Visiting the compendium
of words - the
dictionary -, obsession
means: (1) 1.
Impertinence,
persecution, vexation.
2. Fig.
Preoccupation with a
certain idea, which
sickeningly dominates
the Spirit, and
resulting or not from
repressed feelings;
fixed ideas, mania.
This is the very much
summarized view from the
academic, materialist
point of view, which can
contemplate the
existence of obsessive
behavior through two
processes: originated
between two or more
people, who persecute
each other, mutually or
not, or originating only
from the individual
himself, over himself.
In either case, always
bearing in mind the
temporarily disarrayed
minds of those involved,
for whatever reason.
In principle, under this
approach, there is no
spiritual interference
in the process, and it
can be seen as a
self-obsession, if the
obsessed person imposes
this situation through
his quirks or oddities,
or through an obsession
between individuals.
As examples of a case
involving more than one
person, we can mention
the case of an unhealthy
love an obsessor feels
for another person.
Thus, generating
excessive jealousy for
no reason, causing the
obsessor to control the
other's life - through
connections or recurring
messages - in addition,
the feeling of fear or
tension may arise as a
result of the obsessed
person's distancing.
There is also the
obsession provoked by
stalking in the
workplace, or even in
the family.
However, considering the
spiritualist approach,
particularly Spiritist,
this concept is
considerably more
comprehensive, as it
admits and demonstrates
the possibility of
discarnate entities
acting in these
pathological processes.
These spiritual
harassments have always
existed, and they are
not new. However, they
were unveiled and
clearly presented to
Humanity when there was
the dissemination of the
Spiritist Doctrine in
the 19th century.
Perhaps the first
attempt at
conceptualizing the
meaning of spiritual
obsession is recorded in
this quote: (2)
One of the biggest
pitfalls of mediumship
is obsession,
that is, the dominion
that certain spirits can
exercise over mediums,
imposing themselves on
them under apocryphal
names and preventing
them from communicating
with other Spirits.
By this definition,
Allan Kardec restricted
the process only in
relation to mediums who
naturally relate to the
disembodied, because in
this work, he was
talking about the
difficulties in the
exercise of mediumship.
We emphasize that the
Spirits act in an
imposing way, and, as is
known, sometimes
presenting themselves
despite the medium's
will, sometimes trying
to deceive through false
identities. In the
latter case, we could
make an analogy with
known criminal conduct
and say that it would be
a kind of spiritual
fraud.
A more detailed meaning
of the obsession
phenomenon is contained
in the second basic work
of Spiritism: (3)
[...] dominion that some
Spirits manage to
acquire over certain
people. It is never
practiced except by
inferior Spirits, who
seek to dominate. Good
Spirits inflict no
constraint. They advise,
they fight the influence
of the bad ones and, if
they do not listen to
them, they withdraw. The
bad ones, on the
contrary, cling to those
on whom they can prey.
If they manage to
dominate one, they
identify with his Spirit
and lead it as if it
were a real child.
In relation to this
second meaning, the
possibility of the
obsessive process still
referring to mediums
stands out, as this
chapter deals with the
pitfalls in the practice
of Spiritism, contained
in The Book of
Mediums.
Furthermore, we must
always in mind that the
good Spirit is one who
already has a reasonable
understand of the Laws
of God, obtained,
evidently, at the cost
of his own efforts to
learn them. He starts to
live and apply these
principles in his
evolutionary journeys,
giving him a good level
of moral education. He
was not created good by
God, he never, on the
contrary, acquired this
condition through his
continued moral and
ethical conquests made
throughout his many
existences.
On the other hand, the
inferior Spirit is the
one that has not
acquired, until now,
this degree of moral and
ethical evolution,
governing his life,
consequently, under the
postulates that he
considers fair according
to his still shy and
limited point of view.
These are still
relatively ignorant
Spirits, however, they
will also reach,
according to their own
efforts, a higher
spiritual stage, when,
then, they will also be
called good Spirits.
However, for the time
being, that is,
temporarily, they are
seen as evil Spirits. It
is also worth
remembering about the
possibility that bad
Spirits are very
intelligent, prepared,
perspicacious and
astute, because the
moral advance, which
they have not yet
conquered, does not
always immediately
follow the intellectual
progress they may have
already made.
There is also, at the
end, the surprising
information about the
possibility of the
obsessed medium being
literally commanded in
his actions and
thoughts.
In the third fundamental
work we have: (4)
Obsession is the
persistent action that
an evil Spirit exerts on
an individual. It
presents very different
characters, from a
simple moral influence,
without perceptible
external signs, to a
complete disturbance of
the organism and mental
faculties.
Now the Encoder
emphasizes the
possibility that the
obsession presents
itself continuously,
reaching the obsessed
person for a longer
time, reaching him
deeply, and therefore,
both the physical body
and the victim's ability
to judge.
In another basic work,
the last one, Allan
Kardec defined the
mechanism as follows: (5)
Note in this other
conceptualization of the
Father of Kardecist
Spiritism, the emphasis
on the damage to the
good exercise of the
mediumistic faculty,
and, consequently, to
the mediumistic
activities that will not
be able to develop
properly while their
bearers try to act
prisoners of some
obsessive process.
