Allan Kardec & the Spiritist Movement

Summarized by Joy Rzeznik

Allan Kardec, the father of Spiritism and the major influence of espiritismo was born Hypolyte Leon Denizard Rivail in 1804 and died of an aneurysm in 1869. Although born in a Catholic country, he was raised protestant. He was a very religious and serious person and regretted his inability to devise a way to bring Catholics and Protestants together. Starting when he was 14 years old, he spent a considerable amount of his free time helping those less intelligent then himself with their science and mathematics studies. As an adult he even held a free school in the basic sciences for the poor and disadvantaged. He published several educational method books under his own name, some of which are still used in France today. Kardec applied the scientific method to everything that he studied, including spirit phenomenon, beginning with table turning and rapping in 1855. His study of table turning quickly evolved into the study of spirit communications through mediums, and by 1857 he was directed by the high spirits he communicated with to publish a book under the pen name of Kardec. (The Spirits Book) The spirits told him the Allan and Kardec were names that he had used in previous reincarnations. Although Kardec admitted that many of the ideas that spiritism were based on had been around for centuries in non-European countries and non-Christian religions, he states in The Spirits Book that the book was published at the request of the spirits he communicated with. However, he also believed that he was proposing a new theory or way of looking at reality, which would support and lead to a more humanistic society. Fundamental to the Spiritist doctrine is the belief in reincarnation and the relation of the material world with spirits, or the beings of the invisible world. (Kardec, The Spirits Book) According to the Wiki on the history of spiritism, Kardec interested in:
Promoting the

dialog between the three classical forms of knowledge (scientific, philosophical and religious) in order to achieve a deeper and wider comprehension of reality; access to knowledge for all people, instead of the "Hermetic" way philosophical and scientific knowledge had been produced; relationship with the Spiritual without any institutional mediation. A natural spirituality would be enough and more appropriate for human realization.

Providing

Human

After Kardec's death in 1869, the popularity of Spiritism continued to grow through the America's and Europe, especially through the work of three of his close friends: William Crookes, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Camille Flammerian. However at the beginning of WWI, its popularity started to diminish. Kardec's

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Allan Kardec & the Spiritist Movement

Summarized by Joy Rzeznik

three influential friends were dead, organized religions were attacking the practice, new scientific studies came up with alternate theories for spirit possession (ie: obsession, psychoanalysis) and the scientific terminology used in Kardec's books was found lacking by new scientific study (such as electricity not being a fluid). Much of the persecution of Spiritism in Europe did not reach South America. In Brazil, in particular, spiritism became very popular and may have been used extensively to cover the activities of the Afro-Brazilian religions which were outlawed until 1950. Brazilian Spiritism remained growing and strong until the 1970s. As of 1990, it has again become popular. Kardecism or Spiritism became popular in Cuba beginning in the 1850s and has continued to grow. According to http://sociedadespiritistacubana.com: Spiritism in three lines (the essential take home message): The spirit world is real. This is the dimension where spirits dwell. The community of all spirits connected, form a greater unity, which is the Spirit. Spirits R Us. We are all spirits having a human experience. We have been spirits before we were born, and will be spirits again when we cross over into the spirit world through the process called death. Some people living on earth have the ability to communicate with spirits in the spirit world; whether they are called mediums, intuitive psychics, or channellers, the name doesn't matter, but in many cases the phenomena is real. Reincarnation happens. Reincarnation means soul evolution. We have free will and we live on a planet of free choice, although we are subjects to the natural laws including the Law of Cause and Effect. When we are in the spirit world we can choose to return to earth for another life lesson. Most of us have chosen this option many times before. The five precepts of Spiritism as developed by Allan Kardec are: 1. There is a God, defined as "The Supreme Intelligence and Primary Cause of everything"; 2. There are Spirits, all of whom are created simple and ignorant, but owning the power to gradually perfect themselves; 3. The natural method of this perfection process is reincarnation, through which the Spirit faces countless different situations, problems and obstacles, and needs to learn how to deal with them; 4. As part of Nature, Spirits can naturally communicate with living people, as well as interfere in their lives; 5. Many planets in the universe are inhabited. As an observation, Kardec did not develop a method of spirit communication per

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Allan Kardec & the Spiritist Movement

Summarized by Joy Rzeznik

se as much as he developed a new way to look at religious values and social responsibility and proposed an expanded theory of Christianity. (Much of his work includes the recognition of a Christian God and the importance of Jesus.) It would appear that there are many ways to interact with spirits that could result in knowledge and understanding in agreement with Kardec's philosophies. I would however, question that the Misa which we practice although having its beginnings in Allan Kardec's Spiritist movement is still done according to Kardec's philosophical ideals as it appears to have been heavily influenced by folk Catholicism. In addition, many of the practitioners of esperitismo seem much more interested in getting advise on money and their love life then receiving teachings and philosophies on how to become a more socially responsible and evolved human being.

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