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Alexandre Fontes da Fonseca |
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Fascination and
respect to
Science today |
Introduction
Chapter XXIII of
The Book on
Mediums (LM)
[1] deals with
an important
Spiritist issue,
which is
obsession -
defined by
Kardec in item
237 of the
mentioned
Chapter, as
"the control
that some
Spirits manage
to exercise over
certain people”.
Obsession is
analyzed from
its simplest
form (called a
simple
obsession) to
the most serious
situation in
which the will
of the one, who
suffers this
influence,
becomes too weak
to fight it
back.
Obsession is
never practiced
by a good
Spirit, and when
evil Spirits
dominate an
individual,
"they identify
themselves with
the Spirit of
this individual
and lead him as
if he is a
child”. For
this reason,
Kardec considers
that obsession
is the most
difficult
obstacle in
the practice of
Spiritism. If on
the one hand
obsession is
something with
which we should
worry, on the
other hand, the
solutions to
prevent it are
quite simple as
mentioned by the
good Spirits in
section 252 of
The
Book on Mediums.
It is not our
purpose to
repeat the
contents of the
said Chapter
about obsession.
Our intention is
to make an
important note
connecting a
form of
obsession called
fascination
to a behavior
that has
appeared in the
Spiritist
environment,
which is to
reject or repel
the current and
orthodox
scientific
knowledge, with
the excuse of
defending
certain ideas,
theories or
Spiritist
practices that
are not backed
by Science. We
will see later
that Kardec was
aware of this
problem and that
he himself made
several
recommendations
on how to deal
with these
innovations in
Spiritism, but
that are not
supported by
Science.
What is
fascination?
First, let us
recall the
definition of
fascination.
Unlike the
simple
obsession,
fascination
"Is an illusion
produced by the
direct action of
the Spirit on
the thinking of
the medium and,
in a way, it
paralyzes his
judgment in
respect of
communications".
[Kardec,
item 239, The
Book on Mediums
(1)].
As explained by
Kardec, the
problem with
this type of
fascination is
that the medium
does not believe
that he is
suffering this
evil influence,
and “the
Spirit has the
art to make him
blindly trust
it, and this
prevents him
from seeing the
trickery and to
understand the
foolishness of
what he writes
even when this
nonsense can
clearly be seen
by everyone. The
illusion may
even go so far
as to make him
consider sublime
the most
ridiculous
speech"
(Ibid). A point
of concern is
when Kardec
comments that
regarding this
influence, “not
even the men
with an
enlightened
Spirit,
the ones who
have a
better education,
the more
intelligent
in other
respects are
free of it…”
(Ibid, emphasis
added).
Kardec considers
that the
consequences of
fascination
are very
serious, because
they can cause a
person to
"accept the
strangest
doctrines, the
most false
theories as if
they were the
only expression
of the truth.
Even more, they
can subject one
to ridiculous,
compromising and
even dangerous
situations".
(Ibid.).
The tactic used
by the Spirits
that work on
fascination is
to pretend they
are good Spirits
and they use
words such as
“charity,
humility, love
of God", which,
as Kardec says,
"serve them as a
letter of
credit, however,
they pass
signals of an
inferiority that
only those, who
are being
fascinated, are
unable to see”.
(Ibid,
original
emphasis).
Because they
fear those, who
have a little
more studies,
these Spirits
act on “the
one they want to
influence to
stay away from
anyone who may
open his eyes”.
(Ibid). This
last issue is
also of our
greatest
interest in this
article.
Profile of the
fascinator
Spirit
In item 246 of
Chapter XXIII of
The
Book on Mediums,
Kardec describes
the profile of a
type of an
obsessive
Spirit, who
overpowered by
pride, purports
to convey a
false knowledge.
This type of
profile is
precisely what
generates the
fascination:
with no scruples
at all they use
respectable
names, and
"seek to dazzle
by a lofty
language, more
pretentious than
profound,
bristling with
technical
terms and
filled with the
resounding words
- charity and
morality"
(Kardec, item
246, The Book on
Mediums [1],
emphasis added).
And more:
"Morality is
used by these
Spirits as a
simple passport,
and this is what
concerns us
less. What they
want above all
is to impose
their ideas
as much foolish
as they may be".
(Ibid, emphasis
added).
We previously
saw that in
fascination,
amid concepts
and good terms,
the Spirit, who
wishes to
deceive,
suggests “foolish”
ideas by using "technical
terms". They
use respected
terms, such as
"charity and
moral" to make
us think that
he, the Spirit
that
communicates, is
good and that
the technical
terms or foolish
ideas that he
passes on to us
are, indeed,
knowledge
advances. That
is why Kardec
clearly stated
that it is very
important to
pass all psychic
communication
through reason.
(Item 248 of The
Book on
Mediums).
