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"Allan Kardec's "The Spirits Book" is a seminal work that explores fundamental questions about human existence, spirituality and the purpose of life. First published in 1857, Kardec presents a series of questions and answers compiled through mediumistic séances, addressing essential topics such as the nature of God, the immortality of the soul and morality. This foundational text of spiritualism seeks to provide a philosophical framework for understanding the relationship between the spiritual and earthly worlds. Through the responses transmitted by spirits, Kardec explores key concepts of spiritualism, including the law of cause and effect, reincarnation, and the influence of spirits on human life. The ""Book of Spirits"" not only presents a comprehensive view of spiritualism, but also invites deep reflection on the nature of existence and the deeper meaning of life. This timeless work remains a benchmark in the study of spirituality and the connection between the material and spiritual worlds."A través de anécdotas esclarecedoras y principios espirituales, la autora demuestra cómo nuestras palabras tienen el poder de moldear nuestras circunstancias y determinar nuestro destino. Shinn ofrece técnicas prácticas y ejercicios para cambiar patrones de pensamiento negativos, manifestando así deseos y objetivos positivos. "El Poder de la Palabra Hablada" sigue siendo una fuente inspiradora y práctica para aquellos interesados en el desarrollo personal y la manifestación consciente. La obra proporciona una guía efectiva para aprovechar el potencial creador de nuestras palabras, recordándonos que la manera en que nos expresamos y las afirmaciones que pronunciamos tienen un impacto directo en la realidad que creamos para nosotros mismos.
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THE SPIRITS’ BOOK
Containing the
PRINCIPLES OF THE SPIRITIST DOCTRINE
Contents
Introduction .............................................................................27
Prolegomena ............................................................................73
PART ONE
First Causes
Chapter I – God
God and the Infinite ..................................................................79
Proofs of the Existence of God ...................................................80
The Attributes of the Divinity ....................................................82
Pantheism ..................................................................................83
Chapter II – The General Elements of the Universe The Knowledge of the Origin of Things ....................................87
Spirit and Matter .......................................................................88
The Properties of Matter ............................................................91
Universal Space ..........................................................................93
Chapter III – Creation
The Formation of Worlds...........................................................95
The Formation of Living Beings.................................................96
The Peopling of the Earth: Adam ...............................................99
The Diversity of Human Races ..................................................99
The Plurality of Worlds ............................................................100
Biblical Considerations and Account concerning the Creation ... 102
Chapter IV – The Vital Principle
Organic and Inorganic Beings ..................................................107
Life and Death .........................................................................109
Intelligence and Instinct ...........................................................111
PART TWO
The Spirit World or the World of Spirits
Chapter I – Spirits
The Origin and Nature of Spirits .............................................117
The Primitive Normal World ...................................................120
The Form and Ubiquity of Spirits ............................................120
The Perispirit ...........................................................................122
The Different Orders of Spirits ................................................123
The Spirit Hierarchy ................................................................124
The Progression of Spirits.........................................................133
Angels and Demons .................................................................138
Chapter II – The Incarnation of Spirits
The Purpose of Incarnation ......................................................141
The Soul ..................................................................................142
Materialism ..............................................................................147
Chapter III – The Return from the Corporeal to the Spirit Life The Soul after Death; Its Individuality. Eternal Life .................151
The Separation of the Soul from the Body ...............................153
The Spirit’s State of Confusion after Death ..............................157
Chapter IV – The Plurality of Existences
Reincarnation...........................................................................161
The Justice of Reincarnation ....................................................162
Incarnation on Different Worlds ..............................................163
Progressive Transmigration .......................................................170
The Fate of Children after Death .............................................173
Gender in Spirits ......................................................................175
Kinship, Affiliation ..................................................................176
Physical and Moral Likeness .....................................................177
Innate Ideas ..............................................................................181
Chapter V – Considerations concerning the Plurality ofExistences ............................................................................ 183
Chapter VI – Spirit Life
Errant Spirits ............................................................................197
Transitional Worlds ..................................................................200
Perceptions, Sensations and Sufferings of Spirits .......................203
Theoretical Essay on Sensation in Spirits ..................................208
The Choice of Trials .................................................................215
Relationships beyond the Grave ...............................................223
Sympathies and Antipathies among Spirits. Eternal halves........227
The Remembrance of Corporeal Existence ...............................231
The Commemoration of the Dead. Funerals ............................235
Chapter VII – The Return to Corporeal Life Preludes to the Return ..............................................................239
The Joining of the Soul with the Body. Abortion .....................243
The Moral and Intellectual Faculties of Humankind ................247
The Influence of the Organism ................................................249
Mental Impairment, Insanity ...................................................251
Childhood ...............................................................................255
Earthly Sympathies and Antipathies .........................................258
Forgetfulness of the Past ...........................................................260
Chapter VIII – The Emancipation of the Soul Sleep and Dreams ....................................................................267
Visits between the Spirits of Living Persons ..............................274
The Concealed Transmission of Thought .................................276
Lethargy, Catalepsy. Apparent Death ........................................277
Somnambulism ........................................................................278
Ecstasy .....................................................................................283
Second Sight ............................................................................285
A Theoretical Summary on Somnambulism, Ecstasy and Second Sight ............................................................................287
Chapter IX – The Intervention of Spirits in the Corporeal World The Reading of Our Thoughts by Spirits .................................295
The Concealed Influence of Spirits upon Our Thoughts and Actions ..........................................................................296
The Possessed ...........................................................................300
Convulsionaries........................................................................303
The Affection of Spirits for Certain Persons .............................305
Guardian Angels: Protector, Familiar and Sympathetic Spirits ..306
Presentiments ...........................................................................318
The Influence of Spirits on the Events of Life ...........................319
The Action of Spirits on the Phenomena of Nature ..................324
Spirits during Battle .................................................................326
Pacts .........................................................................................328
Occult Power, Talismans, Sorcerers ...........................................330
Blessings and Curses .................................................................332
Chapter X – Occupations and Missions of Spirits ............... 333
Chapter XI – The Three Kingdoms
Minerals and Plants ..................................................................343
Animals and Human Beings .....................................................345
Metempsychosis .......................................................................354
PART THREE
Moral Laws
Chapter I – Divine or Natural Law
The Characteristics of Natural Law ..........................................361
The Origin and Knowledge of Natural Law .............................362
Good and Evil ..........................................................................366
The Divisions of Natural Law ..................................................371
Chapter II – The Law of Worship
The Purpose of Worship ..........................................................373
