The Revue
Spirite of
1860
Parte
2
We continue in this issue the study of the Revue Spirite
of 1860, 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. What is the most pleasing prayer to God?
B. Does religion gain anything by joining Science?
C. Can Spirits see themselves in a mirror?
D. How to understand the causes of madness?
Text for reading
29. Cupidity has always been and always will be a reason
of withdrawal of the good Spirits and a reason to
attract other Spirits.
(P. 47)
30. Speaking of assisting Spirits that obsess, St. Louis
says that prayer for them is valuable, but the formulas
of exorcism amuse them. St. Louis, however, added: "...
Notice that I said pray and not have someone pray
instead”.
(P. 53)
31. Charles Dupont, the Spirit of Castelnaudary, who had
come from a violent and savage tribe, appeared in the
Society with a terrifying aspect: he wore a
blood-covered shirt and had a dagger in his hand.
(P. 54)
32. Having killed his brother in 1608, he was imprisoned
in his own house for 200 years, the place where the
barbarous crime occurred, without being able to direct
his thoughts to anything other than the crime scene,
always before his eyes.
(Pages 56 and 57)
33. In the world of the Spirits, says Kardec, if there
is joy for all virtues, there are punishments for all
faults.
(P. 58)
34. The Spirit of Chateaubriand calls us to work for our
personal improvement and for our own future; if we
succeed, we will enjoy in our very existence happiness
so difficult to imagine as difficult for us to describe.
(P. 65)
35. The Revue copies the message of the Spirit of
a woman to her materialistic father, pleading with him
to bow down to the justice of God and be resigned.
Quoting the Christ, who said: "He who uses the sword, by
the sword will die", the daughter said: "Such a thought,
absolutely Spiritist, encloses the mystery of your
suffering".
(P. 66)
36. The most pleasing prayer to God - says a family
Spirit - is useful work, whatever it may be. "Do not be
content to ask God to help you: help yourselves, for you
will prove the sincerity of your prayer".
(P. 67)
37. Mr. Mackenzie, of London, a member of the Royal
Society of Antiquarians, writes to the Society saying
that he uses a crystal or metallic ball with the
assistance of a special seer as a means of obtaining
Spiritist communications. The medium reads in this kind
of mirror the Spirits’ answers.
Kardec proposes to call them psychic mirrors.
(Pages 69 and 72)
38. An article published in the "Siècle" on January 22,
1860, says that the dancing tables were already
celebrated in Rome in the first centuries of the
Christian era, as Tertullian mentions in Chapter
XXIII of the "Apologetics".
(P. 69)
39. Kardec says that the Society receives the
communications of the Spirits as an expression of an
individual opinion and reserves the right to judge them
by subjecting them to the control of logic and reason.
(P. 73)
40. Analyzing the question of the settlement of the
Earth from the standpoint of the Bible, Kardec says that
religion will always be strong when marching according
to Science, because it will be linked to the enlightened
part of the population.
(P. 77)
41. Revue highlights the psychic Desiree Godu,
who spent eight years going through all phases of
mediumship, until she reached the gift of healing.
(P. 78)
42. The Spirit indicates to her the remedies that she
herself prepares and applies, caring for the wounded
with the dedication of a sister of charity. On Thursdays
and Sundays, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., her house is
full of sick people, and remarkable people have attested
her cures.
(Pages 79 and 80)
43. Wishing that the psychic does not become conceited
by such praise, Kardec recalls that pride is the choice
of a great number of mediums, and many have demoralized
themselves by listening to this tempting demon.
(P. 80)
44. Revue recounts the events in Mr. Goubert's
bakery in Dieppe, where various objects - pieces of
charcoal, a pipe, a candle, and so on - leave their
place to be thrown into the mixing bowl. (P. 82)
45. Dr. Vignal, as was the case with Count R., was
summoned by Kardec on February 3, 1860, and reported
that his Spirit communicated with the body, asleep in
Sully, through the fluidic cord.
(P. 86)
46. The doctor says that, detached from his body, he
could see objects that in the dark he did not see when
awake.
Conclusion: for the Spirits darkness does not exist. (P.
86)
47. Kardec asked if he could see himself in a mirror.
The answer was, "No," because the mirror reflects only
material objects.
(P. 87)
48. Dr. Vignal confirmed that the body could not die
without his suspicion.
Before the coup, his soul would be ready. (P. 87)
49. Commenting on Dr. Vignal's information, Kardec says
that the Spirit of a sleeping person knows perfectly
well what is going on around it: anyone who wishes to
take advantage of his sleep to do any harm would be seen
by it.
(P. 88)
50. Dr. Vignal has confirmed that as a Spirit, he hears
perfectly well and perceives odors; and if the body were
hungry, he would leave to satisfy an irresistible need.
(Pages 88 and 89)
51. The Entity explained that when he returns to the
body, he does not enter it as if it entered in a room.
Irradiating incessantly outward, it can be said that the
Spirit is more often outside than within.
(P. 89)
52. Dr. Vignal said that the causes of madness are only
an alteration, a perversion of the organs, which no
longer receive the impressions in a regular manner,
transmitting false sensations and thereby generating
acts diametrically opposed to the will of the Spirit.
(P. 90)
53. Dr. Cauviere, of Marseilles, who died a year and a
half ago, communicates spontaneously and his signature
is considered authentic. (P. 91)
(Continued on next issue).
Answers to the questions
A. What is the most pleasing prayer to God?
The prayer that pleases the Creator most is useful work,
whatever it may be. "Do not settle to ask God to help
you: help yourselves, because by doing this you will
prove the sincerity of your prayer", says a spiritual
protector (Revue Spirite, 1860, page 67).
B. Does religion gain anything by joining Science?
Yes. As per Kardec, religion will always be strong when
marching according to Science, because it will be linked
to the enlightened part of the population. (Ibid, page
77)
C. Can Spirits see themselves in a mirror?
No, because the mirror only reflects material objects.
This was part of the information given in the Society by
Dr. Vignal, who was a physician. (Ibid, page 87)
D. How to understand the causes of madness?
According to Dr. Vignal, the causes of madness are only
a change, a malfunction of the organs, which no longer
receive the impressions in a regular manner,
transmitting false sensations and thereby generating
acts diametrically opposed to the will of the Spirit.
(Ibid, page 90)
Translation:
Eleni Frangatos -
eleni.moreira@uol.com.br
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