits, we can infer the existence of misanthropic Spirits, who prefer solitude.

“That's why I didn't answer the question absolutely. He said they can come to deserted places, like everywhere. It is evident that, if some remain insulated, it is because they like it. This, however, does not constitute a reason for them to necessarily have a predilection for ruins. There are far greater numbers of them in cities and palaces than in the interior of the forests.”

5th. In general, popular beliefs contain a grain of truth. What was the origin of the belief in haunted places?

“The truth lies in the manifestation of Spirits, in which man has instinctively believed since all time. But, as I said above, the gloomy aspect of certain places hurts his imagination and this naturally leads him to place beings in those places that he considers supernatural. Furthermore, to entertain this superstitious belief, there are the poetic narratives and fantastic tales that comforted him in childhood.”

6th. Are there, for Spirits who usually meet, days and times when they prefer to do so?

"No. Days and hours are measures of time for the use of men and for corporeal life, of which Spirits feel no need and take no notice.”

7th Where did the idea that Spirits preferably come during the night come from?

“From the impression that silence and darkness produce on the imagination. All these beliefs are superstitions that the rational knowledge of Spiritism will destroy. The same goes for the days and hours that many believe are most favorable to them. It is certain that the influence of midnight never existed, except in the stories.”

a) Therefore, why do some Spirits announce their coming and their manifestations for certain specific days, such as Friday, for example?

“This is what Spirits do who take advantage of men's gullibility to have fun. For the same reason, there are those who call themselves the devil, or give themselves infernal names. Show them that you are not deceived and they will not come back.”

8th. Do spirits prefer to visit the tombs where their bodies rest?

“The body was a simple garment. In the same way that the prisoner feels no attraction for the chains that bind him, the Spirits feel no attraction for the envelope that made them suffer. The memory of the people who are dear to them is the only thing that has value for them.”

a) Are the prayers that are said for them at the tombs of their bodies more pleasant than any other?

“Prayer, you know, is an evocation that attracts the Spirits. The greater the action, the more fervent and sincere it is. Now, next to a venerated tomb, one is always more collected than elsewhere, and the conservation of cherished relics is a testimony of affection given to the Spirit and which never fails to touch him. What acts on the Spirit is always thought and not material objects. These objects exert more influence than on the Spirit on the one who prays, because they focus his attention.”

9th. In view of this, does it seem that belief in haunted places should not be considered absolutely false?

“We said that certain Spirits can feel attracted to material things. They can do so in certain places, where they seem to establish domicile, until the circumstances that made them seek out those places disappear.”

a) What circumstances might induce them to seek such places?

“The sympathy for some of the people who frequent them, or the desire to communicate with them. However, they do not always have laudable intentions. When they are bad spirits, they may intend to take revenge on people they have complaints about. Staying in a certain place can also be, for some, a punishment inflicted on them, especially if they have committed a crime there, so that they have it constantly before their eyes*.”

10th. Are places always haunted by their former inhabitants?

"Always no; — sometimes, because, if the former inhabitant of one of these places is a high Spirit, he will worry as little about his earthly home as he will about his body. The Spirits that haunt certain places often have no reason for doing so other than simple whim, unless they are attracted there by the sympathy that certain people inspire in them.”

a) Can they establish themselves in such a place with the aim of protecting a person, or their own family?

“Certainly, if they are good Spirits; however, in this case, they never manifest their presence through unpleasant means.”

11th. Is there anything real in the story of the White Lady?

“Mere tale, extracted from a thousand true facts.”

12th. Is it rational to fear places haunted by Spirits?

"No. The Spirits that frequent certain places, causing disorders in them, rather want to have fun at the expense of men's credulity and armchairs, than to harm them. In fact, you must remember that there are Spirits everywhere and that, wherever you are, you will have them by your side, even in the most peaceful rooms. Almost always, they only haunt certain houses, because they find an opportunity to manifest their presence there.”

13th. Will there be ways to expel them?

"There is; What they often do for this, however, attracts them, instead of pushing them away. The best way to expel bad Spirits is to attract good ones. Therefore, attract the good Spirits, doing all the good you can, and the bad ones will disappear, since good and evil are incompatible. Always be good and you will only have good Spirits with you.”

a) There are, however, very kind people who live with the mischief of evil Spirits. Why?

“If these people are really good, this perhaps happens as proof, to exercise their patience and encourage them to become even better. Be certain, however, that it is not those who continually talk about virtues who possess them the most. He who is possessed of real qualities almost always ignores them, or never speaks of them.”

14th. What should we think about the effectiveness of exorcisms to expel evil spirits from haunted places?

“Have you had the opportunity to verify the effectiveness of this process? Have you not seen, on the contrary, the troubles redouble in intensity, after the exorcism ceremonies? It's just that the Spirits that cause them enjoy being taken over by the devil.

“Also, those who do not present themselves with malevolent intentions can manifest their presence through noise and even by becoming visible, but they never commit disorder or nuisance. They are often suffering Spirits, whose suffering you can alleviate by praying for them. Other times, they are even benevolent Spirits, who want to prove that they are with you, or, rather, frivolous Spirits who play. As those who disturb the rest are almost always Spirits who are having fun, the best thing for those who find themselves persecuted to do is to laugh at what happens to them. Disturbers get tired, finding that they cannot be afraid or impatient.” (See chapter V above: On spontaneous manifestations.)

It follows from the explanations above that there are Spirits that attach themselves to certain places, preferring to remain there, without, however, having the need to manifest their presence through sensitive effects. Any place can be the obligatory or favorite home of a Spirit, however bad, without any manifestation ever taking place. Those who attach themselves to certain locations, or to certain material things, are never superior Spirits. However, even if they do not belong to this category, it may be that they are not bad and have no bad intentions. Often, they are even more useful than harmful commensals, because, as long as they are interested in people, they can protect them.

• See Revue spirite, from February 1860: “Story of a Damned Man”.

Another idea that reigns in the Spiritist world: mediums would be indebted Spirits who are born to redeem debts from past lives.

I would like people who repeat these ideas to show where they appear in Allan Kardec's work. It will be a difficult task, as they will not find it. Mediumship is a choice, often aiming to lead the individual to the study of Spiritism, but many end up stumbling along the paths of vanity and pride and waste this opportunity.

