In this issue, we continue the study of the Revue Spirite of 1859, a monthly newspaper focused on the divulgation of Spiritism, founded and directed by Allan Kardec. This study is based on the translation into the Portuguese language made by Julio Abreu Filho and published by EDICEL. The answers to the questions are at the end of the text for reading.

Questions for discussion 

A. Is prayer useful to the dead?

B. In violent deaths does the body separate from the perispirit faster?

C. What is the basis of the metempsychosis taught by the Hindus?

D. What warning was given to the youth by the Spirit of Privat?

Text for reading 

193. Pauline Roland writes about those who have convulsions and about the healing obtained at Saint-Medard, attributed erroneously to the Spirit of Father François Paris, until the authorities closed the cemetery in January, 1732. Evoked, Father Paris explains that he had nothing to do with the healing and the phenomena ceased because God wanted them to end, since they had degenerated into abuse and scandal. The means was the authority’s order. (P. 348)

194. In response to the critic Oscar Comettant, Kardec says that Spirits have a body, an invisible wrap, and it is through this semi-material intermediary that they act on matter. (P. 352)

195. Kardec says that if belief in God were rooted in the hearts of all, they should fear nothing from one another. That is why a certain priest said about the Spiritist Doctrine: "Spiritism leads to belief in something. Now, I prefer those who believe in something to those who believe in nothing, for they do not even believe in the necessity of good". (P. 355)

196. Spiritism, Kardec asserts, is the destruction of materialism. It is the clear and irrefutable proof of what certain people call futilities, namely, God, the soul, the future life happy or unhappy. (Pages 355 and 356)

197. One of the subscribers to the Revue, claiming to be a Protestant, says that in his Church he never prays for the dead, because the Gospel does not teach him to do so. Kardec answers by saying that prayer is useful and pleases everyone for whom it is said, and, by the way, quotes Rev. Felix. (Pages 357 and 358)

198. "If the dead do not have the clear knowledge of the prayers that we say for them, they certainly feel their beneficial effects," says Rev. Felix. (P. 359)

199. Kardec agrees and adds that prayer may even shorten the sufferings. The real prayer urges the Spirit to repentance and develops the good feelings, encouraging it to do well and to become useful, and by doing this it can leave the mire in which it is. (P. 360)

200. A Revue subscriber reports a curious fact of apparition in which the Spirit ignored its own disembodiment for over three months. "I cannot lift anything," said the Spirit. "After sleeping during my illness, I was changed: I do not know where I am anymore, I feel as if I am in the middle of a nightmare." (P. 363)

201. Kardec clarifies that the separation between the body and the perispirit takes place gradually, not abruptly. In violent deaths and in cases where the individual lived more a material life than a moral life, separation is slower because the attachment to matter holds the soul. (Pages 364 and 365)

202. Mr. Tug, in a note to the Spiritist Society of Paris, mentions the belief of the Hindus, who think that souls were created happy and perfect and then rebelled, and that the broken souls were compelled to reincarnate in bodies of animals. (Pages 367 and 368)

203. The metempsychosis of the Hindus is founded on the principle of the degradation of souls. The reincarnation taught by Spirits is founded on the principle of continuous progression. For the Hindus, the soul began by perfection to then reach abjection. For Spiritism, the opposite is true. (P. 368)

204. Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer reports in Second Journey around the World an interesting event in Java at the residence of Cheribon where the Spirits appeared and at night rained stones from all sides without injuring any of the residents. The authorities did everything to discover the cause of the phenomena, which nevertheless continued until the governor had the house demolished. (Pages 368 and 369)

205. Evoked by Kardec, Ida Pfeiffer claims to have been brought there, suddenly, without realizing it, thanks to an irresistible dragging. (See on the subject the cases of Dirkse Lammers and Michel François). (Pages 369, 370 and 382)

206. Speaking of the facts of Java, Pfeiffer says that the stones were carried by the Spirits, and their purpose was to attract attention and to make a fact happen and cause an explanation to be sought. (P. 371)

207 Evoked about 19 days after his death, Privat d'Anglemont, a well-known man of letters, was not yet clearly aware of his current situation and could not see things clearly as when he was alive. (P. 373)

208. A week later, he was better and said that every man has his mission on Earth. "Unfortunate is the one who does not perform it with faith”! – added the Spirit. (P. 377)

209. Three weeks later, Privat warned the youth. Young men need to read serious works, he said, and reminded them that those who only thought of pleasure in the beginning of their lives, were preparing terrible guilt in the future, because then they would realize that the time spent could never be recovered. (P. 379)

210. Speaking of himself, the Spirit says that its occupations are almost nil due to the life he led on Earth. "What seemed to me a pleasure in your world," he said, "is now a punishment for me." (P. 380)

211. The Spirit of Vincent de Paul, after saying that love is the law of attraction for living and organized beings, teaches that the Spirit, whatever its degree of advancement and its situation is in a reincarnation, or in Erraticity, is always placed between a superior, who guides and improves it, and an inferior, before whom it has the same duties. (P. 384)

212. The Spirit of Julius Caesar tells that he had to atone for his faults in various miserable and obscure existences and, the last time he lived on earth, he was Louis IX. (P. 385)

213. The Spirit of St. Basil says that he who intends to raise an obstacle to the march of truth will inevitably be dragged by it, like a child before a swift and rapid stream. (P. 386)

214. The Spirit of St. Luke recounts the parable of the three blind men and the gold coin, comparing society to the blind and Spiritism to gold. (P. 387)

Answers to the questions 

A. Is prayer useful to the dead?

Yes. One of the subscribers to the Revue, a Protestant, who told Kardec that in his Church he never prayed for the dead, because the Gospel does not teach this, Kardec replied that a prayer is useful and pleasing to everyone for whose intention it is said; and he mentioned the Rev. Fr. Felix, who said: "If the dead do not have a clear knowledge of the prayers that we make for them, they certainly feel their salutary effects" (Revue Spirite, Pages 357 to 360).

B. In violent deaths does the body separate from the perispirit faster?

No. Kardec says that the separation between the body and the perispirit is operated gradually, not abruptly, and in violent deaths and in cases where the individual lived more a material life than a moral life, separation is slower still, because the attachment to matter retains the soul. (Ibid, Pages 364 and 365).

C. What is the basis of the metempsychosis taught by the Hindus?

The Hindus think that the souls were created happy and perfect and then they rebelled, being the broken souls forced to reincarnate in animal bodies. Their metempsychosis is therefore founded on the principle of the degradation of souls, while the reincarnation taught by Spirits is founded on the principle of continuous progression. For the Hindus, the soul began by being perfect to reach abjection. For Spiritism, the opposite is true. (Ibid, Pages 367 and 368).

D. What warning was given to the youth by the Spirit of Privat?

This Spirit, after encountering the reality of the postmortem life, stated that young men need serious readings, remembering that the one, who in the spring of life only thought of pleasure, prepares for later terrible remorse, since he will see that the lost time will never be recovered. (Ibid, P. 379).