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Allan Kardec studied with Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi at Yverdon Castle.[1] Portrait from L'Illustration, 10 March 1869
Part of the series on
Kardecist spiritism
Grapevine branch, symbol of Spiritism
History
Basic works
Key concepts
Other concepts
Prominent spiritists
Institutions

Kardecist spiritism, also known as Kardecism or Spiritism, is a reincarnationist and spiritualist doctrine established in France in the mid-19th century by writer and educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail (known by his pen name Allan Kardec). Kardec considered his doctrine to derive from a Christian perspective.[2][3] He described a cycle by which a spirit supposedly returns to material existence after the death of the body in which it had dwelled, as well as the evolution it undergoes during this process.[4] Kardecism emerged as a new religious movement[5][4] in tandem with spiritualism. The notions and practices associated with spiritual communication have been disseminated throughout North America and Europe since the 1850s.[4]

Kardec coined the term spiritism in 1857[6][7] and defined it as "the doctrine founded on the existence, manifestations, and teachings of spirits". Kardec claimed that spiritism combines scientific, philosophical, and religious aspects[8][9][10] of the tangible universe and what he described as the universe beyond transcendence.[11][12][13] After observing table-turning, a kind of seance, he was intrigued that the tables seemed to move despite lacking muscles and that the tables seemed to provide answers without having a brain, the spiritualist claims being "It is not the table that thinks! It is us, the souls of the men who have lived on Earth."[14] Kardec also focused his attention on a variety of other paranormal claims such as "incorporation" and mediumship.[8]

Kardecist doctrine is based on five basic works, known together as the Spiritist Codification, published between 1857 and 1868. The codification consists of The Spirits' Book, The Mediums' Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism, Heaven and Hell, and The Genesis. Additionally, there are the so-called complementary works, such as What is Spiritism?, Spiritist Review, and Posthumous Works. Its followers consider spiritism a doctrine focused on the moral improvement of humanity and believe in the existence of a single God, the possibility of useful communication with spirits through mediums, and reincarnation as a process of spiritual growth and divine justice.[15]

According to the International Spiritist Council, spiritism is present in 36 countries, with over 13 million followers,[16] being most widespread in Brazil, where it has approximately 3.3 million followers, according to the data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and over 30 million sympathizers, according to the Brazilian Spiritist Federation.[17][18][16] Spiritists are also known for influencing and promoting a movement of social assistance and philanthropy.[19] The doctrine was influenced by utopian socialism,[20][21][22] mesmerism[23] and positivism[24][25][21][26] and had a strong influence on various other religious currents, such as Santería, Umbanda, and the New Age movements.[4]

Definition

[edit]

The term spiritisme was created by the French educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail (known as Allan Kardec) to refer to his ideas in The Spirits' Book (1857).[27][a] However, the use of the term, whose root is common to various Western nations of Latin origin or Anglo-Saxon, quickly led to its incorporation into everyday usage to designate everything related to the alleged communication with spirits. Thus, today the term spiritism refers to various religious and philosophical doctrines that assert the survival of spirits after the death of the body, and primarily to the possibility of communicating with them, either casually or deliberately, through evocations or spontaneously.

The term Kardecism is criticized by some followers of the doctrine who reserve the word spiritism solely for the doctrine as codified by Kardec, affirming that there are no different branches within spiritism, and they refer to believers of various currents as spiritualists. These followers believe that spiritism, as a doctrinal body, is singular, making the use of the term Kardecist spiritism redundant. Thus, those who adhere to the teachings codified by Kardec in the basic works (with varying degrees of tolerance for concepts that are not strictly doctrinal, such as apometry) simply identify themselves as spiritists, without the addition of Kardecist. However, another portion of followers considers the use of the term Kardecism appropriate.

The term "Kardecist spiritism" emerged from the need of some to distinguish spiritism (as originally defined by Kardec) from Afro-Brazilian religions such as Umbanda. The latter, discriminated against and persecuted at various times in Brazilian history, began to identify themselves as spiritists (at one point with the support of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation), in an effort to legitimize and consolidate the religious movement, due to the existing proximity between certain concepts and practices of it and Kardec's spiritism.

There is no consensus among Spiritists as to whether Spiritism is a religion or not, despite the doctrine being classified as a religion in demographic surveys. This is due to the triple aspect of Spiritism, which allows it to be classified as a doctrine that aligns "science-philosophy-religion".[28][29] In the preamble of the book O Que É o Espiritismo? (What is Spiritism?), Kardec states that "Spiritism is, at the same time, a science of observation and a philosophical doctrine. As a practical science, it consists of the relations established between us and the Spirits; as a philosophy, it encompasses all the moral consequences that emanate from these same relations." Some still contest the religious aspect of Spiritism; however, in the book published by its codifier, titled O Espiritismo na sua mais simples expressão (Spiritism in its simplest expression),[10] he clearly asserts: "From a religious point of view, Spiritism is based on the fundamental truths of all religions: God, the soul, immortality, rewards and punishments in the afterlife, but it is independent of any particular cult. Its goal is to prove to those who deny or doubt that the soul exists, that it survives the body, and that it experiences, after death, the consequences of the good and evil deeds committed during corporeal life: the goal of all religions."[30] Kardec also clarifies that Spiritism is a religion in the Opening Address of the Annual Commemorative Session of the Day of the Dead (Society of Paris, November 1, 1868).[b][31]

At the International Spiritist Congress held in Paris in 1925, there was a proposal to remove the religious aspect from Spiritism, but the important French Spiritist philosopher Léon Denis opposed it with tenacity, even in his already weak physical condition of health.[32] According to Denis, Spiritism was not the "religion of the future" but rather the "future of religions".[33]

On the other hand, the Spiritist Doctrine affirms respect for all religions and doctrines, values all efforts for the practice of good, and claims to work for fraternity and peace among all peoples and all men,[34] although it firmly rejects, it must be reiterated, fundamental dogmas of other monotheistic religions. In the case of Christianity, the fundamental dogmas that stand out are the divinity of Christ, the Holy Trinity, salvation or justification by grace (more than by individual works or efforts), and the existence and importance of the Church as a spiritual entity, not just human.[35]

Kardec's primary intention as a Spiritist was to provide support to human spirituality at a time when science was advancing rapidly and traditional religions were losing followers. Kardec believed he had discovered a new way of thinking about reality that would reconcile, in a balanced manner, the emerging science and the declining religion. He analyzed accounts of numerous mediumistic occurrences spread throughout Europe and the United States, synthesizing the information he interpreted to codify this type of practice and the teachings transmitted.[36]

History

[edit]
Main article: Spiritualism (movement)

Early observations

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Mediumship sessions of Daniel Dunglas Home in the 19th century

Followers of the Spiritist doctrine believe that mediumistic phenomena is universal and has always existed.[c] Spiritists cite biblical mediumistic examples, such as Moses' prohibition of "consulting the dead" as evidence of the Jewish belief in this possibility;[37] the consultation of Saul with the Witch of Endor, who sees and hears the disembodied spirit of Samuel; and the communication of Jesus with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor in the Transfiguration of Jesus (9).[38]

During the 19th century, there was increased attention towards manifestations of mediumship in the United States and Europe.[39][40] These manifestations consisted mainly of strange noises, knocks on furniture, and objects that moved or floated without any apparent cause, as in the case of "table-turning". The supposed case of the Fox sisters in the United States stood out in the late 1840s.[36][41] Many Spiritists mark March 31, 1848 (the beginning of the mediumistic events at the residence of the Fox sisters in Hydesville, US) as the initial milestone of modern mediumistic manifestations, allegedly more ostensive and frequent than ever before, which led to greater interest in mediumistic phenomena.[42]

Table-turning

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Parisian salon with people practicing three variations of table-turning using a ring, a table, and a hat.[43] (L'Illustration, Histoire de la semaine, May 14, 1853).[43]
Main articles: Table-turning and Ideomotor effect

The first manifestations of table-turning observed by Kardec involved tables lifting and knocking, using one of their legs, a determined number of knocks to respond yes or no, as agreed upon, to a proposed question.[44][45] Kardec felt skeptics would believe table turning to be caused by electricity, whose properties were little known to the science of that time. He thus employed methods to obtain more elaborate responses through the letters of the alphabet: the table knocking a certain number of times would correspond to the sequential number of each letter, thus forming words and sentences in response to the proposed questions,[46] as he believed that the precision of the answers and their correlation with the questions could not be attributed to chance.[32] The mysterious being who responded in this way, when questioned about its nature, declared that it was a spirit or genius, gave its name, and provided information about itself. Eventually, the phenomenon decreased in popularity and became anecdotal.[47]

Kardec questioned the possibility of a muscular hypothesis (such as the ideomotor effect) being the cause of all the alleged movements and messages of the table-turning or other mechanical productions.[48][49][50] However, Michael Faraday's scientific experiments, published in 1853, showed that the movements involved in table-turning were caused by the ideomotor effect.[51] The ideomotor effect also causes the movements observed in the so-called ouija board and the "cup game",[52] in which participants involuntarily move markers over letters and numbers and also attribute the movements to supposed spirits or geniuses.[53]

Victor Hugo, during his exile on the island of Jersey (1851–1855), participated in numerous table-turning sessions with his friend Auguste Vacquerie and came to believe that he had made contact with deceased spirits, including his late daughter Léopoldine and great writers such as Shakespeare, Dante, Racine, and Molière.[54][55] Hugo converted to spiritualism, and in 1867 called for science to pay attention to and take seriously the phenomena of table-turning.[d][32][56]

Beliefs

[edit]

Principles

[edit]
"To be born, to die, to be reborn yet again, and to constantly progress, such is the law", in French on Kardec's tomb.

Founded on April 18, 1857, with the publication of The Spirits' Book, Spiritism was structured based on alleged dialogues established with disembodied spirits that, by manifesting through mediums, expounded on scientific, religious, and philosophical topics from the perspective of Christian morality, that is, with the principle of love for one's neighbor, bringing to light new perspectives on various subjects of great philosophical and theological relevance. Thus, one of the basic precepts of Spiritism was established, which is the importance of charity, understood as benevolence towards all, indulgence towards the imperfections of others, and forgiveness of offenses.[57]

The Spiritist doctrine aims to establish a dialogue between science, philosophy, and religion, to obtain an original form that is both more comprehensive and profound, in order to understand reality better.[13][58] Kardec synthesizes the concept with the famous phrase: "Unshakable faith is only the one that can confront reason face to face in all epochs of humanity."[59]

According to the Spiritist philosopher Herculano Pires, "Spiritist Philosophy, as Kardec said, generically belongs to what we usually call Spiritualist Philosophy because its view of the Universe is not limited to Matter but extends to Spirit, which it considers as the cause of everything we perceive in the material plane. Embracing in its cosmological interpretation Spiritist Science and resulting in Spiritist Religion, Spiritist Philosophy encompasses the entire doctrine."[30][58]

Foundational principles

[edit]
Chart depicting spiritual evolution, according to the perspective of Spiritist Doctrine.

The Spiritist doctrine, in general, is based on the following principles:[60]

  • Existence and unity of God, rejecting the dogma of the Holy Trinity (As stated in the first question of The Spirits' Book—"God is the supreme intelligence, the primary cause of all things."[61]);
  • The universe is God's creation, including all rational beings (Jesus, for example) and irrational, animated and inanimate, material and immaterial, which, in turn, are all destined for the law of progress;
  • Existence and immortality of the spirit, understood as an intelligent individuality of divine creation that acts on matter through a "semimaterial" connection called perispirit, and, like the spirit, is indestructible;
  • Spirits return to matter (reincarnation) as many times as necessary as the natural mechanism to achieve material and moral improvement. However, for the doctrine, the perfection that humanity is capable of achieving is relative, as only God possesses absolute perfection, infinite in all things. Spiritists reject belief in metempsychosis;[62]
  • Concept of the "equal creation" of all spirits, "simple and ignorant" in their origin, and invariably destined for perfection, with identical aptitudes for good or evil, given free will;[63]
  • Possibility of communication between incarnate (living) spirits and discarnate (dead) spirits, through mediumship (also known as communicability of spirits). This communication is carried out with the assistance of individuals with certain abilities (i.e., mediums); for example, via automatic writing (psychography);[64]
  • Law of cause and effect, understood as a mechanism of universal ethical retribution for all spirits, according to which one's current condition is the result of one's past actions, and one's thoughts, words, and actions construct one's future on a daily basis ("One who sows good reaps good. One who sows evil reaps evil");[65]
  • Plurality of inhabited material worlds: Earth is not the only planet with intelligent life in the universe, and reincarnation on other planets is possible;
  • Jesus, created by God, is the guide and model for all of humanity.[66] According to Spiritism, Christian morality contained in the canonical gospels is the greatest ethical-moral guide that humanity possesses, and its practice is the solution to all human problems and the objective to be attained by humanity.[67]
  • Outside of charity, there is no salvation.[68] According to Spiritism, charity consists of benevolence towards all, indulgence towards the imperfections of others, and forgiveness of offenses.[57]

Additionally, secondary characteristics can be mentioned:[69]

  • The notion of individual responsibility's continuity throughout the spirit's existence;
  • Progressiveness of the spiritual principle within the evolutionary process at all levels of nature;
  • Total absence of a priestly hierarchy;
  • Selflessness in the practice of good, meaning that one should not demand payment for charitable acts, nor should one do them with ulterior motives. All Spiritist practice is free, as guided by the moral principle of the gospel: "Freely you have received; freely give";
  • Use of specific terminology and concepts, such as "perispirit", "mediumship", and "Spiritist center";[70]
  • Complete absence of exorcism, formulas, sacramental words, horoscopes, cartomancy, pyramids, crystals, amulets, talismans, worship or offering to images or altars, dances, processions, or similar acts, vestments, andors, alcoholic or hallucinogenic beverages, incense, and smoke, external practices, or any material signs;[71]
  • Absence of institutionalized rituals, such as baptism,[72] worship, or ceremony to officiate marriage;[73]
  • Encouragement of respect for all religions and opinions;[74]
  • Having reasoned faith, rejecting blind faith that does not employ logical reasoning in its beliefs.[75]

Symbolism

[edit]

Spiritism does not have an official symbol and prioritizes a denotative language. However, the vine branch depicted in The Spirits' Book—the only engraving used by Kardec in the Spiritist Codification—is considered by the doctrine as the perfect metaphorical image of the relationship between the spirit and the human body, due to this passage:[76]

You shall place at the head of the book the vine branch that we have drawn for you, for it is the emblem of the work of the Creator. All the material principles that can best represent the body and the spirit are contained in it. The body is the vine branch, the spirit is the liquor, the soul or the spirit linked to matter is the grape. Man refines the spirit through work, and you know that it is only through the work of the body that the Spirit acquires knowledge.

