Dr. Sérgio Luis da Silva Lopes (photo), a renowned Psychiatric Doctor, lives in the Brazilian city of Pelotas, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with his wife Jeanini Almeida Lopes. They have three children and two grandchildren.
In this interview, he speaks about the several books he has published and the Spiritist Movement in Pelotas.
How did you become a Spiritist?
I was born into a Spiritist family in the city of Bagé, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. I grew up absorbing the main principles of Spiritism: first, in the evangelisation classes as a child and later in the youth movement, where I met my wife, who’s also a Spiritist. We dated, got married and are still together.
Tell us about your books and their contents.
Leis Morais e Saúde Mental (Moral Laws and Mental Health) is a study of the third part of The Spirits’ Bookand its links with current knowledge about mental health. This book has direct relation with my links with psychiatry and Spiritism.
O Código do Monte (The Code of the Mount) is a book that contains a psychological study of the Sermon of the Mount, as well as spiritual reflections applied issues of our times. It also contains an essay on the virtues of Christ through the teachings of his beatitude and his relations with power fields.
The Triune Brain, co-written with Irvênia Prada and Décio Iandoli Jr., is a study of the brain on its three mental levels. It is based on the revelations of the Spiritual Benefactor Calderaro, on the book No Mundo Maior (In The Greater World), dictated by the spirit, André Luiz and written by the medium, Chico Xavier. My contribution is linked to the relation between the moral laws and the three levels of our mind.
How relevant do you think is the dissemination of Spiritism through social media?
I think social media play an important role in the dissemination of Spiritism, but we have to be careful and make sure the material available is of good quality. After all, everything on social media happens very quickly and instantaneously and may become superficial, which contrasts with the profound nature of the Spiritist Teachings. I believe there is a lot of repetition of Spiritist material on social media and a great deal of undue simplification. That may end up discouraging people to look further. Many give up on in depth study and remain only on social media, where superficial explanations and the lack of thought and reflection predominate.
The city of Pelotas has one of the biggest proportions of Spiritists in Brazil? Do you know why?
That’s an interesting question. Pelotas has a rich cultural history. In the 19th Century, it had a strong local economy because of the production of beef jerky for export. The children of local farmers were sent to Europe to study and they spent a long time abroad. Some people from Pelotas were in Paris in 1857 when Allan Kardec published The Spirits’ Book. In the 1870s, Spiritism had already been brought to Pelotas and the first study groups were formed in the city. A book by the historian and fellow Spiritist, Marcelo Gil, has more information on that. The continuity achieved by the Spiritist Movement in Pelotas is a reflection of those early years.
As a Psychiatric Doctor, have you been the victim of prejudice for being also a Spiritist?
Yes, many times, but I never worried about that. When I finished my degree in Psychiatry, one of my lecturers advised me “not to mix the issues” and also to pursue a career somewhere else, as there were already too many professionals from that area working in Pelotas. I did exactly the opposite. Psyche means “soul” and iatry means “medical treatment, medicine”. So psychiatry is the “medicine of the soul” and I made a decision to practice the medicine of the soul “with the soul”. And I think I’m in the right direction.
What is your approach when you are dealing with non-Spiritist patients and you find out that they have a problem of a Spiritual nature?
In my experience, people have come to me precisely because I am a well-known Spiritist. Very few people are unaware of my Spiritist credentials. So those who seek my help are in fact willing to speak about the spiritual dimension of the problems they are facing. The patients actually feel a sense of relief when they realise that they can talk about spiritual matters and they often say: “I can finally speak to a professional about this matter without being seen as crazy or backwards”.
Would you like to share with us any of your future projects?
