Ana Tereza Camasmie (photo) was born into a Spiritist family in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where she lives. She has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy and a PhD in Psychology and has worked for 30 years as a psychotherapist, lecturer and coordinator in family constellation groups. She is one of the founders of the Tarefeiros do Bem Spiritist Centre in the Botafogo area of Rio, where she coordinates a number of activities.
Why did you become interested in the study of family issues?
First and foremost, that is in the core of my professional activities, which consist of helping people look into their relationships in order to find healthier ways of living. Secondly, because of the family changes this existence has brought into my life. And last, but not least, for knowing that there is so much interest in this issue. The more I discuss family issues, the more I get invited to talk about it in Spiritist Centres! I think that speaking about our family is like speaking about the essence of our heart. And as Saint Augustin reminded us in The Gospel According to Spiritism, chapter XIX, item 9: “of all the challenges we face, the harshest are those that affect our heart”.
From a historic perspective and in the light of psychology, is the family mentality maturing? If so, why so many conflicts?
In the chapter 29 of Constelação Familiar (Family Constellation), written by the Spirit Joanna de Ângelis through the medium, Divaldo Franco, the author explains the history of the family. She said that its initial goal was to protect its members from the harshness of nature. Later, in Ancient Greece, the main goal became to keep the family line. Its aims and the roles played by man and woman have changed along the years. We may now need to redefine the family’s goals, to adapt them to the needs of our times. But I would like to say that families will never disappear, as we are building a universal family through the construction of smaller family units. This is all part of a long process.
How can the knowledge of Spiritism help in that process?
The knowledge is an important tool in the process of transformation. When we move away from the state of ignorance, we get access to a wider freedom of action. Narrow vision, narrow actions. When you open up to a new way of seeing life, you begin seeing new possibilities to deal with the situation. And anyone who comes in contact with Spiritism changes their way of seeing the world.
Is reincarnation also a therapeutic psychological process?
Reincarnation is a great healing, therapeutic process. Everything that happens to us is for a reason, for our development. Even the misfortunes that we don’t understand, or the endless joys that come to us all the time. To see life like that demands a huge effort from us, because we are still immature souls. All we want is a life where everything happens as it should, without any turbulence. But if that was the case and taking into account the level of spiritual development we are at, we would end up in total accommodation and inertia. We still need a lot of pushing forward, many challenges and issues so we can look out for new resources and new tools to deal with them and eventually grow and progress.
What would you like to share form your professional experience to help our readers in their family lives?
The most important aspect we need to bear in mind concerning families is that we need to keep and look after our own place in the groups. Where did God put me in this family group? If I was born as a father or a mother, I must occupy this post! Resist the emotional weaknesses and the temptations to delegate this job to others. Reject your desires to become dependent of your children, turning the biological hierarchy upside down! We must follow the guidance from The Gospel According to Spiritism, chapter XIV, item, 9: “it is the parents’ duty, however, to assist the intellectual and moral development of the son or daughter, so that they can progress.” If God put you in the position of a son or daughter in the family, then it becomes necessary that you honour your father and your mother and that you refrain from becoming their judge. There is indeed careful planning behind every incarnation! No one is born into a perfect family. We are not ready for that yet…
What would you like to highlight from your experience in family matters, both through Psychology and Spiritism?
My main worry concerns the family experiences involving suicide and chemical dependency, or addictions. These are the harshest challenges we are facing at the moment and we still lack the resources to deal with them properly. Firstly, because families take too long to believe in the signs that are before them, like they don’t want to see them. And they do that because it is indeed very painful to realise that our children are not happy, that they can’t cope with the reality we are living and our current lives. Also, it is hard to accept that we are powerless to change things as quickly as required in those situations. That is where I highlight the importance of being in a Spiritist Centre. That is where we will find our friends, our brothers and sisters, our spiritual family, who helps ups deal with those challenges. I don’t know where I would be without my friends from the Spiritist Centre.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would like to recommend the book Vida a Sexo (Life and Sex), by Emmanuel, for those who want to find out more about this issue. I often quote a sentence from that book: “Family is the station of hope” (in chapter 15). May we all be able to look at our loved ones and thank them for their company is this great journey, which is our current incarnation. Let’s hope that family life become a time of hope, of hope in better days yet to come, better and better days!