In item 250 of
The Book on
Mediums, there
is a comment by
Kardec that
indicates the
relation between
fascination and
the respect for
Science. In this
item, to help
the fascinated
psychic, Kardec
proposes the
clarification of
the errors
contained in the
obsessing
Spirit’s ideas.
He says: "The
only thing to do
with the victim
is to convince
him that he is
being deceived
and make his
obsession go
back to a simple
obsession”.
(Item 250,
The Book on
Mediums
[1]).
Difficulty in
dealing with the
fascinated
medium
Kardec
recognizes the
difficulty in
freeing a medium
that is
fascinated in
such a way that
many times he
becomes “deaf
to all sorts of
reasoning, and
he can reach the
point of - even
when the Spirit
states some
gross scientific
heresy –
doubting if
it is not
Science that is
in error”.
(Ibid, emphasis
added). Here is
the link between
fascination and
the respect we
must have for
Science’s formal
knowledge! When,
on behalf of
believing in an
idea, we come to
the point of
denying the
well-established
knowledge of
Science, then we
are in the risk
of being
fascinated by
the idea or its
author.
Although
Kardec’s
analysis above
concerns the
evil influence
of the
disembodied
Spirits, we see
that the
situation is
identical if the
fascination
comes from an
incarnate. When
in our Spiritist
environment we
open hand of our
reason just
because these
ideas come from
companions, who
we respect, then
we are opening a
door to
fascination.
This happens
mainly with
concepts,
theories and
practices that
are mentioned as
being scientific
and that are
presented to the
Spiritist
movement. Below,
we copy some of
Kardec’s
important
recommendations.
In Kardec's
biography
included in the
edition of the
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation of
the work What
is Spiritism
[2] (QE) in a
speech to the
Lyonnais
Spiritists,
Kardec makes
important
recommendations
regarding
fascinator
Spirits in the
sense described
in
The Book on
Mediums,
i.e., of those
who use words
like charity,
fraternity and
humility, to
make believe
"the most gross
nonsense".
Kardec
recommends
Kardec said: "We
must therefore
avoid being
seduced by
appearances
coming from the
Spirits and
from men;
now, I admit
this is one of
the greatest
difficulties
(…). To escape
the trap, it is
necessary, first
of all, to
escape the
enthusiasm that
blinds, the
pride
that leads
certain mediums
to believe they
are the only
interpreters of
truth; it is
necessary that
everything is
examined
impartially,
maturely
weighed, and
analyzed,
and, if we
suspect of our
own judgement,
what is often
most prudent,
then it is
necessary to ask
for other
people’s help
(...)".
(My emphasis in
bold and
underlined).
Therefore,
Kardec
recommends a
very careful
examination of
all the ideas
and innovations,
whether coming
from the Spirits
"or from men"
as we stress
above, i.e.,
whether they are
coming from our
incarnate
brothers.
In the Spiritist
Magazine of
July, 1868 [3],
Kardec
recommends:
"Although
Spiritism
assimilates all
progressive
ideas, it
does not mean
that it is a
blind follower
of all new ideas,
as much as they
seem enticing at
first sight,
with the risk
of later on
receiving a
denial of the
experience
and be
exposed to
ridicule by
having sponsored
an unworkable
work”. (My
emphasis in
bold). Here we
see how Kardec
is careful
regarding
novelties, and
that it is not
because
Spiritism is a
progressive
doctrine that it
will accept
without
criterion any
new idea, or any
idea or theory
that seems to
make sense.
Kardec was
concerned with
the exposure of
Spiritism and
the Spiritist
movement to
ridicule by
disseminating
ideas that look
good, "seductive
at first sight"
as he said, but
that have no
scientific
basis.
Therefore, when
a new idea,
based on Science
concepts,
appears in
Spiritism,
besides common
sense, one must
also adopt the
validity
criterion of the
respective
fields of
Science when
analyzing the
idea. If you do
not know how to
analyze these
ideas with the
deep knowledge
of these
sciences, then
it is better to
inquire more of
an expert. This
means that
"everything
should be
examined
impartially,
maturely
weighed, and
analyzed" as
Kardec said in
QE.
Be careful with
novelties
By avoiding to
give publicity
to a novelty in
the name of
Spiritism is a
way to care that
Spiritism does
not run the risk
of "being
exposed to
ridicule" by
having
encouraged an
unworkable idea.
Thus, the
scientific rigor
has a key role
to assess the
new idea that
uses scientific
concepts, and it
should only be
made on behalf
of Spiritism
when Science, in
fact, checks and
approves it.
That's exactly
what Kardec says
in the Spiritist
Magazine, dated
July 1868: "That
is why it
does not
immediately
accept
new ideas,
even those which
seem fair, but
under a lot of
reserves, and
only in a final
way when they
reached the
state of
recognized
truths”.
(My emphasis in
bold).
This is Kardec’s
wise and prudent
recommendation
regarding
novelties,
especially those
involving the
concepts of
Science.
