Adriano Calsone, a specialist in multimedia and web animation in the city of São Caetano do Sul, is a researcher on the controversial issue of mediunic art. He is the author of two books on the subject, the main theme of this interview:  How did you become interested in arts and painting in special?  I have always liked arts. As a teenager at school, I loved the Arts classes and never really liked copying. What I really enjoyed was free drawing, letting my imagination free. A long time after that, in 2004, I tried my luck as a professional artist. I even began to study arts seriously but

What about mediunic painting? Where does your interest in that come from?      

It entered my life in 2002, when I began my studies of Spiritism. At that time my mediumship was becoming evident and I even challenged, so to speak, the Spiritual World to prove me wrong in my scepticism. Luckily my teacher at the Spiritism course at the São Paulo State Federation was one of the coordinators of the group of mediunic arts (GEAM). That group eventually became a Spiritist Centre, using the same name. I had shown her some of the paintings I had done through mediumship at home. She invited me to meet the group and my mediumship has remained active ever since. 

One of your books on mediunic painting gathers a great deal of valuable information on the issue. How did you managed to carry out such comprehensive research? 

The research began with my own curiosity to understand the process of mediunic painting. The first time I painted in trance, my body went into a state of shock, and my advisor from the GEAM group explained that there was a queue of spirits waiting for their turn to paint through my hands. I was in the beginning of the process and became suspicious, increasingly sceptical. That is when I began to do my own research, buying all books I could find on the subject, which were not many at the time. I went back to the writings of Kardec to look for descriptions of mediunic drawings, I interviewed mediums etc. I eventually realised I had gathered a huge amount of material, of information, and I decided to share that with other people. That’s how the idea of a book being published came about. I carried on with the idea as I noticed that people came to me after mediumship sessions to ask questions about the background, the process. I also noticed that painting mediums kept their own questions and answers to themselves. I realised then that a book on the issue would help many people understand how mediunic painting occurs. 

What is in your opinion the reason for the controversy around mediunic painting? 

The reason is often in the lack of information involving mediunic painting, about its purpose, which is the development of mediumship per se. Many people unfortunately still think that public sessions and selling the works of art are essential parts of this form of mediumship. There is also a strong objection from the directors of many Spiritist Groups against the phenomena and the results obtained by mediunic painting – many works indeed lack in artistic and aesthetic quality. But they forget that mediunic art is an excellent tool to get people into Spiritism, to include the young. I have also heard outrageous comments by fellow Spiritists, who said that those involved in mediunic art are obsessed, or the victims of spiritual attachment. Some common sense and further study of the teachings are needed in many parts. It is an awful feeling to realise that we are still a long way from an understanding on that theme among us, Spiritists. I suffer particularly as a medium involved in painting. But the fact that I am here giving this interview is a positive sign that there is room for some fraternal and open discussion, without prejudice and preconceived ideas. 

What has been the reaction from the wider Spiritist Movement towards the phenomena in general and mediunic painting in particular? 

I believe most Spiritists have already understood that the phenomena are not required to justify the existence of a Spiritual World and life after death. I understand that sort of practice should not be used to attract people into Spiritism. I believe mediunic painting should follow the same principles. There is no longer the need of mediums painting with their feet, or to allow discarnate painters to sign the works of art with their own names, or even to time how long it takes for the painting to be done. That is in the past, that is something that had its place in the 1980s when we still needed to disseminate the existence of mediunic art and we need to prove that discarnate painters were behind it. What we need now, in my opinion, is to carry out further study and research and to develop this form of mediumship with responsibility. 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

A friend of mine asked me recently if I had any idea of how my book would be receive among Spiritists. I told him I expect everyone to approach it without preconceived ideas, with “free eyes”, in the same way I think non-Spiritists will approach it. In The Spirits’ Book, chapter XVI, Special Mediums, Allan Kardec mentions this particular type of mediumship when he writes about “Painting or drawing mediums – those who paint or draw under the guidance of spirits.” Therefore, mediunic painting is not a fad from our times. It comes at least from the times of Kardec, in the XIX century. And if I doubted the fact that it is a serious practice, that it is guided by the Spiritual Benefactors, I would have given up a long time ago. I do believe that we still need to review opinions and reassess the old taboos and stigmas created by Spiritists themselves. Prejudice and ignorance are after all clear evidence that we need to understand better what we as yet only know superficially.