Bearer of a unique
dedication to the
doctrinal cause, Yvonne
A. Pereira is an
important example of the
Spiritist idealism. In
fact, in addition to her
mediumship work itself,
i.e., her work as a
psychographic medium for
Spirits such as Bezerra
de Menezes, Leon Denis,
Charles, Leon Tolstoi,
Camilo Castelo Branco,
among others, Yvonne
wrote many articles, as
an incarnated Spiritist
author. Such manuscripts
deal with complex
doctrinal themes,
especially addressing
the mediumistic area, in
which her doctrinal
baggage and her
experience as a
productive medium
provide concrete safety
guidelines.
“Songs of the Heart” is
a little publicized work
of the mediumship of
Yvonne do Amaral Pereira
and constitutes a
compilation of articles
promoted by the Editor
of the Leon Denis
Spiritist Center (CELD).
“Songs of the Heart”
presents volumes 1 and
2, and the presently
commented chapter is
precisely the last
chapter of the second
volume (the chapters are
articles published by
the author in the
periodical “Doers of
Good”). It is a
posthumous publication
made by CELD, whose
first edition was made
available in 1994
(Yvonne disincarnated in
1984). The chapter in
question (chapter IX) is
called "Considerations
on Mediumship".
Yvonne always uses
Kardec as her main
reference and develops
the themes based on her
personal mediumship
experiences and her
background as a militant
Spiritist, which she
acquired through many
years of work in the
Spiritist movement.
Yvonne's clarifications
are motivated by
questions about
mediumship and
mediumistic development.
The questions were
divided into four
topics. After Dona
Yvonne's second
response, we also
commented on some
aspects related to
psychic development,
which were reflections
obtained from another
notable work by the
author, “Delving into
the Invisible
(Devassando o
Invisível)”.
Let us see Ms. Yvonne’s
questions and answers:
"Mr. G.S.V., a scholar
of Spiritist matters,
sent us the following
questions: 1 - How to
help the practical
development of
mediumship? 2- What is
the method of
development for common
mediums, without forcing
or conditioning them to
manifestations? 3- How
should we manage this
part?
4- What is the
safe way, without
forcing, that
predisposes them to a
natural, serious,
peaceful development?
Yvonne: "1- The best way
to develop mediumship is
not to worry about your
development, but to
prepare yourself morally
and mentally to be able
to assume the commitment
of becoming a developed
medium. Such
preparation, however, cannot
be quick, and, many
times, the faculty
presents itself and
defines itself during
its course. It is the
safest, natural method,
therefore. If
mediumship does not
present itself like
this, spontaneously,
naturally, it is a sign
that it is not yet
mature enough to
explode. (emphasis mine)
“You can, however,
experiment by
sitting the medium at
the work table and
leaving him at ease. The
director of the table,
in turn, must not
insist, pressuring or
constraining the suitor
to give passivity, since
this method excites the
mind of the medium, who
ends up giving passivity
to himself, with
which we will have the
suggestion, and not the
authentic mediumistic
communication.
“Kardec recommends this
experience for up to six
months*, and observation
has proven that, if
there really is some
faculty to develop, in
much less time the case
will be resolved,
especially if the medium
is prepared through the
study and practice of
good. (emphasis mine -
*It
is worth noting that
Yvonne indirectly
mentions item 204 of
“The Book of Mediums”,
as she comments on the
limit of approximately
six (6) months for
psychographic tests, as
advocated by Kardec).
“If the suitor feels
nothing during this
period, he must,
strictly speaking,
withdraw from the table.
The opposite will be to
force the gift, with the
supervenience of
animism, autosuggestion
or the suggestion of the
leader of the works on
the patient's mind. There
is hypnosis that can
harm forever when it
actually presents
itself. In addition,
it is what exists most
nowadays in Spiritist
centers where Allan
Kardec is replaced by
personal ideas and fads
from other Spiritist
schools, very much
infiltrated in the
Kardecian School (emphasis
mine).
“Mediumship is a
transcendent, sublime
faculty, which cannot
support methods
inappropriate to its
celestial nature, so to
speak". Yvonne A.
