General elements of the
Universe: spirit and
matter
We present in this issue
the topic #60 from the
Systematized Study of
the Spiritist Doctrine,
that is being presented
weekly, according to the
programme elaborated by
the Brazilian Spiritist
Federation (FEB),
structured in 6 modules
and 147 topics.
If the reader uses this
program for a study
group, we suggest that
questions proposed be
discussed freely before
the reading of the text
that follows. If you
would like to study
alone, we ask you to try
to answer the questions
at first and only then
read the text that
follows. The answer key
can be found at the end
of the lesson.
Questions
1. What does Science
understand about matter?
2. How does Spiritism
define matter?
3. How many general
elements are there in
the Universe?
4. What can Spiritism
tell us about the
universal fluid?
5. As for the matter,
what are the teachings
of the Spiritist
Doctrine?
Text
The matter exists in
states the man still
ignores
1. Besides Science,
which is the source of
knowledge man can
acquire with his own
effort, applying
intelligence, logical
thinking and
experimental methods, he
has in the revelation
another important source
of acquiring knowledge.
God allows that the
revelation can be done
through Superior
Spirits, in the
exclusive domain of the
pure science, it means,
without any other
objective, practice or
technology.
2. Earthly science has
been limited to consider
the unique existing
realities of matter and
energy. Going deeper,
though, in the study of
these two elements, man
has come to the
conclusion that they are
so closely related that
they represent, in fact,
two expressions of the
same reality, since
matter is just condensed
or concentrated energy,
limited in its own
strength and dynamism,
truly slaved, closed,
restricted to make up
the dense matter of the
material bodies.
3. Conversely, in
certain conditions,
matter can be affected,
devolved, dissolved,
disintegrating and
releasing energy in
diverse radiations of
corpuscular nature.
There is, though,
always, side by side in
the Universe, dense
matter and free energy
in reciprocal
interactions, which
coordinate the two
inverse processes of
condensation and
releasing of energy. It
is so huge the amount of
knowledge that about
this aspect of the
Universe, Science and
technology allowed the
man to accumulate, but
that, evidently, is out
of reach for this
summary.
4. It is important,
though, to point out
that Science does not
consider, in the
constitution of the
Universe, only the
material element, either
in its dense state, or
in its energy
manifestations.
Revelation did not
proceed like this and
went even further, by
teaching that there are
basically two general
elements in the
Universe: the
material element and
the spiritual element.
More: the material
element does not only
cover the dense forms,
visible and tangible,
made of matter and
density, extension and
impenetrability, but
also subtle states,
inaccessible to our
senses, in which
disappear the
tangibility and density
and then comes the
so-called penetrability,
in relation to the dense
matter.
5. Talking about this
subject, replying to a
question asked by
Kardec, the Spirits of
High Degree clarified
that the matter exists
in states that the man
ignores and can be, for
example, so ethereal and
subtle as to make no
impression upon your
senses. Defining it,
they said: “Matter is
the element which
enchains spirit, the
instrument which serves
it, and upon which, at
the same time, it exerts
its action.”
(The Spirits’ Book, item
22).
Matter and spirit are
general elements of the
Universe
6. According to the
teachings that the
Spirits gave in that
opportunity, there would
be two general elements
of the Universe: matter
and spirit, and above
all, God, Creator, the
First Cause of all
things. God, spirit and
matter make up, though,
the principle of
everything that exists,
the universal trinity.
But – remember the
immortals – to the
element is necessary to
add the universal fluid,
which plays the role of
intermediary between the
spirit and the matter
itself, which is so
thick for the spirit
exert action on it.
7. Although it is
correct to classify it
as a material element,
its universal fluid has
special properties.
It is placed between the
spirit and the matter.
It is fluid, just as
matter is matter, and
susceptible, by its
countless combinations
with the matter, to
produce under the action
of the spirit the
infinite variety of
things of what we only
know a minimal part. The
universal fluid, also
called as cosmic fluid,
primitive or elementary,
is not only the agent
the spirit utilizes, but
it is also the principle
for the matter not to be
in a perpetual state of
division not acquiring
the qualities the
gravity gives to it.
8. All in the Universe,
as we can see, comes
from God, who created
the universal fluid that
fills the infinite space
and it is, truly, the
primitive element in
which forms what in the
Universe is material,
like the planets and
beings. But God also
created the spirit,
intelligent element,
which is subjected to a
long elaboration through
the many kingdoms of
Nature. In contact with
minerals, vegetables and
animals, the intelligent
principle receives
impressions that, by
repetition, get
established, originating
automatisms, reflexes,
memory, instincts and
habits that end up
integrating conscious
individualities, with
reasoning and will, free
agency and
responsibility, made to
progress until they get
pure and perfect so that
they can be close to the
Supreme Intelligence.
9. The creating idea
comes from God and can
be found in the spirit,
in which is concluded
that only the spirit can
conceive ideas; the
matter, no. The idea
takes shape by the
action of divine will or
the spirit upon the
universal fluid that,
being an intermediary
between spirit and
matter, is apt to
receive influence, and
transmit it.