This idea comes from false ideas linked to karma, as always. We've dealt with this several times.

We don't have much to say about this, because the idea is easily overcome. We just want to say that, to be a good medium, it is important to know how to deal well with this true science that allows us to communicate with Spirits. Allan Kardec's studies, organized by the Spirit of Truth, provided the basis for this science and were the only ones to approach, with scientific methodology, mediumistic phenomena. Don't leave this study aside if you want to be really useful.

You need to be very careful. It is not that outside of Kardec there is no truth: it is that, without a scientific method in communicating with Spirits, lies, illusions and truths are admitted, blindly and indiscriminately.

It is very clear to observe that Ramatis (or every Spirit that identifies with this name) transmits rational and scientific absurdities, many of which have already been refuted by elementary science.

These Spirits start from the wrong idea of the fall through sin, and thus teach, because they believe or because they want to mystify, false ideas linked to a punishing God, who punishes error. It is exactly the principle of errors in religions and, in this sense, there is nothing about Spiritism there – just study Heaven and Hell, Genesis and the Spiritist Magazine, from 1858 to 1869, to make sure of this.

Through a medium, any Spirit can speak. If, on our side, we believe blindly, we will be easily fascinated by mystifying Spirits.

Leia o artigo “The role of the researcher and the medium in communications with the Spirits“.

“Canal Espírita”, by Luiz Fernando Amaral, on YouTube, is a channel that already has almost eight hundred thousand followers, with thousands of views. Due to its size and the expressiveness it has in this environment, it is worrying to see, there, the circulation and dissemination of certain ideas that are even contrary to the Spiritist Doctrine. In a way…

In no way do I doubt Luiz Fernando's good intentions. I just don't understand why there is resistance to studying and promoting Spiritism as it really is, since this knowledge helps us make fewer mistakes and be more useful.

By leaving Kardec, we leave aside the efforts of the Spirit of Truth himself

Many do not think that, by leaving Kardec aside to focus on “news” that do not come from the scientific method, they leave aside the efforts of superior Spirits and the Spirit of Truth himself, who coordinated the initiative for the birth of the Spiritist Doctrine. This is not about the opinion of one man, but about the Comforter promised by Jesus. Kardec did not end up in his position by chance: it was planned by a superior effort. The method he developed — universal agreement submitted to the criterion of reason — is required and cannot be abandoned!

Now, do we want to treat Spiritism as something lesser? As a minor “effort”, surpassed by the mere ideas of anyone who comes to give their opinion? Now, spiritists, let us put our hands on our conscience!

I am not of the opinion, because it is not a fact, that Spiritism was ended with Kardec; however, because it is a science, to be continued, it necessarily lacks the scientific method, so that we cannot simply accept any ideas and communications as if they were true, no matter which medium they are given or what name the Spirit presents.

In the same way, we cannot simply discard communications from Spirits outside of coding. Once again: we need a scientific and rational method, not just blind acceptance or denial.

False ideas, arising from isolated opinions

Luiz Fernando, on Canal Espírita, among some videos in which he returns to Kardec, frequently makes videos promoting and reinforcing false ideas that have infiltrated the Spiritist milieu. We count, among them, those linked to karma or even the “exile” of Spirits, in addition to the ideas linked to Umbral, unverified generic psychographics, spiritual animal colonies, etc. Ideas that the study of Spiritism quickly demonstrates as uncertain or misleading. And what's the problem with that?

The problem is that, slowly and persistently, blindly accepted ideas are undermining Spiritism and increasingly hindering its progress and its real potential to advance humanity. Due to a lack of knowledge and commitment to science born from the efforts of elevated Spirits, but also due to an attachment to ideas born in novels, slightly inferior, or even imperfect, Spirits are allowed to spread their harmful ideas in the Spiritist environment.

Allan Kardec was emphatic in demonstrating, as a result of his long years of studies, that the Spirits, after leaving the body, continue to be who they were. Many, the vast majority, continue to carry false ideas and attachments. They do not gain full knowledge of the world of Spirits simply by leaving the body. Others are declared enemies of Spiritism, because they find in it the demolition of the ideas they cling to, out of ignorance. This is the reason why many of them present ideas contrary to what has been demonstrated by the study of thousands of evocations and communications from thousands of Spirits, by thousands of mediums, everywhere.

Reluctance to study

But Luiz Fernando, on Canal Espírita, unfortunately seems to choose only to be reluctant, and I say this because of the way he has already responded to me by highlighting inconsistencies between Spiritism and certain ideas disseminated by him, born from isolated opinions. He recently recorded a video criticizing anyone who recommends returning to Kardec, because it seems to be more pleasant to disseminate ideas born from novels and supposed unverified psychographics. Instead of deciding to open Revista Espírita and study, he chooses to affectively refute criticism of his videos with ideas contrary to Spiritism and believes that, being a medium, he would only be guided by good Spirits. Furthermore, he tries to form the idea that criticizing him is giving rise to “low vibrations”.

Yes, we need to resume the development of spiritist science. But, to do so, we first need to revisit it as a science, understanding its principles and methods, developed at the expense of Kardec's health and resources, for years on end. Today, due to the reluctance to study, people make mistakes in the most insignificant, most absurd things, while so simple they could be avoided with a more careful study of Spiritism.

Once again, we recommend everyone to return to study the Spiritist Magazine and Kardec's other works, especially when speaking to many. Even when we study, sometimes we make mistakes, but at least we won't have our conscience accusing us of not having sought to know the knowledge that we insistently used to knock on our door and which, today, is three clicks away.

I hope that my colleague is touched on his conscience as soon as possible. You have huge potential on your channel. All that remains is to use this potential to spread real Spiritism, away from false ideas. Furthermore, I hope he stops taking these issues personally, especially when it comes to science. I myself receive a lot of criticism and I am grateful for it, as there are frequent opportunities to consult my conscience about what I do, never believing that I would be free from mistakes because I believed that only good Spirits would be around me.

