Marcelo Saad (photo), a doctor specialised in acupuncture, was born and brought up in the Brazilian city of São Paulo. He is the current president of the Medical Spiritist Association of the State of São Paulo, known by its Portuguese acronym, AME-São Paulo, and coordinator of the Education Department of the Brazilian Medical Spiritist Association (AME-Brasil). In this interview he speaks about 50 years of the medical Spiritist ideal in Brazil as well as the congress that will mark this important anniversary.

How did you become a Spiritist?

I come from a traditional Roman Catholic family, but I never really followed the religion. Some 25 years ago I became interested in religion and studied various denominations. The one I identified the most with was Spiritism. At the time my boss at the medical school was Dr Danilo Masiero, who’d been born into a Spiritist family and always hinted at spiritual elements in his conversations. I got closer to him and he lent me some books and advised me on which Spiritist Centres I should join. All the rest came naturally.

Tell us about your links with AME, the Medical Spiritist Association?

I had already attended events organised by AME but had never approached the organisation. In 2000 I began showing interest in the relation between faith and health and published a few articles, which ended up getting me closer to members of AME. I was eventually “absorbed” into the organisation, invited to take more complex tasks and eventually occupied higher posts in this movement.

The Medical Spiritist ideal is celebrating its 50^th anniversary…

Five decades ago, on March 30^th, 1968, a group of doctors founded the Medical Spiritist Association of São Paulo (AME-SP). That has inspired the creation of other AMEs in other Brazilian states. In 1995, AME-Brasil was created. That ideal eventually reached other countries and in 1999 AME-International was created. It has organised events and encouraged the creation of similar organisations in many countries across the Americas and Europe.

And will that culminate in a Congress? Tell us about the event.

AME-São Paulo has hosted a big event every two years since 1996, gathering people interested in issues concerning health and spirituality. In 2018, the event will have a special aura, as AME-SP will be celebrating its 50^thanniversary. The theme chosen by the Congress – “The Fifty Years of the Medical Spiritist Ideal – will invite us into a reflection on the progress achieved so far, encouraging us to look into ways of combining our clinical and spiritual knowledge to come up with new practices.

When and where will it take place?

It will be on August 18^th and 19^th, 2018, at the IAMSPE conference room in São Paulo. The address is: Av. Ibirapuera, 1,215.

Founded in 1995, how is AME-Brasil doing now?

AME-Brasil was founded in 1995 with the goal of hosting similar organisations. At the time there were 9 AMEs (medical Spiritist associations). But it was never a federative system, in which the regional bodies were subordinated to AME-Brasil. There are now 66 AMEs across Brazil and eight abroad, in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, France, Guatemala, Portugal, Switzerland and United States.

Can anyone take part in the Congress?

Yes. Those taking part don’t need to be doctors or Spiritists. Our public includes people interested in the interface between Spiritist information and health practices. Anyone, from any professional background or religious affiliations, and students too, are welcome. You can register on the following website: AME SP. Updates on the Congress are being posted on Facebook: EVENTS.

Have you already chosen the programme?

Yes, the speakers have been chosen and among the themes being discussed during the event are: Triune Brain at the service of the Spirit; A New Medicine for a new Millennium; Homeopathy and Spiritism; Mental Illness and Spiritual Obsession; What Spiritist Centres Need to Know about Depression; Valuing Life Since Conception; Relations between Human Beings and Animals; and Pineal Gland: The Biological side and the Spiritual Side.

What memories from your work in the medical Spiritist ideal you would like to share with our readers?

AME-SP was founded by a small group of doctors who, at the time, couldn’t foresee how far their ideal would reach. The message that this successful initiative gives us is one of motivation and hope for all of those who believe in the possibility of fully integrating science, philosophy and religion.  

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Science is in constant progress. As new facts are discovered, some concepts may be reviewed and, if necessary, modified or replaced. In Medicine we also review and replace basic principles and concepts. Some researchers in Brazil and across the world say now that it’s necessary to establish a new scientific paradigm that consider non-material elements from conscience. Methodologically-sound studies have registered several disturbing phenomena that seem to contradict the common sense of reality. We hope that the medical Spiritist ideal take part in this process of evolution towards a more humane and holistic form of Medicine.