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intelligences, and by means of raps and writing through the planchette he
received the replies upon which he has founded his system of Spiritism.
After two years of these communications he found that his ideas and
convictions had become completely changed. He said:
"The instructions thus transmitted constitute an entirely new theory of
human life, duty and destiny, that appears to me to be perfectly rational
and coherent, admirably lucid and consoling, and intensely interesting."
The idea came to him to publish what he had got, and on submitting this
idea to the communicating intelligences, he was told that the teaching
had been expressly intended to be given to the world, and that he had a
mission confided to him by Providence. They also instructed him to call
the work LE LIVRE DES ESPRITS (The Spirits' Book).
The book thus produced in 1856 had a great success. Over twenty editions
have been published, and the "Revised Edition," issued in 1857, has
become the recognized text-book of spiritual philosophy in France. In
1861 he published "The Mediums' Book"; in 1864, "The Gospel as Explained
by Spirits"; in 1865, "Heaven and Hell"; and in 1867, "Genesis." In
addition to the above, which are his main works, he published two short
treatises entitled, "What is Spiritism?" and "Spiritism Reduced to its
Simplest Expression."
Miss Anna Blackwell, who has translated Allan Kardec's works into
English, thus describes him:
In person, Allan Kardec was somewhat under middle height. Strongly built,
with a large, round, massive head, well-marked features, and clear, grey
eyes, he looked more like a German than a Frenchman. Energetic and
persevering, but of a temperament that was calm, cautious, and
unimaginative almost to coldness, incredulous by nature and by education,
a close, logical reasoner, and eminently practical in thought and deed;
he was equally free from mysticism and from enthusiasm. Grave, slow of
speech, unassuming in manner, yet not without a certain quiet dignity
resulting from the earnestness and single-mindedness which were the
distinguishing traits of his character; neither courting nor avoiding
discussion, but never volunteering any remark upon the subject to which
he had devoted his life, he received with affability the innumerable
visitors from every part of the world who came to converse with him in
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regard to the views of which he was the recognized exponent, answering
questions and objections, explaining difficulties, and giving information
to all serious inquirers, with whom he talked with freedom and animation,
his face occasionally lighting up with a genial and pleasant smile,
though such was his habitual sobriety of demeanour that he was never
known to laugh. Among the thousands by whom he was thus visited were many
of high rank in the social, literary, artistic, and scientific worlds.
The Emperor Napoleon III, the fact of whose interest in spiritist
phenomena was no mystery, sent for him several times, and held long
conversations with him at the Tuileries upon the doctrines of "The
Spirits' Book."
He founded the Society of Psychologie Studies, which met weekly at his
house for the purpose of getting communications through writing mediums.
He also established LA REVUE SPIRITE, a monthly journal still in
existence, which he edited until his death in 1869. Shortly before this
he drew up a plan of an organization to carry on his work. It was called
"The Joint Stock Company for the Continuation of the Works of Allan
Kardec," with power to buy and sell, receive donations and bequests, and
to continue the publication of LA REVUE SPIRITE. After his death his
plans were faithfully carried out.
Kardec considered that the words "spiritual," "spiritualist," and
"spiritualism" already had a definite meaning. Therefore he substituted
"spiritism" and "spiritist."
This Spiritist philosophy is distinguished by its belief that our
spiritual progression is effected through a series of incarnations.
Spirits having to pass through many incarnations, it follows that we have
all had many existences, and that we shall have others, more or less
perfect, either upon this earth or in other worlds.
The incarnation of spirits always takes place in the human race; it would
be an error to suppose that the soul or spirit could be incarnated in the
body of an animal.
A spirit's successive corporeal existences are always progressive, and
never retrograde; but the rapidity of our progress depends on the efforts
we make to arrive at perfection.
The qualities of the soul are those of the spirit incarnated in us; thus,
a good man is the incarnation of a good spirit, and a bad man is that of
an unpurified spirit.
The soul possessed its own individuality before its incarnation; it
preserves that individuality after its separation from the body.
On its re-entrance into the spirit world, the soul again finds there all
those whom it has known upon the earth, and all its former existences
eventually come back to its memory, with the remembrance of all the good
and of all the evil which it has done in them.
The incarnated spirit is under the influence of matter; the man who
surmounts this influence, through the elevation and purification of his
soul, raises himself nearer to the superior spirits, among whom he will
one day be classed. He who allows himself to be ruled by bad passions,
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