“You want to do good, I have no doubt. He wants to talk about Spiritism, because he believes it is good content. But the Spiritism you know is that of the novels, and not the original. It thus reproduces ideas born from the isolated opinions of certain Spirits, which are often incomplete, misleading and even contrary to Spiritism and reason. The effect is the opposite: far from helping people climb steps, it often keeps them away from the stairs.

Spiritism exists in the works of Kardec, well described in Revista Espírita, and was developed based on the scientific method. It has not been completed, but, to be developed, it needs the same method.”

Paulo Degering R. Junior

If spiritists knew what the Spiritist Center is, what its function and significance really are, Spiritism would be the most important cultural and spiritual movement on Earth today. We have in Brazil – and this is a universal consensus – the largest, most active and productive spiritist movement on the planet. The expansion of Spiritism in our land is incessant and continues at an accelerated pace. But what we do, throughout this vast spiritist continent, is an immense effort to churchify Spiritism, to pair it with decadent and outdated religions, forming mystical and, therefore, fanatical nuclei everywhere, disconnected from immediate reality.

José Herculano Pires — The Spiritist Center

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The Luz Espírita portal, supported by biased surveys de Carlos Seth e outros, continua fazendo uma “campanha esdrúxula” ((Tomo a liberdade de utilizar o mesmo termo usado por eles contra quem eles discordam)) contra aqueles que concluem diferentemente deles, baseados em pilhas de evidências que eles escolhem desconsiderar. Notório dizer que, “do lado de cá”, longe de descartarmos as evidências por eles encontradas, apenas verificamos que elas não provam a impossibilidade de que as adulterações tenham ocorrido. Tudo o que eles têm são evidências de que Kardec havia iniciado a produção de novas edições de O Céu e o Inferno e A Gênese, mas não que ele as tenha concluído nem que as obras impressas após sua morte não tenham sofrido alterações. Além disso, não fazem o principal: explicar as diferenças absurdas, não anunciadas e mesmo contraditórias entre uma edição e outra.

The point is that we do not want to obtain a monopoly on common sense and truth, thing they insist on doing, without trying to do what matters most: explain the reason for the grotesque differences between the editions in question. We highlight, for example, some differences between the fourth edition of Heaven and Hell, recorded after Kardec's death, and the third edition (same as the first). Respectively:

Fourth edition of Heaven and Hell

Registered after Kardec's death.

• Chapter VIII became chapter VII;
• Most of the philosophical rhetoric with which Kardec opened the chapter was removed
• O título “As penas futuras segundo o Espiritismo” tornou-se “Criminal code of the future life“.

7th — The Spirit suffers for the evil he has done, so that his attention is incessantly focused on the consequences of that evil, he better understands its inconveniences and is motivated to correct himself.

8th — Since God's justice is infinite, a rigorous account of good and evil is kept; if there is not a single bad action, a single bad thought that does not have its fatal consequences, there is not a single good action, a single good movement of the soul, the slightest merit, in a word, that is lost, even in the most perverse, because it is a beginning of progress.

9th — Every fault committed, every evil done, is a debt contracted that must be paid; If it is not so in one existence, it will be so in the next or subsequent ones, because all existences are in solidarity with each other. Whoever pays it off in the present existence will not have to pay a second time.

10 - The Spirit suffers the penalty of its imperfections, whether in the spirit world or in the corporeal world. All the miseries, all the vicissitudes we endure in corporeal life are the result of our imperfections, expiations of faults committed, whether in the present existence or in previous ones.

Heaven and Hell, 4th edition.

Item 10 is, perhaps, the biggest proof of tampering (click to read the article).

Third edition of Heaven and Hell

Published and registered by Allan Kardec.

Chapter VIII — Future penalties according to Spiritism

7. God's justice being infinite, a strict account of good and evil is kept; if there is not a single bad action, a single bad thought that does not have its fatal consequences, there is not a single good action, not a single good movement of the soul – in short, the simplest merit – that is lost, even in the most perverse , because it is a beginning of progress.

8. The duration of the punishment is subject to the perfection of the guilty spirit. No sentence for a fixed time is pronounced against him. What God requires to put an end to suffering is repentance, atonement and reparation — in short: a serious, effective improvement, as well as a sincere return to goodness.

The spirit is thus always the arbiter of its own destiny; he can prolong his sufferings by his hardening in evil, alleviate them or abbreviate them by his efforts to do good. A sentence for any given period of time would have the double disadvantage of either continuing to affect the spirit that had been perfected, or ending while it was still in evil. God, who is just, punishes evil while it exists; and ends punishment when evil no longer exists. Thus this expression is confirmed: I do not want the sinner to die, but for him to live, and I will accuse him UNTIL HE REPENTS.

9. Since the duration of the punishment is subordinated to repentance, it follows that the guilty spirit that did not repent and never perfected itself would always suffer, and that, for it, the punishment would be eternal. The eternity of punishment must then be understood in a relative sense, and not in an absolute sense.

Heaven and Hell, 1st to 3rd editions.

We can notice a stark difference between the editions. Likewise, the fifth edition of A Gênesis contains inexplicable changes between the edition published by Allan Kardec and the edition recorded almost three years after his death.

We spare no effort

We have already addressed the topic several times. Those mentioned above do not spare words and derogatory terms to try to discredit those who conclude differently from them. We, therefore, do our part, based on abundant evidence, and with the certainty that the other party never took the time to read and calmly reflect on all of it. We do not say: “this is the final truth”, but we say: “do not be guided by anyone who tries to take a monopoly on the truth”.

It is interesting to note how the other party's texts are always in love, that is, they carry a great note of emotion and apparent anger or envy. This already denotes an urgency to provoke belief by means other than those of reason. In fact, in his desire to dominate the truth, Carlos Seth has already committed gaffes as banal as wanting to say that Talking about Rational Spiritualism would be bringing a division to the spiritist environment.

It is even more interesting to note that they Never they mention the name of Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo, nor do they bring their evidence and arguments to the discussion. They just say that they have already refuted everything — which we profoundly disagree with. They do the same with Simoni Privato, although they still mention its name.

Well, without trying to prolong this subject in a tiring manner, we are always grateful for the free propaganda that they themselves carry out against ideas that they cannot accept.

