BRAZIL: Spiritism

In a previous posting, I described the prevalence of spiritism among educated Brazilians I knew. The August 2002 issue of Brazzil has an article entitled "Chico of the Spirits. Chico Xavier became a household name in Brazil during the 30s. By then, the medium was already able to "psychograph" more than 700 "prescriptions" in only one session". It begins:

"Chico Xavier's wish was to die in a day the country was in feast. And death came that same Sunday, June 30, in which Brazil won the soccer World Cup in Japan, dragging to the Brazilian streets celebratory crowds the nation hadn't seen in years. For the most famous spiritual medium psychograph in Brazil and maybe the world it was peace at last, after a 92-year-long existence filled with personal suffering and inspiration for a whole country. Lucid until the end, he had spent a routine day, visiting Casa da Prece (Prayer House)--the place where he used to hold his psychographics' sessions--and staying at home, in Uberaba, state of Minas Gerais. He died--or as spiritists like him like to say--disembodied in his bed, soon after dinner, from cardiac arrest".

"Inspiration for a whole country" confirms what I said about spiritism in Brazil. I have no information about the younger generation. The Brazilian republic was founded by Comtian Positivists. I wonder what they thought about spiritism. I guess that Chico Xavier used his powers to ensure Brazil's soccer victory, and that he really died of excitement. Let us see what effect his death has on Brazil's soccer scores.

Ronald Hilton - 8/14/02