The Revue Spirite of 1863

Part 9

We continue in this issue the study of the Revue Spirite corresponding to the year of 1863. The condensed text of the mentioned volume will hereby be presented in sixteen parts, based on the translation of Julio Abreu Filho and published by EDICEL.

Issues for discussion 

A. Is a Tapping Spirit the same as a Tiptor Spirit?

B. Is self-analysis important in the evolutionary process of the human being?

C. What distinguishes Spiritism from other philosophical doctrines?

Text for reading

82. The "Spiritism Budget or Exploitation of Human Credulity" is the title of a brochure published in Algiers, in which the author presents fanciful numbers to say that Allan Kardec pocketed an annual income of 38 million francs. Here are some examples of the absurd: the Spiritist Society of Paris, which never had 100 members, would have 3,000 associates, and the Revue Spiritewould have 30,000 subscribers. This caused laughter among the Spiritists and, in others, the wish to meet the nabob who became rich with Spiritism. (Pages 173 to 180)

83. Mr Sabo of Bordeaux stated that two fables of mediumship origin were awarded in the annual competition organized by the Toulouse Floral Academy, in which 68 competitors were registered. One – with the title "The Lion and the Raven" - won the first prize; the other received an honorable mention. The disincarnated author was the family Spirit of Mr. T. Jaubert, vice president of the Civil Court of Carcassone, who evidently did not inform the jury on the mediumistic origin of his two works. The fables were written by means of the alphabet language of the blows. (Pages 180 to 183)

84. In another letter, Mr. Sabo mentions a mediumistic experience he performed, and Mr. Jaubert was the medium. At the request of the medium, Mr. Sabo made the mental evocation of a Spirit and his deceased wife appeared, dead at the age of 22, named Felicia, whom Jaubert had not known. Commenting on the fact, Kardec made a single comment regarding the title tapping given to the Spirit who worked with Mr. Jaubert. The word tapper is more appropriate when referring to one of the classes contained in the Spiritist Scale, in the category of "imperfect Spirits". Since the purpose of the family Spirit of Mr. Jaubert's is serious, Kardec prefers to call him the Tiptor Spirit, a term referring to typological language. (Pages 185 to 188)

85. In the Spiritist dissertations section, the Revue publishes three messages of mediumistic origin. In the first one, La Fontaine says that what sometimes prevents us from correcting a fault is certainly not realizing that we have it. He then proposes self-analysis, self-knowledge, to succeed in this field. The second, without identification of authorship and received in Vienna, highlights the value of friendship and says that prayer raises the Spirit of man to God, taking him to a state of peace that the world cannot offer. The third, signed only by a Philosopher of the other world, says that Spiritism is the work of God and therefore has secured a bright future, when, thanks to its good influence, there will be on Earth the harmony and brotherhood which it proclaims. (Pages 191 to 194)

86. An interesting article on sleepwalking opens the July issue, and in it the Encoder reproduces a letter from a distinguished physician from Tarn, who states that certain phenomena linked to sleepwalking clearly prove the existence of the soul and its action at a distance, independent of the physical body. Kardec also comments on the subject. (Pages 197 to 200)

87. The Revue copies two requests for admission formulated to the president of the Spiritist Society of Paris to show the level of conscience and character of those who join the Spiritist ideas through reading and study. The authors of both letters tell of the influence in their lives by just reading The Book of Spirits.Commenting on the subject, Kardec says that the Spiritist Society of Paris only welcomes serious people and that no medium there receives any retribution. Regarding the honorary and corresponding members, no financial charge is imposed on them, since only the members and associates contribute to the expenses of the Company. (Pages 200 to 204)

88. The last one invented to try to ridicule Spiritism came from the Robin Hall, on the Boulevard du Temple, where ethereal phantom and ghosts appear imitating Spiritist apparitions. The Independence Belgenewspaper, speaking of this new scenic trick, exclaimed: "Here is Mr. Allan Kardec's religion going down. How is Spiritism going to deal with this? "Kardec says that there must be the finger of the Spirits in this movement, because these resources combined with the virulence of the sermons, end up producing an opposite effect to what the detractors of Spiritism desire. (Pages 204 to 206)

89. A Bordeaux correspondent, mentioning the fact that it occurred to his sister in the small town of B ..., where it was difficult to find someone to talk about Spiritism, shows the effect that four sermons given by the Carmelite brothers had on the population of the city. The result of the attacks - in calling the mediums, demon-possessed entities, who only act out of interest - was that throughout the city only Spiritism was spoken of in the following days and everyone wanted to know more, a fact that made new followers where there was hardly any. (Pages 207 and 208)

90. In Constantinople, according to a letter sent to the Revue by the lawyer Repos Filho, president of the local Spiritist Society, Spiritist books, as soon as they reach the booksellers, are immediately sold. (Page 209)

91. According to Mr. Repos Filho, a painting designed by his friend and confrere Paul Lombardo was admitted to the Ottoman National Exhibition with this inscription: "Mediumistic drawing, executed by Mr. Paul Lombardo of Constantinople, who is unaware of the arts of drawing and painting". Commenting on both the news, Kardec says that Spiritism has a character that distinguishes it from all philosophical doctrines: that of not having a single focus, of not depending on the life of any man. If they harm Spiritism here, it comes up there. This is its strength. (Pages 209 to 211) (Continues on next issue)

Answers to the proposed issues

A. Is a Tapping Spirit the same as a Tiptor Spirit?

No. Mr. Sabo made the mental evocation of a Spirit, and his late wife appeared, and whom the medium had not known. His communication was by taps (blows). Commenting on the fact, Kardec made a reference to the tapping title given to the communicating Spirit, stating that the word tapping is more appropriate when referring to one of the classes in the Spiritist scale in the category of "Imperfect spirits." As the purpose of the Spirit who communicated there was serious, Kardec prefers to call it a Tiptor Spirit - a term that refers to typological language. (Revue Spirite, 1863, pages 185 to 188).

B. Is self-analysis important in the evolutionary process of the human being?

Yes. According to La Fontaine's Spirit, what sometimes prevents us from correcting a defect is certainly not realizing that we have it. He then proposes self-analysis, self-knowledge, to succeed in this field. (Ibid, pages 191 to 194).

C. What distinguishes Spiritism from other philosophical doctrines?

What distinguishes Spiritism from all philosophical doctrines is that it does not have a single focus, and it does not depend on the life of any man. If they harm Spiritism here, it comes up there. This is its strength. (Ibid, pages 209 to 211).

Translation:

Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br