The universal fluid is
the elementary principle
of all things
10. To sum it up, Kardec
tells in his work the
following teachings
about the universal
fluid: 1st. The
universal fluid is a
divine creation, not an
emanation from the
Creator. 2nd. Universal
element, it is the
elementary principle of
all things. 3rd. To find
it in its absolute
purity, we need to reach
the pure Spirits,
because in our world it
is more or less
modified, to form the
compact matter that
surrounds us. 4th. It is
the element of the
electrical fluid, but
the state closer to its
absolute simplicity we
call as animal magnetic
fluid. 5th. The
universal fluid is
imponderable.
11. As for the matter
teaches the Spiritism:
1st. Matter is formed by
only one primitive
element; bodies deemed
simple are, actually,
transformations of the
primitive matter. 2nd.
The properties of the
matter result of the
modifications that the
elementary molecules
suffer, in some
circumstances, due to
its union. 3rd. The
elementary matter is
susceptible to
experience all
modifications and
acquire all properties.
4th. It is correct to
say that in the matter
there are only two
essential properties:
the strength and the
movement. The other
properties are just
secondary effects that
vary according to the
intensity, direction of
movement and the order
of molecules. 5th. The
molecules have shape,
which is constant in the
primitive elementary
molecules and variable
in the secondary
molecules, that are just
clusters of the first
one. 6th. What we call
molecule is, though, a
long way from the
elementary molecule.
12. The Spiritist
teachings about the
matter are admirable
anticipation of truths
about the discontinuity
of matter and its
unicity. The first has
already been proved by
the Science; the latter
is considered to be
truth nowadays.
13. With effect,
although it is currently
considered, based on
constitution of matter,
besides molecules and
atoms, many other
particles, like hadrons
([1])
and leptons
([2]),
at Kardec’s time the
particles considered as
the smallest portions of
the substances were
called molecules. Kardec
could not, therefore,
employ in his tine
another term but
molecules to name these
particles, either the
ones that represent the
dense matter or the
subtle states of the
matter directly derived
from the universal
fluid. The idea is,
though, the same, it
means, the matter is
only one and, despite
its apparent diversity,
all substances are just
modifications of the
cosmic matter or
primitive elementary
substance, in which
derivates what is
material in the
Universe.
Answer Key
1. What does Science
understand about matter?
A.:
Matter
is just condensed or
concentrated energy,
limited in its own
strength and dynamism,
truly slaved, closed,
restricted to make up
the dense matter of the
material bodies
2. How does Spiritism
define matter?
A.: “Matter is the
element which enchains
spirit, the instrument
which serves it, and
upon which, at the same
time, it exerts its
action.” (The Spirits’
Book, item 22)
3. How many general
elements are there in
the Universe?
A.: According to the
teachings that the
Spirits gave in that
opportunity, there would
be two general elements
of the Universe: matter
and spirit, and above
all, God, Creator, the
First Cause of all
things. God, spirit and
matter make up, though,
the principle of
everything that exists,
the universal trinity.
But – remember the
immortals – to the
element is necessary to
add the universal fluid,
which plays the role of
intermediary between the
spirit and the matter
itself, which is so
thick for the spirit
exert action on it.
4. What can Spiritism
tell us about the
universal fluid?
A.: 1st. The universal
fluid is a divine
creation, not an
emanation from the
Creator. 2nd. Universal
element, it is the
elementary principle of
all things. 3rd. To find
it in its absolute
purity, we need to reach
the pure Spirits,
because in our world it
is more or less
modified, to form the
compact matter that
surrounds us. 4th. It is
the element of the
electrical fluid, but
the state closer to its
absolute simplicity we
call as animal magnetic
fluid. 5th. The
universal fluid is
imponderable.
5. As for the matter,
what are the teachings
of the Spiritist
Doctrine?
A.: Com 1st. Matter is
formed by only one
primitive element;
bodies deemed simple
are, actually,
transformations of the
primitive matter. 2nd.
The properties of the
matter result of the
modifications that the
elementary molecules
suffer, in some
circumstances, due to
its union. 3rd. The
elementary matter is
susceptible to
experience all
modifications and
acquire all properties.
4th. It is correct to
say that in the matter
there are only two
essential properties:
the strength and the
movement. The other
properties are just
secondary effects that
vary according to the
intensity, direction of
movement and the order
of molecules. 5th. The
molecules have shape,
which is constant in the
primitive elementary
molecules and variable
in the secondary
molecules, that are just
clusters of the first
one. 6th. What we call
molecule is, though, a
long way from the
elementary molecule.
Bibliography:
The Spirits’ Book,
by Allan Kardec, items
17 - 34.
The Mediums’ Book,
by Allan Kardec, item
74.
Physical and Biological
Sciences,
by José Coimbra Duarte,
26th. Edition, pages.
17 - 19.
[1]
Hadron: A hadron, (from
Greek
ἁδρός,
hadros, thick), in
particle physics, is any
strongly interacting
composite subatomic
particle. All hadrons
are composed of quarks.
[2]
Lepton: In physics, a
lepton is a sub-atomic
particle with spin of
1/2 that does not
experience the strong
interaction (that is,
the strong nuclear
force). The leptons form
a family of fermions
that are distinct from
the other known family
of fermions, the quarks.