Outward Worship Forms .........................................................374
The Contemplative Life ...........................................................376
Prayer .......................................................................................376
Polytheism ...............................................................................380
Sacrifice ....................................................................................382
Chapter III – The Law of Labor
The Necessity of Labor ............................................................387
The Limit of Labor. Rest ..........................................................389
Chapter IV – The Law of Reproduction
The Global Population .............................................................393
The Succession and Perfection of the Races ..............................393
Obstacles to Reproduction .......................................................395
Marriage and Celibacy .............................................................396
Polygamy .................................................................................397
Chapter V – The Law of Preservation
The Self-Preservation Instinct ..................................................399
The Means of Self-Preservation ................................................399
The Enjoyment of Material Things ..........................................403
Necessary and Superfluous Things ...........................................404
Voluntary Privation. Mortifications ..........................................405
Chapter VI – The Law of Destruction
Necessary Destruction and Abusive Destruction ......................409
Destructive Calamities .............................................................412
War ..........................................................................................414
Murder .....................................................................................415
Cruelty .....................................................................................416
Dueling ....................................................................................418
The Death Penalty ...................................................................419
Chapter VII – The Law of Society
The Need for Societal Life........................................................423
The Life of Isolation. The Vow of Silence .................................424
Family Ties ...............................................................................425
Chapter VIII – The Law of Progress
The State of Nature ..................................................................427
The March of Progress .............................................................428
Relapsed Cultures ...................................................................431
Civilization ..............................................................................435
The Progress of Human Legislation ..........................................437
Spiritism’s Influence on Progress ...............................................438
Chapter IX – The Law of Equality
Natural Equality.......................................................................441
The Inequality of Aptitudes .....................................................442
Social Inequalities ....................................................................443
The Inequality of Wealth .........................................................443
The Trials of Wealth and Poverty ..............................................445
Equality of Rights between Men and Women ..........................446
Equality in Death .....................................................................448
Chapter X – The Law of Freedom
Natural Freedom ......................................................................451
Slavery .....................................................................................452
Freedom of Thought ................................................................454
Freedom of Conscience ............................................................454
Free Will ..................................................................................456
Fatalism ...................................................................................458
Foreknowledge of the Future ....................................................466
A theoretical Summary on the Driving Force behind Human Actions .....................................................................................468
Chapter XI – The Law of Justice, Love and Charity Justice and Natural Rights ........................................................473
The Right of Ownership. Theft ................................................476
Charity and Love for Our Neighbor .........................................477
Maternal and Filial Love ..........................................................480
Chapter XII – Moral Perfection
Virtues and Vices .....................................................................483
The Passions ............................................................................489
Selfishness ................................................................................490
The Characteristics of a Moral Person ......................................495
Self-Knowledge ........................................................................496
PART FOUR
Hopes and Consolations
Chapter I – Earthly Joys and Sorrows
Relative Happiness and Unhappiness .......................................501
The Loss of Loved Ones ...........................................................508
Disappointments. Ungratefulness. Broken Affections ...............510
Antipathetic Unions .................................................................511
The Fear of Death ....................................................................513
Dissatisfaction with Life. Suicide ..............................................514
Chapter II – Future Joys and Sorrows
Nothingness. The Future Life ...................................................523
The Intuition of Future Joys and Sorrows ................................524
God’s Intervention in Punishments and Rewards .....................525
The Nature of Future Joys and Sorrows ....................................527
Temporary Punishments ..........................................................535
Expiation and Repentance ........................................................538
The Duration of Future Punishments ......................................543
The Resurrection of the Flesh...................................................551
Heaven, Hell and Purgatory .....................................................553
Conclusion .......................................................................... 559
INTRODUCTION
I
When new matters arise, new words are needed for the sake of clarity of language in order to avoid the confusion inherent in multiple meanings for the same terms. For example, the words spiritual, spiritualist and spiritualism each have a well-defined meaning. To give each of them a new meaning in order to apply it to the Spirits’ Doctrine would be to multiply the already numerous causes of ambiguity. Strictly speaking, spiritualism is the opposite of materialism and everyone who believes there is something within them that is more than matter are spiritualists; however, it does not necessarily follow that they must therefore believe in the existence of spirits or in communications with the invisible world. Therefore, instead of the words spiritual and spiritualism for designating this latter belief, we have coined and employed the words Spiritist and Spiritism. These two terms reflect their origin and their fundamental meaning, and they thus have the advantage of being perfectly understandable. We will leave spiritualism to its own meaning.
Hence, we will say that the principle of the Spiritist Doctrine or Spiritism is based on the relationship between the material world and the invisible world, the latter being inhabited by beings known as spirits. The adherents of Spiritism will be called Spiritists.
In a specialized sense, The Spirits’ Book contains the SpiritistDoctrine; in a generalized sense, it is linked to spiritualism and represents one aspect of it. That is why we have inscribed the words on the title-page: Spiritualist Philosophy.
II
There is another word that we must also agree on since it is one of the keys to every moral doctrine, and to that end it has provoked innumerable controversies due to the lack of a generally accepted meaning: it is the word
soul
. The differences of viewpoints regarding the nature of the soul come from the individual definition that each person attaches to this word. A perfect language, in which each idea would be represented by its own specialized term, would avoid many arguments; with a single word for each thing, everything would be understood.
According to some, the soul is the principle of material organic life; it has no existence of its own and at death it ceases to exist. This view is purely materialistic. In this sense and by comparison, those who have adopted this view speak of the body at death as though it were a broken instrument that no longer produces any sound; i.e., that it no longer has a soul. According to this viewpoint, the soul would be an effect rather than a cause.
Others believe that the soul is the principle of intelligence, the universal agent of which each being absorbs a portion. According to this group, there is only one soul in the entire universe. This soul distributes a spark of itself to the various intelligent beings throughout their lives. At death, each spark returns to the common source, where it merges once again into the whole, just as streams and rivers return to the ocean that gave them origin. This viewpoint differs from the preceding one in that, according to this theory, there is something more than matter within us – something that remains after death. On the other hand, it is almost as if nothing actually remained; since our individual personality no longer survives, we are no longer conscious of ourselves. According to this viewpoint, the universal soul would be God, and each being would be a portion of God. It is a type of pantheism.