It is not my custom to address groups or individuals in particular. In this case, in relation to the group “Casa Plataforma de Pração”, I think this is essential, since it uses the name of Spiritism.

I want to start by reminding you that the Mediumship is not exclusive to any religion, nor to Spiritism. Everyone can practice it, good or bad. The problem is when you put aside a science and its knowledge, obtained through hard research work, while, lightly, using the name and terms of that science to give yourself credibility. Amazingly: the main character of this sect claims to be Kardec himself and constantly compares himself to Jesus, lowering the Master to the level of a lowly worldly man.

Even more serious is when, putting aside this science, but using its name, allow yourself to deceive and be deceived precisely because of the errors that would be avoided by the real knowledge it brings.

Spiritism, as we know from our studies, does not cast anathema. Rather it says: to each according to his works. In fact, in no way do I come to judge the intentions of this group, which may be commendable... But I think it is up to us to point out and defend Spiritism when others launch false ideas in its name.

What we unfortunately see, on the aforementioned group's channel, is a great danger that they themselves run: mediums who have given themselves over to blind belief in what the Spirits say, if they say so. They give in to fascination and obsession and lightly, without knowledge, they cite Spiritism, only to deny it.

I do not believe it is necessary to go back to the countless points where spiritist science demonstrated the serious problems into which the practices adopted there throw them. We have some articles that talk about this, like The role of the researcher and the medium in communications with the Spirits, Obsessed and Subjugated — The Dangers of Spiritism and The fight against an obsessive spirit.

There, on the channel of the Casa Plataforma de Oração group, we see not only a persistent action of Spirits who use venerable names to launch the most complete absurdities, which should not happen among people who study Spiritism. We also see frequent reference to Spiritism, but not as sources of studies.

Refer only in name and terms, but only disseminate ideas contrary to the Spiritist Doctrine and they attack the defenders of spiritist science, calling them “impressed spiritists”, for demonstrating that Spiritism contradicts what they say.

The position they adopted is regrettable, much more so for them, who will have a lot to atone for in the future, but also for those who listen to them. Many neophytes may fall into one of their videos, believing that they are talking about Spiritism, and thus accepting the most absurd and even harmful things.

That's just what I want to highlight, adding: it's a shame that, instead of seeking healthy mediumship, offering to cooperate, they choose to fall into the most terrible mistakes, so often found by Kardec in the study of Spiritism. They go so far as to admit the absurd ideas that were born from the book “Letters of Christ”, where it is stated that Jesus, before “awakening” to his mission, would have been a braggart, a drunkard and a womanizer. But it doesn’t stop there: the main “medium” there even compares himself to Jesus Christ!

Let this serve as a warning to those who have doubts: what is practiced there is mediumship, practiced without any care, and not Spiritism. If Spiritism were present, through the study of Kardec's works, born of serious scientific methodology, we would not see regrettable mistakes, completely absurd ideas and attacks on reason in their meetings, recorded on video.

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In the modern Spiritist Movement, considerably removed from Spiritism, there is an insistent, almost imposing idea of carrying out an intimate reform. The need to follow the Gospel, using, for this purpose, the well-known family reading meetings of the Gospel According to Spiritism, which almost always recommend randomly opening a book that should be studied like the other works of Allan Kardec.

I wouldn't be crazy enough to say that Jesus' moral reform and moral teachings aren't important. Quite the contrary: there are many, and also not few times in which Kardec or the Spirits speak of the important moral reform brought about by Spiritism, a Doctrine capable of, by reasoning, instigate human beings to better resolutions. No, that's not the problem.

What I want to highlight is that there is a false idea reigning in the Movement, among many others: that the Earth, being a planet of proofs and atonements, only receive Spirits in expiations, that is, Spirits with inclinations past. This is not true, as I will demonstrate below.

Evidences

Evidences are all the difficulties we face in life, and that are not always the result of our choices. We may, for example, live in a city where, at a certain point, a nearby dam bursts, causing a flood and taking our home or our lives. This is a test that we did not want, but that we will pass, because it is part of the laws of matter. We can also spend years being medicated with a medicine that causes us adverse effects and destroys our health. This is also proof, as would be the eruption of a dormant volcano, close to where we live. It's part.

Sometimes, however, we go through trials that result from our choices. Still here, sometimes the result is indirect or involuntary: we can choose to carry out an act that gives undesirable results, causing us a test.

But there are tests that are directly the result of our past choices, as Spirits. Regretful of a moral deviation, we choose a certain kind of tests and opportunities that will give us the chance to face and correct this deviation. Here the term “intimate Reform” would fit, according to the understanding of Spiritism. And here is the key to the problem: not everyone developed imperfections in the past, and not everyone, in the moment we live in, is experiencing expiations.

121. Why do some Spirits follow the path of good and others the path of evil?

“Don’t they have free will? God did not create evil spirits; He created them simple and ignorant, that is, having as much aptitude for good as for evil. Those who are evil became so of their own free will.”

The Book of Spirits

imperfections

Imperfection, according to what we can infer from the study of Spiritism, is everything that arises from the free exercise of will in the repetition of an error, creating an imperfection, which will require expiation.

We are all created simple and ignorant, all having the same opportunities to follow the path forward. Everyone on this path will make mistakes, because it is impossible not to make mistakes when we are ignorant. How many times do we make mistakes, trying to get it right? However, not everyone clings to mistakes, developing imperfections. Some learn from mistakes and quickly overcome them.

133. The Spirits who From the beginning they followed the path of good?

“All are created simple and ignorant and are instructed in the struggles and tribulations of bodily life. God, who is just, could not make some happy, without toil and work, therefore without merit.”

The) - But, then, what is the use of spirits to have followed the path of good, if this does not exempt them from the sufferings of bodily life?

"They reach the end faster. Furthermore, the afflictions of life are often the consequence of the imperfection of the Spirit. The fewer imperfections, the less torment. He who is not envious, nor jealous, nor avaricious, nor ambitious, will not suffer the tortures that originate from these defects.”

The Spirits' Book. Emphasis added.

Note that Kardec understood, questioned and was not denied: there are those who have always followed the path of good, which doesn't mean they didn't make mistakes, but just that they didn't stick to the mistake.