— Preface of The Spirits' Book.

Works

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Basic works

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Main article: Spiritist basic works
Publication of The Spirits' Book from 1860 in Paris
Publication of the book What Is Spiritism? from 1868 in Paris

The Spirits' Book was published in 1857 and contains the fundamental principles of Spiritist doctrine.[77] The Mediums' Book, or Guide for Mediums and Invokers, was published in 1861 and discusses the experimental and investigative nature of Spiritism, seen as a theoretical and methodological tool to understand a "new order of phenomena" that had never been considered by scientific knowledge: the so-called spiritist or mediumistic phenomena, which were believed to be caused by the intervention of spirits in physical reality.[78]

The Gospel According to Spiritism, published in 1864, evaluates the canonical gospels from the perspective of Spiritist doctrine, addressing the application of Christian moral principles and religious matters such as the practice of worship, prayer, and charity with special attention.[79]

Heaven and Hell, or Divine Justice According to Spiritism, was published in 1865 and consists of two parts: in the first part, Kardec critically examines philosophical contradictions and inconsistencies with scientific knowledge, which he believes can be overcome through Spiritist paradigm of reasoned faith.[80] Topics covered include: causes of the fear of death, why Spiritists do not fear death, heaven, the Christian Hell • imitated from the pagan one, limbo, purgatory, doctrine of eternal punishments, penal code of the afterlife, angels, the origin of the belief in demons.[81] The second part contains dozens of dialogues that purportedly took place between Kardec and various spirits, in which they recount their impressions from the afterlife.[82]

The Genesis According to Spiritism, published in 1868, addresses various philosophical and scientific questions, such as the creation of the universe, the formation of worlds, the emergence of the spirit, and the nature of so-called miracles, according to the Spiritist paradigm of understanding reality.[83]

Complementary works

[edit]

What Is Spiritism?, published in 1859, is an introductory and didactic work on Spiritism.[84]

The periodical Revue Spirite (Spiritist Review) was founded by Kardec in January 1858 and directed by him until he died in 1869. It is published quarterly by the International Spiritist Council and is translated into multiple languages.[85]

In January 1890, the directors of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies released Kardec's unpublished works as Posthumous Works.

Sic Cogito (1892) by B.P. Hașdeu is a theoretical work about spiritism as a philosophy.

Spiritism and science

[edit]

Qualification of Spiritism as a science

[edit]

Alexander Moreira de Almeida claims spiritism is scientific,[86] even calling Kardec's approach "revolutionary."[87] However, the current scientific consensus considers parapsychology a pseudoscience,[88] disregarding the alleged paranormal phenomena that underpin spiritism, such as mediumship, reincarnation, obsession, table-turning, séances, automatic writing, spiritualist art, and typology. Critics of pseudoscience even define parapsychology as a "perversion", as parapsychologists claim that science cannot be the only privileged field that is exempt from the explanations they defend.[89] Animal magnetism (mesmerism) is also present in spiritist teachings, with constant references to mesmeric concepts such as magnetic fluids.[90][91] According to this hypothesis, some people could perform healings through "fluids". However, the animal magnetism hypothesis is considered pseudoscientific, as scientists have known since the second half of the 18th century that the alleged healings were purely psychosomatic, achieved through hypnosis, without any involvement of "fluids" or animal magnetism.[92][93][94]

According to Joseph McCabe, citing the claims of Arthur Conan Doyle about scientists confirming the alleged spiritual phenomena for 30 years, the mediums deceived the researchers. He considers that these deceptions led to the arrogant language of spiritualist literature.[95]

Scientific method and "spiritual science"

[edit]

The scientific investigation of the facts and causes of alleged mediumistic phenomena is the subject of intense study, mainly within the pseudoscience[96] of parapsychology. Scientific investigations on mediumship and other "spiritual phenomena" advocated by Spiritism have taken place even within the academic setting. Although many scientists have claimed to have provided evidence for the existence of such phenomena in their research through the scientific method, the existence of spirits is neither established nor proven.

Mediumship has been studied by scientists and scholars for more than a century.[97] Many scientists and intellectuals have dedicated themselves to investigations of mediumship and its implications for the mind–body relationship, including Kardec, Alfred Russel Wallace, B. P. Hașdeu, Alexandre Aksakof, Cesare Lombroso, Camille Flammarion, Carl Jung, Charles Richet, Gabriel Delanne, Frederic Myers, Hans Eysenck, Henri Bergson, Ian Stevenson, J. J. Thomson, J. B. Rhine, James H. Hyslop, Johann K. F. Zöllner, Lord Rayleigh, Marie Curie, Oliver Lodge, Pierre Curie, Pierre Janet, Théodore Flournoy, William Crookes, William James, and William McDougall.[98]

Medicine

[edit]
Further information: Spiritual healing and Past life regression therapy
André Luiz Spiritist Hospital in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

The relationship between Spiritism itself and medicine is profound, as evidenced by its presence in many spiritist books and the existence of the International Spiritist Medical Association, which brings together medical-spiritist associations from various countries. Spiritism constitutes a vast international movement of charity and healthcare institutions, as evidenced mainly by the existence of such associations, numerous hospitals and spiritist centers, and a notable promotion of psychiatry and homeopathy.[citation needed]

Dr. Adolfo Bezerra de Menezes, a spiritist and physician, wrote, A Loucura sob Novo Prisma (Insanity from a New Perspective), seeking to relate the issue of mental disorders to Spiritism and promote the application of more effective treatment methods in the field of mental health.[99]

Spiriticism and other religions

[edit]

Qualification of Spiritism as Christian

[edit]

Kardec taught that "the teaching of the Spirits is eminently Christian."[100] In Posthumous Works, it is stated that Spiritism is "the only truly Christian tradition." Spiritist writers such as José Reis Chaves and Severino Celestino da Silva also claim that reincarnation was part of early Christianity until it was condemned by the Second Council of Constantinople.[101][102] This controversial thesis was popularized even earlier by Leslie Weatherhead but has also been questioned based on statements from the Church Fathers and the lack of references to reincarnation during that Council.[103] Agnostic scholar Bart D. Ehrman claims that evidence that early Christians believed in reincarnation is scant.[104] Christian theologian Norman Geisler claims that there is no evidence of reincarnation in the Bible. According to him, the text in John 9:2–3 reflects the rabbinic belief in prenatal sins, according to which a fetus could commit sin before birth, but not in a previous incarnation. He also dismisses other texts generally cited in support of reincarnation.[105]

The qualification of Spiritism itself as Christian has also generated controversy. Dr. Antônio Flávio Pierucci, professor at the Department of Sociology at the University of São Paulo (USP) and scholar of Brazilian religiosity, is one of those who affirm that Spiritism is "not a Christian religion."[106] There are no historical Christian doctrines within Spiritism, present in its main branches, such as the Trinity, the physical resurrection of Jesus, the inspiration of the Bible, and redemption.[citation needed] Due to these differences, many scholars consider it a form of neo-Christianity.[106] However, Spiritist writers argue that Spiritism is Christian because it promotes the teaching of loving one's neighbor.[4]

Christianity

[edit]
Further information: Perspective of Spiritism on Jesus
Christianisme et Spiritisme (Christianity and Spiritism), a book from 1898 by the philosopher Léon Denis, which links Christian morality and the moral laws of Spiritism
Official Catholic book opposing spiritualism (1921)

The Spiritist doctrine adopts Christian morality[e] despite its differentiated theological conceptions. According to Spiritists, the name given to the followers of Spiritism, Jesus Christ is the most elevated spirit to have ever incarnated on Earth.[66]

Spiritists (a widely used translation during the early decades of the 20th century for the French neologism spirite) consider themselves Christians and attribute to Spiritist doctrine the character of a Christian doctrine, as they consider themselves followers of the moral teachings of Jesus. Spiritists base their defense of the Christian character of Spiritist doctrine on the fact that Allan Kardec argued that Christian morality, free from the dogmas of faith associated with it, would be the closest thing to a divine and rational code of ethics that humans possess. Spiritists argue that the dogmas were elaborated over the centuries by the Catholic Church; therefore, it is not necessary to follow them to be a Christian. Furthermore, item 625 of The Spirits' Book states that Jesus is the greatest moral example available to humanity, although Spiritism denies any genuinely divine nature to him.[107]

Sermon on the Mount

[edit]

The Beatitudes are nine teachings that Jesus delivered in the Sermon on the Mount, according to the New Testament (12). For Spiritism, these teachings are of great importance, and they will now be presented from the Spiritist perspective.

Matthew 5. According to Spiritism, Jesus promises the kingdom of heaven to the simple and humble, referring to the moral qualities of the individual.[108]

10. According to Spiritism, only in the afterlife can the compensations that Jesus promises to the afflicted on Earth be fulfilled. Faith in the future can console and instill patience in the spirit that endures the various terrestrial anomalies with calmness and resignation. However, it does not justify the causes of the diversity of evils, inequalities between vice and virtue, deformities, and natural disasters. The vicissitudes of life can be divided into two parts from a Spiritist perspective: some have their explanations within the present life, while others are found beyond this life. This latter cause, in the Spiritist view, is explained by the plurality of existences in which the incarnated spirit pays for the evils it has committed in previous lives.[109]

The purity of the heart embodies the principles of simplicity and humility, excluding all notions of pride and selfishness. According to Spiritism, the emblem of purity that Jesus takes on in relation to children should not be taken literally. [f] The spirit of the child, not yet able to manifest its tendencies towards evil, represents momentarily the image of innocence and purity resembling pure spirits. However, the actions [good or bad] taken by the spirit before incarnating gradually reflect in its behavior as an incarnated spirit. Therefore, as the incarnated spirit develops its physical structure, it also develops its psychic structure, which exhibits behavioral characteristics corresponding to the real conduct of the spirit itself.[110]

Matthew 5. According to Spiritism, Jesus makes meekness, moderation, gentleness, affability, and patience a law.[111]

Mercy consists of forgiving offenses, and for Spiritism, the sacrifice that pleases God the most is reconciliation with adversaries, as stated in Matthew 5:23-24.[112]

According to Spiritism, all Christian morality is summarized in this axiom:

Outside of charity, there is no salvation.

— 40; 7 and 13[g][h]

Organizations

[edit]

The basic unit of organization in Kardecist Spiritism is the Spiritist centre, also called Spiritist society or Spiritist house. In legal terms, Spiritist centres are ordinary non-profit associations, whose members are in charge of providing funds to run the centre itself and the various charity activities kept by it. Each centre is run by a president or one or more directors elected for a term. Spiritist centres differ from Spiritualist churches in that they are not formally organized as ecclesiastical bodies.[citation needed] Spiritist centres offer a range of "spiritist complementary therapies" (SCT) to those seeking treatment for health problems.[113]

Brazilian Spiritist Federation

[edit]
Main article: Brazilian Spiritist Federation
Headquarters of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation in Brasília

The Brazilian Spiritist Federation is a public utility entity[114] founded on January 2, 1884, in Rio de Janeiro. It is a civil, religious, educational, cultural, and philanthropic society whose purpose is the study, practice, and dissemination of Spiritism in all its aspects, based on the works of Allan Kardec's Codification and the canonical Gospels.[115]

International Spiritist Council

[edit]
Main article: International Spiritist Council

The International Spiritist Council (ISC) is an organization resulting from the union of representative associations of national Spiritist movements and currently has 35 associated countries. It was constituted on November 28, 1992, in Madrid, Spain. Its objectives are the promotion of fraternal union among Spiritist institutions in all countries and the unification of the worldwide Spiritist movement; the promotion of the study and dissemination of Spiritist Doctrine in its three basic aspects: scientific, philosophical, and religious; and the promotion of the practice of material and moral charity as taught by Spiritist Doctrine. The main event organized by the ISC is the World Spiritist Congress, held every three years.[116]

Pan-American Spiritist Confederation

[edit]
Main article: Pan-American Spiritist Confederation

The Pan-American Spiritist Confederation, founded on October 5, 1946, in Argentina, is an international institution that mainly brings together Spiritists from Latin America. CEPA has adherent and affiliated institutions in various countries and defends a secular view of Spiritism. The organization takes controversial positions among Spiritists, such as the dissociation between the doctrine and Christianity and the need to update Spiritism in light of science. Since October 13, 2000, the headquarters of CEPA has been in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. CEPA's activities in Brazil are primarily carried out through events promoted by adherent institutions, such as the Forum of Free Thinking Spiritists and the Brazilian Symposium on Spiritist Thought.[117]

Demographics

[edit]
Allan Kardec Festival in São Paulo

From 1857, the year of the release of The Spirits' Book, to 1869, the year of Kardec's death, Spiritism gained 7 million followers.[118] According to data from 2005, Spiritism has about 13 million followers worldwide,[16] and according to data from 2010, Brazil – the country with the most followers[119] – has about 3.8 million Spiritists.[120][121] The International Spiritist Council (CEI) has 36 member countries.[122] Another international Spiritist organization, the Pan American Spiritist Confederation, brings together Spiritist institutions and delegates from 13 countries.[123][124][125]

Brazil

[edit]
Main article: History of Spiritism in Brazil
I Congresso de Mocidades Espíritas do Brasil (First Congress of Spiritist Youth in Brazil), 1948
Classroom for initiating children into Spiritism in Boa Ventura, Paraíba
A Spiritist center in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Spiritism arrived in Brazil in the 1860s. The Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) dates it to 1865,[126] and the Anuário Espírita provides an earlier history.[i]