Finally, according to others the soul is a moral being distinct from and independent of matter, and it preserves its individuality after death. This conception is incontestably the most common because, under one name or another, the idea of this being that survives the body is an instinctive belief that is independent of any particular teaching and can be found among all cultures to whatever degree they may have become civilized. This doctrine, in which the soul is a cause and not an effect, is that of spiritualists.
Without discussing the merit of each of these viewpoints, and considering only the linguistic side of the issue, we will state that these three applications of the word soul comprise three distinct ideas, each one requiring a different term. Thus, the word soul can have one of three meanings and each is correct from its own point of view according to its own particular definition. Language itself is to blame for having only one word available for three different ideas. In order to avoid confusion, it would be necessary to limit the meaning of the word soul to only one of those three ideas.
Choosing this or that definition would not matter, since it is simply a matter of convention; the important thing is clarity. We think that is most logical to take it in its commonest meaning, and we thus use soul to indicate the immaterial and individual beingthat dwells within and survives the body. Even if this being did not really exist and was no more than a product of the imagination, a term would be needed to designate it nonetheless.
Lacking such a specific term for each of the other two ideas, we will apply the label vital principle to define the material and organic life principle – whatever its source may be – which is common to all living creatures, from plants to humans. Since life can exist without the faculty of thought, the vital principle is something distinct and independent of it. The word vitality would not express the same idea, however. For some, the vital principle is a property of matter, an effect produced wherever matter is found under given conditions. According to others – and this idea is the commonest – it is found in a special, universally diffused fluid.2 Each being absorbs and assimilates a portion of this fluid throughout its life much as inert bodies absorb light. This substance is the vital fluid, which, according to certain opinions, would be the same thing as the animalized electric energy, also designated as magnetic fluid, neural fluid, etc.
Whatever the case may be, there is one incontestable fact – for it results from observation – and that is that organic beings possess an inner force that produces the phenomenon of life as long as this force exists; that physical life is common to all organic beings and is independent of intelligence and thought; that intelligence and thought are faculties peculiar to certain organic species; and lastly, that among the organic species endowed with intelligence and thought, there is one that is endowed with a special moral sense that gives it incontestable ascendancy over the others: the human species.
It should be understood that in its multiple meanings the term soul does not exclude either materialism or pantheism.
Spiritualists themselves can very well understand soul according to one or the other of the first two definitions, without denying the distinct immaterial being; they would give some other name to it.
Thus, the word soul does not represent a personal opinion; it is a Proteus3 that everyone may adapt in their own way, a fact that has led to endless argument.
2 See the footnote in question 27 for an explanation of this term – Tr.
3 A Greek sea god capable of assuming different forms – Tr.
Even if we were to use the word soul in all three of its meanings, we might avoid confusion if we added a qualification to it in order to specify the way in which we envisage it or the application we are giving it at the time. Hence, it would be a generic term, representing simultaneously the principles of material life, intelligence and moral sense. Each of these would be distinguished by a particular attribute, like gas, for example, which may be differentiated by using the words hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Perhaps we could most correctly use the term vital soul for the principle of material life, intellectual soul for the principle of intelligence, and spiritual soul for the principle of our individuality after death. As one can plainly see, it is all a matter of words, but a very important matter for us to understand nevertheless. Thus, the vital soul would be common to all organic beings: plants, animals and humans; the intellectual soul would be the distinctive property of animals and humans, and the spiritualsoul would apply only to humans.
We believe it is necessary to insist on such explanations since the Spiritist Doctrine naturally rests on the existence within us of a being independent of matter. This being survives the body at death. Since the word soul is repeated frequently throughout this work, we have thus had to set the meaning we attach to it in order to avoid any misunderstanding.
We now come to the principal objective of this preliminary instruction.
III
Like every new theory, the Spiritist Doctrine has its followers and its detractors. We will endeavor to respond to some of the latters’ objections by examining the validity of the reasons upon which such objections are based, without, however, intending to convince everybody – there are those who believe that the light was made solely for them. We will turn our attention to those of good faith, who are without preconceptions or set minds, but who sincerely desire to learn. We will prove to them that most of their objections to the Doctrine are the result of an incomplete observation of the factual events and a judgment formed too quickly and too rashly.
To start with, we will briefly recall the progressive series of phenomena that originated the Doctrine.
The first event to be observed was the movement of various objects, popularly called table-turning4 or the dance of the tables.
This phenomenon appears to have been first observed in America (or rather, it recurred in that country, since history shows that it actually dates back to remote antiquity) and was produced and accompanied by other strange occurrences such as unusual noises and raps emitted without any obvious or known cause. From America, it rapidly spread throughout Europe and other parts of the world. It was met with much disbelief at first, but the multiplicity of the experiences soon left no doubt as to its reality.
If the phenomenon had been limited to the movement of physical objects, it might have been explained by some purely physical cause. After all, we are far from knowing about all the secret agents of nature, or even all the properties of those we do know about. Electricity, for example, offers to humankind resources that multiply daily, and it appears ready to illuminate science with a new light. Therefore, if electricity were modified by certain circumstances or some unknown agent, it is quite possible that it could have been the cause behind the movement.
The gathering of several persons in a group increased the strength of the action, which appeared to support this theory since such a group could be regarded as a kind of multi-cell battery whose power corresponded to the number of participants.
4 Sometimes known as table-tipping. – Tr.
The circular movement of the objects was nothing extraordinary – it belongs to nature itself. All the heavenly bodies move in circles. Thus, we could have had before us nothing more than a small reflection of the general movement of the universe, or rather, under certain circumstances, an as-yet unknown cause fortuitously producing in small objects a current analogous to that which impels the worlds through space.
The movement, however, was not always circular. It was frequently brusque and disorderly. The object would be violently shaken, overturned, carried about in every direction, and contrary to all the laws of statics5, suspended and held in the air. Nevertheless, there was nothing in these events that might not be explainable by the force of some invisible physical agent. After all, do we not see electricity knock down buildings, uproot trees, attract or repel the heaviest bodies or hurl them to considerable distances?
Assuming that the unusual noises and raps were not the common effects of the wood expanding or some other fortuitous cause, then they might very well have been produced by an accumulation of some kind of concealed fluid. After all, does not electricity produce the most violent noises?