Do you doubt what I say? That's good, that means you're reasoning. But, to reason well, it is necessary to be based on something. I therefore suggest reading questions 114 to 127 of The Spirits' Book, in addition to this one. I'm not getting all this out of my head either, as I highlight here.

Spiritist Scale

Furthermore, note that the Spiritist Scale (100 to 113), which was just a classificatory outline proposed by Kardec, says the following about imperfect Spirits:

“101. General features. – Predominance of matter over spirit. Propensity for evil. Ignorance, pride, selfishness and all the passions that are consequent to them.”

Ignorance, certainly, since it is not possible to know the divine law, in reality, and still practice evil. That would be retrograding, which the Spirit does not do. But note that, along with this, there are pride, selfishness and all the passions that are consequent to them – imperfections developed by attachment to what satisfies materialistic desires.

Something else to highlight: note that Kardec classifies the first class as “First order – Pure Spirits”, and not as “Perfect Spirits”. Kardec does not address a “duality” between perfect and imperfect Spirits. And we saw, above, that a Spirit he can, apparently, occupy the second class from the beginning – and, if you disagree, please, let's talk.

Atonement

Atonement is something that is well defined in Heaven and Hell, in its unadulterated edition, found at Editora FEAL. Kardec defined, as a result of long years of study, that it is the free and conscious effort of the Spirit that honestly seeks to repair a detour it has taken:

8) The duration of the punishment is subject to the perfection of the guilty spirit. No sentence for a fixed time is pronounced against him. What God requires to put an end to suffering is repentance, atonement and reparation - in short: a serious, effective improvement, as well as a sincere return to good ((Didatically, we can interpret atonement as serious and effective improvement, and reparation as a sincere return to good. In item 23, Kardec defines repentance as 'a fact of man's free will'. In other words, the imperfect spirit first becomes aware and chooses to overcome its condition, then chooses the tests as atonement, aiming for your improvement, thus returning to good, achieving happiness by developing the faculties of your soul. (N. do E.) )).

The spirit is thus always the arbiter of its own destiny; he can prolong his sufferings by his hardening in evil, alleviate them or abbreviate them by his efforts to do good.

A sentence for any given period of time would have the double disadvantage of either continuing to affect the spirit that had been perfected, or ending while it was still in evil. God, who is just, punishes evil while it exists; and ends punishment when evil no longer exists.

Thus this expression is confirmed: I do not want the sinner to die, but for him to live, and I will accuse him UNTIL HE REPENTS ((If the wicked does penance for all the sins he has committed, if he keeps all my precepts and acts according to equity and justice, he will certainly live and not die - I will no longer remember the iniquities that he has committed; he will live in the works of righteousness that he has done - I want the death of the wicked, says the Lord God? And Do I not want him to be converted, to turn away from the evil path and live? (Ez, 18:21-23; 23:11.) (N. do A.) )).

Heaven and Hell, publisher FEAL

World of Trials and Atonements

We can easily verify, finally, that the Earth, as it is a world of trials and expiations, is neither a world of trials alone nor a world of expiations alone. It's from one and the other. Therefore, there are incarnated Spirits who chose expiations and others who did not. They are just going through tests, which are all the difficulties that offer us a chance to learn and advance.

Who are those, therefore, who undergo atonement? Can we point the finger and classify them? “This one is good, it’s just a test”; “ah, that one over there is evil, selfish, it’s an atonement”. I don't risk it. But, in fact, there is something logical to take away from here: an incarnated Spirit can be, right now, developing an imperfection, an attachment, something that I didn't have before. Perhaps, before, I was without attachments. It is not, therefore, atoning, but it will atone.

This is the function of a planet like ours: to provide, in contact with raw matter, the conditions for each person to hone.

A Spirit can be in the range of evolution in which the Earth gives it conditions for learning, without it having any moral regrets that it needs to face.

Intimate Reform or Moral Reform

Spiritism offers a strong subsidy, a strong lever for the moral reform of our world, which is in a regrettable situation, for sure. At the individual level, we need to ask ourselves: do we lack all of a reform? Or do we just need learning? This is a question that only each person, with their own conscience, can answer.

The fact is that it is necessary Careful by blindly adopting certain ideas. Believing that everyone born here is atoning for something, that everything we go through is an atonement and, even worse, that expiation is to pay past debts through a kind of punishment, leads us to negative results in the way we act towards life and others.

Negative results of belief in karma

1. Guilt and Self-censorship: Individuals who believe this may carry a burden of constant guilt, believing they are paying for past mistakes. This can lead to self-censorship and a life full of restrictions, afraid of making new mistakes.
2. Discouragement: The belief that the current life is a punishment for past actions can discourage people from pursuing their goals and dreams, as they may believe they do not deserve success or happiness.
3. Lack of Empathy: The idea that the suffering of others is the result of karmic debts can lead to a lack of empathy and compassion for those in difficult situations. This can undermine solidarity and social support. Unfortunately, we see this lack of empathy constantly.
4. Negative resignation: People can become resigned to difficulties, passively accepting suffering as an inevitable destiny, instead of seeking solutions and improvements in their lives ((Resignation can be positive, when it represents the realistic acceptance of limitations after exhausting efforts to deal with a situation)).
5. Injustice: Belief in karma in this way can justify or perpetuate social and economic inequalities, as people may believe that those in privileged positions deserve it because of past actions ((The original understanding of karma ties into the idea that actions have its consequences. This emphasizes personal responsibility for actions and the implications they have.)).

In short, this belief can have negative effects on mental health, well-being and interpersonal relationships, in addition to contributing to the perpetuation of inequalities and injustices. It is important to remember that beliefs about karma vary greatly between different belief systems and cultures, and not everyone interprets karma in the same way.

Wonclusion

Perhaps many of us are in need of reforms, in the sense that we have strayed from the good because of this or that attachment and now we need to lead ourselves back to the good. But, how to change what you don't know?

There is no point in seeking an empty, baseless transformation, just trying to blindly follow other examples. It is necessary to understand what is done and why it is done. Hence the importance of Spiritism.

780. Does moral progress always accompany intellectual progress?

"It follows from this, but does not always follow it immediately.” (192–365.)

a) — How can intellectual progress engender moral progress?

