Each Spirit owes itself to a sublime rise or a deplorable fall.

“(...) Such is the influence of the Spirits that, ordinarily, they are the ones who direct the incarnate”. - The Spirits' Book, q. 459.

Any mediumistic meeting, especially those that are the most productive and efficient, are subject – more often than not – to be attacked by agents of the shadows, true rapacious wolves dressed in sheep's clothing. This is so true that Kardec¹ considers the best medium to be only the one who, sympathizing only with good Spirits, has been least deceived.

Normally the link between the incarnated and the evil Spirits occurs through “plugs” constituted by character-deforming ailments that still burden the spiritual economy of those who allow them in their psyche. They are the most varied and go by the name of jealousy, ambition, pride, vanity, personalism, presumption, self-indulgence, invigilance, selfishness, ignorance, bad faith, biting resentment, slander, hatred, anger, revenge, self-pity, laziness, carelessness, wild sex and so on!...

The fascination exerted by the obsessors is – sometimes – so subtle and efficient that even the most sagacious mediums can – inadvertently – suffer harassment, the purpose of which is none other than to dismantle the mediumistic meetings they take part in, as well as render their mediumistic abilities unusable. And it is not uncommon for them to achieve their goal, given the inexplicable amateurism of the procedures in this sector of spiritualist work, whose members are not given the necessary basic study to deal with such a delicate and serious task.

André Luiz narrates an episode of pernicious “enchantment” starring a medium. This is Dona Isaura Silva, who allowed herself to be enveloped by the suffocating and painful tentacles of exacerbated jealousy, invigilation, anger, and self-pity... While the mediumistic meeting lasted, she showed brilliant radiation; however, after the mediumistic work she was surrounded by emissions of a dark gray fluid substance.

Instructor Sidônio explains to André Luiz²: — “(...) the poor thing is under a real storm of evil fluids that are being unleashed on her by less enlightened Entities, with which she inadvertently tuned in through the black threads of jealousy. While she is under our direct influence, especially in spiritual works of a collective order, in which she acts as a capture valve for the general forces of the assistants, she enjoys good cheer and joy. Once the task is finished, however, she returns to the sad conditions to which she relegated herself.

(...) She is a valiant cooperator, reveals appreciable and dignified qualities, however, she has not yet lost the notion of exclusivism over her husband's life and, through this gap that induces her to violent vibrations of anger, she loses excellent opportunities to serve and elevate yourself. Today, she lived one of her most unhappy days, giving herself over completely to this kind of inner flagellation. She demands active participation from us, this night, as each servant awakened for good, when projecting himself into a certain range of lower vibrations during the day, almost always schedules a personal interview, for the night, with the beings and the forces that populate it.

(...) As long as the creature is vulgar and does not stand out for aspirations of a higher order, perverted intelligences do not care about it; however, as soon as it demonstrates purposes of sublimation, its vibratory tone is refined, it begins to be noticed (both by incarnate and discarnate people) for its characteristics of elevation and it is naturally persecuted by those who take refuge in envy, since it does not conform to the progress of others.

(...) Once out of her physical body, Dona Isaura's perispirit was intensely dark. There was nothing to be done, since she was the master of her destiny and, therefore, had the right to make mistakes, to learn better – the best way to defend her own happiness.

Education does not come by imposition. Each Spirit owes itself to a sublime rise or a deplorable fall.

MODUS OPERANDI OF THE SHADOWS

Two discarnate criminals, cunning enemies of the service of spiritual liberation of which she had become a devoted servant, approached Dona Isaura, partially disconnected during sleep, with the deliberate purpose of intoxicating her thoughts. They approached her, friendly and soft, saying: so, Dona Isaura — said one of the deceivers, with a false pretense of compassion in his voice —, you have suffered a lot with your feelings...

— Oh! My friend — cried the questioned, visibly pleased to find someone who could associate with her own imaginary and childish pains — so, do you also know?!

— How to not know?! — The interlocutor commented, emphatically — I am one of the Spirits who "protect" you and I know that your husband has been a heartless executioner. In order to "help" you, I have followed the unfortunate man everywhere, surprising him with his betrayals of his domestic commitments.