Up to this point, everything might have been considered as belonging to the domain of the purely physical and physiological.
Even within this narrow scope, however, one would think that the material at hand would surely be worthy of serious study and the attention of scholars. Why was that not the case? As hard as it is to admit, it is connected to reasons that prove, among a thousand other similar ones, the shallowness of the human mind.
First, the commonness of the main object that served as the basis for the earliest experiments – a plain table – was nothing out of the ordinary. How interesting is the influence of a simple word in
5 “The branch of mechanics that deals with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium” (Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, 1991) – Tr.
the most serious matters! Without ever considering the fact that the movement could involve any object whatsoever, the focus on tables undoubtedly prevailed as the most convenient because they could accommodate more individuals around them than any other piece of furniture. However, “superior” minds were sometimes too narrow-minded and felt it too belittling to concern themselves with what was commonly called the dance of the tables. If the phenomenon observed by Galvani6 had likewise been observed by ordinary persons instead and given some burlesque nickname, it would probably have also been regarded as having the same credibility as a magic wand. What scholars would not have deemed it beneath them to concern themselves with the dance of the frogs?
A few individuals, however, were modest enough to admit that nature might not have given them its final word, and they wanted to observe the matter for themselves in order to set their minds at ease. But it just so happened that the phenomenon did not always correspond to their expectations, and since it was not produced consistently either according to their wishes or their method of experimentation, they came to a negative conclusion.
However, despite their verdict, the tables continued to turn, and we may state with Galileo, “Nevertheless, they move!” Furthermore, we can state that the occurrences have multiplied in such a way that nowadays7 they have earned the right of citizenship, and that we only need to find a rational explanation for them. Can anything be inferred against the reality of the phenomenon by the fact that it is not always produced in exactly the same way and according to the will and requirements of the observer? The phenomena of electricity and chemistry depend on certain conditions, but could we deny
6 Luigi Galvani was an Italian scientist who discovered “animal electricity” while dissecting a frog. He touched one of the frog’s nerves with his scalpel, causing the frog’s leg to twitch as though it were still alive; thus Kardec’s reference to the dance of the frogs analogy with the dance of the tables – Tr.
7 Kardec wrote this text in the mid 1850s – Tr.
their existence because they cannot be produced apart from such conditions? Should we find it surprising that the phenomenon of the movement of objects by the human fluid also requires its own special conditions, and that it ceases when the observers – set in their point of view – try to produce it at their own whim or subject it to the law of ordinary phenomena, without considering the fact that for a new order of events there must also be new laws? In order to understand such laws, it is necessary to study the circumstances under which the phenomena are produced, and such a study cannot be but the result of persevering, careful and sometimes very prolonged observation.
People often object that there is frequently obvious fraud involved. We in turn would like to ask if they are quite sure that it is fraud, or instead, if it might be that they have attached the fraud label to things they were unable to understand, the same way uneducated persons might see in a physicist’s experiments only the tricks of a deft magician. And even assuming that fraud does sometimes occur, would that be a reason to deny the phenomenon itself? Must we deny physics simply because there are magicians who call themselves physicists? Moreover, it is necessary to consider the character of supposedly fraudulent persons and what interest they might have in deceiving us. Could it all be just a prank? A prank can hold our attention for a little while, but if it goes on too long it becomes as wearisome for the prankster as it is for the object of the prank. Furthermore, a prank perpetrated from one end of the world to the other and among the most serious, venerable and enlightened individuals would be something at least as extraordinary as the phenomenon itself.
IV
If the phenomena we are considering had been limited only to the movement of objects, they would have remained within the domain of the physical sciences – as we have stated – but that is not what happened. They were destined to place us on the trail of events of a strange order. It was soon discovered (we do not know at whose initiative) that the impulse given to the objects was not simply the product of some blind mechanical force; rather, an intelligent cause was behind in the movement. This opened the way to an entirely new field of observation – the veil could be lifted on many mysteries. Was there actually an intelligent power involved, however? If so, what was it? What was its nature? What was its origin? Was it superior to humankind? Such were the other questions that derived from the first.
The first intelligent manifestations occurred by means of tables that moved and struck the floor with one leg a certain number of times, thereby responding to the question asked, according to what had been agreed on as to the number that would indicate either “yes” or “no”. Even here there was nothing very convincing for the skeptics, since it could have been seen as a chance effect. Later, however, more highly developed responses were received using the letters of the alphabet. By striking the floor a certain number of times for each letter, the table formed words and sentences in response to the questions. The correctness of the responses and their congruency with the question caused astonishment. When asked about its nature, the mysterious being who gave the responses declared that it was a spirit; it stated its name and furnished other sorts of information. This should be seen as a highly important occurrence. No one individual in particular had ever even thought of spirits as a way to explain the phenomenon; instead, it was the phenomenon itself that revealed theterm. Hypotheses are frequently formed in the physical sciences to serve as a basis for reasoning, but that did not happen in this case.
Communicating in this manner, however, was wearisome and inconvenient. One of these invisible beings – and this is also a noteworthy occurrence – suggested another. This particular spirit advised fitting a pencil to a small basket or other object.
When placed on a sheet of paper, the basket was moved by the same hidden power that had turned the tables. However, instead of a simple regular movement, the pencil wrote by itself, forming words, sentences and entire discourses of many pages dealing with the deepest questions of philosophy, morality, metaphysics, psychology, etc., and as quickly as though written by hand.
This suggestion was given in America, France and several other countries simultaneously. Here are the terms in which it was given in Paris on June 10, 1853 to one of the most fervent disciples of the Doctrine, who, for many years – since 1849 – had been occupied with the evocation of spirits: “Go into the next room and get that little basket; attach a pencil to it and then place it on a sheet of paper with your fingers on the rim.” This was done and after a few moments the basket began to move and the pencil legibly wrote this sentence: “I expressly forbid you to tell anyone what I have just told you; the next time I write, I will write better.”
Since the object to which the pencil is fitted is merely an instrument, its nature and form do not matter; the most convenient means was sought for, and it was thus that many individuals began to use a planchette.8
The basket or planchette will not move, however, except under the influence of certain persons gifted with a special ability. These are called mediums, that is, intermediaries between spirits and humans. The conditions that produce this ability are linked both to physical and moral causes that are still imperfectly understood. Mediums are of all ages, of both sexes and of all degrees of intellectual development. Moreover, the faculty can be developed further by exercising it.