"Making good and evil understandable. Since then, man can choose. The development of free will accompanies that of intelligence and increases the responsibility of actions.”

The Spirits' Book. Emphasis added.

Furthermore, the idea that we are all atoning for past deviations leads to external pressure to correct ourselves for things we don't even understand. This would be an artificial correction, which is not sustainable and takes us down a complicated path: if the change is not built on real understanding, in a progressive way, we impose ourselves a step bigger than our legs. When we try to take the leap and therefore fall, we believe that we are not strong enough, completely abandoning our attempts.

Unfortunately, many still add the false idea that this life would be the most important of all and that, if we do not correct ourselves, we would be doomed to be chaff, “exiles” from Planet Earth – another false idea, initially born from the book “ Capela Exiles”, which is not doctrinal.

Yes: everyone must observe themselves and try to correct themselves in what they understand they do wrong. But this is not done through pressure, nor by blindly following something. It is necessary to understand, and the change has to be made step by step. You don't build a building from top to bottom.

The path of good

The individual who seeks the path of good, looks at himself and analyzes himself. Judge yourself, observing mistakes and successes. Evaluate where you can improve and where you can correct, if you think there is something to correct. More than that: to pursue good, one must do good, and knowledge of Spiritism allows this process to be more successful, because true good is useful and, to be useful, it is necessary to know what is said and what what is done.

Many, due to lack of doctrinal knowledge (Kardec's works), are of little use. While they give bowls of soup, which momentarily satisfy the stomach's hunger (something important and venerable, of course), they do not satisfy the hunger for understanding and knowledge, which definitively elevates the Spirit to new heights and can even give him new perspectives for face that situation and get out of it.

Some, while delivering the bread, believe and say that the person who suffers from material ills is going through it because deserve. Yes, I've heard spiritualists say that. This is often the result of artificial intimate reform, which tends to look only at oneself, without seeking knowledge, forgetting that one must be truly useful to others.

“Brazil, Heart of the World, Homeland of the Gospel”, is a work by Chico Xavier, attributed to the Spirit of Humberto de Campos Veras. A very strange work, it introduces a series of ideas contrary to Spiritism, revolving mainly around the role of the supposed Spirit of Ismael, who many believe to be the “spiritual protector of Brazil”, but who, in fact, is nothing more than another enemy of Spiritism — perhaps the greatest of them. For a long time, this Spirit has been disseminating false ideas among those who blindly accept them and, thus, has been causing enormous disservice and delay in the propagation of Spiritism in your reality. In Roustaing, he found the worker of the wrong path.

The following excerpt was taken from the book “Final Point: the reunion of Spiritism with Allan Kardec”, and highlights evidence that this work was probably tampered with by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation:

[…] Julio Abreu Filho, first translator of the 12 volumes of the Revue Spirite, denounced that exactly one year before the appearance of “Brazil, heart of the world, homeland of the Gospel”, the book Crônicas de Além-Túmulo, also psychographed by Chico Xavier and signed by Humberto de Campos himself, had been released, and on whose pages you can find a similar message in which only Kardec, Denis, Delanne and Flammarion are mentioned, and Roustaing is nowhere mentioned. Given the report of a possible interpolation, which could be resolved very easily by showing the originals of the book in question, FEB reported that it had ordered its incineration. The fact is similar to Berthe Froppo's complaint in the 19th century, that Leymarie had burned numerous documents from Kardec's archive.

Ah! How much this Doctrine needs defenders, which, even though it comes from Spirits and is immortal, depends on human work to be taken up and developed in the necessary way, because, unfortunately, the bad Spirits have found many defenders, ready to listen to them blindly. .

Spiritists: forward!

“Spiritism in Prisons” is an article originally published by Allan Kardec in the Revista Espírita of February 1864, and tells the story of a criminal who, having discovered Spiritism in his reality, transformed himself and even began to practice mediumship in prison – something inconceivable for the modern spiritist movement, which proclaims that it should only be practiced within spiritist centers, which is fake.

I leave the article in full for your reading:

Spiritism in prisons

In the November 1863 Magazine, we published a letter from a convict detained in a penitentiary, as proof of the moralizing influence of Spiritism. The letter transcribed below, from a convict in another prison, is an example of this powerful influence. It is from December 27, 1863. We transcribe it verbatim, in terms of style. We only correct spelling errors.

"Sir,

“A few days ago, when they told me for the first time about Spiritism and revelation from beyond the grave, I laughed and said that this was not possible. I spoke like an ignoramus, which I am. A few days later they were kind enough to entrust me, in my horrible position in which I find myself now, with your good and excellent Spirits' Book. At first I read a few pages with disbelief, not wanting, or rather not believing, in this science. Finally, little by little and without realizing it, I took a liking to him; then I took it seriously; Then I read your book a second time, but then with a different spirit, that is, calmly and with all the little intelligence that God gave me.

“I then felt the awakening of this old faith that my mother had placed in my heart and that had been dormant for a long time. I felt the desire to clarify myself about Spiritism.

From that moment on, I had a very determined thought, that of becoming aware, learning, seeing and then judging. I set to work with all the belief that one can have and that one must have in God and his power. I wanted to see the truth.

I prayed fervently and began the experiments.

“The first ones were null, without any results, but I wasn’t discouraged. I persevered in my experiences and, my word, I redoubled my prayers, which perhaps were not fervent enough, and I immersed myself in the work with all the conviction of a believing and waiting soul.

“After a few nights, as I can only carry out the experiments at night, I felt, for about ten minutes, trembling in the tips of my fingers and a slight sensation in my arm, as if I had felt a small stream of warm water running, which stopped at the fish. I was then well collected, all attentive and full of faith. My pencil drew some lines that were perfectly legible, but not quite correct enough to prevent me from believing that I was under the weight of a hallucination. I then waited patiently for the following night to begin the experiments again, and this time I thanked God with all my heart, as I had obtained more than I dared to hope for.

“Since then, every two nights, I have been entertained by the Spirits who are good enough to respond to my appeal and, in less than ten minutes, they always respond with charity. I write half a page or whole pages that my intelligence could not do alone, because, sometimes, they are philosophical and religious treatises that I have never thought of or put into practice; because he told me, at the first results: Aren't you the plaything of a hallucination or of your will? And reflection and examination proved to me that I was very far from that intelligence that had drawn those lines. I hung my head, I believed, and I couldn't go against the evidence unless I was completely crazy.