Through Bezerra de Menezes[128] and Chico Xavier,[129] Spiritism had the opportunity to become popular throughout the country, spreading its teachings across a large part of the Brazilian territory. Brazil is the country with the largest number of Spiritists worldwide.[130] However, in the 19th century, the penal code of 1890 even banned the practice of Spiritism in Brazil and punished those who practiced the "crime" with up to 6 months in prison. Although socially tolerated, especially after the actions of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) in the first decades of the 20th century, the practice ceased to be officially prohibited only with the promulgation of the penal code of 1940.[131][132] The FEB congregates approximately ten thousand Spiritist institutions,[133] spread across all regions of the country. There are also several Brazilian Spiritist associations for specific professions, such as the Brazilian Medical-Spiritist Association, Brazilian Association of Spiritist Psychologists, Brazilian Association of Spiritist Judges, Brazilian Association of Spiritist Artists, and Crusade of Spiritist Military.[32]

According to the Brazilian Census of 2010, Brazil had about 3.8 million Spiritists.[134] The state capitals with the highest percentage of Spiritists are Florianópolis (7.3%), Porto Alegre (7.1%), Rio de Janeiro (5.9%), São Paulo (4.7%), Goiânia (4.3%), Belo Horizonte (4.0%), Campo Grande (3.6%), Recife (3.6%), Brasília (3.5%), and Cuiabá (3.5%).[135] The IBGE considers the terms kardecism and Spiritism as equivalents in its census classification.[136]

As the third-largest religious group in Brazil, Spiritists also have the highest income and education levels among social segments, according to data from the same Census. Spiritists are strongly associated with acts of charity. They maintain asylums, orphanages, schools for the underprivileged, daycares, and other institutions for assistance and social promotion in all Brazilian states.[32] Allan Kardec is a well-known and respected figure in Brazil.[137] He is the most read French author in the country, with his books selling more than 25 million copies throughout the Brazilian territory. If we count other Spiritist books, all derived from the works of Kardec, the Brazilian Spiritist publishing market surpasses 4,000 titles already published and over 100 million copies sold.[138] The Spiritist theme constitutes the most successful literary market in Brazil, with Spiritist books leading the bestseller lists in the country's main bookstores.[32][139] According to the 2010 census, Spiritism experienced significant growth from 2000 to 2010, with an increase of over 60% in followers, going from 2.3 million to 3.8 million followers,[120] with the majority of them being between 50 and 59 years old (3.1%) and having the highest literacy rate (98.6%), the highest percentage of individuals with a completed university education (31.5%), and income above 5 minimum wages (19.7%), as well as the lowest percentage of individuals with no education (1.8%) and with incomplete primary education (15.0%).[121]

Cuba

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After the legalization of religion in Cuba, there was a revival of Spiritism, which had been present in the Caribbean country since the 19th century.[140] According to data from the Ministry of Religions, in 2011, there were 400 Spiritist centers in Cuba, with an additional 200 being registered, making Cuba the second most Spiritist country in the world in terms of the number of centers. The Cuban Medical-Spiritist Association has the highest number of activists in the International Medical-Spiritist Association.[141]

Spain

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In Spain, one of the great pioneers of Spiritism was Luis Francisco Benítez de Lugo y Benítez de Lugo, VIII Marquis of Flórida and X Lord of Algarrobo y Bormujos, who presented a bill for the official teaching of Spiritism, reading it on August 26, 1873.[142]

Romania

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In Romania and Eastern Europe, one of the great pioneers of Spiritism was B.P. Hașdeu, who wrote Sic Congito in 1892. After the loss of his 18 years old daughter, Iulia Hașdeu he practiced Spiritism to communicate with her in Câmpina at Iulia Hașdeu Castle.[citation needed]

Mexico

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In the decades of 1850–1860, Spiritism reached Mexico, attracting the intellectual elite with its proposals of modernism, anticlerical reform, and liberalism of free thought. General Refugio Indalecio González translated works by Kardec, publishing El Evangelio Según el Espiritismo in Spanish in 1872 in Mexico and, under the direction of the Sociedad Espírita Central de la República Mexicana, circulated spiritist magazines.[143] Among others, there was also the initial dissemination by utopian socialist Nicolás Pizarro Suárez.[144] In 1875, attention to Spiritism became heated in Mexico City when, in a positivist reaction after publications in the press, a debate was held between materialist and spiritualist students at the Liceo Hidalgo and Teatro del Conservatorio, considered by Zenia Yébenes Escardó as "the first philosophical controversy that was considered as such in Mexico."[143][145] In addition to its academic presence, popular Spiritism emerged, incorporating indigenous practices and local cults, with a strongly present folkloric imagery in the figure of Teresa Urrea, a spiritual healer who was supported by the spiritist Lauro Aguirre.[143][146] The feminist Laureana Wright, an already renowned writer, converted to Spiritism in 1889 to promote the debate of thought and women's equality, inspired by examples of female emancipation that she observed in other countries, and started holding sessions attended by various public figures, later becoming the president of the Sociedad Espírita Central.[147] Spiritist groups emerged in various locations, and after a brief decline at the end of the 19th century, attention on Spiritism intensified in the early 20th century through press coverage after Francisco Madero, who promoted it through works he distributed, organized congresses, and, inspired by allegedly psychographed letters, published a book that promoted the Mexican Revolution, becoming the president of Mexico for a short period until he was assassinated.[143][146]

Dissensions

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Roustainguism

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Facsimile of the birth certificate of Jean-Baptiste Roustaing, 1805.

Since the 19th century, particularly in France and Brazil, there have been conflicts of opinion among Spiritists, mistakenly referred to as "Kardecists," and the so-called "Roustainguists," regarding the acceptance or rejection of the postulates of the work The Four Gospels or Revelation of Revelation, coordinated by Jean-Baptiste Roustaing, especially concerning the genesis of Jesus' body and the spiritual fall, which would cause the first incarnation of the spirits that failed. For Spiritists who accept the Kardec-Roustaing duo, Jesus had a "fluidic" body on Earth due to being a pure spirit, and thus, the genesis of that body was by His psychomagnetic will, characterizing Him as an agene.[148]

On the other hand, Spiritists who do not accept the work The Four Gospels, coordinated by Roustaing, believe that Jesus had a material body like any other incarnated human being, and its genesis was also similar, through the fusion of sperm and ovum.[149]

Furthermore, Roustaing's The Four Gospels explains that the spirits who failed due to atheism, pride, and selfishness incarnated in primitive worlds as "fleshy cryptogams" (creeping animals resembling slugs), which represents the doctrine of metempsychosis, not accepted by Spiritism since the doctrine of reincarnation states that the Spirit only reincarnates in the human kingdom (Humanity).[150]

Christian rationalism

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Rational Christian House, Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde.

In the Brazilian city of Santos, a dissenting movement within the Spiritist movement emerged in 1910, which called itself "Rational and Scientific Christian Spiritism" and later became known as Christian rationalism, systematized by Luís de Matos and Luís Alves Tomás.[151]

Ramatism

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Main article: Ramatis

In Brazil, since the second half of the 1950s, some Spiritist centers have followed the doctrine allegedly dictated by the spirit Ramatis (mainly embodied in the works psychographed by Hercílio Maes). They differ from traditional Spiritist centers due to a greater emphasis on universalism (common origin of religions) and the comparative study of Western and Eastern spiritualist religions and philosophies. It is also notable for a stronger influence of Eastern thought currents (such as Buddhism and Hinduism) and its proximity to the cosmogony of universalist spiritualism.[151]

Conscientiology

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After ending the partnership with medium Chico Xavier in 1968, medium Waldo Vieira began his own research on the phenomenon called "consciential projection" (referred to as "spiritual unfolding" in Spiritism). Consequently, in 1987, he systematized the parascientific movement called Conscientiology.[152][153]

Christian Renewal

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Emerging in Brazil as a dissent within the Spiritist movement since September 2002. While still following Spiritist Doctrine, it claims to do so with greater seriousness than the Brazilian movement itself, which is an argument used for its separation.[154]

Criticism

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Kardec's introductory book on Spiritism, What is Spiritism?, published only two years after The Spirits' Book, includes a hypothetical discussion between him and three idealized critics, "The Critic", "The Skeptic", and "The Priest", summing up much of the criticism Spiritism has received. The broad areas of criticism relate to charlatanism, pseudoscience, heresy, witchcraft, and Satanism. Until his death, Kardec addressed these issues in various books and his periodical, the Revue Spirite.

Later, the Theosophical Society, a competing new religion,[155] saw the Spiritist explanations as too simple or even naïve.[156]

René Guénon's influential book The Spiritist Fallacy criticized both the more general concepts of Spiritualism, which he considered to be a superficial mix of moralism and spiritual materialism, as well as Spiritism's specific contributions, such as its belief in what he saw as a post-Cartesian, modernist concept of reincarnation distinct from and opposed to its two western predecessors, metempsychosis and transmigration.[157]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 2117) states that "Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church, for her part, warns the faithful against it".[158]

In Brazil, Catholic priests Carlos Kloppenburg and Óscar González-Quevedo, among others, have written extensively against Spiritism from both a doctrinal and parapsychological perspective. Quevedo, in particular, has sought to show that Spiritism's claims of being a science are invalid. In addition to writing books on the subject,[159] he has also hosted television programs debunking supposed paranormal phenomena, most recently in a series that ran in 2000 on Globo's news program Fantástico.[160] Brazilian Spiritist Hernani Guimarães Andrade has, in turn, written rebuttals to these criticisms.[159]

An article published in the British skeptical magazine The Skeptic also criticizes Spiritism for its association with ufology, parapsychology, animal magnetism, and other pseudosciences.[161][162]

[edit]

Spiritism has been the subject of various non-literary works.[163]

Soap operas

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The Brazilian soap opera Somos Todos Irmãos (1966), was produced by Rede Tupi and is inspired by the novel spiritualist A Vingança do Judeu psychographed by the medium russian Vera Kryzhanovskaia.[164] The soap opera A Viagem (1975), produced by TV Tupi, was inspired by the spiritist novels Nosso Lar and E a Vida Continua... psychographed by Chico Xavier, developing a complex plot addressing concepts such as mediumship, death, spiritual obsession, reincarnation, and others. Rede Globo conceived a remake of it in 1994.[165] The soap opera O Profeta (1977), produced by the extinct TV Tupi and also with a remake conceived in 2006 by TV Globo, portrays the main character as a medium capable of predicting the future.[166]

The productions Anjo de Mim, Alma Gêmea,[166] Escrito nas Estrelas,[167] Amor Eterno Amor,[168] Alto Astral, Além do Tempo,[169][170] and Espelho da Vida also told stories related to Spiritism.[171]

Films

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The Brazilian film Joelma, 23° Andar, was based on the work Somos Seis psychographed by Chico Xavier and is the first in the country with a spiritist theme, portraying the Joelma Fire tragedy, which left 179 dead and over 300 injured (February 1, 1974). Several other films followed, such as Bezerra de Menezes - O Diário de um Espírito (2006, seen by over 500,000 viewers),[172] Chico Xavier (2010, seen by about 3.5 million viewers in theaters),[172] Nosso Lar (also in 2010, seen by over 4 million viewers in theaters),[173] among others.

See also

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Notes

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References

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Bibliography

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Kardecist spiritism

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Kardecist spiritism, also known as Kardecism or simply Spiritism, is a spiritualist doctrine founded in mid-19th-century that views the relationship between the material and spirit worlds as a subject of scientific inquiry, philosophical reflection, and moral guidance, emphasizing communication with disembodied spirits via mediums and the role of in human spiritual evolution. The movement was established by Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail (1804–1869), a French educator and pedagogue who adopted the Allan to distinguish his work on spiritual phenomena. Rivail, initially skeptical of reports of spirit manifestations during the 1850s wave of and across , began systematic observations and experiments with mediums in around 1855, aiming to apply rational and empirical methods to these events. Kardec codified the core tenets of Spiritism in a series of five foundational books, beginning with (1857), which compiles questions and answers channeled from spirits on topics such as the nature of , the immortality of the , and the mechanisms of spiritual progression. Subsequent works, including (1861), Heaven and Hell (1865), Genesis (1868), and The Gospel According to Spiritism (1864), expanded on practical , ethical interpretations of , and the scientific basis for spirit interactions. These texts present Spiritism not as a new but as a universal doctrine compatible with , rooted in the belief that all humans are spirits temporarily incarnated in physical bodies for moral and intellectual advancement. Central principles include the existence of a single, supreme ; the pre-existence and of spirits; multiple lives through to atone for faults and acquire virtues; and the influence of spirits on human affairs, with as a key to personal responsibility. Practices typically involve séances for spirit communication, , and charitable works, with an emphasis on rational discernment to avoid by lower spirits. Unlike Anglo-American Spiritualism, which often focuses on evoking specific deceased relatives, Kardecist Spiritism prioritizes general spiritual teachings for societal moral reform. While originating in , Kardecist spiritism gained its largest following in , where it arrived in the via French immigrants and intellectuals, evolving into a major religious movement in the early and growing to millions of adherents by the mid-20th century, with institutions dedicated to spiritist education, healthcare, and . As of the 2022 census, it has approximately 3.7 million adherents in . While purist Kardecist centers maintain fidelity to the original French codification, separate syncretic religions in and other Latin American countries, such as , have incorporated elements of Spiritism with indigenous and African-derived traditions. Today, it continues to influence discussions on , ethics, and holistic health worldwide.