8 “A small triangular or heart-shaped board supported by two casters and a pencil or stylus that, when moved by the fingertips across a surface, supposedly writes clairvoyant messages or subconscious thoughts. (Webster’s, op. cit.) – Tr.
V
It was then realized that the basket and the planchette were only extensions of the hand, and that when mediums held the pencil directly, their hand was made to write by an involuntary, almost feverish impulse. In this way, the communications became faster, easier and complete. Nowadays, this is the most common method, and the number of persons endowed with this ability is quite considerable and increases daily. Finally, experience revealed many other varieties of mediumship, and it was discovered that communications could also occur through speech, hearing, sight, touch, etc., and even through spirits writing directly, that is, without using the medium’s hand or the pencil.
This fact having been established, there was still one more essential point to consider: the role of the medium in the responses and the part he or she might play both mechanically and mentally. Two crucial circumstances (which would not escape the attentive observer) make it possible to settle the issue. The first is the way by which the basket moves under the medium’s influence by simply placing the fingers on its rim; an examination will show the impossibility of the medium guiding the basket in any way. This impossibility becomes especially obvious when two or three persons are touching the basket at the same time. It would require a truly phenomenal coordination of movement between them in addition to an extraordinary similarity of thought that would enable them to understand each other and give answers to the questions. Another no less original fact adds to the problem, that being the radical change in the writing according to the individual spirit who communicates; the same writing recurs whenever the same spirit returns. For this to happen, it would be necessary for the medium to have trained him or herself to change writing styles twenty different ways, and furthermore, he or she would have to remember the style of this or that spirit every time.
The second circumstance results from the nature of the responses themselves, which, in most cases – especially when dealing with abstract or scientific questions – are obviously outside the knowledge, and sometimes the intellectual reach, of the medium. Moreover, the medium is usually unaware of what is being written or may not even understand the question, which may be asked mentally or even in a foreign language, with the answer given in the same language. Furthermore, the basket may write spontaneously about some completely unexpected subject, without any question having been asked regarding it.
In some cases, the responses reveal a level of wisdom, depth and timeliness, and the thoughts are so elevated and sublime that they could only have come from a higher intelligence imbued with the purest morality. At other times, they are so flippant, so frivolous and so banal that reason refuses to accept the possibility that they could have come from the same source. Such diversity of language can only be explained by the diversity of the intelligences who manifest themselves. Are these intelligences human or not?
That is the point to clarify, and for which a complete explanation, as conveyed by the Spirits9 themselves, will be found in this book.
Here we are facing obvious effects that are produced outside the circle of our habitual observations. These effects do not occur mysteriously, but in the full light of day; anyone can see and observe them because they are not the privilege of one individual in particular, but are repeated every day by thousands of persons at will. These effects necessarily have a cause, and since they reveal the action of an intelligence and a will, they are outside the purely physical realm.
Many theories have been formulated regarding the matter.
We will examine them briefly and will see if they can render
9 When the term “the Spirits” with a capital “S” appears in the text, it is referring to the group of highly evolved spirits who were involved in revealing the Spiritist Doctrine, and after whom this work has been entitled (see the Prolegomena) – Tr.
comprehensible all the facts that have surfaced. In the meantime, however, let us accept the existence of beings distinct from humankind – since that is the explanation given by the intelligences themselves – and let us see what they might have to tell us.
VI
As we stated previously, the beings who communicate have identified themselves as spirits, and at least some of them say that they have lived before as human beings on the earth. They comprise the spirit world, as during our life on earth we comprise the corporeal world.
We will now briefly sum up the main points of the Doctrine that they have transmitted to us so that we may more easily reply to certain objections:
“God is eternal, immutable, immaterial, one, all powerful, and supremely just and good.
“God created the universe, which includes all animate and inanimate, material and immaterial beings.
“The material beings comprise the visible or corporeal world, whereas the immaterial beings comprise the invisible or spirit world, i.e. the world of spirits.
“The spirit world is the normal, primitive, eternal, preexistent and all-surviving world.
“The corporeal world is secondary; it could cease to exist –or it might never have existed in the first place – without changing the essence of the spirit world.
“Spirits temporarily take on a perishable material envelope and its destruction by death returns them to freedom.
“From among all the different species of corporeal beings, God chose the human species for the incarnation of spirits who have reached a certain degree of development. This endows them with a moral and intellectual ascension over the others.
“The soul is an incarnate spirit; the body is only its envelope.
“Human beings are composed of three things: first, the body or material being, similar to that of the animals and animated by the same vital principle; second, the soul or immaterial being, the spirit incarnated in the body; and third, the link that unites the soul to the body, an intermediary principle between the body and spirit.
“Human beings thus have two natures: by means of their body they share in the nature of the animals and share the same instincts; by means of their soul they share in the nature of the spirits.
“The link or perispirit unites the body and the spirit. It is a sort of semi-material envelope. Death destroys only the denser envelope, i.e. the physical body. The spirit retains the perispirit, which comprises its ethereal body. The perispirit is invisible to us in its normal state, but the spirit can render it visible and even tangible, as occurs during the phenomenon of apparitions.
“Therefore, a spirit is not an abstract, indefinable being that can only be conceived of by thought. It is a real, circumscribed being that in certain cases may be perceived by our senses of sight,hearing and touch.
“Spirits belong to different orders and they are not all equal in power, intelligence, knowledge or morality. Those of the first order are the most highly evolved spirits. These spirits are distinguished by their perfection, knowledge and closeness to God, in addition to the purity of their sentiments and their love of the good10. They are angels or pure spirits. The other orders are in various degrees more distant from such perfection. The spirits of the lowest orders share our base passions – hatred, envy, jealousy, pride, etc. – and actually take pleasure in wrongdoing. Among these are spirits who are neither very good nor very evil, and who are usually more troublesome and scheming than downright wicked. Essentially mischievous and inconsequential, they are the foolish and frivolous spirits.
10 The good: “Moral righteousness; virtue” (Webster’s op. cit.). – Tr.
“Spirits do not belong to the same order forever. They all improve themselves, passing through the different degrees of the spirit hierarchy.11 This improvement occurs through incarnation, which is imposed on some as an expiation, and on others as a mission. Earthly life is a trial to which they submit themselves many times until they reach perfection. It is a kind of sifter or purifier from which they emerge at different degrees of refinement or improvement.
