In this issue, we continue the study of the book, What is Spiritism, launched in Paris in July 1859. This study will be divided into 19 parts. The pages cited in the text and suggested for reading refer to the 20th edition published by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (Federação Espírita Brasileira). The answers to the questions suggested for discussion can be found at the end of this text.
Questions for discussion
A. What is required for a Spiritist meeting to be useful?
B. What is the purpose of Spiritists manifestations?
C. How do Spiritist intelligent communications take place?
Reading Text
133. To communicate with the Spirits, there are no days, time and places better than any others. To evoke them, there are no formulas, sacramental or cabalistic words. Mediums receive communications as simply and naturally as if they were dictated by a living person without leaving their normal state. (Chapter II, item 49, page 168).
134. The Spirits are called in the name of God, with all respect and religiousness; it is the only thing that we recommend to serious people, who want to communicate with serious Spirits. (Chapter II, item 49, page 168).
135. As for what can help our moral progress, there is only uncertainty regarding the revelations that we can obtain from the Spirits. The first bad consequence, for the one who diverts his faculty from the providential purpose, is to be mystified by deceiving Spirits, swarming around men; the second one is to fall under the dominion of these same Spirits; and the third one is to lose, after the earthly life, the fruit of the Spiritist knowledge. (Chapter II, item 52, page 169).
136. Mediums present different psychic skills. We must not expect from them what is out of the limits of their faculties. (Chapter II, item 54, page 170).
137. The talking tables were the debut of the Spiritist Science. However, today that we have means of communication so fast and complete as among the living, nobody uses them, except accidentally and as an experiment. (Chapter II, item 55, pages 170 e 171).
138. Of all means of communication, writing is simpler, faster, and more comfortable, allowing a better development; it is also the faculty found more often. (Chapter II, item 56, page 171).
139. The medium writes under the influence of the Spirits, who use him as an instrument; their hand is drawn by an involuntary movement, which most of the times he cannot command. Certain mediums have no conscious of what they write, and others more or less; this is what distinguishes the mechanic mediums from the intuitive and semi-mechanic mediums. (Chapter II, item 58, page 171).
140. The medium has the faculty of communicating, but the effective communication depends of the Spirits’ will. If they do not wish to communicate, the medium will not be able to do it. Therefore, we arrive to the conclusion that no medium has the power to force them to manifest. (Chapter II, item 59, page 171).
141. The dimness required for the production of certain physical effects, no doubt contributes for suspicion, but nothing proves against their reality. In Chemistry some combinations cannot be done in the light. All Spiritist phenomena result from a combination of the Spirit’s fluid with those of the medium. Since these fluids are matter, it is no surprise that in certain circumstances this combination is contrary to the presence of light. (Chapter II, item 61, page 172).
142. There are no universal mediums, those with skills to produce all phenomena. Therefore, it is a mistake to believe that it is enough to be a medium to easily receive communications from any Spirit. (Chapter II, item 63, page 173).
Answers to the proposed questions
A. What is required for a Spiritist meeting to be useful?
To be useful, the meeting must have the main condition of seriousness, as well as meditation, respect and religiousness. (What is Spiritism, Chapter II, items 44 to 46, page 166).
B. What is the purpose of Spiritists manifestations?
The purpose of the manifestations is to convince the unbelievers that everything does not end for man with his earthly life, and also to give the believers more precise knowledge about the future. The Good Spirits come to teach us about our improvement and progress, and not to reveal what we are not ready to know yet, or what can only be achieved through our work. (Ibid, Chapter II, items 50 and 51, pages 168 and 169).
C. How do Spiritist intelligent communications take place?
Intelligent communications take place in the same manner as all others, by means of the fluidic action of the Spirit on the medium, and it is necessary that the fluid of the intermediary identifies itself with the fluid of the Spirit wishing to communicate. The smoothness of these communications depends of the degree of affinity existing between the two fluids. (Ibid, Chapter II, item 62, page 172).
