Who is Allan Kardec? And what is the Spiritist Doctrine?

According to Allan Kardec, spiritism is like a science that studies the nature, origin and destiny of spirits, in addition to investigating the links of spirits with the physical world. In the same way, it is also a philosophy, inasmuch as it studies the moral effects that derive from these interactions.

Who is Allan Kardec?

His original name is Hippolite Léon Denizard Rivail. Known by the pseudonym Allan Kardec. The change in his Christian name was motivated by the fact that his "guiding spirit" told him that in a previous life, in the time of the Druids, they had met in Gaul, and at that time his name was "Allan Kardec" , made by which, Rivail decided to use that name from that moment on and thus it was known in the most remote places of the planet. He was born on October 3, 1804 in the city of Paris, France. He was a very polite man. He was a teacher, writer, philosopher and translator. Writer of the books that would give origin and sustain the Spiritist Doctrine and founder of the first Spiritist society «the Société Parisienne des études Spirites"In 1858.

Let's talk about Spiritism

Several explanations arise to explain the birth of the term "spiritism." One of them affirms that this term was created by the French Allán Kardec to give a name to the doctrine related to these entities, and presented for the first time through The Book of Spirits, of his authorship.

On the other hand, Dr. Gerardo Alberto Hernández Aponte, a Puerto Rican historian, claims to have discovered that the term derives from spiritualism and that it already existed by 1853, before Allán Kardec released his compilation work known as: La Doctrina Espirita.

Now, there is no doubt that spiritism as a sect was born from 1848. This original phenomenon is recognized as a native of Hydesville, New York, United States, a place where the Fox sisters, after experiencing a number of paranormal situations, implanted a series of parameters for communication with spirits. His method consisted of carrying out a series of questions that were answered with blows on surfaces such as wood, which in turn, represented certain information or response understood through a previously established code.

It could be considered that the referred system is the predecessor of «the ouija board» whose use supposedly consists in asking questions that can be answered by the spirits with a simple yes or no.

The knowledge of these practices to be disseminated by Europe, specifically in France, became popular, causing the officiants to add additional elements such as revolving tables, whose use was nothing more than mere spectacle and entertainment in society. However, for some, communication with the spirits aroused a deep curiosity, giving rise to deeper and more serious investigations such as those carried out by Kardec.

What is the spiritist doctrine of allan kardec?

It has become clear that spiritism is a doctrine or practice that states that it is possible to communicate with the spirits of the dead, using a medium.

On the other hand, this practice is far from being considered a religion, for this reason, it does not have priests, consecrated persons, temples or precise rituals. But, if it has centers for the gathering of mediums, to carry out cures or the grouping of incalculable practitioners and followers.

What the Spiritist doctrine itself proposes is to reveal the existence of communication between the living and the dead. To do this, he uses an action plan based on the rational intuitive method. In turn, this communication process is guided by a medium whose function is none other than to lend his physical, psychic and mental attributes so that the spirits manifest through him.

The spiritist doctrine proposed by Allán Kardec was innovative at the time of its appearance because for the first time the connection with the spiritual world was rationalized, from a perspective alien to traditional religions.

How does it originate?

Allán Kardec is, as we have already said, the coder and mastermind of much of the content in his basic books. In addition to this, it is believed that in 1855 he received from Carlotti in the company of some of his followers, from various parts of the world, 50 notebooks with explanatory narratives of varied mediumistic experiences and communications, facilitated by many different mediums.

Kardec carried out the analysis of such material, systematized it and supplemented it with more information supplied by the mediums thanks to the influence of the spirits remotely and maintaining the distance between them, even in different parts of the world. Through this methodology he obtained a vast concordant information on the basis of which his works are made.

That is why Allán Kardec is recognized as the encoder of the Spiritist Doctrine, not as the creator of it, since the creation or supply of its content is of spiritual origin, that is, it belongs to the spirits themselves.

You can also read: What is Spiritism?

Principles of Spiritist doctrine

The main premises of the Spiritist doctrine of Allan Kardec are the following:

• The eternal, immutable, immaterial, unique, almighty, just and gracious existence of God.

• Natural Law: manifests that nature is the only law of God.

• The existence of spirits as beings endowed with intelligence, with the capacity for evolution and created by God. In turn, they develop in the spiritual world but have the ability to incarnate, that is, to come to the physical world and inhabit a material body that temporarily houses the spirit.

• The existence of spiritual communication (mediumship). Incarnate spirits can communicate with disembodied spirits.

• Law of cause and effect: the purification of a fault is done through repentance and the atonement necessary for correction.

• Reincarnation: refers to the process that allows the spirit to reincarnate as a human for its evolution. Each life is carried out in order to perfect our virtues, purge past mistakes, contribute to our progress and that of our fellow men, among other things.