“Upon leaving the body, the soul returns to the spirit world from which it came. Following a longer or shorter stay in the spirit world, it will once more start a new physical life.12
“Since our spirit must pass through many incarnations, it follows that we all have had many existences, and that we will have still others along the course of the different stages of advancement.
This will occur either on the earth or on other worlds.
“The incarnation of spirits always occurs in the human species. It would be an error to believe that the soul or spirit could incarnate in the body of an animal.
“The many corporeal lives of a spirit are always progressive and never regressive, but the speed of its progress depends on the efforts that it makes to reach perfection.
“The qualities of the soul are those of the incarnate spirit.
Thus, a moral person is the incarnation of a good spirit, while a wicked person is that of a little-evolved spirit.
“The soul has its own particular individuality before incarnating, and it retains it after it separates from the body.
“Upon its return to the spirit world, the soul reencounters all those whom it had known while on earth, and all of its former lives are delineated in its memory. It can thus recall all the good and evil it had done.
11 See pt. 2, chap. I, nos. 100 ff. – Tr.
12 Between this particular doctrine of reincarnation and that of metempsychosis, as held by certain sects, there is a characteristic difference that will be explained in the course of this work – Auth.
“The incarnate spirit is under the influence of matter.
Persons who overcome this influence by elevating and purifying their soul grow closer to the good spirits, among whom they will be counted someday. However, those who allow themselves to be controlled by their evil passions, and who take full pleasure in satisfying their crude appetites by yielding to their animal nature, grow closer to the lower order spirits.
“Incarnate spirits inhabit various globes throughout the universe.
“Discarnate or errant spirits do not occupy any fixed or circumscribed region. They are everywhere, in space and beside us, watching and intermingling with us all the time. They comprise an invisible population that is always active around us.
“Spirits constantly act upon the mental world and even upon the physical world. They act upon matter and thought. They comprise one of the powers of nature and are the actual cause behind a multitude of phenomena that have been unexplainable or poorly explained until now, and which have not found a rational solution except in Spiritism.
“Interaction between spirits and humans is constant. Good spirits encourage us to follow the path of the good. They support us in the trials of life and help us to bear them with courage and resignation. Evil spirits, on the other hand, encourage us to take the path of evil. It is a pleasure for them when they see us succumb and fall to their level.
“Spirit communications with humans are either concealed or direct. Concealed communications – undetectable in a physical sense –occur through the good or bad influence they exert on us without our even suspecting it and it depends on our own judgment to distinguish between their good and bad inspirations. Direct communications occur through writing, speech or other physical means, usually by way of mediums who serve as their instruments.
“Spirits manifest either by appearing spontaneously or by being evoked. We can evoke all spirits, whether they have animated obscure individuals or the most illustrious personages, regardless of when they lived. We can evoke our relatives, friends or enemies.
Through written or verbal communications we may obtain advice, information about their current situation, their thoughts about us – whatever revelations they are permitted to convey.
“Spirits are attracted according to the affinity they have with the moral nature of the persons who evoke them. High order spirits enjoy serious meetings, where the love of the good and a sincere desire to learn and grow predominate. Their presence repels low order spirits. These find free access to and can influence frivolous persons or those who are only guided by curiosity, or wherever else evil instincts may be found. Rather than receiving any good advice or useful information from these spirits, we should expect nothing more from them than frivolities, lies, mischievous pranks and deceitfulness. They frequently use venerable names in order to better induce us to error.
“Nevertheless, distinguishing between good and evil13 spirits is extremely easy. The language of high order spirits is always dignified, noble, imbued with the highest morality and free from every lower passion. Their counsels reveal the highest wisdom and always address our progress and the good of humankind.
Low order and inconsequential spirits are almost always trite and can even be crass. They might sometimes say things that are good and true, but more often they make erroneous and absurd statements either out of malice or ignorance. They laugh at people’s gullibility and amuse themselves at the cost of those who question them, flattering their vanity and cajoling their desires with false hopes. In sum, serious communications, in the perfect
13 See definition of “evil” in the footnote on p. 100. – Tr.
meaning of the term, only occur at serious centers14, where the members are united by an intimate communion of thought directed toward the good.
“The morality of high order spirits may be summed up in the Gospel maxim of Christ: ‘Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you’; that is, practice the good and not evil. In this principle, humankind finds the universal rule of conduct even for the smallest actions.
“They teach us that selfishness, pride and lust are passions that drag us down to our animal nature, keeping us enslaved to matter; that those on earth who free themselves of matter through their disregard for worldly frivolities, and who cultivate love for their neighbor, draw closer to their spiritual nature; that each one of us should make ourselves useful according to the faculties and means that God has placed in our hands to put us to the test; that the strong and powerful should support and protect the weak, for those who abuse their strength and power in order to oppress others violate God’s law. Lastly, they teach us that nothing can be hidden in the spirit world; that hypocrites will be unmasked there and all their evil exposed; that the inevitable and constant presence of those whom we have harmed is one of the punishments awaiting us there; that the unevolved and evolved states of spirits in that world correspond to sorrows and joys that are unknown to us on earth.
“However, they also teach us that there are no unforgivable sins, none that cannot be erased by expiation.15 Depending on our desire and effort, we find the necessary means to expiate them in the many existences that enable us to advance on the path of progress toward perfection, our final objective.”
14 That is, Spiritist centers. – Tr.
15 This is a very important term in Spiritism. According to Webster’s, to expiate means “to atone for; make amends or reparation for.” (ibid.) – Tr.
This is the summary of the Spiritist Doctrine as it appears in the teachings of the Spirits. Let us now look at the objections made against it.
VII
For many people, opposition from the institutions of higher learning represents, if not actual evidence, at least a strong argument challenging the Doctrine. We are not among those who would clamor against these scholars, lest we be regarded as disrespectful of their erudition. On the contrary, we hold them in great esteem and would be greatly honored to be numbered among them.
16
Their opinion, however, does not represent an irrefutable judgment in every circumstance.
When science goes beyond the material observation of phenomena and attempts to appraise and explain them, the field opens wide for scientists to make speculations. They build their own little theories, hope to see them prevail and fiercely defend their veracity. Don’t we see every day the most contradictory opinions being proposed, rejected and repealed as absurd errors, only to be proclaimed later as incontestable truths? The facts are the sole criteria for judgment, the incontestable line of reasoning.