Overview and Definition

Core Definition

Kardecist spiritism, also known as Kardecism, is a spiritualist founded in mid-19th-century by , the pseudonym of Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail (1804–1869), a French educator and author. It emerged as a systematic based on communications received from spirits through mediums, aiming to reconcile spiritual phenomena with rational and scientific principles. Kardec codified the doctrine primarily through his seminal work (1857), which presents spiritism as "simultaneously a science of and a philosophical ," involving practical relations with spirits while establishing theories on the nature of existence, reason, and universal laws. At its core, Kardecist spiritism posits that spirits are immortal, intelligent beings created by , representing the essence of souls that evolve through successive incarnations on and other worlds. , as incarnated spirits, undergo and intellectual progression across multiple lives to achieve , guided by ethical teachings channeled from higher spirits that emphasize charity, , and . This evolutionary framework views life as a process of , learning, and spiritual advancement, where suffering serves as a means for growth rather than mere punishment. Unlike Anglo-American spiritualism, which primarily centers on mediumistic sessions for personal messages from deceased loved ones and emotional consolation, Kardecist spiritism prioritizes a doctrinal, philosophical inquiry into spiritual laws and human destiny, treating spirit communications as evidence for a coherent cosmology rather than isolated events. Central to its terminology is the concept of the "perispirit," a semi-material envelope surrounding the spirit that links the immaterial to the physical body during and facilitates interactions between the spiritual and material realms.

Historical Context and Origins

The roots of Kardecist spiritism trace back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when mesmerism and gained prominence as pseudoscientific theories of healing and subtle energies. Developed by German physician Franz Anton Mesmer in the 1770s and popularized in during the , posited the existence of an invisible universal fluid that could be manipulated to restore health, often inducing trance-like states known as somnambulism. These ideas influenced early explorations of altered states of consciousness and psychic phenomena, with figures like Marquis de Puységur extending mesmerism into magnetic somnambulism by the , where subjects reportedly exhibited or spirit-like communications. Throughout the up to the 1840s, evolved into broader psychical inquiries, blending with and early , as investigators sought rational explanations for trance-induced visions and healings, setting a precedent for empirical scrutiny of claims. By the 1850s, the phenomenon of and spirit rapping surged in popularity across and the , catalyzing a wave of rational scientific investigations into purported spirit manifestations. Originating with the 1848 Fox sisters' rapping sounds in Hydesville, New York—interpreted as communications from the dead—spirit rapping quickly spread to , where sessions, involving participants placing hands on tables that allegedly moved or rotated under spirit influence, became a by 1853 in and Britain. These events prompted skeptical inquiries, such as physicist Michael Faraday's 1853 experiments in , which demonstrated that table movements resulted from unconscious muscular action rather than supernatural forces, yet they also fueled interest in verifying spirit interactions through controlled observation. Allan Kardec, born Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, entered this milieu in the mid-1850s as a French educator intrigued by the craze sweeping . Beginning his investigations around 1855, Kardec organized informal study groups to examine mediumistic phenomena, adopting a systematic approach to discern genuine spirit communications from or illusion. In 1858, he formalized these efforts by founding the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies on April 1, serving as its director to promote rigorous analysis of spiritual manifestations. This culminated in the 1857 publication of , which Kardec presented as the foundational codification of spiritism, a emphasizing rational inquiry into spirit teachings. The codification process involved compiling responses to over 1,000 pre-formulated questions on philosophical, moral, and existential topics, obtained through multiple mediums during séances in . To ensure reliability, Kardec applied strict rational criteria, cross-verifying answers across independent mediums for consistency and discarding contradictory or unverifiable communications, while excluding personal interpretations to prioritize empirical coherence. This methodical compilation, drawn from diverse spirit sources, aimed to establish a coherent body of spiritist principles grounded in observable phenomena rather than blind faith.

History

Early Influences and Observations

The foundations of what would later influence rational inquiries into spirit phenomena trace back to the 18th-century theories of Franz Anton Mesmer, a German physician who proposed the concept of as an invisible universal fluid permeating all living beings. Mesmer argued that this fluid, akin to a magnetic force, could become imbalanced in the body, leading to illness, and that it could be manipulated through therapeutic passes with the hands or magnets to restore harmony between mind and body. His treatments often induced altered states of consciousness, including convulsions and trance-like conditions, which he attributed to the redistribution of this magnetic fluid, sparking widespread interest in during the 1770s and 1780s. Building on Mesmer's ideas, early 19th-century saw increased reports of somnambulism—sleepwalking-like states—and involuntary bodily movements, particularly through the work of Mesmer's followers such as the Marquis de Puységur in during the . Puységur discovered "artificial somnambulism" while magnetizing a patient, noting that instead of Mesmer's typical crises, the subject entered a calm, lucid where he could diagnose ailments, predict events, and converse intelligently, suggesting a psychological rather than purely physical mechanism. These states, documented across from the to the 1820s, were explored by physicians and intellectuals who observed phenomena like heightened sensitivity, , and spontaneous limb movements, often linking them to mesmerism's fluidic influences on the . By the 1840s, documented instances of spirit manifestations, such as unexplained knocks () and table movements, emerged as focal points for observation, notably in the case studied by German physician Justinus Kerner involving Friederike Hauffe, known as the Seeress of Prevorst. Kerner meticulously recorded Hauffe's trance-induced visions and communications with spirits from onward, including auditory knocks and object displacements that he interpreted as interactions from an interpenetrating spirit world, while ruling out fraud through controlled observations. Similar phenomena, like sounds investigated by figures such as in 1841 , and early reports in and , were noted by contemporaries who witnessed tables tilting or moving without apparent cause, often in group settings. Initially dismissed as , , or deliberate trickery by mainstream authorities—such as the 1784 French Royal Commission that debunked Mesmer's fluid as imagination—these occurrences gradually prompted a shift toward rational, empirical in the early . Investigators like Kerner and Puységur employed methodical documentation, witness testimonies, and exclusion of physical causes to probe for underlying principles, framing the phenomena as potential extensions of natural laws rather than mere occultism. This transition laid the groundwork for viewing spirit interactions through a scientific lens, influencing later systematic studies of psychical events.

Development in 19th-Century

Allan , the pseudonym of Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, systematically developed Spiritism through a series of foundational publications between 1857 and 1868. His first major work, (1857), outlined the core principles derived from communications with spirits via mediums, establishing Spiritism as a doctrine blending philosophy, science, and morality. This was followed by The Mediums' Book (1861), which provided practical guidance on and spirit interactions; The Gospel According to Spiritism (1864), interpreting Christian teachings through spiritist lenses; Heaven and Hell (1865), exploring conditions based on moral states; and Genesis (1868), addressing miracles and prophecies in a spiritist framework. These texts formed the "Spiritist Codification," codifying teachings from diverse mediums to ensure doctrinal consistency. The movement's institutional growth accelerated in the late 1850s, with Kardec founding the Société Parisienne des Études Spirites in on April 1, 1858, as the central hub for research and séances. This society facilitated regular spirit communications and attracted intellectuals, educators, and artists, leading to the establishment of affiliated spiritist groups in provincial cities like and by the early 1860s. Supporting this expansion, Kardec launched La Revue Spirite in January 1858, a monthly journal that ran until 1869 and served as a key platform for disseminating session reports, doctrinal clarifications, and responses to critics, fostering a nationwide network of study circles. By the mid-1860s, these centers numbered in the dozens across , emphasizing collective moral and intellectual progress. Spiritism encountered significant challenges from the , which condemned it as a form of and diabolical , issuing letters and sermons denouncing spirit communications as contrary to . The Church's opposition intensified after 1864, viewing —a central tenet—as incompatible with Christian , leading to social of adherents and efforts to suppress publications. Additionally, mediums faced legal restrictions under French laws against and , with some prosecuted in courts for alleged charlatanism, though convictions were inconsistent. Kardec himself addressed these pressures in La Revue Spirite, advocating Spiritism's compatibility with rational inquiry. Kardec's sudden death on March 31, 1869, from a ruptured at age 64, marked a pivotal transition, as he had prepared the April issue of La Revue Spirite just days prior. Leadership passed informally to close collaborators, including his wife Amélie Boudet, who managed the journal's continuation until 1873 and safeguarded his archives, ensuring doctrinal stability amid fragmentation risks. Early refinements emerged through debates in spiritist sessions, particularly on spirit hierarchy—categorized into three orders (pure spirits, good spirits, and impure spirits) based on and advancement—and teachings, which stressed as a mechanism for ethical evolution toward divine perfection. These discussions, recorded in and subsequent journals, resolved ambiguities by prioritizing communications from higher spirits for reliability.

Global Spread and Institutionalization

Kardecist spiritism began its international dissemination in the late , primarily through migration and cultural exchange. French immigrants introduced the doctrine to in the , where it initially gained traction among intellectuals and elites through private sessions and study groups. Pioneers like Adolfo Bezerra de Menezes helped establish early centers, including the first in Rio de Janeiro in 1880. Concurrently with later developments in , the movement established initial centers in , , in the late , serving as a bridge for its spread to Portuguese-speaking regions. Institutionalization accelerated in the late 19th century, with the founding of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) in 1884, which coordinated centers, publications, and charitable activities to promote Kardec's teachings nationwide. During Brazil's First Republic (–1930), spiritism experienced significant growth, supported by republican ideals of progress and science that aligned with its positivist framework; newspapers and local groups proliferated, fostering a network of study and practices amid social modernization. A pivotal milestone was the International Spiritist Congress held in in 1889, the second such global gathering following in 1888, which unified adherents from Europe and the Americas, standardized doctrines, and encouraged international collaboration. Following , spiritism saw a revival in and , driven by postwar spiritual seeking and migration; in , it integrated further with local traditions, expanding through organized centers and literature that emphasized moral and social reform. Recent developments through 2025 have embraced digital outreach, with annual congresses like the World Spiritist Congress adapting to virtual formats during the —such as the First Virtual Spiritist Medical Congress in 2020—to maintain global participation and spirit communication via online mediums. This shift has included live-streamed lectures, youth forums, and digital publications, culminating in hybrid events like the 11th World Spiritist Congress held in 2025 in .

Core Beliefs and Principles

Foundational Doctrines

Kardecist spiritism's foundational doctrines are systematically presented in Allan Kardec's The Spirits' Book (1857), which codifies principles obtained through mediumistic communications as a rational philosophy integrating science, morality, and spirituality. These doctrines emphasize a monotheistic framework where God represents the supreme intelligence and first cause of all things, eternal, immutable, incorporeal, omnipotent, and sovereignly just and good. The soul is defined as an incorporeal creation of God, serving as the intelligent principle inherent in the universe, initially simple and ignorant but capable of acquiring knowledge and morality via personal actions and experiences. The five fundamental principles of Spiritism, as codified by Kardec, are: ; the immortality of the soul; the plurality of existences through ; the plurality of inhabited worlds; and the communicability of spirits with the living. These underpin the spiritist , including the nature of spirits as incarnated or discarnated souls with bodies as temporary vessels, their inherent potential for achieved via multiple incarnations, and the universal destiny of all spirits toward , though timelines vary. Angels are viewed as perfected spirits, while demons represent imperfect ones in transient states of , redeemable through progress. Spirits influence human affairs, balanced by individual and accountability, under an eternal moral law grounded in , , and charity. Immortality of the soul and plurality of existences form key elements, enabling ongoing moral evolution across lives. The rational basis of these doctrines lies in their derivation exclusively from spirit communications, meticulously cross-verified for logical consistency, moral alignment, and universality across multiple mediums to eliminate contradictions or deceptions. Kardec employed an empirical method, compiling responses from diverse sources and discarding inconsistencies, ensuring teachings align with reason and observable phenomena rather than dogma. Ethically, spiritism establishes as a fundamental attribute, allowing individuals to choose between , with actions governed by the law of cause and effect—where moral choices yield corresponding consequences in current or future existences, promoting and advancement through progressive incarnations. This framework underscores personal responsibility, rejecting while affirming that often stems from past misdeeds, fostering ethical growth toward divine . Spirits are organized in a reflecting their degree of advancement, qualities acquired, and remaining imperfections, divided into three primary orders: impure and hellish spirits (lowest, dominated by vice and ignorance); average spirits (neutral, advancing through tendencies); and pure spirits (highest, embodying , , and goodness without imperfection). This progression is universal, with all spirits evolving from ignorance to purity, and they influence human life by guiding, tempting, or assisting based on their state, though human remains paramount. Angels and demons, respectively, exemplify the extremes of this as perfected beings or those mired in error, both integral to the spirit world's dynamic.

Reincarnation and Moral Evolution

In Kardecist spiritism, is the process by which spirits return to physical bodies to atone for past errors and develop virtues essential for moral advancement. According to the teachings codified by , this cycle is facilitated by the perispirit, a semi-material envelope that links the spirit to the body and influences the choice of based on the spirit's needs and affinities. The purpose of each is not in a punitive sense but progressive purification, allowing the spirit to confront trials that foster ethical growth and intellectual expansion. Spirits undergo evolution across multiple stages, progressing from primitive worlds characterized by rudimentary moral and intellectual development to more advanced ones, including expiatory worlds like —where predominates for —regenerative worlds focused on renewal, and finally happy worlds marked by and elevated . improvement occurs through successive incarnations involving expiations, acts of charity, and the acquisition of , with each life serving as an opportunity to elevate the spirit from lower orders, dominated by instincts, to higher ones aligned with divine justice. This hierarchical progression ensures that no spirit remains static, as all are destined for through persistent effort. Central to this framework is the law of cause and effect, akin to a karmic principle, whereby a spirit's actions in one existence directly shape the circumstances of future incarnations, ensuring equilibrium without eternal damnation. Misdeeds generate fluidic affinities that attract similar trials for reparation, while virtuous deeds promote smoother progressions; thus, suffering is temporary and remedial, aimed at moral rectification rather than indefinite torment. This law underscores the absence of in a fatalistic sense, emphasizing within . Evidence for these concepts derives from spirit communications, where disembodied entities recount past lives, revealing specific details of prior faults and lessons that align with the communicator's current state, thereby illustrating the continuity of personal evolution. Such revelations, obtained through , describe future progressions toward higher spheres, confirming the iterative nature of as a mechanism for advancement. These accounts, consistent across multiple sessions, form the empirical basis for Spiritist cosmology.

