Rafael de Amorim Siqueira (photo) is a lawyer in the Brazilian city of Niterói, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He is a member of the Sociedade Espírita Fraternidade - SEF (Fraternity Spiritist Society), where he volunteers as a public speaker and teacher. In this interview, he shares the lessons he has learned through his personal experience and struggles until finally discovering Spiritism and regaining his balance. 

When and how did you become a Spiritist?

I became a Spiritist in 1998, when I was 18 years old and still lived in my hometown, Itaperuna. It was a difficult period in my life, as I suffered from psychological problems and had suicidal thoughts. I had access to all sorts of treatments, but nothing worked. Then I went to spend some time with my aunt in a different city and I found an old copy of The Spirits’ Book, without its cover. And it’s amazing how God’s mercy works in our favour: if that book had a cover and I could read its title, I wouldn’t have opened it and begun reading it, as I did. My family was Catholic and I couldn’t consider the idea of reading something that challenged my parents’ religious beliefs. Well, I couldn’t put the book down and that was the beginning of a great encounter, an opportunity given to me to find truly enlightening and comforting teachings. When I returned to Itaperuna, I had no more doubts: I wanted to join a Spiritist group, which I did straight away. 

Which aspect of Spiritism strikes you the most?

Until the age of 18, I was a Catholic and believed that there was no salvation unless you followed the dogmas of the Church. When I became a Spiritist and I was introduced to the concept of charity, as the legitimate tool of redemption, I realised I was finally on the right path. So, I can say that Spiritism has captivated me because of its approach to charity and the idea of putting love into action. Spiritism establishes a commitment with your behaviour and attitude, rather than with its beliefs. It teaches everyone to do good whenever they have the opportunity. For me, that is the real meaning of religion. I like to quote Chico Xavier when he said: “If Allan Kardec had written ‘there’s no salvation without Spiritism’ I would have gone another way. Thank God he wrote: ‘There’s no salvation without Charity, or rather, without Love.’ “

Why do you think Spiritism played such a key role in your physical and spiritual recovery?

Spiritism opens new horizons in our lives, especially when it shows clearly that we live many lives (reincarnation) and that the Spirits intervene in the physical world. That can lead to a process of spiritual attachment or spiritual obsession. We know that part of our problems are the results of what we did in previous lives. We also know that psychological problems can derive from spiritual as well as physical reasons. The influence of the Spirits can cause from small disturbances to a complete collapse of our physical and mental capacities. In my particular case, until the age of 18 I was a young man who attended Church and tried to follow the guidance of my religion at the time. And yet I was profoundly disturbed and had persistent suicidal thoughts, causing all sorts of problems to my family. All treatments failed and only Spiritism provided me with the answers I needed, as I understood then that my suffering was the result, largely, of mistakes I had made in previous lives when I had ignored the principles of the Gospel of Jesus. I could only get better through spiritual treatment, the continuous search for inner reform and the determination to do good deeds. All that was combined with psychological and psychiatric treatments, and then I had noticeable improvement. That’s why I consider Spiritism a key tool for physical and spiritual recovery. 

In the challenges you have faced along the way we could say that Spiritism was a true guideline for redemption. Could you translate that into practical advice for so many young people who currently seek answers to their problems?

Yes, I can say that Spiritism has offered a true guideline for redemption in my life. Without wanting to be over-sentimental, I honestly believe that if it wasn’t for Spiritism, I wouldn’t be here today giving you this interview. Spiritism doesn’t ask us to isolate ourselves from the world. But, instead, to live in the world like immortal Spirits. As a mentor of a Spiritist youth group, I often tell young people there that we can follow whichever path we want in this world, but we must never abandon the noble values of our existence, which are our commitment with Jesus. Young people can be young, they can have fun and follow the trends of their generation, bearing in mind, however, that: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.” (1Cor 6:12)". To the young people who, like me, seek answers to their questions, I would say: read the Spiritist books, study, join a Spiritist Centre of your choice and, most of all, do good deeds, according to the possibilities of each one, and make a concerted effort to become a better person. The more we associate ourselves with the practice of love, which is the essence of life, the more health, peace and joy of living we will have. And I would ask for a bit of patience from everyone, as the young people of today are very anxious and want to sort out everything immediately. Everything has its own time and each difficult experience we go through is an opportunity to learn. If we jump steps, we won’t gain the balance and the maturity necessary to reach the following steps. Each day is a new opportunity in our lives and we must make the most of it.