By Brian Foster
Introduction
The story of Alfred and Ismalia isn’t actually about their past lives. It’s about their life in the spirit world after their incarnated lives. The story illustrates that true love survives many trials and separations and that if a couple are bonded together, no one deed, neither life nor death keeps them apart for long.
In the book, The Messengers, inspired by the spirit Andre Luiz and psychographed by Francisco C. Xavier, there is a spirit, Alfred, who tells how, when he was incarnated, was a successful
The Messengers
businessman. He threw himself into his business dealings and was quite wealthy. His negotiations and the running of his business was complex, which kept him away from his wife, Ismalia and his children. He goes on to tell the crux of the story;
“Ismalia was the stronghold of my neglected family. Virtue, however, can always be tormented by vice, and I let my wife be sexually harassed by a disloyal friend, someone with whom I shared extensive business interests. Ismalia suffered in silence for years until he finally realized that he was getting nowhere with his immoral propositions.”[1]
Alfred’s business partner then started to persuade him that women in general weren’t trustworthy. Slowly Alfred’s deceitful friend begins zeroing in on Ismalia. The constant drone of the possibilities of Ismalia unfaithfulness started to wear Alfred down.
Alfred would watch the smallest detail in everything Ismalia did, analyzing her behavior and actions for clues. He imagined the slightest deed she performed to be proof of her guilt.
Ismalia, knowing Alfred’s friendship for his business partner, never revealed the story of the unwanted sexual advances to Alfred. She suffered in silence.
As usual in these cases, where there is a breakdown in communication, Alfred became a tyrant around the house and he would accuse her of being unfaithful. She only responded in silence.
The Plot by Ismalia’s Harasser
Alfred then tells of his partner’s next deed;
“Finally, still not pleased with his results, my business associate hired a stranger to invade our home and remain in hiding in the room next door to our bedroom. I noticed something out of the ordinary, and burst into the bedroom like a madman. Ismalia, who had been lying in bed, begged me to calm down while I tore the room apart, looking for her supposed lover. Suddenly I saw the shadow of the stranger, who fled from the room next door, out the window, and into the garden, without my having been able to get a hold of him. I ran behind him with a gun, shooting in different directions, but did not hit him.”[2]
Alfred, fully releasing his pent-up anger from many months, thought of killing Ismalia, but something stopped him from pulling the trigger. He did the next cruelest action, he arranged to take complete custody of the children and send Ismalia back to her parent’s farm. She was not allowed to see the children again.
Alfred went alone to Europe to recover from his discovery. He arranged for the children to be taken care of by a governess. He made no attempt to find out the truth or get in touch with Ismalia. After two years in Europe, Alfred was in France, when he received a letter that after her complete abandonment, she fell ill and died of tuberculosis.
How tragic are our actions when we do not possess the capacity to love unconditionally. Spiritism teaches us that all have at one time or another played the victim and the betrayer. None of us are undeserving of sympathy.
Example of True Understanding
An example of what our feelings should be is in the book, In the Domain of Mediumship, inspired by Andre Luiz and psychographed by Francisco C. Xavier, also known as Chico, there is a scene where a woman, Anesia, has asked for help from the Spiritual world. She is worried that her husband has found another woman. During her sleep, when she is out of her body, a team of spirits, led by Aulus, accompanies Anesia to where Jovino has met his girlfriend. Anesia sees the entire scene of Jovino drinking and showing displays of affection with the other woman.
Anesia is furious, cries and leaves the bar where she has witnessed her husband in the company of a rival. The Spiritual Team Leader, Aulus, follows her and says;
“Dear sister, please take hold of yourself. You prayed so that you could receive spiritual assistance and we have answered your call. Cheer up! Don’t lose hope.”
“Hope?” replied the poor woman, whose face was bathed in tears. “I am the object of treason.”
The conversation between them continued in a moving expressive tone.
“Treason by whom?” asked Aulus.
“By my husband, who failed in his marriage promises.”
Aulus tells her, “Do you believe that marriage is a simple excursion on Earth? Dear friend, the home is a school where souls reunite to achieve individual regeneration knowing that perfection is ours in the future. In educational establishments there are professors and students. Don’t you know that the best ones should help those marching behind?”
Upon hearing Aulus’ words Anesia interrupted her laments. Yet, after looking at our mentor with intense confidence, she begin sadly; “But Jovino…”
Aulus interrupted her, adding: “Are you forgetting that now is when your husband requires your understanding and affection? A woman should not always view her companion as the man she loves tenderly, but as a spiritual son, who needs to be guided with understanding and sacrifice. Equally, a husband should not always contemplate his wife as the flower of his dreams, but rather as a daughter of his heart, who ask for tolerance and kindness, so that she can be taken from darkness to light.”