Communication with Spirits

In Kardecist spiritism, communication with spirits occurs primarily through , a faculty that enables individuals to serve as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms. This process is grounded in the belief that spirits, organized in a from inferior to superior entities, can interact with the living to impart moral and philosophical teachings. emphasized that such communications must be approached scientifically and morally to ensure reliability and avoid deception by lower spirits. Mediumship in Kardecist practice is classified into several types, broadly encompassing physical, intellectual, and intuitive forms. Physical mediumship involves manifestations of spirit action on , such as —where a table moves or tilts in response to questions—or mechanical writing, in which spirits guide the medium's hand or an object to produce inscriptions. Intellectual mediumship includes speaking, where the medium delivers verbal messages while in an altered state, often without conscious awareness of the content, and auditive mediumship, involving direct hearing of spirit voices. Intuitive mediumship, by contrast, occurs internally, with the medium receiving ideas or impressions that are then consciously articulated, distinguishing it from more passive forms by requiring the medium's active interpretation. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and many mediums exhibit combinations, as outlined in Kardec's systematic of over 70 aptitudes, though the core divisions focus on the mechanism of interaction. Protocols for spirit communication sessions are designed to foster controlled, verifiable exchanges and minimize risks. Sessions typically occur in dedicated groups within quiet, dimly lit environments to enhance concentration and reduce external distractions, with participants maintaining a calm, prayerful attitude to attract benevolent spirits. Verification is achieved by employing multiple mediums simultaneously, cross-referencing their independent communications to confirm consistency and authenticity; discrepancies often indicate interference from inferior spirits. To avoid obsession—where a mischievous or malevolent spirit attaches persistently—Kardec recommended preparatory elevation, such as collective prayer and study of spiritist principles, and immediate cessation of sessions if communications deviate toward frivolity or negativity. These measures ensure that only teachings aligned with universal laws are accepted. Key tools and techniques facilitate these interactions. The , a small heart-shaped board mounted on a or pointer, is used in indirect psychography, where spirits guide the device across paper to form words, often requiring two or more participants for stability. Direct psychography, or , bypasses tools as the medium's hand writes fluidly under spirit influence, producing coherent texts without conscious effort; Kardec documented numerous examples where such writings revealed philosophical insights. passes, performed by mediums with curative aptitudes, involve non-contact gestures over the patient's body to transmit vital fluids or magnetic energies from spirits, aiming to restore physical or spiritual balance through the medium's perispirit. These methods are practiced exclusively in group settings to amplify efficacy and moral safeguards. Ethical guidelines underscore that spirit communication serves moral evolution, not personal or material gain. All sessions must be gratuitous, prohibiting any remuneration for mediums to prevent exploitation and attract only elevated spirits, as lower entities may capitalize on or . Communications are evaluated for alignment with principles of charity, , and ; those promoting , , or are rejected as deceptive. Kardec stressed that demands ongoing self-improvement, with mediums cultivating humility and ethical conduct to facilitate contact with superior spirits in the , thereby ensuring the practice contributes to individual and collective advancement.

Key Texts and Symbolism

Primary Works by Allan Kardec

, the codifier of Spiritism, authored five foundational texts collectively known as the Spiritist Codification, published between 1857 and 1868. These works systematically outline the philosophy, practices, and moral framework of Kardecist Spiritism through questions and answers derived from spirit communications, establishing a rational basis for spiritual beliefs. The Spirits' Book (French: Le Livre des Esprits), published in 1857, serves as the cornerstone of the . Structured as a of 1,019 questions and answers channeled from superior spirits, it addresses fundamental topics including the nature of spirits, the immortality of the , the purpose of , the plurality of worlds, and the laws governing the universe. The book divides into four parts: basic causes, the spirit world, laws, and future hopes, providing a philosophical foundation that reconciles with reason and . The Mediums' Book (French: Le Livre des Médiums), released in 1861, complements the philosophical groundwork by offering a practical manual on . It classifies various types of mediums and manifestations, such as physical and intellectual phenomena, and provides guidelines for developing mediumistic abilities while warning against potential dangers like obsession by inferior spirits. Emphasizing discernment and moral preparation, the text details methods for evoking and communicating with spirits, aiming to standardize Spiritist practices for reliable spirit contact. The Gospel According to Spiritism (French: L'Évangile selon le Spiritisme), published in 1864, interprets the moral teachings of Jesus Christ through Spiritist principles. Organized into chapters that analyze parables, maxims, and biblical passages, it demonstrates how concepts like charity, , and spiritual progress align with and moral evolution. The book positions Spiritism as a continuation of , accessible to followers of any faith, without dogmatic rituals. Heaven and Hell (French: Le Ciel et l'Enfer), issued in 1865, examines the through spirit dialogues and Kardec's commentary. Divided into future life, divine justice, and examples of spirits' narratives, it rejects eternal damnation in favor of temporary states of suffering or bliss based on moral actions, portraying hell as self-imposed expiation and as progressive spiritual harmony. The work critiques traditional religious views while affirming God's justice as restorative rather than punitive. Genesis: Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism (French: La Genèse), Kardec's final major work from 1868, bridges , , and Spiritism. It explores the creation of worlds, the evolution of life, and the nature of and prophecies, interpreting biblical accounts as natural phenomena explained by spiritual laws. Structured in three parts—Genesis, , and predictions—the book seeks harmony between empirical and spiritual revelation, addressing topics like the formation of the and human origins. Together, these texts codified the Spiritist doctrine, influencing its global dissemination; by 1900, they had been translated into languages including English (starting with in 1875), , Spanish, and German, facilitating the movement's spread beyond to , , and beyond.

Secondary and Complementary Literature

Secondary and complementary literature in Kardecist spiritism encompasses works by later authors that expand upon Allan Kardec's foundational texts, offering deeper explorations of spirit survival, scientific validations, and practical applications of spiritist principles without deviating from core doctrines such as moral evolution and spirit communication. A pivotal early 20th-century contribution is Léon Denis's Après la mort (After Death), first published in 1889, which poetically examines the continuity of beyond physical , drawing on spirit communications to affirm the soul's and progression in spiritual realms. Denis, a prominent French spiritist philosopher, builds on Kardec's ideas by integrating philosophical reflections with reported mediumistic experiences, emphasizing survival as a unifying truth across ancient and modern beliefs. Similarly, Gabriel Delanne's Le Spiritisme devant la (Spiritism Before ), published in 1885, provides a rigorous defense of spiritist phenomena through , linking them to advancements in physics, hypnotism, and to position spiritism as a complementary . Delanne's other works, such as Les phénomènes spirites (The Spirit Phenomena, 1893) and L'Âme est immortelle: Démonstration expérimentale de l'immortalité de l'âme ( for the of the Soul, 1899), further substantiate Kardec's principles by analyzing and apparitions as observable facts, reinforcing the doctrine's compatibility with rational inquiry. In , where Kardecist spiritism flourished, Francisco Cândido Xavier (), a renowned medium, produced numerous psychographed texts that illustrate spiritist concepts in narrative form. His 1944 book (Our Home), dictated by the spirit André Luiz, vividly depicts a spirit colony serving as a transitional realm for souls undergoing moral rehabilitation and education under higher spirits, exemplifying reincarnation's role in ethical advancement. This work, part of a larger series, has influenced millions by providing accessible depictions of post-mortem existence, aligning with Kardec's teachings on spirit worlds while emphasizing charity and self-improvement. Modern interpretations post-2000 continue to refine spiritist doctrine through interdisciplinary lenses, particularly in integrating scientific paradigms. Hernani Guimarães Andrade's A Teoria Corpuscular do Espírito (The Corpuscular Theory of the Spirit), originally published in 1962 but with ongoing editions and discussions into the , proposes a biophysical model for the spirit as a structured energy field, drawing analogies to quantum and corpuscular physics to explain perispirit dynamics and mechanisms. Andrade's framework, developed through his research at the Instituto de Pesquisas Psicobiofísicas, updates Kardec's principles by suggesting testable hypotheses for spirit-matter interactions, maintaining fidelity to moral evolution while inviting empirical scrutiny. These expansions, including explorations of in spiritist —such as viewing as part of collective spiritual progress—reinforce the doctrine's adaptability to contemporary challenges without altering its foundational emphasis on universal brotherhood and rational faith.

Symbolic Elements

Kardecist spiritism maintains a restrained approach to iconography, prioritizing doctrinal clarity over ornate visuals, as spirits communicating through emphasized simplicity in manifestations. The vine branch serves as the doctrine's emblematic symbol, as outlined in , where it illustrates the unity of material and spiritual elements in creation: the stem denotes the physical body, branches the spirit's extension, leaves represent laborious efforts, buds symbolize hope, flowers virtue, , the bunch familial bonds, the vine-dresser , and pruning the trials that foster growth. This organic underscores the interconnected progression of toward , aligning with spiritism's view of through successive existences. Spiritism is characterized by its triple aspect of , , and , which some communities represent symbolically, though without a universally codified like a in Kardec's texts. Rituals in Kardecist practice eschew formal sacraments, focusing instead on therapeutic and communal activities to support ethical and physical . Fluidic treatments, known as "passes," entail mediums channeling vital magnetic fluids via gentle hand placements to alleviate ailments, drawing on the universal fluidic principle described in spiritist . Prayer circles form during center gatherings, where participants unite in collective to invoke benevolent spirits and foster harmony, often concluding with fluidified water distribution for ongoing energetic support. Disobsession sessions address spirit obsessions through mediumistic , guiding the attached entity toward enlightenment without ritualistic elements like altars or consecrated objects. Key metaphors in Kardecist thought portray spirits as "disincarnated" humans, highlighting the seamless transition between incarnate and spirit states rather than a rupture at , which reinforces the doctrine's emphasis on personal responsibility across existences. Inhabited worlds function as progressive schools for souls, each stage calibrated to the spirit's moral and intellectual maturity, providing experiential lessons in , , and expiation. These conceptual frameworks integrate with spiritism's broader principles of and ethical refinement. Artistic expressions in Kardecist contexts include prominent statues of , such as those in various Brazilian cities including Rio de Janeiro, erected to commemorate his role in systematizing spirit communications and symbolizing intellectual and charitable outreach. Some institutional settings like federations use to evoke purity and spiritual elevation, often paired with doctrinal inscriptions or the vine motif for ceremonial processions.

Relation to Science

Spiritism as a Proposed Science

Allan , the codifier of Spiritism, positioned the doctrine as an empirical dedicated to the study of the invisible world, specifically defining it as "a which deals with the nature, origin and destiny of Spirits, as well as their relationship with the corporeal world." He emphasized that Spiritism qualifies as "a of , and not the product of the ," achieved through the application of the experimental method, which elevates it to a systematic discipline akin to the natural sciences of his era. This foundational claim rests on the assertion that spirit phenomena are natural occurrences subject to investigation via direct interaction with spirits through mediums, rather than or mere faith-based assertions. Kardec's methodology mirrored scientific practices by prioritizing systematic observation, experimentation, and deduction to validate spirit communications. He advocated recording manifestations in detail across multiple sessions and mediums to identify patterns, while rigorously testing hypotheses such as fraud, hallucinations, somnambulism, or unconscious cerebral action to isolate genuine phenomena. Elimination of fraud was central, with Kardec insisting on constant vigilance and public denunciation of impostors, as "Spiritism has only to gain with the exposure of the impostors," ensuring that deceptive practices did not undermine the doctrine's credibility. Logical analysis followed, involving comparative evaluation of spirit responses against established knowledge to derive deductions about the spirit realm, thereby building a corpus of evidence through repeatable observations rather than isolated anecdotes. In the , Kardec justified Spiritism's scientific status by drawing parallels to emerging fields like and , portraying spirits and their influences as manifestations of natural, universal forces rather than interventions. He described spiritual fluids as the primitive substance underlying physical phenomena, noting that "heat, , and are just modifications of the primitive universal fluid," which spirits manipulate to interact with the material world. Organic bodies, in this view, function as "veritable electric batteries" powered by vital fluids linked to the spirit, aligning spirit actions with observable natural laws and positioning Spiritism as an extension of contemporary scientific inquiry into imponderable forces. As of 2025, Spiritism continues to face debates over its scientific legitimacy, often labeled a pseudoscience by mainstream academia due to its reliance on unverifiable spirit communications, though adherents maintain its alignment with empirical methods and cite parallels in parapsychological research on mediumship and survival after death. Proponents argue that studies in parapsychology, which employ controlled experiments to examine psychic phenomena, provide indirect validation for Spiritist principles, bridging the doctrine with modern investigations into anomalous experiences. This perspective sustains Spiritism's self-identification as a science, even amid broader skepticism that views it as incompatible with established physical laws.

Integration with Scientific Methods

Kardecist spiritism has sought integration with scientific methods through experimental investigations of mediumship, aiming to apply controlled protocols to verify spirit communications. In the late 19th century, astronomer Camille Flammarion conducted extensive tests on mediums, including sessions with Eusapia Palladino in the 1890s, where participants restrained the medium's limbs and monitored for physical manipulations to rule out fraud during phenomena like table levitation and spirit raps. Flammarion documented these protocols in his writings, emphasizing observation under varying conditions to assess the consistency of reported spirit influences, though he noted challenges in eliminating all variables. In the 2010s, Brazilian researchers advanced this integration by employing neuroscientific tools to study practices central to Kardecism, such as psychography— attributed to spirits. A 2012 study using (SPECT) on experienced psychographers during states revealed decreased activity in brain regions associated with language and cognition, suggesting a process distinct from normal writing. Complementary electroencephalographic (EEG) research in 2016 compared frontal lobe activity in Spiritist mediums and controls, finding altered alpha and patterns during mediumistic incorporation, indicative of heightened absorption without pathological markers. More recent research, such as a 2025 study exploring genetic factors in , continues to investigate biological correlates of spirit communication practices in Spiritism. Efforts to link spiritism's principles with broader include statistical evaluations of claims, a core tenet of Kardecist doctrine. Ian Stevenson's decades-long investigation analyzed over 2,500 cases of children reporting past-life memories, applying probabilistic methods to assess the veridicality of unverifiable by normal means, with a subset aligning with Spiritist views of through rebirths. These approaches draw on empirical case collection and quantitative scoring to quantify evidential strength, though they remain debated within academia. Despite these initiatives, spiritist experiments face significant limitations, particularly the lack of reproducible results under standardized conditions, which has contributed to their marginalization in mainstream . Parapsychological reviews highlight that while some studies show above-chance effects, failed replications and methodological variability undermine broader acceptance, positioning such research on the periphery of .

