Spiritists: When You Sleep You are Being Assisted in Your Quest to Become a Better Spiritist

(* – you also are given some work to do)

by Brian Foster

Abstract

In the book, In the Greater World, by the spirit Andre Luiz and psychographed by Francisco C. Xavier, Andre Luiz documents some of the assistance which is provided for people who are trying to learn and evangelize Spiritism. This article summarizes what was revealed and how we can profit from this knowledge.

Introduction

Once a person discovers Spiritism, the breadth of its doctrines soon become clear. Instead of a casual relationship one has with going to a local place of worship, where you are able to mediate and recharge your spiritual batteries on a once a week basis, the knowledge that every action we take is judged, that we are surrounded by other spirits, that we have a duty to spread love and our knowledge, can make our discovery seem, at times, a heavy burden. The Spirit world recognizes the difficulties of balancing our spiritual lives while living in a materialistically dominated world. Andre Luiz, in the book, In the Greater World, is told about the assistance given to Spiritists, “Through their diligent efforts in spiritualizing work, they are the future instruments for the endeavors that lie ahead. In spite of the clarity of the rules they live by, they still suffer disharmony and afflictions that threaten their incipient stability. Even so, they aren’t left without the assistance they need. In our spheres of action, institutions for restoring their energies open their welcoming doors to them. Freedom from the body during sleep is the direct resource of our manifestations of fraternal support. At first, they receive our influence unconsciously; then their minds are slowly strengthened and they begin recording our concourse in their memory as we give them ideas, suggestions and opinions along with beneficial and redeeming inspirations by means of imprecise recollections.”[1]

Andre Luiz is introduced to one such method of aid. His instructor takes him to a lecture given by the spirit Eusebio. Instructor Eusebio will give a lecture to those incarnated souls who have the desire for learning more and becoming active Spiritists, but are daily facing the obstacles we all encounter and still have that element of doubt in the absolute reality of our immortal soul. Andre is told that every person who is able to promote Spiritism is vital. The importance of the training is explained by Andre’s companion, “Chance doesn’t perform miracles. Any undertaking requires planning, execution and completion. The miracle of changing a physical person into a spiritual person requires a lot of collaboration on our part.”[2]

The Lecture for Spiritists

Eusebio begins the lecture by clarifying how his talk will affect each individual at the meeting, “Of course, because the deficiencies of the brain render it incapable of supporting the burden of two lives at the same time, you will not retain a full recollection of this hour upon reentering the corporeal envelope. Nevertheless, the memory of our meeting here will linger in the depths of your being, guiding your higher inclinations toward lofty purposes and opening your intuitive portal so that our fraternal thoughts may assist you.”[3]

Eusebio explains to his audience how humanity has arrived at this precise moment. He recounts the sacred reading of the Old Testament by the Jews, who then would go out and fight the Philistines, the reverential praise of the writings of Marcus Aurelius, while the same his Roman government ordered the murder of innocents. He closes his point with, “In such a state we have reached the modern era, in which madness is widespread and men and women’s mental stability is on the verge of disaster. With an evolved brain and an immature heart, we hone our art of wrecking our spiritual progress.”[4]

Stressing the significance of maintaining our energy and increasing our self-enlightenment, Eusebio acknowledges the importance of such activities. But, as his warms to his subject, he notifies his listeners that individuals who strive to focus on themselves in their quest for purification is not good enough. He throws out the challenge, “If you wish to be pioneers of the living faith in the world, from now on, in spite of the difficulties, a complete demonstration of your convictions of divine spirituality will be required of you.”[5]

At this point Eusebio reveals the mission, “Modern spiritualism cannot confine God within the walls of an earthly temple, for our essential mission is to change the whole earth into the majestic temple of God.”[6] Eusebio is telling us that adding a Spiritual center next to the local church or temple, for those select few that will take the time to drop in, is totally inadequate. Our job is to change the world. Change from a materialistic centered society to a balanced one. Where, yes, scientific advancement is encouraged, new goods can be developed, but where the culture understands the importance of fraternal love and that all actions have a consequence. Where each individual understands they have past penalties to pay and they have mostly themselves to look toward to paying off their debts.

After the call to change the world, comes the command to organize ourselves for the task, “For our vanguard of determined and brave workers, the phase of futile experimentation, disorderly investigation and peripheral reasoning has passed.”[7] We are being asked actively evangelize the doctrine of Spiritism. Set up gatherings to bring people into the fold and to seek out ways to publicize our message to others so they may, at the least, have the option to be exposed to the truth.

The importance of this is stated in Allan Kardec’s Genesis, where the future of Spiritism and the transformation of the earth to a higher status is heralded by the gradual transition of more spirits which will be reincarnated with a propensity for the good.[8] For the good spirits amongst us, they need to hear our message, because these spirits will be, according to Genesis, “Charged with the founding the age of moral progress, the new generation is distinguishable by an overall precocious intelligence and reason combined with an innate sentiment of the good and spiritual beliefs – an unmistakable sign of a certain degree of previous advancement.”[9] Focus on the word innate, meaning in this instance, “Coming directly from the mind”.[10] An external trigger must exist for this feeling to come to the surface and be acted upon.

