this interview,
he also talks
about his book
Drogas: Causas,
Consequências e
Recuperação
(Drugs: Causes,
Consequences and
Recovery).
O Consolador:
Your book
Drogas: Causas,
Consequências e
Recuperação
(Drugs: Causes,
Consequences and
Recovery),
was edited by
EME, and is now
on its 4th
edition. It is
well accepted
within the
spiritist
movement. When
did you get
involved with
such a detailed
approached on
drugs?
Our State
Spiritist Union
requested in
2004 a course to
be programmed on
chemical
dependence,
which would help
to orientate the
spiritist
families. We
elaborated a 32
hour course. It
was available
not only for
spiritist
families to
attend but for
audiences from
public and
private schools.
The Antidrug
Municipal
Council from our
neighbour city
Rancharia
attended, as
well as students
from São
Paulo State
University Tupã.
We had 150
attendees in
this course,
which even
issued
certificates of
attendance.
O Consolador:
There is
a lack of
debates around
this theme
within the
spiritist
movement. What
do you think is
keeping us
distant from
this topic?
I feel grateful
for being
breaching this
barrier within
the spiritist
movement. I have
been working
hard to make
sure there is an
open and honest
discussion about
drugs within the
institutions I
go to, and the
feedback has
been great. I
believe the
movement lacks
people who are
prepared to
discuss this
subject in
detail. The
impression I get
is that
spiritists do
not see
themselves
subject to the
influence of
drugs. This is a
big mistake,
since we are
human beings
subject to
failure. That is
why it is
important to
breach this
barrier.
O Consolador:
Have you seen
many cases in
your consulting
room? How do you
deal with them?
Unfortunately,
the number of
drug addicts in
increasing. The
use of drugs
starts at home,
when parents are
giving their
children
medications for
no reason. Many
parents are now
getting home and
adopting the
following
attitudes: ‘I
need a beer to
relax’; ‘I need
to take a
sleeping pill’.
If we take into
account
education is a
result of living
in society,
children realise
then they can
sort their needs
by taking
substances.
Parents are
missing the
opportunity to
teach children
to live as
naturally as
possible by
dealing with
difficulties
using their
innate
abilities.
Besides this
strong
influence, drugs
became very
popular and easy
accessible. This
explains the
high number of
drug users
worldwide.
26 million
people; or 0.6%
of the world
population use
drugs. Out of
the world
population (6.5
billion people),
208 million have
tried some kind
of drugs... What
are they looking
for? They lack
objectives and
an existential
goal. That’s why
they are
searching
everywhere for
something.
Shakespeare
said: If you
don't know where
to go, anywhere
is the place.
We have been
working a lot of
people who are
involved with
drugs in the
last years. We
have been
working with
chemical
dependents for
the last 25
years and it is
not an easy task
to deal with
them. It
requires
patience,
dedication,
knowledge and
firmness. We
can work with
them in three
different
levels:
medical-clinical
evaluation,
psychiatric
evaluation, and
prescription of
medications,
psychological
therapy and, in
some cases,
hospital
intervention.
O Consolador: Do
you attend
people involved
with chemical
dependence at
the spiritist
centre? How has
the institution
being dealing
with it?
People need to
be qualified in
order to be able
to deal with
people involved
with chemical
dependence. We
have reinforced
this point at
the course in
2004. As said
previously,
there is a lack
of people
trained to
attend drug
addicts at the
centres. I once
took part on a
disobsession
group that
attended many
spirits who
disincarnated
via drugs. These
mediums
extensively
studied the
topic, and were
also prepared
physically and
organically to
deal with these
type of spirits.
They also had to
be morally and
spiritually
adjusted, since
their vibration
was, sometimes,
unbearable for
the mediums’
minds and body.
Because of this
level of
difficulty, the
group didn’t
continue to
work.
O Consolador:
It is noticeable
from the index
of your book the
depth of your
approach. Can
you please tell
us how you
approach the
damages caused
by drugs in
families and in
the society?
The damages
start with the
health of the
person who uses
drugs. Besides,
the family is
hit and sees the
user doing
things they
could never
possibly imagine
they would do,
such as steal
their relatives,
hit them
physically or
verbally.