“I sent two or three of these communications to the person who had been kind enough to entrust me with your good book, so that he could confirm whether I was right. I come to ask you, sir, you who are the soul of Spiritism, to be kind enough to allow me to send you what I seriously obtain in my conversations from beyond the grave, if, however, you think it is good. If this is to your liking, I will send you the conversations held with Verger, the one who injured the archbishop of Paris. To ensure that the demonstrator was himself, I evoked Saint Louis, who responded affirmatively, as well as another Spirit in whom I have a lot of confidence, etc……………”

The moral consequences of this fact can be deduced by themselves. Here is a man who had abjured all belief and who, wounded by the law, finds himself confused with the rubbish of Society. This man, in the middle of the moral swamp, returned to faith. He sees the abyss into which he has fallen; he repents; he prays and, let's say, ah! He prays more fervently than many people who exhibit devotion. To do this, all he needed to do was read a book where he found elements of faith that his reason could admit, which revived his hopes and made him understand the future. Furthermore, what is noteworthy is that at first he read with caution and his disbelief was only overcome by the ascendancy of logic. If such results are produced by a simple reading, done, so to speak, in secret, what would it be if the influence of verbal exhortations could be added to it!

It is quite certain that, in the state of mind in which they find themselves today, these two men (see the fact reported in last November's issue), not only will they not engage in any reprehensible conduct during their detention, but they will enter the world with the resolution to live there honestly.

Considering that these two culprits were able to be led back to good by the faith they found in Spiritism, it is evident that if they had had this faith previously, they would not have committed evil. The Society is, therefore, interested in propagating a doctrine of such great moralizing power. This is what we begin to understand.

Another consequence to be drawn from the reported fact is that the Spirits are not detained by the locks, and that they go to the bottom of the prisons to take their consolations.

Therefore, it is not in anyone's power to prevent them from manifesting themselves in one way or another. If not through writing, it will be through listening. They face all prohibitions, they laugh at all interdictions, they cross all sanitary cordons. What barrier, then, can the enemies of Spiritism oppose?

In a certain location, there was a large desert. Wherever you looked, you saw nothing more than landscapes desolate with sand that attacked any living thing that tried to survive. Here and there, however, small groupings of elements could be seen: they were small villages, formed at the lowest points of the sand and stone mountains, where, somehow, it was possible to subsist.

These small villages maintained themselves at the expense of places where some underground water surfaced, or where water from scattered rains accumulated for some time. There was little water, a little muddy, and where men and animals drank water. Around this water, some vegetation grew and something was planted that was barely enough to feed everyone – men and animals.

This was the general situation of all these villages. With the little they knew, passed down between generations, they sought to maintain themselves and the muddy body of water. Life was hard and health was not good. They were all taught that only there would it be possible survive, because there was only sand and stones around, as well as other groups of similar situations.

Read too: Is it possible to practice mediumship at home??

Every now and then, one or another, tired of this situation, decided to leave the villages to look for something else. They did not conform to that life, but left aimlessly, without any knowledge of their surroundings. They never came back. Many died in the desert, without the possibility of surviving. Others ended up in other villages.

In one of these villages, there lived a boy, who was orphaned at an early age and, therefore, raised in common with other people. From a young age, taught about traditions linked to survival, he made an effort to help conserve the environment that allowed him to subsist, although he did not conform to that limited lifestyle. He was curious: he looked for ways to obtain more water, to grow more food... But everything was very limited and his efforts didn't go very far with the knowledge he had.

One day, walking around the edge of the village, a strong gust of wind, full of sand, brought with it something different: flower petals and some green leaves. He picked them up from the floor and analyzed them. They were different from anything else they had in that village and, on top of that, they were very vibrant and well developed. That aroused his curiosity. He quickly returned to his small hut, took a canteen of water and some food and left, without saying anything to anyone. He headed in the direction where the wind was coming from, not knowing what he would find.

The boy walked under the strong sun, always looking for signs of leaves and flowers, which he found here and there. Sometimes I almost lost hope when I found no signs of these elements anywhere. Without giving up, he expanded the width of his searches a little more, always trying to stay in the right direction. Soon, he would find a small leaf or petal that, although dehydrated, he recognized as being of the same type found previously.

Night came, and the boy settled down next to a rock, where he found some warmth to spend the night. He ate soberly and noticed that his canteen was already almost half full... The worry tormented him for some time, but he soon slept and, the next day, he resumed his walk. It went on like this for two more days…

For some time, in the middle of the third day, the boy walked in the known direction, but he no longer found signs of leaves or flowers. He walked further, broadened his search, but nothing. Desperation began to reach him, as his canteen now only contained muddy water and he was already very far from its origin. He knew that returning would be very difficult, if not impossible, as dehydration was already tormenting his body.

It was then that, falling to his knees in the middle of the sand, with tears in his dry eyes, anguished and without hope, a butterfly landed on his shoulder. Amazed, he stood up. He didn't know that insect with such beautiful flight. Something took over his being again and, with renewed enthusiasm, he decided to follow her. He walked a few hundred meters, and soon noticed other butterflies around. He noticed that the ground was beginning to change. Here and there, amidst the sand, which was beginning to become less soft, a kind of grass, somewhat dry, sprouted and resisted. He continued in that direction, and the landscape changed successively, until some thicker bushes began to appear and, further away, he seemed to see tall, dense vegetation... But the sun was beating him, dehydration made him dizzy and, consequently, Suddenly, a daze overcame him and he fell to the ground, believing that this would be his end.

Some time later, the boy woke up with his lips wet with fresh water. Confused, he noticed that he was leaning against a large tree, which provided cool shade. His eyes were blurry. He seemed to see some other people around him, but they were nothing more than blurred shadows. He rubbed his eyes, trying to see better, but to no avail. He felt someone approach and throw water on his face. He brought his hands back to his moistened eyes, wiped them and, little by little, he noticed his vision returning. That was when he managed to observe three people around him, carrying tools and some cloth bags. They smiled at him. One of them handed him a canteen, from which the boy drank greedily. The water was fresh, clear, like he had never drunk before, except when he managed to collect some rainwater.