In the absence of facts, skepticism is the position taken by the wise.
Scholars’ opinions on topics they have researched fully are justifiably believable because their knowledge about them is broader and better than that of common folk. However, when it comes to new principles and unknown matters, their way of looking at them is nothing more than hypothetical and they always observe them in the light of their own prejudices. One could perhaps safely
16 Prof. Hippolyte Léon Dénizard Rivail (Allan Kardec was his nom de plume for his Spiritist work), an author of several pedagogical books, fluent in many languages, was a member of several learned societies. Please refer to his bio in Anna Blackwell’s Preface to this book for more details – Tr.
state that scholars are possessed of even more prejudices than other persons due to their natural propensity for subjecting everything to the point of view of their own particular area of knowledge: mathematicians accept no proof beyond algebraic formulas; chemists relate everything to the interaction of the elements, and so on. Those who dedicate themselves to a particular specialty try to fit all their ideas into it. However, draw them away from their area of expertise and they almost always talk nonsense because they submit everything to their own point of view – a very common human weakness. I will gladly and confidently consult a chemist concerning a question of elemental analysis, a physicist concerning the power of electricity and an engineer concerning motive power.
However, they must allow me – without affecting the esteem I owe them for their particular expertise – not to take their negative opinion about Spiritism into consideration any more than I would take an architect’s judgment on a question about music.
The physical sciences are based on the properties of matter, which can be subjected to experimentation and manipulated at will. Spirit phenomena, on the other hand, rest on the action of intelligences who have wills of their own, and who show us at every turn that they are not subject to our whims. Spirit manifestations consequently cannot be dealt with in the same way as physical matter.
They require special conditions and a different approach, and trying to subject them to ordinary investigative procedures would be trying to establish analogies that do not exist. Science per se is incompetent to make any declaration of its own on the issue of Spiritism. It is not science’s place to concern itself with the subject, and its favorable or unfavorable verdict regarding it carries no weight. Spiritism results from a personal conviction that scholars may hold as individuals regardless of their status as scholars. Submitting the issue to science would be like handing the solution of the problem of the existence of the soul to a group of physicists and astronomers. In fact, Spiritism rests entirely on the existence of the soul and its state after death. It would be highly illogical to think that a particular person must be a great psychologist simply because he or she is a great mathematician or anatomist. For example, an anatomist dissects a human body in search of the soul but does not find it under his scalpel as he would find a nerve, nor does he see it rise like a mist. Based exclusively on the material examination of the issue, he thus concludes that the soul does not exist. Does it follow then that he is correct although his view is contrary to universal opinion regarding the immortality of the soul? No. You can therefore see why Spiritism does not fall under the jurisdiction of science. When Spiritist beliefs become known and accepted by the masses – and judging by the speed at which they are spreading, that time is not far off – the same thing will happen regarding Spiritism as has happened regarding all other new ideas that have encountered opposition: scholars will yield to the evidence. One by one, they will accept Spiritist beliefs by necessity, but until then it would be premature to distract them from their specialized endeavors in order to compel them to occupy themselves with a foreign matter that is neither within their prerogatives nor contained in their theories. Meanwhile, those who take a negative stance without a prior, in-depth study of the issue, and who ridicule those who do not agree with their opinion, forget that the same has happened regarding the majority of the great discoveries that have honored humankind. They risk seeing their names added to the list of illustrious deniers of new ideas and inscribed alongside the names of the erudite assembly, which in 1752 laughed uproariously at Franklin’s paper on lightning rods, considering it unworthy of mention among the subjects to be discussed; or the names of that other group that caused France to lose its advantage in steam powered navigation by declaring Fulton’s theory an impracticable dream. Nevertheless, both issues were within the scope of science.
If those assemblies, comprised of the greatest scholars in the world, had only contempt and sarcasm for ideas which they did not yet understand, but which would revolutionize science, customs and industry a few years later, what hope is there that an issue completely foreign to their endeavors might be received any better?
The regrettable errors of a few scholars regarding Spiritism should not lessen our respect for them regarding other subjects, but is an official diploma necessary for common sense? Are there only fools and simpletons outside academic halls? Let us take a survey of the followers of the Spiritist Doctrine to determine if among them there are only uneducated persons, and if the huge number of individuals of merit who have embraced it would justify relegating it to the realm of simple superstition. The character and learning of such individuals authorizes us to state that if they affirm it, there must at least be something to it.
We repeat once more that if the phenomena with which we are concerning ourselves had been restricted to the mechanical movement of objects, research into their physical cause would indeed be within the realm of science. However, since they involve manifestations outside the sphere of human laws and cannot be explained either by numbers or by mechanical forces, they are therefore outside the competence of physical science. When a new phenomenon arises that does not fit within the scope of any known science, then in order to study it scholars must set their science aside and say to themselves that they are dealing with a new area of study that cannot be delved into according to preconceived ideas.
Those who consider their reason to be infallible are very close to error; even those whose ideas are highly erroneous are supported by their reasoning, and that is why they reject everything that appears impossible to them. Those who yesterday rejected the admirable discoveries that humanity is proud of today also followed their own judgment in doing so. What we call reason is almost always masked pride, and those who believe they are infallible place themselves on a par with God. Therefore, we will focus on those who are reasonable enough to suspend judgment regarding matters that they have not witnessed first hand, and judging the future in the light of the past, do not believe that humankind has yet reached its apogee or that nature has revealed the last page of her book to them.
VIII
We would add that the study of a doctrine like Spiritism, which suddenly unveils such new and grand revelations, can only be profitably pursued by serious, persevering and open-minded individuals animated by a firm and sincere desire to arrive at a result.
This qualification does not include those who lightly make a priori judgments without having observed everything, and who neglect pursuing their examination of the Doctrine with the necessary continuity, regularity and concentration of thought; nor does it include those who, in order not to diminish their reputation as individuals of genius, endeavor to find something to ridicule in the most serious matters that are studied by individuals whose knowledge, character and convictions deserve the respect of all who pride themselves on their social graces. Let those who do not deem the facts worthy of their attention abstain. No one intends to violate their beliefs; for their part, however, they should respect the beliefs of others.