— Yes — she cried, harassed — this is the truth! I suffer infinitely... There is no creature in this world more unfortunate than me...

— I recognize the extent of your moral sufferings, — emphasized the loquacious persecutor —, I see your effort and sacrifice and I am not unaware that your husband raises his voice in prayers, through the usual sessions, to simply cover up his own faults. Sometimes, in the midst of prayer, he indulges in thoughts of lust, fixating on ladies who frequent your home.

Involving the improvident medium in the mellifluent of the phrases, he added:

— It is absurd! It pains me to see you handcuffed to a scoundrel masquerading as an apostle.

— That's right... — I'm surrounded by dishonest people. I have never suffered so much!”

At that point, Sidônio explains to André Luiz: — first of all, the agents of disharmony disturb her feelings as a woman, and then annihilate her possibilities as a missionary. Jealousy and selfishness are easy gateways to the devastating obsession with good. Due to affective exclusivism, the medium, in this conversation, has already mentally linked herself to the cunning opponents of her sublime commitments.

— Look: the intelligent obsessor hugged the lady and continued: — Dona Isaura, believe that we are your loyal friends. And the true protectors are those who, like us, know your hidden ailments. It is not fair for you to submit to the arbitrariness of your unfaithful husband. Refrain from receiving an entourage of hypocritical companions, interested in collective prayers, which are more like useless antics. It is a danger to indulge in mediumistic practices, which you have been doing in the company of people of this kind... Be careful!...

The unvigilant medium, impressed by the strange inflection printed in the words heard, pleaded: — Advise me, friendly Spirit, you who know my silent martyrdom!

The interlocutor, intending to destroy the illuminative cell that worked with immense benefit in the young lady's domestic sanctuary, now besieged by her sugary and poisonous arguments, observed with malice: — You were not born with the vocation of the best in the arena. Do not allow your home to be transformed into a concert hall. Your husband and his social relationships exaggerate your abilities. You need more time to develop it.

And wrapping her in the heavy veils of doubt that nullify so many well-intentioned workers, he added: — Have you meditated enough on unconscious mystification? Are you convinced that you don't deceive others? It is essential to be careful. If you study the serious issue of Spiritism, with intelligence and accuracy, you will recognize that the messages written through it and the incorporations of supposedly benefactor Entities are nothing more than the pale influences of disturbed Spirits and a high percentage of the products of your own brain and its sensitivity agitated by the unreasonable demands of the people who frequent your house.

Can't you see the full awareness with which you commit yourself to the imagined exchange? Don't believe in possibilities you don't have. Try to preserve the dignity of your home!

The naive creature registered with visible terror the conceptualization of the subject...

(...) The Spirits of the shadow approach the unvigilant mind, tear apart its harmony, steal its tranquility and then, with imperceptible and subtle sarcasm, force it to believe that it is fanciful and despicable. Many missionaries let themselves be overwhelmed by the false arguments we have just heard and underestimate the sublime opportunities to do good. (...) However, such difficulties are valuable lessons that the Spirit of the mediator, between incarnated and disembodied, must take advantage of in blessed experiences and it is not up to us to take away the teaching from the learner. While a mediumship worker listens to stories that flatter his personal sphere, making this a condition for cooperating in the work of good, it means that he still values inferior personalism and the phenomenon, above the service that is his responsibility in the divine plan. In this position, he will spend a long time among idle discarnate people who compete for the same prey, canceling out a valuable opportunity to elevate himself, because, after a certain period of wasted assistance, he temporarily loses the edifying company of more evolved brothers”.

[1] - KARDEC, Allan. The Mediums’ Book.

 71.ed. Rio: FEB, 2003, 2nd part. cap. XX, item 226, § 9º.

[2] - XAVIER, Francisco Cândido. Libertação. 7.ed. Rio [de Janeiro]: FEB, 1978, cap. XVI. 

originally published in RIE – Revista Internacional de Espiritismo, from August 2023.