On September 16, 2017, we received the news of the death of our beloved journalist and TV presenter, Marcelo Rezende. We were already expecting this ending for he had a very aggressive metastatic pancreatic cancer, therefore, with no hope of cure but to prolong his life for some time, a short time. Although we were all aware of his situation since Marcelo was so well known, respected and admired, we were all shocked and felt deep sorrow to see this 66 year old man, young at heart, who loved life intensely, weaken more and more each day.

Reliable and respected oncologists advised him to begin chemotherapy. After the first session, Marcelo – due to the chemo effects -   refused to continue.

Marcelo was a man of rich life experience, intelligent, and very well informed. He was aware that he was going to die soon and that there was no hope of cure unless a “miracle” occurred. Chemo would only give him a few years’ survival. But since hope is the last to die, and Marcelo loved life, he chose to try a Spiritual treatment and a different diet – the ketogenic diet ⁽¹⁾, defended by the medical nutritionist, Dr. Lair Ribeiro here in Brazil.

With the death of Marcelo a controversy was generated around this subject. On the one hand, renowned oncologists claiming that the withdrawal of certain foods accelerated his death. On the other side, is Dr. Lair - with his courses abroad and his experience as a nutritionist.

(I make a parenthesis, to clarify that oncologists have years and years of study, they are updated with the most current techniques in the treatment of cancer, attending national and international cancer congresses, where they discuss the most modern resources related to all types of cancer and respective treatments, each one in its specialty; and in addition, they have at their disposal nutritionists, specialists in cancer-oriented food, with international courses too, updated with specific researches all over the world. And these doctors attend their patients during the day and go home and sacrifice their rest to study related matters.

Also, it is not true that oncologists diagnose and prescribe the most expensive medicines in the interests of large laboratories. There are oncologists, nutritionists and physicians in general, who are reliable, honest and ethic; and there are oncologists, nutritionists and physicians in general, who are not – as in all areas. Taking the part for the whole is a gross error and can only come from a prejudiced judgment).

Well, after the long parenthesis, let's continue.

Marcelo thus exercised his free will, inherent in every human being, and made the decision to follow the ketogenic diet, also opting for spiritual treatment. He decided this already in the terminal stage of his illness. That is, in one way or another, the truth is that Marcelo Rezende had practically a zero percentage of recovery, of cure, whatever he did. It was an additional time, so that - within the Spiritist concept – he could prepare himself for the passage. And I do believe that's what he did.

Let us now speak of the spiritual treatment. The Spiritual treatment is done through Spiritist Mediums, duly prepared for this with years and years of study, and who receive the patients in responsible and reliable Spiritist Centers, known for their work of assistance and relief to sufferers. The Spiritist Doctrine defends that the diseases are caused because we do not care properly of our spiritual part and this, along the years, has cumulative effects in the body.

The healing medium works with a support team that is kept in prayer while the work is carried out with the intervention of the spiritual medical team, who is present in that particular Spiritist Center.

The number of Spiritist physicians increases daily and this has led some hospitals to accept and authorize the entrance of properly accredited mediums to work hand in hand with traditional medicine.

In the city of Sao Paulo, for more than twenty years, there is the Medical Spiritist Association of Brazil, with representation in several states. It was founded by Dr. Marlene Nobre, renowned physician, lecturer, and writer.

I recommend reading her article Medicine and Spirituality - discussed in London at the British Congress on Medicine and Spirituality.

I, myself, can talk about the dichotomy that patients with a serious illness go through, when it comes to choosing what kind of treatment to do - the pressure of the family and friends, according to their own concepts and beliefs. It's not easy.

I had cancer, and underwent chemotherapy. I was cured five years ago. I ask your permission to mention the names of two top physicians, whom I thank for their excellent work, dedication and support: Dr. Alexander Morrell, a surgeon, who specializes in the gastric area, and considered by his colleagues the best in his area; and Dr. Rene Claudio Gansl, reliable Oncologist and Master in Hematology; both these physicians are from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in Brazil, and the latter is also a founding partner of the Centro Paulista de Oncologia (CPO) in Sao Paulo.