• Dynamism in spiritual life: the happiness or misery experienced by the spirit after disincarnation will be proportional to the state of its consciousness. This will determine your unfolding in some level, world or space that agrees with your vibratory state. However, it is established that eternal happiness is the tendency according to which spirits evolve during their development.

• Plurality of inhabited worlds: planet Earth is not the only one with life in the universe. The spirit has the ability to incarnate on various planets, which allows it to evolve in different ways.

• Individual responsibility: the conditions present in the physical world of the embodied spirit correspond solely to itself. Before returning to earth, each spirit chooses the tests and situations that it will go through, showing the use of the law of free will. God does not offer individual rewards or punishments, everything is governed under his universal laws from and to eternity.

• Spiritual equality: all spirits were created by God simple and ignorant, however, all are destined for perfection, with equal capacities for both good and evil, which they will have according to their free will.

• Conscience as a book of life: conscience acts based on the common good thanks to common sense in the company of intelligence.

• Law of worship or universality of philosophy: the relationship of humans with the spiritual world is a personal act and full of faith. It does not need any academic mediation, therefore, spiritism flows naturally, it lacks rituals, cults, temples or hierarchies with religious privileges.

• Original equality: there are no angels or demons. There are no spirits created for a specific purpose. We all have the same spiritual origin. Evolution or involution is your own decision.

• Justice, faith, love, hope and charity are the highest virtues that man must pursue.

Spiritist meetings according to Kardecianism

This type of event is fundamental for the development and evolution of mediums and constitutes one of the most common practices of the followers of this doctrine to be able to communicate with the spirits. In them we find certain fundamentals that are constantly maintained:

• There is no priestly hierarchy within the sessions, that is, everyone enjoys the same respect and ability to develop their mediumship.

• The presence or absence of images, altars, or portals is not necessary.

• It is not required to have any ceremony or sacrament to practice it (baptism, marriage, or any other).

• A deep practice of respect and tolerance for all the religions of the world.

• Spiritist practice is free and non-profit, although participation in Spiritist institutions adjusts to the parameters common to all civil associations.

The Spiritist doctrine of Allan Kardec and Christianity

In the Spiritist Doctrine of Allan Kardec, Jesus of Nazareth is considered the greatest role model due to his unquestionable moral legacy. There is no doubt about his evolution caused by his recognized acts and invaluable effort, an excellent representation of the characteristics necessary in each spirit to be able to progress.

Wrong uses of the Spiritist doctrine

The use of the gifts of mediumship to do evil, for selfishness or to commune with anti-values, in itself, already constitutes a wrong use of that virtue. It has become clear that the goal of both incarnated and disembodied spirit is to progress and evolve spiritually and that is only achieved through the path of goodness and good. Apart from that, the use of resources such as the güija table, among others susceptible to manipulation, also constitute a wrong use of the doctrine, since its fundamental objective is the search for the truth.

Allan Kardec's Spiritism Books

"The book of mediums." It dates from January 1861. It contains the instructions of the spirits on the theological bases, the manifestations, the means, the phenomena, the virtues and the difficulties that occurred on the spiritual plane. This book talks about both spirits and mediums. Represents the work conducive to start education at the time of moving towards developing the connection with the spiritual world.

"The Gospel according to spiritism." It dates from April 1864. In this work the maximum moral dogmas offered by Christ are related and broken down, and their parity with spiritualism, concluding how this wisdom can be applicable in the many vicissitudes that occur in the course of life. It is an interpretation contributed by the spirits to the biblical texts. It is a sample that enhances the power of love as a divine feeling that guides us in the service of others, thus balancing our physical world.

"The heaven and the hell". Its original title was "Heaven and Hell or Divine Justice According to Spiritism." It dates from August 1865. It talks about the various doctrines and the path between physical life and spiritual life. Discuss atonements and future benefits: the existence and nature of angels and demons. It tries to answer those questions that man has always asked himself, such as: What is his destiny after he dies? Causes to fear death? Will we go to Heaven or Hell? If they really exist. Is it true that they exist in angels and demons? How does divine justice work?

"The Genesis". Its original title was "The genesis, miracles and prophecies according to spiritism." It dates from January 1868. This work considers topics related to the meaning of the existence and nature of God, and what perspective humans have in relation to that topic. It delves into the indisputable superiority of the nature of Jesus and the disappearance of his physical body during his stay on this plane and divine providence; the sense of space and time; the creation of the various existing worlds; the essence that encompasses both good and evil; the condition of the miracles and other explanations to reach their understanding; the organic origin and the spiritual origin; among other spiritual peculiarities.

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