“Anesia, love is not just rosy happiness and the sweet response to sex. It is a light that shines in the heights, inspiring the renunciation and unconditional pardon of those we love. Jovino is like a plant that God conveyed into your hands, and you must be a gardener. The plant will be attacked by parasites or deadly worms; however, there is no reason to fear if the gardener is attentive and vigilant.”[3]
The books by Andre Luiz, constantly deliver the unexpected lesson, the Spiritist Doctrine applied to the ultimate level. Not just unconditional love, but a constructive love. A love where each of us has the responsibility to guide, not just strangers, but our closest relations, people who have the capacity to hurt us deeply.
Alfred’s Discovery
Alfred spent many years concentrating on his business and his children. He tried to repress the pass and forget all that had happened. Until one day;
“Years went by – until one day I was summoned to the home of my old business associate who was on his deathbed. Then and there he confessed what he had done, how he had harassed Ismalia and tricked me. He begged for my forgiveness, but I couldn’t give it. I was devastated.”
“That confession hit me hard. From that day on my life was that of a madman. I tried somehow to amend the effects of my wrongdoing by explaining the facts to Ismalia’s parent. And after some time, I also returned to the spiritual world, laden with guilt, in very poor spiritual condition.”[4]
After his death, Alfred spent some time wandering about aimlessly in the lower zone. The place
between the celestial cities where spirits ascend who are free of their material passions and understand the love of God and the depths where those who have criminal tendencies gather, for only as long as each one of them desires. Hence, many are in the lower zones, those who are not cruel, but so preoccupied by their left over earthly worries or never considered the possibility of an afterlife, they are unable to look up and see the plan for perfection before their eyes.
Alfred was finally rescued from his sojourn in the world in the middle of Heaven and Hell;
“Needless to say and amazingly, I soon saw myself protected by Ismalia. Unfortunately for me, there is a wide void between Ismalia and myself. She follows my steps closely, but is a dweller of higher planes, which I still work hard to enter into. So, for a long time, I have been dedicating my efforts to assisting the unenlightened and the sufferers who come to this outpost. Ismalia comes once a month to help me out and encourage my efforts.”[5]
The outpost that Alfred mentions is located in the lower zones, where good Samaritans find lost souls, those that don’t realize they have passed away. The poor spirits who are still attached to their life on earth and don’t realize the need to move on. For theses souls should be concentrating on their own spiritual progress instead of worrying about their possessions or left-behind family members. Only by raising themselves up first are they able to provide assistance to others.
Andre asks Alfred why couldn’t Ismalia come down and help Alfred permanently. Alfred tells Andre, that his and Ismalia’s superior guides recommended that Alfred first rightly learn to appreciate what God has given him and to not thrust it aside so easily. Alfred tells Andre;
“I am the one who must learn how to elevate myself, and it’s for this reason that we haven’t had permission to remain together yet. I am paying the right price for my hastiness. Because of my impulsiveness, I lost my inner peace, my home, and my wonderful wife. I did not kill, I did not steal, but I feel as if I poisoned myself. Slander is an invisible monster which spreads poison through undiscerning ears and eyes.”[6]
Alfred will achieve his goal, with the help of his true love Ismalia. By his hard work and dedication he 
shall advance in his spiritual quest and be united once again with Ismalia. He is not rushing his rehabilitation; he is calmly building a solid foundation to be a proper partner for his wife.
A detailed explanation of the process of reincarnation, where you will be able to better understand your past lives, is in my book, The Case for Reincarnation – Your Path to Perfection.
Author:
Brian Foster has a BSCS degree and a MBA. He has worked in R&D for medical device corporations and in IT for large financial institutions. Brian Foster has a blog at http://www.nwspiritism.com.
Works Cited
Xavier, F. C. (2004). In the Domain of Mediumship. New York: Spiritist Alliance of Books, Inc.
Xavier, F. C. (2008). The Messengers. Philadelphia, PA: Allan Kardec Educational Society.
[1] XAVIER, Francisco C. The Messengers, Allan Kardec Educational Society, p. 80
[2] XAVIER, Francisco C. The Messengers, Allan Kardec Educational Society, pp. 80-81
[3] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Domains of Mediumship, Spiritist Alliance of Books, Inc., p. 128
[4] XAVIER, Francisco C. The Messengers, Allan Kardec Educational Society, p. 81
[5] XAVIER, Francisco C. The Messengers, Allan Kardec Educational Society, pp. 81-82
[6] XAVIER, Francisco C. The Messengers, Allan Kardec Educational Society, p. 82
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