Interactions with Medicine and Psychology

Kardecist spiritism incorporates a range of therapeutic practices aimed at addressing physical and mental ailments through spiritual means, often integrated into Brazilian healthcare settings. These include fluidotherapy, which involves the use of "magnetized" or spiritually charged water believed to transmit fluids; intercessory to invoke spiritual aid; and disobsession, a where mediums facilitate with attached spirits to resolve obsessions causing distress. Such practices are commonly offered in spiritist centers and have been incorporated into some psychiatric hospitals and clinics in , where they complement conventional treatments like medication and . For instance, sessions may combine lectures on ethical and spiritual topics with hands-on laying and fraternal to promote emotional relief. In the psychological domain, Kardecist spiritism attributes many mental illnesses to spiritual influences, such as obsession by discarnated spirits who attach to individuals due to unresolved karmic debts from past lives or moral imbalances. This model views conditions like depression, anxiety, and not solely as biochemical or environmental issues but as manifestations of spiritual disharmony, where involves direct communication with spirits through mediums to negotiate release and foster moral evolution. Disobsession sessions, in particular, emphasize empathetic dialogue to educate and detach interfering spirits, aiming to alleviate symptoms by addressing their spiritual roots. Empirical studies from the late 20th and 21st centuries provide evidence of potential benefits from these approaches. Research by Alexander Moreira-Almeida and colleagues, including a 2025 of 848 Brazilian participants, found that higher levels of spiritist involvement correlated with reduced prevalence of severe depression and anxiety symptoms, suggesting a protective role in maintenance. A 2011 of 23 studies on complementary spiritist therapies reported promising outcomes for , such as decreased anxiety in cancer patients via and , though it noted the need for larger, controlled trials to confirm efficacy. Another investigation into spiritist treatment for depression in observed symptom improvements in participants after sessions incorporating disobsession and spiritual guidance, with qualitative reports highlighting enhanced and . Spiritist practices are positioned as complementary to conventional and , emphasizing holistic without supplanting evidence-based interventions like or cognitive-behavioral . Proponents stress ethical integration, where spiritual care supports physical and mental recovery by addressing the "perispirit"—the semi-material body linking spirit and matter—while deferring to medical professionals for and . This approach has gained traction in Brazil's system, where spiritist resources are sometimes utilized in outpatient settings to enhance resilience and reduce reliance on medications alone.

Relation to Religion

Classification as a Christian Doctrine

, the codifier of Spiritism, described the as one of Christian origin, positioning it as a restoration of primitive Christian teachings stripped of dogmatic mysteries and superstitions. He emphasized that Spiritism aligns with the core moral principles of while revealing spiritual truths through rational inquiry and spirit communications. Central to this classification are Spiritism's alignments with Christian ethics, particularly the belief in Christ as the supreme spirit guide and the most elevated spirit to have incarnated on , serving as humanity's model for moral conduct. Kardec highlighted the as the pinnacle of ' teachings, interpreting its maxims—such as love thy neighbor, , and charity—as universal laws essential for spiritual progress, directly integrated into Spiritist philosophy. Despite these alignments, Spiritism diverges from traditional Christian dogmas, rejecting the concept of on the grounds that spirits are created innocent and evolve through experiences rather than inheriting guilt. It also dismisses the as a human invention, viewing as the unique supreme intelligence and as a highly perfected but distinct spirit, not co-equal with the divine essence. Furthermore, Spiritism incorporates as a mechanism for , absent in orthodox , enabling spirits to purify themselves across multiple lives in alignment with ' ethical imperatives. Official Spiritist organizations, such as the Federação Espírita Brasileira, affirm the doctrine's Christian roots by centering their teachings on ' moral guidance while maintaining independence from established churches, practicing without , rituals, or institutional affiliation to emphasize personal spiritual development. This stance underscores Spiritism's self-identification as a progressive, non-dogmatic extension of focused on rational and ethical action.

Comparisons with Mainstream Christianity

Kardecist spiritism aligns with mainstream in its endorsement of fundamental moral teachings, particularly the virtues of charity, forgiveness, and the immortality of the soul, which are presented as essential for spiritual progress. Allan , in his foundational text According to Spiritism, explicates Jesus's moral maxims as compatible with spiritist principles, emphasizing that these shared values form the basis of ethical conduct across both traditions. For instance, spiritism interprets biblical parables like that of the Prodigal Son not merely as tales of repentance but as symbolic of , where the son's return represents a spirit's opportunity for redemption through successive earthly lives, thereby reinforcing the Christian theme of while integrating spiritist cosmology. A notable point of convergence and reinterpretation lies in the , where spiritism views the eight as a sequential progression of virtues—beginning with (" the poor in spirit") and culminating in peacemaking—rather than as promises of heavenly rewards. This perspective, drawn directly from Kardec's analysis, posits the as a practical guide for moral evolution through and spirit influence, echoing Christian calls to ethical living but framing them within a doctrine of ongoing spiritual refinement rather than eschatological judgment. Such interpretations highlight spiritism's self-identification as a clarification of Christ's teachings, yet they diverge from orthodox Christian by subordinating to personal effort and spirit-guided insight. Key differences emerge in eschatology and spiritual interaction. Mainstream , across Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions, upholds the possibility of eternal as punishment for unrepented , whereas Kardecist spiritism rejects this as incompatible with divine , describing in the as temporary and rehabilitative, aimed at preparing spirits for future incarnations. Furthermore, while emphasizes by saints and angels as mediated to —without direct —spiritism promotes active communication with discarnate spirits via mediums, viewing all elevated spirits (including biblical figures) as accessible guides rather than exclusive intermediaries. These doctrinal variances have fueled historical tensions, particularly with Catholicism. The Vatican issued a formal condemnation through a Holy Office decree on March 30, 1898, prohibiting all spiritistic practices, even those purportedly involving only benevolent spirits, deeming them superstitious and contrary to faith. Protestant perspectives vary by denomination but often classify spiritism as occult or heretical, citing biblical prohibitions against consulting spirits (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:10-12) and rejecting reincarnation as undermining Christ's unique atonement. Orthodox Christianity similarly critiques spiritism for blurring distinctions between divine worship and spirit contact, aligning with broader ecclesiastical warnings against mediumship.

Influences from Other Faiths

Kardecist Spiritism incorporates key concepts from , notably the doctrines of and karma drawn from and . , in his foundational text (1857), describes as the successive return of the spirit to earthly life for moral and intellectual progression, a principle that parallels the Hindu and Buddhist idea of samsara, the cyclical process of birth, , and rebirth aimed at spiritual liberation. While Kardec presented this as revelations from superior spirits, the framework aligns closely with Eastern philosophies known in 19th-century Europe through translations of texts like the . Similarly, Spiritism's notion of karma functions as a of cause and effect, where actions in one life influence future incarnations, mirroring the Eastern understanding of karma as moral causation without the strict , instead emphasizing within evolutionary progress. In , where Spiritism gained prominence, it has blended with indigenous and African faiths, particularly through the syncretic religion of , which integrates Spiritist with African spirit and indigenous herbal practices. , emerging in the , adopts Kardecist techniques of spirit incorporation—where mediums channel benevolent entities for guidance and healing—but infuses them with Yoruba-derived orishas (deities) and Bantu ancestral spirits, creating rituals that honor African cosmologies alongside Spiritist moral evolution. This fusion also incorporates indigenous elements, such as the use of herbs and natural remedies in healing sessions, reflecting Amazonian and Tupi-Guarani traditions of plant-based adapted to address physical and spiritual ailments. Such allowed Spiritism to resonate with Brazil's diverse populations, transforming it into a vehicle for cultural resistance and social integration. Since the 1990s, Kardecist Spiritism has evolved through modern , incorporating ecological perspectives and shamanic practices in global communities. Practitioners in and the have blended Spiritist with emphases on holistic healing and , viewing spirits as guides for planetary harmony and personal empowerment. This includes shamanic-inspired rituals, such as drumming or nature-based invocations to connect with guardian spirits, adapting indigenous techniques to Spiritism's evolutionary framework. Such integrations reflect a post-Kardecist shift toward individualized , often seen in groups promoting "eco-Spiritism" for . The doctrine, central to moral evolution, underscores these practices by linking personal growth to collective ecological responsibility.

Organizations and Institutions

Major National Federations

The Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB), founded on January 2, 1884, in Rio de Janeiro, serves as the primary national organization coordinating Kardecist spiritism activities across . It was established to disseminate Allan Kardec's doctrines, standardize practices among affiliated groups, and promote education, charity, and moral development through spiritist principles. The FEB oversees a network of over 10,000 spiritist centers nationwide, facilitating doctrinal study, mediumship training, and community outreach programs. Key functions of the FEB include publishing influential journals such as Reforma and O Reformador, which address doctrinal interpretations, ethical issues, and contemporary applications of spiritism since the late . It also supports charitable initiatives, including social assistance to thousands of families and maintenance of educational facilities like daycare centers. In the realm of healthcare, the FEB collaborates with spiritist-affiliated psychiatric hospitals and centers that integrate spiritual passes, , and disobsession therapies to address mental and physical ailments. As of 2025, the FEB has expanded its digital presence through online platforms like EAD-FEB, offering courses on and evangelization, and digital catalogs for publications to broaden access. It has also emphasized youth programs, including the Área de Infância e Juventude, which provides materials for evangelization and the "Pacto Áureo de Unificação das Mocidades e Juventudes" to foster moral among younger generations. Annual reports from the Conselho Federativo Nacional detail membership growth, program impacts, and standardization efforts to ensure doctrinal fidelity. In , the Union Spirite Française et Francophone represents a continuation of 19th-century spiritist efforts, with roots tracing to the associations formed post-Kardec to promote studies and public lectures. Today, it focuses on , cultural events, and international collaboration while maintaining small-scale centers for doctrinal dissemination and charitable aid. Spain's prominent organization, the Federación Espírita Española (FEE), headquartered in and founded in 1908, coordinates local groups for study sessions, publications, and community support aligned with Kardecist principles. It emphasizes standardization of practices, youth education, and charity, echoing broader European spiritist traditions while adapting to national contexts.

International Bodies

The International Spiritist Council (CEI), established on , 1992, in , , functions as the leading supranational entity uniting 36 national Spiritist federations worldwide. Its core mission is to foster the unification of the global Spiritist movement through collaborative actions grounded in the doctrinal principles codified by , emphasizing fraternal solidarity and doctrinal consistency among member organizations. The CEI coordinates with major national federations to promote standardized practices and mutual support across continents. Complementing the CEI's global scope, the Pan-American Spiritist Confederation (CEPA), founded on October 5, 1946, in , , concentrates on regional integration within the . Emerging in the post-World War II period, CEPA seeks to strengthen unity among Spiritist institutions in and beyond, facilitating the exchange of doctrinal resources and collaborative initiatives to advance Kardecist teachings in the hemisphere. Key activities of these bodies include organizing doctrinal congresses that serve as forums for intellectual exchange and spiritual reflection. The CEI, for instance, hosts the World Spiritist Congress every three years; the 10th edition occurred in , , from October 14 to 16, 2022, under the theme "The Inner Reform," featuring lectures, roundtables, and cultural programs in multiple languages to engage participants from diverse countries. The 11th edition took place on October 4-5, 2025, in , , incorporating the inaugural World Spiritist Youth Congress to engage younger generations in doctrinal discussions. Both organizations also advance translation projects, making foundational texts like Kardec's available in languages such as English, Spanish, and to broaden accessibility. Furthermore, they establish ethical standards for to uphold doctrinal purity, including guidelines that stress verification processes and moral conduct to guard against fraudulent practices in spirit communications. The development of these international structures evolved from early efforts at global coordination, beginning with the inaugural International Spiritist Congress in in , which gathered adherents to discuss core principles and organizational frameworks. Over the decades, this progressed through periodic congresses and confederations, culminating in the formalization of bodies like CEPA and CEI. In the , adaptation to digital formats has become prominent, with virtual meetings and hybrid events enabling broader participation amid global challenges like the ; for example, the CEI held online executive committee sessions and general assemblies in 2023 to sustain ongoing coordination.

Regional and Local Groups

Local spiritist centers serve as the foundational grassroots organizations in Kardecist spiritism, functioning as non-profit hubs dedicated to the study, practice, and dissemination of the doctrine. These centers typically operate in modest buildings with dedicated spaces for group activities, including meeting rooms for discussions and quiet areas for meditative practices. Routines revolve around regular gatherings, such as weekly evening sessions for public lectures on doctrinal themes like karma, , and ethical living, which draw both members and newcomers to foster moral and spiritual growth. Central to center activities are study groups focused on Allan Kardec's foundational texts, such as The Book on Mediums and , where participants engage in interactive readings, reflections, and debates to deepen understanding of spiritist principles. Healing sessions, known as passes, form another core routine, conducted by trained mediums who transmit revitalizing spiritual energies through gentle hand placements or proximity, aimed at supporting physical health, emotional balance, and spiritual progress without replacing medical care. These passes often follow lectures or occur on designated days, emphasizing the doctrine's holistic view of . Youth involvement is actively promoted through specialized educational initiatives within local centers and affiliated federations. Youth wings, such as the Children and Youth Committee of the Spiritist Federation of , organize age-appropriate study groups, retreats, and workshops that adapt Kardec's teachings for younger audiences, encouraging values like charity and self-improvement through games, stories, and discussions. schools represent a more structured approach, integrating spiritist into formal ; a prominent example is the Colégio in Sacramento, Minas Gerais, , established in 1907 by educator and medium Eurípedes Barsanulfo, where the curriculum blended progressive pedagogy with lessons on and moral evolution to nurture ethical development. Charitable work underscores the practical application of spiritist at the local level, with many centers maintaining arms dedicated to social assistance. In , these efforts commonly include soup kitchens providing meals to the homeless and low-income families, as well as orphanages offering shelter, , and emotional support to abandoned children, reflecting the doctrine's mandate for and aid to the needy. For instance, local groups in urban areas like Rio de Janeiro operate food distribution programs tied to center activities, while rural centers support orphanage initiatives that emphasize spiritual guidance alongside material care. The prompted significant adaptations in regional and local groups, leading to the proliferation of platforms for continuity. Post-2020, virtual study groups and lectures via video conferencing became widespread, enabling remote participation in passes, discussions, and sessions while preserving community bonds. By 2025, hybrid events have normalized, combining in-person gatherings with live access, as seen in initiatives like new global study groups focused on topics such as and , which allow broader engagement under international oversight.

