Identifying the origin of spiritual communications

We present in this issue the topic #108 from the Systematized Study of the Spiritist Doctrine, that is being presented weekly, according to the programme elaborated by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB), structured in 6 modules and 147 topics.

If the reader uses this program for a study group, we suggest that questions proposed be discussed freely before the reading of the text that follows. If you would like to study alone, we ask you to try to answer the questions at first and only then read the text that follows. The answer key can be found at the end of the lesson. 

Questions

1. Is it important to Spiritism to identify the spirits who communicate?

2. When does the identification of the spirit who is communicating become easier?

3. What is the criteria that we must use to identify the quality of the spirit communicating?

4. Which advice is given by Kardec to us related to the analysis of the spiritual communications?

5. Is it possible to distinguish good spirits from bad spirits by the impression they cause on us?

Text

Identifying spirits of old celebrities is the most difficul

1. The issue of identifying who the spirits are is very complicated because spirits cant show you ID and some of them adopt famous names which are not theirs. For this reason, behind obsession, this is one of the most difficult tasks for our religion, Spiritism. Although many times it represents  little or no importance whatsoever.

2. Identifying the quality of spirits is a different story to which we only need common sense. The noble spirits only use noble language and expressions, dignified messages with a high percentage of morality. However, the language that inferior spirits use is inconsequent, average and mostly rude. Spiritism teaches us that the spirits communicating must be identified by their concepts, ideas and the moral essence of their words. As well as the quality of their advice and the feelings they inspire on us.

3. When the spirit of someone we know communicates, a friend or a relative for example, they show certain way of saying things that we recognise, like when he/she was incarnated and we knew them. Which it’s an important way of identification.

4. Identifying spirits who used to be celebrities while they were incarnated is harder. Sometimes it’s not possible to happen because we can only evaluate the communication by its moral side which is a limitation. This doesn’t happen with spirits we used to know well as we can identify specific characteristics.

We should always analyse carefully each communication from the spirits

5. The most genuine proves of identity are given by spirits that are not known by the medium nor by his/her assistants. These messages can give elements of identification that, in a later evaluation, are proven to be correct.

6. The codifier of Spiritism  dedicated chapter XXIV, second part, items 215 to 268 of the Mediums Book, to the matter of identifying spirits. This is a summary of what he wrote:

A.               After obsession, the matter of identifying spirits is one of the most difficult of the practical Spiritism;

B.                Many evolved spirits don’t have a name to give to us;

C.               The identification is easier if they are contemporary spirits;

D.               Proof of identities appear naturally;

E.                The signature and the handwriting are a partial proof;

F.                The best proof is in the language and circumstances, but not in the shape of the message, rather in its meaning. Because ignorance won’t replace ever wisdom and wrong doing will never will never copy the true virtue: always somewhere the untrue will appear;

G.               The identity of spirits can be considered a second place matter, but the distinction between bad spirits and good ones is not;

H.               We can judge spirits communications by their use of language: everything that come from them that shows lack of goodness or righteousness cannot come from evolved spirits;

I.                 Intelligence is not a sign of superiority, because intelligence and good morals not always come together;

J.                 The signs from evolved spirits are their morals superiority and language;

7. Kardec recommend us to submit all communications to an careful analysis, examining carefully the moral and ideas of them. We should reject with no hesitation everything that is against morals and common sense, everything that doesn’t agree with the evolved spirit’s behaviour that it has been tried to show in the communication. The codification says: “We repeat that this way is unique because it doesn’t ever fail. There is not a bad and fraudulent communication that can take a strict critic.” ( The Mediums Book, cap. XXIV, item 266).

8. In chapter XXIV, item 267 of the same book, the Codification mentions 26 ways to recognise the quality of the spirits who are communicating. These ways should be always taken in consideration and should be studied carefully by all mediums and directors of group of mediums.

It’s possible to recognise spirits by the impression they cause on us

9. It’s necessary to understand that is not always needed to identify the spirits who are communicating. When we are in a medium’s meeting for treating spiritual obsession, there isn’t always the need of discovering the disturbed spirit’s identity. The spirits are, in the majority of the cases, highly disturbed and that’s why it’s not advisable to ask them for names or other means of identification.

10. The spirits that usually communicate in these medium’s meetings become known and liked as part of the team. When they communicate, they are recognised by the team by their way of speaking, by their style of messages and by the moral part of their messages.

11. If the same spirit communicates through another medium, it can suffer the influence of the medium’s thoughts. The influence that the medium has on the spirit’s communication is considerable. The loyalty of the medium’s interpretation of the communication can be more or sometimes less authentic. It depends on the diversity of ideas and resources that the medium shows.

12. In general, we can distinguish, through the sensitivity of the medium, the degree of evolution of the spirits who give us good impressions or bad ones. Kardec taught: “Many mediums recognise good or bad spirits by the good or bad impression that the spirits cause when approaching the mediums.” When the spirit is happy, it is calm and serene; when the spirit is unhappy, it is agitated and this agitation passes naturally to the nervous system of the medium. If the spirit returns to communicate in the same group of mediums, it’s possible for them to identify the spirit by the impression it causes when approaching.

Answer Key