Pereira
Yvonne's response to the
first item corroborates
Chico Xavier's
explanation/guidance
that “the phone rings
from there to here”. In
fact, Emmanuel comments
in “Path, Truth and
Life” (Caminho, Verdade
e Vida) that, most of
the time we force our
psychic aptitudes and
their development to
become the so-called
“mediums of action”
(ostensive mediums with
a specific task in the
mediumistic area within
of the Spiritist
Center), the results
tend to be negative.
This low productivity
can be interpreted both
in terms of a decrease
in the mental and
emotional balance of the
candidate for the
mediumistic task, as
well as in terms of the
generation of dubious or
clearly negative
content, doctrinally,
morally and spiritually.
Yvonne states that this
strategy constitutes
“...the safest, most
natural method”.
It must be remembered
that we are subject to a
reincarnation planning,
with general and
specific tasks. This
planning is meticulously
prepared by spiritual
mentors and, often, by
ourselves, taking into
account our pressing
spiritual needs, past
commitments and
potentialities for the
present and for the
future. It is obvious
that the planning is not
absolute and, depending
on our free will and
consequent spiritual
performance, it can be
revised during the
reincarnation itself.
However, such changes
are not so commonplace,
as many factors must be
considered.
Our reincarnating tasks
normally aim at a more
intense and secure
evolution, with a lower
risk of moral falls.
Furthermore, not always
what we want is the best
for us or for our
“reincarnating task”
properly considered.
This is so common that
we ourselves, when
partially unfolded by
the physical sleep, can
have a different opinion
regarding what we really
want (in relation to our
aspirations when we are
in the waking period in
the material body). Due
to the illusions that
arise, we allow
ourselves to be carried
away when inserted in
the material body, that
is, in a state of
coincidence with the
physical body (see
Question 416 of “The
Book of Spirits”).
Yvonne: "2- The
practical sessions of
development are not
advisable. Observation
has shown that they are,
for the most part.
However, there
are mediums who spend
one, two, five, ten
years developing their
own faculties without
achieving anything
authentic and useful,
thus wasting precious
time that could be used
in another sector.
However, what is certain
is that if, in a few
months, they do not have
developed faculties, it
is not convenient for
them to insist, either
because they do not have
the faculty, or because
it has been impaired by
factors that should be
observed and studied... Furthermore,
the complete development
of a mediumistic faculty
takes time to complete,
and requires patience
and dedication, a lot of
love and a lot of study,
progressive moral and
mental renewal and,
sometimes, many tears
and suffering.
"It is advisable not to
forget that the purpose
of mediumship is the
interchange between the
human being and the
spiritual entities and
it depends of us to
reach the glory or
failure. The
spontaneous development
is, therefore, one of
the secrets of a good
mediumship.
“There are people that
seem to demonstrate
symptoms of a gift to be
developed, but they
are excessively
nervous. If
they try, they reach
nothing of useful.
It will be prudent for
these, before any
experience, an adequate
medical treatment, as
well as spiritual passes
given twice a week, at
least, with the
assistance of two or
three mediums who
administrate spiritual
passes, evangelical
readings, attendance at
study and meditation
meetings, but not
attendance at practical
sessions.
“In most cases, these
people are more mentally
ill, in need of physical
and spiritual treatment,
than true mediums to
develop, since one of
the conditions for
mediumship is the good
health of the medium.
They are traumatized
people, who is
unvigilant or sick mind
forges what it presents,
withdraws from itself
the communications it
gives, and they can even
be hysterical. When
they recover, they will
be able to experiment,
but it is likely that
they will never be
faithful mediumistic
devices. During the
treatment, in order not
to waste time, they can
be used in charity works
for others allied with
the Gospel
(concentration with the
pass-giver), according
to the degree of
responsibility already
acquired, because all
this is responsibility,
it is commitment to the
Law of God.
“The harvest is
plentiful, and there is
service for all.
Mediumship is love, it
is sacrifice, it is
renunciation, it is
humility, it is a heavy
cross, and it is not
only in its sector that
we can serve God and our
neighbor" Yvonne A.