There is within
the Spiritist
movement, a bit
of enthusiasm in
adopting
theories,
practices and
ideas that seem
to be
scientific, but
which are not
actually. We
recognize
publicly the
good intentions
of those who
propose these
ideas, theories
and practices,
but Kardec's
recommendation
is clear: we
must observe
carefully so
that "everything
is examined
impartially,
maturely
weighed, and
analyzed”.
Examples of
analysis of some
old and new
theories are
given in
references [4,
5, 6, and 7].
This includes
topics that
although serious
and of
scientific
interest, are
not the purview
of Spiritism as,
for example,
alternative
practices of
medicine,
treatment and
cure; the study
of unidentified
flying objects;
and other
doctrines that
use scientific
concepts such as
Quantum Physics.
Prudence is
always
recommended
Therefore, we
invite you, our
reader, to
observe how you
have approached
the scientific
objections that
can be made
regarding
spiritualist
ideas that may “seem
fair”, but
that are not
able to "view
reason face to
face" of
today’s Science.
Are we perhaps
acting like the
fascinated
psychic that
puts "in
doubt if it is
not Science that
is in error?"
(Item 250,
The Book on
Mediums
[1]).
We do not
consider
ourselves owners
of the truth;
this is why the
Doctrine invites
us to put in
practice the
reasoned faith.
We live in a
time of
scientific and
technological
advances, where
quality in the
disclosure of
Spiritism cannot
suffer from a
kind of "zeal
more passionate
than reflected"
(Kardec,
Spiritist
Magazine, July
1860 [8]). In
the
passionate
zeal we think we
are helping with
our enthusiasm,
but since it is
not a
reflected zeal,
it can be
deceiving and
compromise the
ideal that we
want to defend
and spread.
For those who
think that this
is perhaps an
extreme, and
that this
prudent approach
is detrimental
to the progress
of Spiritsm, let
us copy again
Kardec’s opinion
regarding the
disclosure of
novelties:
“Everything in
excess is
harmful, but in
such a case
it is better to
be over careful
than
overconfident”.
(Chapter"
General
Impressions",
Spiritist Trip
in 1862 [9]. (My
emphasis in
bold). Finally,
this attitude
reflects just
one of the
wisest
recommendations
of The Gospel
According to
Spiritism: "It
is only an
unshakable faith
when it can look
at reasoning
face to face, at
all times of
Humanity"
(Kardec, item 7
of Chapter XIX
the Gospel
According to
Spiritism.
[10]).
References:
[1] A. Kardec,
The Book on
Mediums,
Publisher FEB,
71st edition,
Rio de Janeiro
(2003).
[2] A. Kardec,
What Is
Spiritism,
Publisher FEB,
56th edition,
Brasilia (2013).
[3] A. Kardec, "The
Spontaneous
Generation and
Genesis",
Spiritist
Magazine,
Journal of
Psychological
Studies, July,
page 285 (1868),
Publisher FEB.
[4] A. F. da
Fonseca,
"Analysis of the
Corpuscular
Theory of the
Spirit".
Published in the
following links:
http://eradoespirito.blogspot.com.br/2012/12/13-analise-de-teoria-corpuscular-do.html
http://eradoespirito.blogspot.com.br/2012/12/
23-analysis-of-theory-corpuscular-do.html
http://eradoespirito.blogspot.com.br/2013/01/33-analise-de-teoria-corpuscular-do.html
[5] A. F. da
Fonseca,
"Scientific
Review of the
Theory of
Apometry"
FidelidadESPÍRITA
118, page
9 (2013). Link
for an
authorized copy
of this issue of
the magazine:
http://nossolarcampinas.org.br/site/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Apometria.pdf
[6] A. F. da
Fonseca, "What
does quantum
physics have to
do with
Spiritism?
(Extended
version) Link of
the "Correio
Fraterno”:
http://correiofraterno.com.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1279:o-que-a-fisica-quantica-tem-a-ver-com-o-espiritismo-versao-ampliada&catid=14:entrevista&Itemid=2
[7] A. F. da
Fonseca, "A
scientific
analysis of some
statements of
The Great
Synthesis,"
Journal of the
Spiritist
Studies 2,
010203 (2014).
Free access via
the link:
https://sites.google.com/site/jeespiritas/volumes/volume-2---2014/resumo---art-n-010203
[8] A. Kardec,
"General Comment
after the
Critical
Examination of
the various
Spontaneous
Communications
of the Spirit
Charlet, the
Society of
Paris,"
Spiritist
Magazine,
Journal of
Psychological
Studies,
July, page 325
(1860) Publisher
FEB.
[9] A. Kardec,
The Spiritist
Trip in 1862,
Publisher “O
Clarim”, 2nd
edition, Matao
(1968).
[10] A. Kardec,
The Gospel
According to
Spiritism,
Publisher FEB,
120th edition,
Rio de Janeiro
(2002).
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