Control of mediumship
and education of the
medium
We present in this issue
the topic #117 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. Which factors can
influence the practice
of mediumship?
2. There is a fact that
happens almost every
time to every medium
while he/she is starting
to control mediumship
and educate themselves.
Which fact is that?
3. What does the
instructor Alexandre
advise the mediums who
want to develop their
mediumship and
communicate with
spirits?
4. Is it correct to say
that mediumship itself
is neutral?
5. What is, according to
Emmanuel, the first
necessity of the medium?
Text
The control of
mediumship is a result
of a slow and meticulous
start
1. The practice of
mediumship is
subordinated to the laws
that apply to
relationships and
behaviours between
people from this world
and from the spiritual
world. It involves a
number of factors
related to the
personality of the
medium, the spirits
communicating and the
rest of people working
in the medium’s
meetings. That is why
everything to do with
the physical world, the
spiritual world and each
participant’s inner
world, influences the
practice of mediumship.
2. It’s necessary not
only to understand
mediumship, but also
educate the beginner in
mediumship. The medium,
who is invited to the
practice of mediumship,
is also invited to
sensibility and
discipline to improve
his/hers “talent”. To
improve his/hers
“talent”, the medium
needs to study the
principles of Spiritism.
3. Mediums to produce
phenomena come from
everywhere and from
every social class. Real
mediums, however, are
only the ones who
improve themselves and
their mediumship to
serve others, and use
their “talent” for the
goodness of humanity.
4. Nothing important, as
we know, is built
without hard work. A
slow and meticulous
start is essential for
the ones who seek
spiritual progress. A
fact that everyone
should notice is that,
at the beginning of
mediumship, mediums will
have difficulties in
their way. This is not
difficult to notice
because there is a crowd
of bad spirits around
us, eager to communicate
with men, which results
in trivial
communications,
sometimes inconvenient,
that can frustrate the
medium.
Mediumship is not a body
function, it is a
spiritual one
5. Disappointments and
frustration would be
avoided if we understood
that mediumship is a
process that goes
through different
phases. In the beginning
of its development, the
medium is surrounded by
inferior spirits who
still have fluids
impregnated with
terrestrial matter which
synchronise better with
the fluids of the
beginner in mediumship.
6. Only later on, after
mediumship is being
worked on and improved,
it’s when the good
spirits can use it for a
more noble and better
result. Obviously, it is
not to be assumed that
every medium at the
beginning of his/hers
activities will
definitely receive
communications only from
bad spirits. This
constitutes the majority
of the cases, but there
are always exceptions.
7. This facts suggest
that the mediums should
make the effort to
improve themselves as
people and try to live
their lives according to
what they learn from
Spiritism. This is what
the instructor Alexandre
tells us in the book
“Workers of the Life
Eternal” by Andre Luiz
in chapter 9, page 103:
“ Mediumship is not
something from the
physical body, it is
something from the
spirit. If you wish to
develop your mediumship,
you need to leave the
inferior desires behind.
If you intend to have
contact with the wise
spirits, gain knowledge,
value the experiences of
life, enlighten your
brain! If you wait for
the company of the
saints, sanctify
yourselves everyday of
your life with your
actions, because the
superior spirits and
saints don’t live their
spiritual life isolating
themselves in happiness.
They also work
themselves to make the
physical world better,
waiting for our
spiritual improvement.
If you expect the
presence of the good
spirits in your way, be
good yourselves first.”
8. Our spiritual guides
tell us that
perseverance in the
responsibilities taken
and meditation,
together with the
abandonment of personal
and social superficial
matters, produces a
liberation of the
psyche. The medium’s
psyche adapts itself to
the good spirits psyche,
which establishes a safe
exchange of
communications.
Mediumship is something
heavenly and should be
dealt with in a heavenly
manner
9. As mediumship itself
is neutral and reflects
the moral level of who
practices it, it’s fair
to expect that the
mediumship practiced by
spiritists should
reflect the philosophy
of Spiritism. And
because Spiritism
reflects teachings from
Christianism, the
practice of mediumship
should be totally based
in living the Christian
teachings. The
candidates to mediumship
in Spiritism should have
the study of The Gospel
according to Spiritism
as their priority.
10. Emmanuel tells us in
the item 387 of his book
“O Consolador”: The
first necessity that the
medium has is improving
himself/herself before
starting to practice
mediumship through the
solid knowledge of
Spiritsm. Because if the
medium doesn’t do that,
he/she is bound to
interpret things only
through his/hers
personal point of view.
Mediumship enlightened
by Spiritism makes the
medium become docile and
submissive to the
superior spirits.
11. Whoever wishes for
serious communications
with the spiritual world
needs, first of all, ask
for them seriously and
do whatever is necessary
to gain the good spirits
trust. It means
cultivate behaviours and
attitudes such as
humility, dedication and
absolute no interest in
moral or material
superficial things.
12. The medium will need
to improve
herself/himself as a
person in order to be an
instrument of general
improvement around
himself/herself.
Mediumship, as Allan
Kardec says, is a
heavenly thing and
should be practiced
heavenly. This means
working mediumship in a
punctual and faithful
way to Jesus and Allan
Kardec.
Answer
Key