Brazil is a blessed country.  It has those and ayajuasca as well.  Here in canada, we have some spiritualist churches, which may be the closest thing.  From what i saw, they are basically a copy of the more spiritual pentacostalist, but w most of the christian language removed.  So, that's pretty shallow, very basic stuff.

MS

all over Brazil you have this type of free counseling Kardek? that seems incredible to me and seems like your country far in advance of ours in America as concerning what is taught here for instance on this forum. this to me, is our school, and I am thinking America has the most computers, but have to check on that. well, internet is bringing people together.

I only came across two spiritualist churches in my time here in America. Seems like Calif. my place of birth, is more open minded state all in all. variations of Christianity still prevail here in the other states, this just my opinion. New age thought, eastern philosophy seem like has only been a pathway for the stalwart seeker as cannot get support for such ideas easily.
but we do have many fine authors such as Bruce and Monroe and many many others to promote a move away from old timey religion. What I try to do is not throw away old time concepts but synthesize the old with the new, or squeeze the original message out of the older traditional concepts of, scuse me, cough, salvation.
I'm sorry to say, not much is free here in the way you speak of it happening in Brazil. not yet anyway. we are you must know, for the most part, capitalists and opportunists and on the other hand we welcome everyone and they melt into us, it's still, to me, what the statue of liberty says, give us your tired, your poor,  so we are not bad guys either. we are everybody living in one spot. we have in New York all sorts of immigrants who then branched out to other states, I assume they all brought their respective religious beliefs with them. somebody said the inquisition is still going on? well, so far I'm still a free woman!

Hey,

I'm not sure if anyone else here is from the UK. As far as I'm aware nothing here of this sort is free except for the spiritulistic churchs, these are free I'm pretty sure but there are few about. Nothing is publicised and I actually only found one near me the other day, about 20minutes away roughly I think. I don't know what to expect if i went, who the people are, how old etc with me being 18. I have no idea how this all works but as far as I'm aware thats the only thing. We have mediums etc but they all cost and there are certainly no schools like the Monroe Insitute or any workshops either which is kind of annoying....couldn't afford it at the moment whether i liked it or not though! lol

Ryan

Hi Kardec,
Truly, you are blessed to be in a country in which the combination of priestcraft and politics has not yet stamped out the innate sense of spiritual existence. What many cultures call "primitive", meaning "at the source", is a level of awareness that all too quickly gets lost behind the layers of false pride and sophistication associated with rapid gratification in the technological world.

Ayahuasca is an excellent example, although the Native American Church's use of peyote, or traditional Hindu use of ganja in yoga are equally appropriate. When properly used, these herbals lead through a ritiual of cleansing, and onward to an increased awareness of spirituality. When translated into the technology of my home, California,  they are viewed only as a means to attain some kind of physical thrill. Their spiritual value is lost, submerged beneath a rush to "get high" at any cost.  Thus, ayahuasca, San Pedro, oliliuqui etc begin with a major episode of vomiting, clearing the inner person in preparation to be filled with new awareness and wisdom.

The technological alternative is the guy on the street corner who simply offers "this will make you feel good" as he peddles something that also makes you feel crummy when it wears off, leaving neither widsom nor anything especially new.

To be able to gain spiritual knowledge at no cost, and without mass merchandising or signing away your life savings, seems to me to be a wonderful thing.

dave

Well here are some points:

SPITIFIRE:

I chose SPIRITISM as a religion because I was looking for something that could explain the feelings I had about the meaning of live. To me life wasn’t something without meaning and I always thought Life would never end.  

Along with those thoughts I could never accept a short list with 10 SINS that could never be made. God couldn’t be that old guy who looks us down and spends His time judging us.

As The Spirits Doctrine has a scientific focus I decided it would be worth known. It was 20 years ago, since then many of the things I’ve read and  witnessed at the Mediumistic meetings I’ve attended to ( to help people not to search proof) corroborate to make me believe that all those things I’ve read and saw were true.

According to Spiritsm the answer for your questions would be something like:

-Do this or you will relive this life because you have not learned your lesson!.

<> Life is a blessing not a punishment, the main goal is to understand it.

-If you murder someone you will go to hell!

<>No, you probably will be this guy father (for instance) in a future life and will spent all your life giving Him LOVE and probably there will be some difficult at your relationship that only patience and love will solve.
(But you always can waste the chance and make a mass again it’s up to you)

-Follow these rules or thou shall perish

If you do something that make you stop at your evolutionary track the ones who love you will try to put you through some kind of experience that will tend to awake you from your delusion.
(it would be cruel to let one be lost forever despite His/Her free will)

-Spread Love and you shall be enlightened

In order to induce you to walk towards peace and success God put in our “Operating System” a program that make us feel in someway when we are walking the wrong way. The same program makes us feel when we are walking the right way. (its all)

MENDEL:

“…I read a neat little book called "Astral City" (part of the Spiritist tome?) which has some interesting parallels to Gordon's first work…”

Astral city in Portuguese called “Nosso Lar” wich means ”our home” was one of more than 130 books written (for free) by a really poor man called FRANCISCO CÂNDIDO XAVIER-  http://www.spiritwritings.com/chicoxavier.html - the profits were applied at charity programs. He passed away recently still as a poor man.

1)Does Spiritism encourage exploration of the spiritual realms to validate and even expound upon the material set forth by Kardec?

You are free to do any thing you want. But without love you will never feel the real progress. (So nothing is forbidden but your intentions will define the kind of experiences and results you will go through.

2)What would you say is encouraging the spread of Spiritism in Brazil?  

It’s not new here. It started a long ago. But the main reason is that it shows you that you can understand the live and find your own way to win the problems you go through. And that God is not judging you He only gives the material you need to work whit in order to free your self of the delusion of not being divine.

ALYSIA said:

“...all over Brazil you have this type of free counseling Kardek? that seems incredible to me and seems like your country far in advance of ours in America as concerning what is taught here for instance on this forum. this to me, is our school, and I am thinking America has the most computers, but have to check on that. well, internet is bringing people together...”

Alysia

Poor people counts as 60% of the Spiritists here so it’s why computers wouldn’t work as a school here. And as we are talking about spirituality and not about Bussines nor technology it’s possible that at this subject my country might be a few steps ahead of yours. But countries are delusion borders doesn’t exist to the Spiritual word.