Danielle Aparecida Queiroz Antunes (photo) was born in Capão Bonito and lives in Bauru, both in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. She is a Social Worker at a local health centre. She works as a volunteer at the Vicente de Paulo Spiritist Centre, where she coordinates study groups and the youth group. She is a dedicated researcher of the work of Allan Kardec, as she explains in the following interview.

Where did your interest for studying the work of Kardec come from?

I became a Spiritist at the age of 10, when I began attending youth study groups and public lectures. The first Spiritist book I read was The Gospel According to Spiritism and next, The Spirits’ Book.

What aspect of his work has drawn your attention you the most?

I like in particular the rationality and objectivity of Kardec’s works, which are all interlinked and have helped me reflect on life and mainly to strengthen me along the way. 

After so many years of research, how much do you think we really know about Spiritism?

I believe we have a great deal to learn from the basic works of Allan Kardec. We think we already know them and that we need new information, but we haven’t been able as yet to put into practice what Jesus, Allan Kardec and the Spiritual Benefactors have already given to us. We often distort the Teachings according to our needs and interests. We choose to remain where we are, but to achieve real wisdom we need really to change.

What is your assessment of the Spiritist Movement?

The Spiritist Movement often allows the circulation of books that should not be considered Spiritist, for their content, and it often fails to emphasize the importance of studying continuously the works of Allan Kardec. There have always been Spiritual manifestations and messages, but that does not mean that books written by mediums follow the principles of Spiritism. Kardec always emphasized the importance of observation of rationality, but we still make mistakes driven by our pride and selfishness, by the lack of effort employed in getting to really know Spiritism. We often mix other sciences, like Psychology or Physics, to Spiritism studies, but fail to link the lessons of Jesus to the problems of our times and forget to work on the moral lessons that He left us and that Kardec developed so well.

How can we motivate Spiritism to delve into those treasures of clear thinking and wisdom?

Through continuous studying we eventually unveil new approaches to look at things and people around us. In Brazil, few people have the habit of reading. Many say that the works of Kardec are difficult to understand, but they forget that he was an educator and structured the Teachings in a logical manner. We just need eyes to see it. Study groups help all who are involved, as we all learn from the interpretation and views of those next to us. We need to study and disseminate the Teachings.

We celebrate this year 160 years since the publication of the first issue of the Spiritist Review? What do you like the most about Kardec’s monthly publication?

What strikes me the most is the lab that Kardec used to enable us to see, to review, to assess and to interpret. Kardec stresses that the Review is complimentary work to the Teachings and that to really understand Spiritism we must read and study all works of the Codifications. We must value the legacy Kardec left us, having worked on it with so much dedication. I must stress, however, that the Spiritist Review is rarely read or studied by Spiritists.

What method do you use for your research? Do you focus on themes, on current affairs or on your personal preferences?

I focus on the works of the Codificiation by Kardec and I am fully aware that we have a long away to go in order to understand and put into practice the Teachings. I try, then, to reread constantly the books and go over again the paragraphs or items I highlight, adding comments during my courses and study groups, trying to make them relevant to our times. If you don’t have that aspect, the main goal of the study is lost. Knowledge needs to have a practical application, and not to remain simply as an ornament or an object for snobbery. That is particularly important when dealing with young people. We must make them reflect and make sure the principles of Spiritism will help them make the best choices in their lives.

What would you like to highlight from your experience as a researcher of Spirtism?