O Consolador:
How much
spiritual damage
is caused to the
individual?
The individual
who gets
involved with
drugs gets away
from his
existential
path. He changes
his path by
compromising his
present and also
his future in
the spiritual
world. He
compromises his
perispirit. The
book presents
some texts from
André Luiz
stating the
consequences of
drugs, its
mental and
physical
implications
after
disincarnating.
It also talks
about the
implications
drugs lead the
individual to,
such as acts of
cruelty, suicide
and other evil
behaviour. There
is another
problem, which
is the influence
of disincarnated
spirits who are
also addicted to
drugs. They lead
the user to drug
abuse and even
death via
overdoses.
O Consolador:
How can the
Spiritist
Doctrine help to
reduce the
number of
chemical
dependents?
Whoever adopts
the spiritist
principles for
themselves will
get an itinerary
which will guide
them. The
spiritist
doctrine offers
us an
understanding of
our existence.
It places the
human existence
as a path of
instruction and
learning that
guides us
through the
world. I suggest
at the book some
actions such as:
-
Discuss with
young people
the problems
that drugs
can cause to
the
incarnated
spirit. We
should also
talk about
sexuality,
love
affairs,
romance,
pregnancy,
aids and
different
types of
drugs.
· Integrate
drug users in
the centres’
activities,
rather than
discriminate and
reject them.
·
Lead them to
spiritual
counselling.
· Incentivise
spiritist
teachings for
children and
youth at the
centres,
especially the
centres that
still don’t have
this activity in
place.
· Stimulate
the people who
come to centres
to start weekly
Gospel at Home
sessions;
especially the
family involved
with a drug
addict who in
under treatment.
O Consolador:
What type of
feedback did you
get with your
book? Have you
been travelling
and speaking at
different
centres?
The book has
been well
accepted. There
is a lack of
books in this
are. We were on
our 3rd edition
last year and
the book was
already on the
top of the sales
chart at
EME. This shows
there is room
for this book in
the spiritist
field. We had
the opportunity
to get in
different places
due to this
acceptance, such
as cities around
São Paulo and
Paraná. We went
recently to
Monte Alto,
which is located
at Ribeirão
Preto region. We
were there for
two days
discussing drugs
at the spiritist
centres and
visited the
institution
Horto de Deus to
host a talk
there. We then
had the chance
to hear the
interns and have
an open
conversation
regarding their
difficulties.
O Consolador:
How does the
influence of
spirits,
obsession,
should be
regarded?
We need to look
into question
459 from THE
SPIRITS’ BOOK.
Kardec asked the
spirits: “Do
spirits
influence our
thoughts and our
actions?” Their
answer was:
"Their influence
upon them is
greater than you
suppose, for it
is very often
they who direct
both." It is
easily
understood the
presence of
spirits around
us. As a result
of affinity,
they can
influence the
person who is
addicted to
drugs to use, in
accordance with
the law of
attraction. As a
consequence,
these
individuals will
suffer obsession
due to drug
abuse from both
incarnated and
disincarnated
spirits.
O Consolador:
Have you got
feedback from
people who are
not involved
with the
spiritist
movement?
Yes, I have. It
is also hard to
find books
regarding this
topic outside
the spiritist
movement which
is why it has
been well
accepted by a
lot of people.
We were very
careful in terms
of writing a
book that could
be read by
laymen as well
as for those who
knew a lot about
this topic. We
knew the book
would not be
good enough if
it was too
technical. We
are thinking
about writing a
new book in the
mental health
field, but it is
in an early
stage.
O Consolador:
Is there
anything else
you would like
to add?
Thank you for
the opportunity
of disclosing
Spiritism. I
know propaganda
is important for
the spread of
books, within
all sources
available. The
goal is to help
people who get
in contact with
drugs.
O Consolador:
Can you please
give us your
final words?
I would like to
thank the team
for maintaining
this electronic
magazine. I have
seen some many
futile
publications
available
globally and
your efforts
should be
praised. These
kinds of
endeavours
should be
stimulated and
supported as
they collaborate
for the common
good.
Congratulations!
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