The spiritual doctrine has its foundations in a series of information that allow us to identify a "special category of phenomena" which suggests that these phenomena are of "psychophysical spiritual nature". They relate to the process of the souls action in the physical body Alma.

It is very easy to recognize the phenomena of physical reality and of psychological sphere that are part of all our lives. However, we would highlight another category of phenomena that can only by explained by the action of the spirit. In the physical world we know the nature of matter and the processes that govern their movement and combinations thereof. In the psychological world we identified the unconscious mechanisms that enforce our behaviors and imprison our desires.

In the spiritual domain, literature [especially Kardec’s, Emmanuel’s and André Luiz’] has already indicated the interesting mechanisms that act at the body-soul interface.

Although doctors have clarified much of the anatomy and physiology of the human body, the current medical paradigm is that it does not have a wide enough span to perceive or interpret the complex mechanism of action of the Spirit over the body. This will [possibly] be the greatest discovery in Science.

An interesting model to illustrate the extent of this difficulty is seen in the pineal gland. We know its tiny anatomy, its relationship with biological cycles, its sensitivity to light, its weak link with the brain, its modest chemical production and its negligible medical significance. That's why it caused surprise the reports that have reached us from the spirits, pointing expressive activities of the pineal gland, which go far beyond what we were able to observe with our macro or microscopic studies.

We must clarify that what we see "from our side" is only the anatomical and functional manifestation of the gland. Because we do not have the instruments to access the spiritual world, we do not know how it about its activity in brain-mind interaction.

We can identify the cells of the pineal and its microstructure, register its metabolic exchanges, identify mood secretions and nerve inflows transmission. However, in the field of spiritual activity, the possible components and how they operate are still unnoticeable by our instruments. Extrapolating our knowledge "from here to there" still remains in the field of metaphysics.

It would be unwise to imagine that "over here" we may one day know the full extent of this phenomenon we call "psycho-physical spiritual nature", assuming beforehand that "over there" the spiritual dynamics of the phenomenon is much broader and significant than our anatomy can register.

We learn from Spiritism that there are three major elements that drive the physiology of organic processes that affect their lives: the Spirit, the Perispirit and Fluids that intermediate the intersection body-soul.

It seems to be unnecessary to note the well-known details of the three. The basic books of Spiritism have sufficient details on them. Our purpose will be to point out some phenomena that seem to illustrate the presentation of metaphysics physiology that we are interested in studying:     

• The setting of thought

• The cohesion of the cell population

• The centers of energy (a.k.a. chakras)

• The blood and the vital energy

• The pineal gland and its spiritual physiology

• The ectoplasm

• The healing breathing.  

Our suggestion is that this type of phenomena be labeled "Spirit-somatic phenomena." Their study covers a grid of phenomena that can lead us to know the general laws of physiology that integrates the body to the soul. This suggestion is motivated by the facts that, apparently, there are many other phenomena of the same type; it is not appropriate to give the impression that your list is complete. 

The fixation of thought - neurophysiology suggests that thinking is an ongoing process that is expressed in the activity of brain neurons. Our ideas come from external stimuli that reach the senses or by internal mechanisms of perception and memories accumulated throughout life.

The neuron was identified as a vital cell since staining techniques allowed the recognition of their structure. When Camillo Golgi, in 1873, used a silver dye to stain the human brain, it was revealed that some neurons are impregnated with this staining revealing the cell body and its extensions, opening, thereafter, an extraordinary revolution in the understanding of the brain.

About the same time (late nineteenth century), Franz Nissl was able to stain neurons with cresyl violet, discovering in the cytoplasm a bunch of a “tigroid looking” substance which became known as "Nissl bodies". Current studies revealed that these granular bodies correspond to a membranous structure called Rough Endoplasmic that serves to build proteins within neurons. Some of these proteins will be part of cell membranes and participate in other enzymes involved in the production of neurotransmitters.

Two layers of a fatty phospholipid substance form the membrane lining neurons. These layers are waterproof, insulating the inner content of the neurons from the extracellular fluids. However, they are interrupted by "gates" of proteins that build the channel that moisturizes membranes. These protein-made channels serve as a passage to ions and substances that affect the activity of neurons (such as: sodium, potassium, calcium, neurotransmitters, tranquilizers, antidepressants and drugs such as cocaine).

On the other hand, enzymes are essential for the production of the neurotransmitters that carry out any transmission of information between neurons.

We can deduce that the Nissl bodies, being directly linked to the production of proteins, play a key role in brain physiology.