Pereira
The medium of “Memoirs
of a Suicide” warns
about the problem that
candidates for
mediumship can be people
“...nervous,
impressionable...” She
states, “If they try,
they achieve nothing
plausible”. She
admits that many may
have some significant
mediumistic faculty, but
without a set of other
prerequisites, it will
not be possible to
obtain minimally
reasonable results from
this type of mediumistic
instrumentation.
Yvonne also emphasizes
that the candidate for
mediumistic work must be
in good physical and
spiritual health, being
necessary, when sick, a
prior restoration of
health for later
initiative in spiritual
exchange meetings.
It must be emphasized
that mediumship
development presupposes
prior psychic
development, that is, an
integral personal
development,
encompassing the
parapsychic potential of
the candidate for
mediumship work.
Yvonne demonstrates that
she found many
weaknesses and little
productivity in the
so-called “meetings of
development or
mediumship education” in
force in our Spiritist
Movement. It is
impressive to note the
bluntness that Yvonne
uses right at the
beginning of her
response to the second
item, stating “...
observation has shown
that they (the practical
sessions of development)
are, in the great
majority, factories of
animism and obsession,
of suggestion and
nervous breakdown...”
Therefore, the
experienced medium
emphasizes the need for
a global development of
the Spiritist worker,
which must accompany, or
even precede, the
mediumistic development
itself.
It is worth remembering
some lectures by Jose
Raul Teixeira, such as
“The Spiritist Center
and the Dynamics of
Love”, in which the
exhibitor from
Niteroi-RJ explains:
“The Spiritist Center is
the House that takes us
out of madness! So,
enough of the madness!
If the candidate for
mediumship cannot attend
any other meeting
(exclusively for
doctrinal study), in
addition to the
mediumship meeting, why
mediumship? And,
therefore, why a
mediumistic meeting?”
Divaldo Franco also
explains in the lecture
“Meeting with
Directors”, in February
1992, at Grupo Espirita
Meimei. He states that
it was common for
confreres to complain
that they had been
attending the Spiritist
Center Caminho da
Redencao (Salvador-BA)
for a long time, without
being able to develop
the mediumship. (“I’ve
been going there for 10
years and I still
haven’t developed
mediumship!”). Divaldo
narrates in the lecture
that his response was:
“If you've been
attending for 10 years
and still haven't
developed mediumship,
it's because you don't
have it! It is not
because everyone has the
perception that they
have to be an active
medium (ostensive
medium)”.
Yvonne also thinks that
an inefficient pattern
of mediumistic meetings,
according to her in
force in our Spiritist
Movement (at least at
that time), would be
associated with a
shortage of safe mediums
(“...Hence the shortage
of safe mediums at your
college…”).
With regard to moral
development, special
emphasis should be
directed to greater
action in charity, less
predisposition to be
touchy, hurt and
resentment and greater
emotional intelligence,
especially with regard
to irritation for
irrelevant reasons and
resilience in the face
of inherent difficulties
to the constant struggle
of material life. With
regard to intellectual
development, greater
cultural growth is
needed, encompassing
greater notions of
spirituality in general,
and specifically greater
doctrinal deepening.
Furthermore, if
possible, it would be
interesting to have
greater linguistic
quality, so that the
communicator Spirits
have more “tools” for a
more precise expression;
and a greater general
knowledge, which will
also be a resource used
so that the Spiritual
Friends can elaborate
richer constructions,
and more faithful to the
“original text” of these
own Spirits, which, many
times, would already be
previously elaborated in
the spiritual world.
(Continued
in the next issue of
this magazine.)
Bibliographic
references:
Pereira,
Y. A. Songs of the Heart
– Volume II (Spiritist
Realities). First
edition. CELD editions.
Rio de Janeiro-RJ, 1994.
Kardec,
A. The Book of
Mediums [translation
by Evandro N. Bezerra].
Second edition.
Brazilian Spiritist
Federation (FEB).
Brasilia DF. 2021.
Kardec,
A. The Book of
Spirits [translation
by Evandro N. Bezerra].
Fourth edition.
Brazilian Spiritist
Federation (FEB).
Brasilia DF. 2021.
Pereira,
Y. A. Delving into the
Inisible. First special
edition. Brazilian
Spiritist Federation
(FEB). Brasilia
DF. 2004.
|