This task will not be without difficulty, pain or sacrifice. Eusebio puts our efforts in context, “Jesus did not reach the culmination of resurrection without climbing Calvary, and his lessons refer to the faith that moves mountains”.[11] Next, to emphasize his point, Eusebio throws out a litany of advice to surmount the impediments;

“Do not go looking for miracles: yearning for them can become addictive and lead to your loss.”

“Your burdens on the earthly landscape, however rough or displeasing, represent the Supreme Will.”

“Do not jump over obstacles or try to go around them in a deliberate attempt to escape: conquer them using will and perseverance, providing an opportunity to develop your growth.”[12]

As well as supplying the reason, the method and the hurdles of promoting Spiritism, Eusebio lays out the context of our struggle in today’s environment, “The powerful winds of the evolutionary wave are sweeping the earth. Every day we see the collapse of conventional principles held inviolable for centuries. The perplexed human mind is forced to make distressful changes. The subversion of values, the social experiment and the accelerated process of selection through collective suffering perturb the timid and inattentive, who represent the overwhelming majority everywhere.”[13]

The lecture given by Eusebio was not a homily filled discourse on how we can grow as a Spiritist. This was a, “get out of your chair and do something about it”, speech. A call to arms, where we are told the objective, the terrain, and the difficulties that we should expect on the way. If it wasn’t clear before, it should be clear now, being a Spiritist is not an easy task.

The Lecture for Catholics and Protestants

Now, let’s contrast the speech given to Spiritists with a lecture delivered to a group of incarnate Catholics and Protestants. Later in the book, In the Greater World, Andre Luiz is invited to hear a lecture, again by Eusebio, to a mixed group of Catholics and Protestant, albeit a less dogmatic and more likely to be persuaded type of person. Andre Luiz was surprised that the lecture was being held, he was told, “It’s important to understand that Divine Protection shows no privileges. Heavenly grace is like the fruit that always results from earthly effort: wherever there is human cooperation, there too will be Divine support.”[14] This information leads us to believe the tone and substance of lecture will be similar. A call to action, a request to get with the program.

As in the first lecture, Eusebio opens with what it meant to be a Christian in ancient times and reviewed the sacrifices they underwent. Next, Eusebio offers a challenge, “However, as heir to those nameless heroes who lived in affliction, of minds built up in the promises of Christ, what have you done with transforming hope, with unwavering trust? What have you done with the living faith that your forbearers acquired at the price of blood and tears?”[15]

Eusebio then delves into his opinion of exactly what these institutions of faith have actually accomplished;

“You have erected barriers against each other that are difficult to cross. Dogmatism poisons you; schism corrupts you. Narrow interpretations of the divine plan darken your mental horizons.”

“What delirium has taken you as you involve yourselves in a mutual competition for the imaginary obtainment of divine privileges?”

“In times of old, Christ’s disciples competed for opportunities to serve, whereas today, you look for every little opportunity to be served.”[16]

After a devastating review of their faults, Eusebio arrives at his request, “Therefore, do not limit your demonstration of trust in the Most High to the ceremonies of outward worship. Get rid of the indifference that chills your ornate cathedrals. Let us make ourselves each other’s true brothers and sisters. Let is transform the church into the sweet home of the Christian family, whatever our interpretations might be.”[17] This is it? A plea for a less bureaucratic and more involved practice of their religious principles, and an appeal for less infighting and more focus on the fraternal family under Christ?

Whereas, the goal for Spiritists is the change the world, the request for the souls at the lecture is to return to their Christian roots and stop fighting each other. The Spirit world is not expecting the audience to change the world, but to outwardly demonstrate the teaching of Christ as revealed in the New Testament. The Spirit world is first attempting to steer the ship of the large religious organizations back onto a truly fraternal course. Without this correction, the ability and the required openness to accept the Spiritist doctrine would be absent.

Time to Wake-up

As if you didn’t need more work in your life, you now have your second (or third or fourth for some) job. But remember the reward, a happier planet, a place where strife and the constant jockeying for position in even the smallest things is unknown. Not a steep price to pay for an immortal soul with plenty of time to live the good and a contented productive life in the future.

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
Kardec, A. (2009). Genesis – Miracles and Predictions according to Spiritism. Brasilia (DF), Brasil: International Spiritist Council.
Merriam-Webster. (14, Feb. 17). Merriam-Webster Dictionary – innate. Retrieved from Merrian-Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innate
Xavier, F. C. (2009). In the Greater World. Brasilia (DF), Brazil: International Spiritist Council.

[1] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 16
[2] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 17
[3] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 23
[4] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 27
[5] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 30
[6] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 31
[7] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 31
[8] Kardec, Allan, Genesis, EDICEI, p. 428
[9] Kardec, Allan, Genesis, EDICEI, p. 429
[10] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innate
[11] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 31
[12] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 33
[13] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 32
[14] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 201
[15] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 204
[16] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 205
[17] XAVIER, Francisco C. In the Greater World, EDICEI, p. 208

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