André Luiz, through psychograph in 1958 (Evolution in Two Worlds), stressed the importance of Nissl bodies teaching that it is there where the mind sets its purpose transmitting through thoughts the ideas projected by the Spirit in to the brain. From the perceptions of the senses the Spirit renews its ideas, it projects in the network of neurons its energy that results in thoughts able to fit in the brain, producing our actions.

A neuron in constant activity will expand its synapses keeping learned lessons from experiences. At each synapse there is an adjustment of the chemical transport channels important for the exchange of key information between neurons. Both channels, such as neurotransmitters, are made from protein mounted mainly inside the Nissl bodies. Therefore, to assert that the Spirit has a direct action in the Nissl bodies, as taught by André Luiz, allows us to suppose that it is the Spirit that ultimately builds the type of neurons in our brain structures. 

The cohesion of the cell population - The human body is made up of over 300 trillion cells in constant renewal. The various bodies that comprise it are structured in different layers of fabrics that include typical and mixed cells. We have in our body more than 250 different types of cells including neurons, glial cells that support the brain, hepatocytes, muscle cells, fat, epithelial lining skin and so on.

Science assigns to the imprinted genome program all the project layout and organization of gigantic universe of cells that builds our body. We lack, however, an adequate theory to the enormity of this task, since we have tens of morphological types (just counting neurons) totaling 100 billion cells, requiring synaptic connections that go beyond the trillions of absolutely precise connections. We must remember that the embryo in the womb builds 250,000 neurons per minute. Becoming an astonishing task by the few 33,000 genes that we bring as genetic heritage.

Spiritism teaches that the mold that structures the physical body is the job for perispirit, adjusting us to the spiritual world. In the perispirit are all traits that characterize our mental world. However, our physical features and stigmas of diseases that mark us are not a faithful photographic copy of our perispirit. People simple look but noble spirit irradiate a spiritual fabric that stands out against the images of beauty that the media tends to highlight, especially for the female body. The presence of physical deformities are linked to our merits and needs [appropriate for our preceding debts] that have been accumulated more than to just the appearance of perispirit. Not always physical flaws will accompany the Spirit after discarnation.

Allan Kardec suggests that knowledge of the perispirit has much to contribute to doctors to explain our diseases. But we turn again to André Luiz to surprise us with his revelations. He teaches that through the actions of our mind, we maintain cohesiveness in the trillions of cells that make up our body. This activity gives our actions a huge responsibility for commitment we have to ensure our physical balance. However, the surprises do not end there. André Luiz claims that each of these cells is a microscopic universe where the intelligent principle matures, providing shelter to every cell in our body a unit with its own individuality, over which we have immense responsibility to maintain and preserve. They are "sister souls” in primitive stage that run with us through the struggles of physical life, lending the human spirit the gift of your metabolism. 

The centers of energy (a.k.a. chakras) - the ancient culture of the east disclose in their sacred books the existence of centers of energy or chakras, of fixed location in our spiritual body. They are located in the brain and plexuses distributed by our body in the regions of the larynx, stomach, spleen, celiac plexus associated with the digestive tract and the genital region.

There are two in the brain: the frontal chakra located on the forehead and crown chakra in the central regions of the brain.

The frontal lobes have undergone an extraordinary expansion when the evolution of the human being began on Earth. The frontal lobe is the region that most distinguishes ours from a chimpanzee brain. They are related our abstract thoughts, to our ability to classify objects, to organize our actions and to plan our future. Without the frontal lobe man becomes irresponsible, loses his ability to organize things in a room, stop worrying about others, can become playful and not realize the severity of his life situation. The frontal lobe has major contribution to make us humans.

André Luiz tells us that the frontal chakra, allows us to be in union with the highest spheres that drive our destinations on earth. Through prayer, projecting the pious appeal or heartfelt thanks, keep in touch with the sublime beings that guide and protect us.

At the coronary region we can point three levels laminated anatomically. The cortex, the basal ganglia and the diencephalon. The cerebral cortex region of the coronary relates to motor activity that facilitates the voluntary movements. In the basal ganglia (thalamus, putamen, caudate and pale globe) are arranged our automatic movements, which allow us to perform breathing, swallowing, chewing and walking among others. And finally, the diencephalon brings together a group of cells that play important role in controlling our metabolic functions, closely linked to our survival. In the hypothalamus, which makes up an important part of the diencephalon, are produced dozens of substances that control the activity of our glands, functioning as stimulating the production of hormones in the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, ovaries and testes, among other glands.

André Luiz teaches that at the crown chakra are located energies that hold in balance the activity of the trillions of cells that conform to our mental control, maintaining the form and function of our physical body. (Continued on the next edition.)