We always think that what we choose is the best choice. This theory does not always apply, but I believe I did the best for myself: chemotherapy and spiritual support.

I work as a healing medium, although prudently and wisely I always explain that the word "healing" can induce to those who seek us the idea that spiritual treatment always heals. It is not so, and therefore, there is every care in explaining to the people who seek the Spiritist Centers the necessary conditions for a cure to occur and this involves a great change of habits and behavior, the so-called inner reform, which only the patient can do. There may even be a momentary cure, but if the patient persists, keeps on the same mistakes, the illness - the same or another one - will come back and even stronger, because now, as the patient is already informed, there is an additional guilt, due to unfulfilled duty towards himself.

Sometimes I am called to go to an ICU to work with fluid therapy, ministering the so-called spiritual/magnetic pass. The laying on of hands exists since man is man. (See the article "Laying on of hands, fluid therapy, and general considerations" published in O CONSOLADOR, issue no.476, of my own.)

Some physicians claim that this is a placebo effect. But there is research done in which the patient receives the energy donation in the spiritual pass and is not even aware that this is occurring, even at a distance, and shows marked improvements and proven by traditional doctors.

There are already numerous published studies that prove that prayer and magnetization harmonize the environment that acts beneficially on the patient - it is effective and real.

I would now like to emphasize something very important and which is unknown to most doctors who do not believe in the beneficial influence of the laying on of hands. Our official studies last for approximately seven years, but our improvement through readings, attending Spiritists congresses, lectures and so on – in the same way as physicians do – goes on for the rest of our lives in constant learning and practice.

Main rules to be followed by the healing medium.

There are four main issues:

1. The healer must never, under any circumstances, induce the patient to stop using traditional medical treatment or to prescribe or withdraw any medicine prescribed by the physician in charge. The Penal Code provides penalties for this type of procedure.

2. The healing medium needs to make it clear that he is only an intermediary used by spirituality and that healing depends on the patient's recognition of the situation that led to this moment of illness, without blame. The patient is directed to make his inner reform, to change his bad habits and to try to get rid of his hates, grudges, slander, vengeance, etc. – a poison for his system - and to live a more harmonious and peaceful life, thus allowing him a more edifying way of living, doing good to himself and to others, since this new conduct will help his body to regenerate itself through a harmonization of feelings, of love for oneself and for one's neighbor - what was taught by Jesus.

3. The third point: the medium maintains total and absolute secrecy of everything that refers to his spiritual patient.

4. The other very important point: the healing medium and all other mediums in their respective specialties work ethically and for FREE. They can never receive any payment for their work, not even in the form of any other benefit. If they do, you can be sure that they are not a Spiritist healing medium.

I conclude by emphasizing that anyone with a serious illness needs to seek a physician specialized in that specific area, yes, and follow his guidance. According to your belief and faith, you can and should, yes, seek spiritual support for such a difficult time as this. One will complement the other, no doubt.

And please do not cultivate the habit of going after medicines, herbal teas, infusions, and teas, reported by social networks saying they are advised to cure this or that disease, or were discovered by oncologists from the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital or the Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. If the reader knows someone who is doing so, kindly enlighten him, and ask the person to call the hospital and call the physician in question, who never exists. Anyone who does this may be greatly harming their treatment, such as chemotherapy for instance, and if you stop using traditional medical treatment, you are putting your own life at risk.

The renowned Professor-Doctor Nubor Orlando Facure of the Brain Institute says: "Every disease of any nature always has a spiritual motivation".

Alan Kardec, a French intellectual, teacher, profound and honest scholar in his process of analysis and criticism of the Spiritist phenomena, the Spiritist Doctrine, clarifies in the Spiritist Magazine of 1866: "Being the material and spiritual body from the same source, the so-called universal cosmic fluid, interventions in the sphere of the perispirit result in damage or health benefits of the material body".

(1) The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Because tumor cells are inefficient in processing ketone bodies for energy, the ketogenic diet has also been suggested as a treatment for cancer. (Wikipedia)