He relished in that liquid and, in a few moments, he felt the energy returning to his body. He had strength and slowly got up. Those people approached and wanted to talk to him. Amazed, he noticed that they spoke his language, although with a different accent! They invited him to follow them, to which he promptly surrendered. They walked for some time in the middle of a beautiful forest. He noticed the perfume, the humidity that soothed his skin, the sounds of different animals and the wind rustling the leaves. He noticed, on the ground, flowers and leaves that he recognized. Nearby, he noticed a stream of clean, crystalline water running through the vegetation. What joy he felt at that moment!

They then arrived at the center of a village. Many people lived there, all of them healthy in appearance and with happy faces. There were also animals and, nearby, he saw lush and robust plantations, something completely different from the reality of his place of origin.

They then took him to a simple little house, where some people were gathered in happy conversation. They seemed to work collaboratively on food from the plantations. Those people quickly welcomed him. They gave him something to eat and drink, accommodated him as if he were one of their own, listened to his story and told him many things in return. There, the boy was taught that the water that rises to the surface comes from very deep, and that it finds an outlet there. That, to obtain more of this water, it would be necessary to dig a little more, cleaning the clay. That they could make wells, to obtain fresh and crystalline water and that, if the banks were taken care of, with the planting of certain plants and trees, little by little the body of water would gain volume and quality. They taught that food crops should come after these areas, so as not to facilitate evaporation. He quickly realized that it was exactly the opposite of what they were doing.

They also told the boy that these villages spread across the desert were originally formed by people from that place, a long, long time ago. They were people who, despite living and benefiting from the knowledge and production of that place, did little or nothing to learn and collaborate. Constantly invited to do necessary work, they decided to move away in a group and then decided to leave, with the intention of forming their own villages, where they believed they could do things better, and in another way. This happened many, many years ago and, since then, they have not seen them there anymore, although, from time to time, some brave individual would go out on a mission to look for them and help them: finding them, he would quickly be chased away by the ideas that I brought and had to return to that place.

The boy was very interested. I questioned, wanted to know more. He quickly understood that denied knowledge was the cause of the misery in which these villages or villages lived. He spent a few days there, but soon realized that he had to return, as he needed to share with his family everything he saw and learned. Once the decision was made, he left on his return trip, this time much more prepared, with plenty of food and water. He went without any major difficulties to his village of origin, where he embarked on a few days' journey.

Very happy and with renewed energy, the boy took to the sandy streets of the small village. His face expressed decision, although here and there he expressed some sadness at seeing his companions, sad and unhealthy, staring at him curiously. He tried, however, not to be too affected and, addressing the village chiefs, full of enthusiasm, he told them what had happened, asking for a meeting to be held that night, where he could explain to the others everything he had seen and learned. The village chiefs received his words with looks of astonishment and disbelief. In the end, they denied him the requested meeting, saying that it was all nonsense and that they were certain of the teachings of their ancestors, which they clung to with passion. Furthermore, they severely reprimanded him for leaving without warning, as he caused enormous concern among everyone in the village.

The boy couldn't believe it. Incredulous at that bitter reception, he took another path: he decided that he would try to gather some people himself and that, after that, if he was expelled for disrespect, he would have somewhere to go. So, he went out into the village streets. He found many life companions and, one by one, he briefly told his story and called them to a meeting in his hut. Many expressed a sparkle in their eyes, but said they did not feel strong enough to abandon their habits; others accused him of blaspheming the teachings of his tradition; Still others feared being expelled by the village chiefs for thinking differently.

When the time for the meeting arrived, he anxiously awaited the arrival of many... He waited, waited, but besides him, only two others showed up, childhood friends, shy and uncertain, but who realized the importance of what they heard, since they themselves thought that this situation and those teachings were not sufficient or correct. The boy was sad for a few moments, realizing that nothing would be easy. He saw the happiness of other people, who collaborated in an environment cared for by their own efforts. He saw the crystal clear water, while, on the table in his hut, there remained a jug of muddy water. He couldn't not try.

After a few moments, he made a different decision. He realized that that environment would not accept these truths until after a long time, and with the collaboration of people who understood the true and original ideas. He decided to invite those present to accompany him on the journey to that distant village. The two friends readily accepted the invitation. They wanted to learn more, they wanted to live better, and they understood that, to help those people, they would have to learn a lot more and become stronger.

So they left the next day. Already certain of his path, the boy made them travel more prepared and faster. They reached the edge of the forest in two days, without much difficulty. There, they soon found people who welcomed them and took them to the village, where they were all welcomed happily and integrated into the society there. In a short time, they learned a lot. They felt happy and content, as they did not live to subsist or to take care of themselves. There was genuine collaboration in the use and development of knowledge that allowed maintaining that great oasis, a true paradise in the middle of the desert. But this sense of collaboration told them, inside, that they couldn't have everything just for themselves, because, outside, their peers lived in complete misery and unhappiness.

So, after some time, these three formed an initiative, which was joined by other young people from that place: they should plan, from time to time, missions to these villages, seeking to win hearts through reason. Little by little, they mapped out several of them, where they went every year, trying to find ears willing to listen to them. In some of them, they found nothing but hostility, even being banned from one or the other. In others, they were accepted with caution, never finding anything more than coldness in their bosses, who nevertheless allowed them to speak. Of these, with certain rarity, they returned with a new companion, who often joined the same initiative.

And so they spent their years of life, seeking to do what they believed to be right, knowing that the distance between adulterated knowledge would one day be overcome and that, on that day, the forests would green up everywhere, progressively extinguishing the desert to give way to a new and healthy environment. One day…

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The great oasis is Spiritism, whose teaching the Spirits come to transmit to us, in a collaborative effort. Pure water is the knowledge resulting from this effort, constructed in a methodological and scientific way. The boy is everyone who perceives this distance between the spiritist movement and Spiritism. The villages are groups of spiritist followers where Kardec is not spoken of and where questioning is seen as subversive and readily restrained. The desert is the current situation in our world.