Demographics and Global Presence

Prevalence in Brazil

Kardecist spiritism holds a prominent place in Brazilian religious life, with the conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) and released in June 2025 reporting that 1.8% of the population—approximately 3.7 million individuals—identify as adherents. This figure marks a modest decline from 2.2% in the 2010 , positioning spiritism as a significant religious affiliation after Catholicism (56.7%) and (26.9%). Adherents are most concentrated in the Southeast region, where they comprise 2.7% of the population, reflecting the faith's strong urban roots in states like and Rio de Janeiro. The religion's integration into Brazilian society dates to the mid-19th century, when Allan Kardec's works first arrived via European immigrants and intellectuals, sparking initial interest despite legal challenges. Although the 1890 Penal Code criminalized spiritist practices under Article 157 as forms of sorcery, the faith persisted underground and gained momentum during the early amid social reforms and . Official recognition came in , when amendments to the penal code affirmed spiritism as a legitimate , enabling the establishment of formal institutions and public activities. This legal shift facilitated its expansion, with spiritism influencing public life, including consultations by politicians seeking mediumistic guidance on policy and personal matters. Spiritism plays a vital social role through extensive charity operated by local centers and the Brazilian Spiritist Federation, offering free healthcare, , and to marginalized communities, particularly in urban slums. These efforts emphasize moral and spiritual rehabilitation alongside material aid, with over 50 spiritist psychiatric hospitals integrating conventional and "passe" (energy transfer) sessions. The faith's media presence bolsters its reach, including dedicated television channels like TV Mundo Maior, which broadcasts lectures and documentaries, and mobile apps such as Espiritismo.TV for on-demand content. further embeds spiritism in Brazilian culture, as many practitioners blend its doctrines with Catholic rituals or Afro-Brazilian elements from and , creating hybrid spiritual identities common among the urban middle class. Recent trends show spiritism adapting to digital platforms amid competition from evangelicalism, whose adherents number approximately 54.6 million (26.9% of the population) as of the 2022 census, drawing some former spiritists through charismatic appeals. Nonetheless, online resources and televised events have sustained engagement, particularly among younger demographics, while the faith's emphasis on charity maintains its relevance in addressing social inequalities.

Spread in Latin America and Europe

Kardecist Spiritism reached in the late 19th century, primarily through European immigrants, political exiles, and cultural exchanges during periods of anti-colonial upheaval. In , the doctrine arrived via Spanish liberals and French influences amid the independence wars, evolving into espiritismo cruzado—a syncretic form that integrates Kardec's principles with Afro-Cuban religions such as and Palo, emphasizing spirit communication for healing and moral guidance. This adaptation gained widespread popularity in urban and rural areas, with historical accounts noting its role in supporting community rituals and social resilience during the early . In , Spiritism emerged around the turn of the , appealing to intellectuals and revolutionaries who viewed it as a rational alternative to traditional Catholicism. Figures like President openly practiced , incorporating Spiritist ideas into political discourse on progress and ethics. The movement blended with indigenous shamanic elements, such as and herbal healing, fostering a localized espiritualismo that emphasized personal spiritual evolution amid post-revolutionary social changes. By the mid-, it had established centers in major cities, influencing broader cultural attitudes toward the and . In , Spiritism's epicenter in saw a marked decline after its 19th-century peak, shifting from a mass movement to a niche philosophical practice amid rising and . The Union Spirite Française continues to organize study groups and publications, preserving Kardec's original texts, though active adherents number in the low thousands. experienced an early introduction in the , facing opposition, but saw a modest revival in the late through the Federación Espírita Española, which promotes rational inquiry into spirit phenomena. maintains a smaller presence, largely sustained by ties to Brazilian immigrants who introduce syncretic elements via family networks and cultural exchanges. The spread beyond France was facilitated by migration waves—such as 19th-century exiles to and Mexican intellectuals traveling to —and international congresses, including the World Spiritist Congresses, which have convened since to unify doctrine and share adaptations. Estimates suggest 1–2 million pure Kardecist adherents outside as of 2025 (with broader spiritist influences, including syncretic forms, reaching higher numbers), concentrated in with pockets in . Regional variations highlight 's syncretic fusion with Catholicism, African diasporic faiths, and indigenous shamanism, contrasting 's emphasis on rationalism, ethical philosophy, and empirical spirit investigation aligned with Kardec's scientific intent.

Communities in Other Regions

Kardecist spiritism maintains a niche presence in , largely sustained by Brazilian immigrant communities that have established local centers for study and practice. In the United States, organizations such as the Bezerra de Menezes Kardecian Spiritist Association in Miami, Florida, offer free spiritual assistance, gospel studies, and sessions grounded in Allan Kardec's foundational texts, serving as a hub for the since the early . Similarly, in , the Spiritist Society, founded in 2010, hosts weekly public lectures and youth programs emphasizing moral and ethical teachings from Spiritism, drawing participants from diverse backgrounds including Brazilian expatriates. These pockets reflect the doctrine's adaptation to multicultural urban settings, with activities often conducted in and English to accommodate newcomers. In , Kardecist spiritism has a notable presence in the through the Union Espiritista Cristiana de Filipinas (UECFI), a nationwide network with approximately 135,000 members as of 2015, integrating Kardec's principles of spirit communication and with Catholic rituals and folk healing practices dating back to pre-colonial eras. In , it exists in small, localized groups, often blending with indigenous or colonial religious traditions, totaling fewer than 10,000 adherents based on organizational reports. In , post-colonial influences have led to minor Spiritist-inspired groups that merge Kardecist with Bantu and ancestral veneration, though these remain informal and underrepresented in formal demographics. Communities in , particularly and , trace their origins to European migrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, fostering modest groups focused on spirit education and ethical . In , the Victorian Spiritualists' Union supports Spiritist-aligned activities, including classes and circles that echo Kardec's emphasis on moral progress, though participation is limited to a few hundred active members annually. New Zealand's Spiritualism New Zealand organization similarly promotes workshops and retreats drawing from migrant European traditions, providing opportunities for spiritual growth amid the country's broader post-Christian landscape. These peripheral communities face significant challenges, including cultural barriers that hinder integration with dominant religious norms and low public visibility outside immigrant networks. However, the have witnessed a surge in growth through online forums and virtual events, enabling global connections and resource sharing that bypass geographical isolation, as seen in increased digital lectures and podcasts by North American and Oceanian groups.

Variations and Dissensions

Roustainguism and Rationalist Branches

In the early , Kardecist spiritism experienced schisms that sought to prioritize rational inquiry, ethical , and social applications over mystical or mediumistic practices, reflecting a desire to align the doctrine more closely with scientific and moral progress. Roustainguism emerged as a distinct interpretation within French spiritism during this period, influenced by the 19th-century writings of Roustaing. It introduced mystical and Christian elements, such as the fluidic body of and the original fall of spirits, diverging from Allan Kardec's rational, scientific approach and often viewed as a deviation emphasizing . Separately, rationalist efforts were advanced by figures like Léon Chevreuil, a prominent spiritist author and painter who revived the Union Spirite Française post-World War I, with its bulletin starting in 1921. Chevreuil promoted a scientific approach to spirit phenomena through works like On ne meurt pas (1916), which presented for spirit survival and was awarded a prize by the Académie des Sciences, Paris, without relying on supernatural mysticism. This branch focused on , viewing spiritism as a tool for ethical reform and human solidarity, while rejecting excessive dependence on in favor of philosophical reflection and collective moral action. In Brazil, parallel developments led to the formation of Christian Rationalism in 1910, founded by Luiz de Mattos and Luiz Thomaz in Santos. This movement drew from core spiritist doctrines but shifted toward a Bible-centered framework, incorporating reincarnation while de-emphasizing direct spirit communications via mediums. Instead, it stressed philosophical and ethical self-improvement through prayer, concentration, and the transmission of "good fluids" for personal and societal evolution, aligning with principles of rational living and social harmony. The associated Centro Espírita Redemptor, established by Mattos in 1912 in Rio de Janeiro, applied these ideas practically, using non-mediumistic methods like collective fluidic therapy to treat mental illness, legitimizing spiritism as a rational, scientific aid to health and ethics. Key differences between these branches and mainstream Kardecism lie in their reduced reliance on spirit interventions and , favoring instead a more autonomous, philosophical focus on moral ethics, rational self-discipline, and contributions to , such as alleviating suffering through non-ritualistic practices. By 2025, Roustainguism maintains influence primarily in as a debated variant, while rationalist branches like those promoted by Chevreuil and Christian Rationalism have small but dedicated followings, primarily in and respectively, with centers like the Christian Rationalism headquarters in Rio de Janeiro influencing secular interpretations of spiritism by promoting ethical over dogmatic .

Modern Adaptations like Conscientiology

Conscientiology emerged in the 1970s in as a significant evolution of Kardecist spiritism, founded by Waldo Vieira, a former spiritist medium who collaborated with before disaffiliating from traditional spiritism in 1966 to pursue a more scientific approach to parapsychic phenomena. Vieira established the International Institute of Projectiology and Conscientiology (IIPC) in 1981 to institutionalize this field, framing it as a "neoscience" rather than a , with an emphasis on into beyond dogmatic interpretations. As of 2025, the IIPC continues to offer courses and research on consciousness projection through interdisciplinary dialogues with and . This adaptation shifted focus from Allan Kardec's foundational texts, which centered on spirit communication and moral through , toward a broader, multidimensional study of , incorporating concepts like out-of-body experiences as verifiable projections of . Central to conscientiology are principles of integral consciousness study, examining the self—termed "conscie" or ego—in holosomatic (whole-body), multidimensional, and multiexistential dimensions, independent of physical constraints. Key concepts include out-of-body experiences, where detaches from the soma (physical body) to explore non-physical realms, and multidimensional evolution, positing serial lives across dimensions for personal growth rather than strictly spiritist cycles. Vieira's works, such as the 1979 publication Projectiology, detail techniques for lucid projections and self-experimentation, promoting evolutionary self-development through direct experience over mediumistic channeling. The Ramatis movement represents another post-1980s adaptation within spiritist circles, emphasizing self-knowledge and manipulation as pathways to spiritual advancement, diverging from orthodox Kardecism by integrating Eastern influences and practical energetics. Followers of the Ramatis, channeled through mediums like Hercílio Maes since the mid-20th century but evolving into formalized groups post-1980s, prioritize ( or vital force) exercises for and awareness, viewing self-knowledge as essential for multidimensional harmony without heavy reliance on Kardec's codification. These modern adaptations mark key shifts in spiritism by integrating and consciousness studies, treating phenomena like and energy fields as subjects for laboratory-like investigation, thus reducing dependence on 19th-century spiritist scriptures in favor of contemporary empirical methods. Though no widespread adoption of apps for such practices has been documented in peer-reviewed sources, institutions like the IIPC maintain active engagement as of 2025.

Other Divergent Movements

Renovação Cristã, also known as Christian Renewal, originated in during the late as a divergent branch from mainstream Kardecist Spiritism, forming a hybrid that integrated Protestant evangelical elements with spiritualist practices. This movement arose from internal tensions within the Brazilian Spiritist community, particularly following doctrinal debates in 1949, where leaders like those associated with the sought to emphasize Christian and moral over purely philosophical or scientific aspects of Spiritism. It focused on spreading through Spiritist centers reoriented toward Protestant influences, such as study and work, while retaining some concepts of spirit communication but subordinating them to . Causism, developed in in the early by John Mace, represents another offshoot drawing from spiritualist roots, particularly through energy-based healing techniques inspired by personal out-of-body experiences that echo broader spiritist explorations of non-physical realms. Mace's approach, formalized in his 2003 publication I Healed Myself, posits that emotional distress stems from "primary identities" formed in the psyche, which can be neutralized via the Mace Energy Method—a non-invasive therapy involving verbal processing to release energy blockages, diverging from traditional mediumship by prioritizing individual self-healing over spirit invocation. While rooted in spiritual insights akin to those in Kardecist doctrine, Causism largely eschews reincarnation, focusing instead on present-life energy dynamics for therapeutic outcomes. These divergent movements exhibit varied stances on core Kardecist principles, such as selective acceptance of —often minimized in favor of Christian motifs in Renovação Cristã or omitted entirely in Causism—and a reduced reliance on , replacing it with , , or direct energy work. Operating as niche groups, they have maintained small followings, primarily in for Renovação Cristã and internationally through training programs for Causism, with some practitioners occasionally returning to orthodox Kardecist centers upon reevaluating their hybrid approaches. As of 2025, these movements continue as specialized offshoots without major expansions.