Already in Posthumous
Works, there is also
this very concise
meaning: (6)
Obsession consists of
the dominion that bad
spirits assume over
certain people, with the
aim of enslaving them
and submitting them to
their will, for the
pleasure they experience
in doing evil.
In this other one, the
Lyon Master points out a
new motivation for the
possible obsessors to
act, i.e. the simple
satisfaction in the
practice of evil.
Nothing to be surprised,
because the Spirit when
disincarnated, if he was
bad during his path in
material existence, he
will remain bad on the
other side of life,
looking for the means to
satisfy his bad nature.
It is interesting to
emphasize that, although
these Spiritist
definitions highlight
the occurrence of
obsession related to the
practice of mediumship,
it does not apply only
to mediums, but to any
human being. This
broader understanding
can be verified in the
writings of the Encoder
himself when he states
that the obsession
phenomenon can occur in
anyone: (7)
An important fact to
consider is that
obsession, whatever its
nature, is independent
of mediumship, and that
it is found, of all
degrees, especially the
last, in a large number
of people who have never
heard of Spiritism.
When Allan Kardec refers
to the last degree of
obsession, he means
subjugation and, in
addition to this, there
is simple obsession,
fascination and
possession, these being
the main varieties.
Finally, but not that
this is the ultimate
definition, as one can
eventually find another
one in doctrinal works,
we have: (8)
Obsession is the almost
permanent action of a
strange Spirit, which
causes the victim to be
induced, by an incessant
need, to act in this or
that direction, to do
this or that thing.
The concept of
obsession, according to
Spiritism, is reasonably
aligned with the common
notion that we have
about this phenomenon,
with the fundamental
difference that
Spiritism expands this
understanding, making it
oceanic. It points out
the possibility of
obsession being
practiced by the
so-called dead, together
with those who are still
alive, and vice versa,
revealing a much broader
and deeper scenario in
dealing with the issue,
in relation to the
restricted proposals
that do not admit the
continuity of life, much
less the immortality of
the soul.
Although it cannot be
concluded directly from
the definitions
mentioned, there is also
the intriguing
self-obsession,
contemplated in the
dictionary meanings by
the figurative sense of
the process. This can
only be overcome if the
person affected by this
disease learns to behave
according to divine
principles, leaving
aside the practices
supported by his
monoideism, which can
easily lead the unwary
to the edge of madness.
From the above, it can
be seen that the problem
of obsession is a vast
and, sometimes, complex
subject, with a vast
Spiritist literature on
the subject.
All these slight remarks
should only serve to
call our attention to
the multiple facets of
the process, with the
possibility of reaching
us whenever we are
unvigilant and careless
with our mental and
moral life, moreover,
when we let vanity and
pride guide our actions.
For now, since we are in
a world of trials and
atonement, there is no
absolute shield against
obsessors, except the
one built by a straight
and unblemished life,
without slips and, above
all, without offense to
others, in order to
avoid future revenge. A
difficult task to
achieve, but not
impossible. Let us at
least try, and if
failures overtake us,
let us lift our
disjointed knees and
move on, never give up.
It is always time to
start reading the
accounts offered by
spirituality on this
exciting topic.
Furthermore, it is
living and learning,
experimenting and
growing, all under the
aegis of Our Lord Jesus
Christ.
References:
1 HOLANDA,
A. Buarque de. New
Aurelio Dictionary of
the Portuguese Language. Revised
and enlarged. 2nd ed. Rio
de Janeiro: Publisher
Nova Fronteira, 1986.
2_________. What
is Spiritism.
Translation by the
Reformer's Newsroom in
1884. 56th ed.
1. Print Brasilia: FEB,
2013. Mediumship
Pitfalls. Chap. II. Item
70.
3 _________. The
Book of Mediums trans.
by Guillon Ribeiro. 54th ed.
Rio de Janeiro: FEB,
1987. On Obsession.
Chap. 23. item 237.
4 _________. The
Gospel According to
Spiritism. trans. By
Guillon Ribeiro. 131
editions. 6 prints
Brasilia: FEB, 2015.
Chap. 28, item 81.
5 _________. The
Genesis, trans. by
Guillon Ribeiro. 53 ed.
1 print [Historical
Edition]. Brasilia: FEB,
2013. Obsessions and
possessions. Chap. 14,
item 45.
6_________. Posthumous
works. trans. By
Guillon Ribeiro. 22nd ed.
Rio de Janeiro: FEB,
1987. First
part, VII. Of obsession
and possession, item 56.
7 _________.
What is Spiritism.
Translation of the
Reformer's Newsroom in
1884. 56th ed.
1. print Brasilia: FEB,
2013. Mediumship
Pitfalls. Chap. II, item
76.
8 _________. Spiritist
Magazine: journal of
psychological studies.
year 1. No. 10. Oct.
1858. Obsessed and
subjugated. Trans.
Evandro Noleto Bezerra.
4th ed. 1.
print Brasilia: FEB,
2019.
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