Continuity is what characterizes serious study. Thus, should we wonder at not receiving proper responses to questions that are serious in nature but asked at random and abruptly in the midst of a bundle of other nonsensical ones? A complex question requires preliminary and supplementary ones in order to be answered clearly.
Whoever wishes to acquire knowledge about a particular science must study it methodically, starting at the very beginning and following the chain and development of its ideas. Could someone who does not know the basics of a particular science pose questions at random to a scholar and profit from it? Could a well-intentioned scholar even give satisfactory responses to such a person? Such out-of-context responses would necessarily be incomplete and might therefore be nearly unintelligible, or they might even seem absurd and contradictory. The same applies regarding our relationships with spirits. If we desire to learn from them, we must take their course of study; however, just as we do in our own schools, we must choose our teachers and then work diligently.
We have stated that high order spirits only take part in serious meetings, especially those characterized by perfect communion of thought and moral sentiment. Frivolousness and idle curiosity repel them just as they would repel any reasonable individual.
These two traits open the field to the mass of deceitful and frivolous spirits who are always eagerly watching for opportunities to mock us and amuse themselves at our expense. What would happen to any serious question posed in such a meeting? Who is it that is actually providing the response – if one is received at all? It would be like being in the company of boisterous revelers and throwing out questions such as: What is the soul? What is death? and others just as entertaining. If you want serious answers, you yourself must be serious in every sense of the word and place yourself within all the required conditions. Only then will you obtain worthwhile responses. Be most diligent and persevering in your studies; otherwise, the high order spirits will abandon you, as a professor would abandon negligent students.
IX
The movement of inert objects is a proven fact. However, it remains to be seen whether or not there are manifestations of intelligence in such movement, and if so, what their source is.
We are not referring to manifestations involving the intelligent movement of certain objects, to manifestations involving verbal communications, or to communications written directly by the medium’s hand. These kinds of manifestations are quite obvious to those who have deeply investigated the subject, but they may not at first glance be sufficiently independent of the medium’s own will to be convincing to a new observer. Thus, we will focus only on the writings obtained with the help of a pencil attached to some object such as a small basket, a planchette, etc. As we have stated, the way in which the medium’s fingers are placed upon the object challenges the notion that any sort of skillful interference is at work in the way the words are formed. For the sake of discussion, however, let us suppose that by some extraordinary ability the medium might be able to deceive the most attentive observer. How could one explain the nature of the responses themselves when they are beyond the scope of the medium’s own ideas and knowledge? We are not referring here to simple one-syllable replies, but to many pages written with astonishing speed on a subject that may either be spontaneous or specifically requested. From the hand of a medium completely unversed in literature stream forth poems of such sublimity and impeccable purity that they are worthy of the best human poets. In addition, what is even more remarkable is the fact that these pages are being produced everywhere and the number of mediums is rapidly increasing. Are these occurrences real or not? To this question we can only reply: watch and observe – the opportunities will not be lacking. Above all, however, observe persistently over a long period of time and under the appropriate conditions.
How have our antagonists responded to the evidence? They say, “You are victims of either charlatanism or illusion.” First, we will reply that charlatanism is not likely where there is no profit to be made; charlatans do not work for free. It would be a prank at the most. But by what strange coincidence could pranksters have an understanding amongst themselves from one end of the world to the other, leading them to act in the same way to produce the same effects, and to give identical answers on the same subjects in their various languages, if not in the exact same words, at least implying the same meaning?
Why would serious, respectable and educated persons cater to such maneuvers, and for what purpose? Why has the patience and skill required for producing these phenomena been found even among children? After all, unless mediums are mere passive instruments, it is obvious that we would have to confer on them capabilities and knowledge far beyond their age and social position.
Next, our opponents state that if no fraud is involved, then both parties – mediums and observers – might be deceived by an illusion.
There is no question that the quality of the witnesses does carry a certain weight. It is therefore reasonable to ask whether the Spiritist Doctrine, which today has millions of followers, only recruits from among the uneducated. The phenomena on which Spiritism is based seem so extraordinary that we can understand such doubt, but we cannot accept the claim of certain skeptics that they hold a monopoly on common sense: those who, without respect for the conventions and moral values of their adversaries, label as incompetent all those who do not agree with their opinions. For judicious persons, the opinions of educated individuals who have observed, studied and thought about a matter at length will always be, if not actual proof, then a likely hypothesis at the very least; after all, Spiritism has grabbed the attention of serious individuals who have neither an interest in propagating an error nor time to waste on futilities.
X
Among our opponents’ objections there are some that are more plausible, at least in appearance, because they are based on observation and are raised by serious individuals.
One such observation refers to the language of certain spirits, which does not seem worthy of the loftiness that might be attributed to supernatural beings. However, if we refer to the summary of the Doctrine presented above, we will see that the Spirits themselves teach us that they are not all equal to one another in knowledge or moral qualities, and that we must not take everything that spirits tell us at face value. It falls to sensible persons to separate the good from the bad. Obviously, those who conclude from this fact that we deal solely with evil beings whose sole intention is to deceive, are unfamiliar with the communications given during meetings in which high order spirits manifest; if they were, they would think otherwise. It is unfortunate that chance has served these persons so badly by showing them only the decadent side of the spirit world.
On the other hand, we do not want to presume that an affinity of inclinations might have attracted evil, deceitful, and foul-mouthed spirits to them rather than good ones. We could conclude, at most, that the strength of their principles is not solid enough to preserve them from evil, and since they find a certain pleasure in satisfying their own curiosity, evil spirits take advantage of this fact to mingle with them, whereas good spirits stay away.
Judging the character of spirits by such facts would be as illogical as judging the character of an entire people by what is said and done in a group of a few wild or disreputable individuals who do not deserve the company of either learned or sensible persons. Those who judge in this way are like foreigners who enter a great capital by way of the worst outskirts and then proceed to judge the entire population of the city according to the customs and speech of this one neighborhood. In the spirit world, there is also a good and an evil society. If such individuals would actually study what happens among high orded spirits, they would realize that the celestial city does not contain only the dregs of society.
Nonetheless, they might ask: Do high order spirits really come to us? And we would reply: Do not remain on the outskirts; watch, observe and judge for yourselves. The facts are here for everybody to see, except those to whom the words of Jesus apply, “they have eyes but do not see; they have ears but do not hear.”