Criticism and Controversies

Skeptical and Scientific Critiques

Skeptical and scientific critiques of Kardecist spiritism primarily center on the absence of reproducible supporting the existence of spirits or the validity of mediumistic communications, positioning the doctrine as a form of that relies on anecdotal reports rather than rigorous testing. Mainstream scientists argue that claims of spirit intervention, , and afterlife communication fail to meet criteria and lack controlled experimental validation, with phenomena attributed instead to natural explanations such as suggestion and perceptual errors. For instance, investigations into spiritist practices have consistently failed to produce verifiable data under laboratory conditions, leading organizations like the to classify spiritism as incompatible with established physical laws. In recent years, particularly during the (2020-2022), Kardecism has faced additional criticism in for contributing to pseudoscientific attitudes, including promotion of unverified spiritist healing practices and , which undermined efforts and highlighted ongoing tensions with . A significant historical objection involves documented cases of in , where practitioners employed tricks to simulate spirit contact, undermining the credibility of spiritist sessions. In the 1920s, magician actively exposed numerous spiritualist mediums—many operating within traditions akin to Kardecism—by replicating their techniques, such as using hidden wires, chemical vapors, and confederates to produce illusory effects like levitating tables or ectoplasmic manifestations. Houdini's demonstrations, detailed in his book A Magician Among the Spirits, revealed that these methods required no supernatural agency, and he challenged mediums to perform under supervised conditions, a gauntlet few accepted. Such exposures highlighted how economic incentives and showmanship could perpetuate deceptions within spiritist circles, eroding trust in the movement's foundational claims. Psychological explanations further challenge spiritist phenomena, proposing that experiences of spirit communication arise from cognitive biases and perceptual illusions rather than external entities. , a technique where mediums make vague statements and gauge reactions to refine their narrative, exploits the —people's tendency to accept general descriptions as personally accurate—allowing practitioners to simulate accurate spirit insights without prior knowledge. Similarly, auditory or visual hallucinations during states can be explained by dissociative processes or heightened suggestibility, as seen in neuroimaging studies of mediums showing altered brain activity in areas linked to self-other boundaries and , akin to non-pathological imaginative experiences. also plays a role, as participants interpret ambiguous messages as profound validations of their beliefs, reinforcing spiritist doctrines without objective scrutiny. Modern critiques extend to specific spiritist tenets like , particularly the controversial work of parapsychologist , whose case studies of children recalling past lives have been invoked by some spiritists as evidence. However, methodological flaws undermine these findings, including reliance on unverifiable parental reports, cultural influences biasing memory narratives, and failure to rule out (unconscious recall of overheard information) or leading questions during interviews. Critics, including former associates like Champe , have noted inadequate controls for contamination in Stevenson's fieldwork, leading mainstream to dismiss the cases as insufficient for proving after death. While spiritists often reference parapsychological studies as supportive, the field itself faces broad scientific rejection due to inconsistent replication and violation of known principles like , perpetuating spiritism's marginal status in academia.

Religious Objections

The Catholic Church has issued multiple condemnations of Spiritism, viewing it as a form of superstition and divination that contravenes Christian doctrine. In 1898, the Holy Office of the Roman Curia decreed that Spiritistic practices, including automatic writing and mediumship, were forbidden to Catholics, even if not involving explicit demonic invocation, as they promote superstition and moral harm. The Catechism of the Catholic Church further warns against Spiritism, stating that it "often implies divination or magical practices" and that the Church cautions the faithful to avoid it, as such practices distort the Christian understanding of creation and prayer. Ongoing Catholic perspectives, particularly from exorcists, regard Spiritist mediumship as a potential gateway to demonic influence, necessitating sacramental remedies like exorcism for those involved, since it may invite obsession or possession by evil spirits rather than benevolent communication. Protestant denominations have similarly critiqued Kardecist Spiritism as or heretical, associating it with forbidden attempts to contact the dead, which Scripture condemns as deception by demonic forces. Evangelical and Reformed traditions, for instance, emphasize that such practices violate biblical prohibitions against and , seeing them as spiritually dangerous and incompatible with reliance on Christ alone for guidance. While conservative Protestants largely reject it outright, some liberal Protestant groups have shown limited acceptance, viewing elements of Spiritism as compatible with progressive explorations of spirituality or the , though without endorsing . In , Kardecist Spiritism is rejected as a form of sihr (magic) or kahanah (soothsaying), which involves illicit communication with or spirits and constitutes shirk (associating partners with ), rendering it gravely sinful and dangerous to one's . Although some parallels exist in beliefs about the soul's and , Islamic scholars prohibit due to its risk of by malevolent entities and deviation from ( oneness). Buddhism acknowledges spirits (preta or other realms) but discourages and Spiritist practices as attachments that hinder enlightenment, classifying them as superstitious distractions from the rather than paths to wisdom. Historically, religious objections have led to tangible restrictions on Spiritism in , including Brazil's 1890 Penal Code, which outlawed Spiritist practices as charlatanism and equated them with illegal sorcery, resulting in arrests and suppression of centers. Such measures extended to educational settings, where public schools banned Spiritist teachings or materials to prevent perceived moral corruption, fostering that portrayed adherents as superstitious or deviant within predominantly Christian societies. This opposition persisted into the , contributing to underground practices and ongoing discrimination against Spiritists in conservative communities.

Internal Debates

Within the Kardecist Spiritist community, doctrinal disputes often center on the tension between adherence to Allan Kardec's original codification, which emphasizes rational , moral evolution through , and communication with benevolent spirits, and syncretic practices that incorporate elements from other traditions. In , where Spiritism has deep roots, some practitioners and leaders have criticized blends with Afro-Brazilian religions like , viewing them as deviations that introduce animistic rituals and possession states incompatible with Kardec's focus on intellectual and ethical disobsession. Sociologist Cândido Procópio Ferreira de Camargo highlighted this divide in his analysis of the "mediumistic continuum," noting commonalities such as spirit incorporation but underscoring how Umbanda's with indigenous and African elements provokes condemnation from strict Kardecists who see it as diluting the doctrine's scientific and Christian foundations. Ethical concerns regarding the commercialization of mediumship have also sparked internal contention, with traditionalists arguing that charging for spirit communications or healings contradicts the doctrine's emphasis on charity and gratuitous service. Spiritist teachings, as articulated in publications aligned with Kardec's principles, assert that is a divine bestowed freely for the alleviation of and cannot be commodified without moral repercussions, potentially attracting lower spirits or exploiting vulnerable seekers. This issue has led to debates over the propriety of paid consultations in centers, where some defend modest fees for operational costs while others advocate strict non-commercial models to preserve doctrinal purity. The authenticity of psychographies—automatic writings purportedly from spirits—remains a focal point of internal scrutiny, particularly in Brazil's prolific mediumistic tradition exemplified by Francisco Cândido Xavier, who produced over 400 books and thousands of letters. Controversies arose in cases like the 1944 lawsuit by the family of poet Humberto de Campos against medium Francisco Cândido Xavier () and the Federação Espírita Brasileira (FEB) claiming to channel his works, raising questions about and profit motives that divided the between defenders citing evidential details and skeptics demanding rigorous verification. Despite such challenges, Xavier's output gained broad within Spiritist circles due to his lifelong charity, donating all proceeds, and instances like the 1979 Divino case where psychographed prescriptions aided legal exoneration, though debates persist on establishing uniform standards for validation to counter fraud allegations. In recent years, tensions have emerged over the integration of in spirit communications, with some Spiritists exploring digital tools like séances or AI-assisted interpretations while purists caution against that might interfere with direct mediumistic links. Historical precedents, such as 19th- and 20th-century spiritualist inventions like spirit telegraphs, illustrate ongoing debates about whether enhances or distorts genuine contact, as discussed in analyses of mediumistic devices. Additionally, discussions on inclusivity for LGBTQ+ individuals have surfaced, with Spiritism's framework often invoked to promote tolerance by viewing and sexual identities as transient aspects of , though varying practices highlight uneven application. These debates are frequently addressed through federations' guidelines and international congresses, which aim to unify the movement around Kardec's core texts. The International Spiritist Council (CEI), for instance, organizes World Spiritist Congresses that deliberate on , , and doctrinal integrity, issuing resolutions to guide practices like non-commercial and syncretic boundaries while fostering dialogue to resolve schisms. National bodies, such as Brazil's Federação Espírita Brasileira, similarly publish directives emphasizing moral consistency and empirical validation to maintain cohesion amid diverse interpretations.

Cultural Impact

Representation in Media and Arts

Kardecist spiritism has found significant representation in Brazilian television, particularly through Rede Globo's telenovelas, which often incorporate themes of , , and spiritual progression central to the doctrine. The 1994 series A Viagem, written by Ivani Ribeiro, centers on the and spiritist principles derived from Allan Kardec's teachings, depicting a woman's spirit intervening to protect her family from a malevolent entity while exploring concepts like obsession and redemption through spiritual evolution. Similarly, Alma Gêmea (2005), also produced by Globo, portrays as a mechanism for love and justice, with the protagonist—a murdered ballerina—reincarnating as an indigenous woman to resolve past-life conflicts, blending spiritist ideas with dramatic romance. These productions popularized spiritist concepts among broad audiences, emphasizing moral growth across lifetimes without overt proselytizing. In cinema, spiritism's influence is evident in films adapting key texts from Brazilian spiritist literature. The 2010 film (Astral City: A Spiritual Journey), directed by Wagner de Assis, adapts the book psychographed by renowned medium under the spirit André Luiz, illustrating the spirit world's structure, including colonies for souls undergoing purification and the role of charity in spiritual advancement. This production, one of Brazil's highest-grossing films at the time, visually rendered Kardecist cosmology, showing hierarchical spiritual realms and reincarnation's ethical implications. Internationally, films like (1999) echo spiritist motifs of child mediums communicating with the deceased, though rooted in broader narratives rather than explicit Kardec , influencing global perceptions of spirit interaction. Visual arts within Kardecist communities often involve mediums channeling deceased artists to produce works that convey spiritual messages. In , where spiritism claims over 4 million adherents, mediums like Luiz Antônio Gasparetto created paintings purportedly guided by spirits of figures such as Picasso and Van Gogh, blending artistic expression with doctrinal themes of disincarnate collaboration and soul evolution. Similarly, Valdelice da Silva Dias Salum has produced artworks claimed to be influenced by Renoir and others, displayed in spiritist centers to illustrate ongoing spiritual creativity and reincarnation's continuity of talents. These practices highlight spiritism's integration of and metaphysics, fostering communal reflection on the . As of 2025, streaming platforms continue to explore themes resonant with spiritism. Netflix's Live from the Other Side with (premiered 2024, ongoing episodes), features clairvoyant readings connecting the living with spirits, paralleling Kardecist emphasis on communication for healing and guidance, though adapted to contemporary American contexts. In , Globo's streaming service has re-aired spiritist-themed telenovelas like A Viagem, sustaining their cultural .

Influence on Literature and Philosophy

Kardecist spiritism profoundly influenced through the engagement of prominent writers like , who participated in numerous séances during his exile on the from 1851 to 1855. These sessions, involving communication with spirits through a table, inspired Hugo's poetic works, including verses in that reflect themes of spiritual communion and the , blending with emerging spiritist ideas of soul immortality and moral evolution. In , where Kardecist spiritism took root as a major cultural force, it shaped the literary output of mediums and authors who channeled spirit writings, most notably Francisco Cândido Xavier (), who produced over 400 books attributed to discarnate spirits between 1932 and 2002. These works, such as (1944), explore ethical and social harmony, influencing Brazilian narrative traditions by integrating spiritist cosmology into popular fiction and moral philosophy. Philosophically, spiritism's doctrine of the soul's —positing eternal progression through multiple lives—resonated with early 20th-century thinkers, offering a framework for understanding human existence beyond material and paralleling existential concerns with meaning and . Henri Bergson's , emphasizing the as a creative life force independent of mechanistic biology, echoed spiritist views on the spirit's autonomy and survival after bodily , as Bergson himself engaged with psychical and affirmed the possibility of telepathic spirit communication in his 1913 to the . Spiritism's ethical core, advocating universal brotherhood as a moral imperative derived from shared spiritual origins and reincarnation, contributed to broader discourses on human solidarity, aligning with principles of equality and mutual aid that underpin modern ethical philosophy. In the 20th and 21st centuries, these ideas informed transpersonal psychology, particularly through Roberto Assagioli's psychosynthesis, which incorporated parapsychological elements like spirit communication to foster holistic spiritual growth and self-realization beyond the ego.

Contemporary Practices and Events

In contemporary Kardecist spiritism, daily and weekly practices revolve around moral and spiritual self-improvement conducted with simplicity, eschewing altars, images, or elaborate rituals in favor of direct communion with divine principles. A central home-based activity is the "Gospel at Home," recommended at least weekly, where families or individuals gather for , reading selections from Allan Kardec's The Gospel According to Spiritism, personal reflection, and discussion of ethical applications to daily life; this session typically lasts 30 minutes and concludes with the blessing and consumption of water to symbolize spiritual nourishment. Centers host regular weekly meetings focused on doctrinal study, lectures, and fraternal dialogue, all performed without or paid services, emphasizing charity and personal transformation. Annual celebrations, such as Allan Kardec's birthday on October 3, feature communal events with prayers, lectures, and tributes to his codification of spiritist principles, often including renowned speakers like Divaldo Pereira Franco to inspire global adherents. Major gatherings include the World Spiritist Congress, an annual international event; for instance, the 11th edition in October 2025 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, convened thousands for workshops, lectures on spiritual challenges, and a concurrent youth congress to foster intergenerational dialogue. Earlier iterations, like the second congress, attracted over 3,000 participants from Brazil and abroad, highlighting spiritism's emphasis on unity and doctrinal dissemination. Complementary international events, such as the U.S. Spiritist Symposium, offer annual forums for exploring spiritist themes in contemporary contexts, including self-awareness and ethical living. Adaptations to modern technology have integrated virtual formats, enabling weekly study sessions and passes—non-contact transmissions for physical and spiritual relief—accessible via platforms like Zoom, particularly since 2020 to accommodate global participation amid restrictions. Emerging debates in 2025 address the role of in spiritist analysis, questioning whether AI can simulate spiritual evolution or in light of doctrines on and ethical , with scholars invoking spiritist frameworks to critique emergent AI ethics. Community life in Kardecist spiritism thrives on volunteerism, as all activities—from center operations to charitable —are unpaid and driven by participants' commitment to . seminars and study groups form the core, providing in-depth exploration of the through interactive sessions on , karma, and charity, often tailored for youth and families to promote ongoing spiritual development.

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