The Spiritist Review - JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES - 1861

Allan Kardec

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Organization of Spiritism

1. Up until now the spiritists have been spreading all over the world and that is not one of the least characteristic marks of the Doctrine. Like a seed carried by the wind it has taken root in all corners of the globe, an evident demonstration that its propagation is not the result of a clique or a local and personal influence. Isolated in the beginning, the followers are now surprised by their large numbers and since the similarity of ideas inspire the desire for gathering, and they seek to meet and to found societies. Thus, everywhere we are being asked to provide instructions in this regard, manifesting within us the desire to unite the central Society of Paris. It is now time for us to get involved with what we can call organization of Spiritism. The Mediums’ Book (2nd Edition) contains important observations about the subject that we refer to those interested, asking them to give careful thought to that. Experience daily confirms its application that we will recollect here, adding more circumstantial instructions.

2. Let us begin by talking about the followers still amidst a hostile population or ignorant of the new ideas. We receive letters of individuals in that situation every day, asking what they can do in the absence of mediums and comrades in Spiritism. They are in the same situation as the initiators of a large number of centers only a year ago. The number of followers multiplied gradually and there are cities where they were counted on single isolated units but today they count on hundreds and thousands. The same will soon happen everywhere. It is a matter of patience. As for what they have to do that is very simple. In principle they can work on their own and get absorbed into the study and meditation of the special books of the Doctrine. The more they do an in-depth study the more consoling truths they will find, confirmed by reason. In their isolation they must feel happy for having been the first ones to be favored. However, if they only try to get a kind of personal satisfaction out of the Doctrine it would be somewhat selfish. They have a beautiful and important mission to accomplish, given their position: spread the light around them. The ones who accept such a mission and are not stopped by difficulties will be largely rewarded by the success and satisfaction of having done something useful. There is no doubt that they will find opposition. They will be cause for mockery and sarcasm by the non-believers and even from those persons interested in combating the Doctrine, but where would be the merit if there would not be any obstacle to overtake? Hence, we have nothing to say, no advice to those who would stop for the fear of what other people might say. But to those who have the courage to stand up and sustain their opinion, above the petty human considerations, we say that what they have to do is to openly speak about Spiritism, without any concern, as if speaking of something very simple and natural, not preaching it and particularly not seeking or forcing conviction or trying to make converts at any price. Spiritism must not be imposed. People come to Spiritism because it is needed and because it provides what other philosophies don’t do. It is even convenient to avoid explanations to stubborn non-believers since it would be to give them too much importance, leading them to believe that they are indispensable. The very efforts employed to attract them is in actual fact, to keep them away and they resist in their opposition out of selfishness. That is why it is useless to waste any time with them. When the need knocks at their door they will come on their own. While waiting, one must leave them alone, satisfied in their skepticism that frequently, believe me, weighs more on their shoulders than they would like to transpire, irrespective of what they say otherwise, because the idea of nothing after death holds something more terrifying, or more frightening than death itself. Besides the mockery there will be those who will ask: What is it? You must then endeavor to satisfy those, giving them explanations according to the dispositions that you find. When speaking about Spiritism as a whole, one must consider the words that are pronounced like seeds thrown in the air. Many fall on rocks and produce nothing, but if only one seed has fallen on fertile soil you must feel happy. Cultivate it and be certain that this plant will be fruitful, producing offshoots. Some followers have difficulty in responding to certain objections. The careful study of the books will provide them with the means but they will certainly benefit in particular from the brochure that we will publish with that objective under the title: Refutation of criticism against Spiritism, from the point of view of Materialism, Science and Religion.

3. Let us now talk about the organization of Spiritism already in many centers. Of the steady increase in followers demonstrates the physical impossibility of constituting a single society in a given city. Besides the number, there are also the distances that may be an obstacle to many. On the other hand, it is a fact that meetings with a large number of people are less favorable to good communications and that the best are obtained in smaller groups. It is therefore better to increase the number of small groups with a specific focus. As we said, twenty groups of fifteen to twenty members will obtain more and do more for the propaganda than a single society of four hundred members. The groups are formed naturally by affinity of tastes, feelings, habits and social position. Everyone knows everybody and since these are private meetings one has the freedom of defining the number of people and select who should be admitted.

4. In addition the system of multiplication of the groups has the advantage, as we said on several occasions, to prevent conflicts and rivalries for supremacy and presidency. Each group is naturally presided by the head of the house, or by someone that might have been designated for that purpose. There is not an official figure or a president, per say, since everything takes place within the family. The head of the house, as such, has every authority to maintain good order. With an organized society there is the need for a special room, administrative staff, budget, in a word, a complication of inner workings that the ill-will of a few dissidents with bad intentions could compromise.

5. To these considerations developed at length in The Mediums’ Book, we will add one that is of the essence. Spiritism is not seen as a good thing for everybody. Before long it will be understood that we have every interest in fostering a belief that makes people better and as a guarantor of social order. But until they are convinced of its positive influence and its moralizing effects upon the masses, the followers must expect that embarrassments will arise from it out of pure ignorance with respect to the true objective of the Doctrine or due to self-serving interests. The followers will be not only ridiculed but also scorned when the weapons of ridicule fail. They will be accused of madness, charlatanism, irreligion, witchery, and everything that incites fanaticism. Accused of madness! Sublime madness that leads to the belief in God and in the future of the soul! For those who believe in nothing, it is really madness to believe in the communication between the dead and the living, madness that goes around the world and reaches the most eminent people. Charlatanism! These have a peremptory answer: altruism, since charlatanism can never be altruistic. Irreligion! The spiritists who deny the existence of the devil and only acknowledge God as their Almighty Lord, sovereignly just and good. Singular witches that would renegade their master and would act in the name of their enemy! The problem is that the devil might not be happy with his followers. However, the good reasons are the least concern of those who want to undermine discussions. When someone wants to kill a dog it is said that the dog has rabies. Fortunately what we see is only the last sparks of the Middle Ages in our century. Since Spiritism comes to swing the last blow of mercy on them, their attempt of a supreme effort comes as no surprise. Rest assured, the fight will not be long. However, we must not become imprudent given the certainty of victory because carelessness could otherwise compromise or at least delay success. For the reasons above, the formation of large societies in certain places might find obstacles whereas the same would not happen with small groups.

6. Let us add another consideration. The societies as such are prone to a large number of vicissitudes; a thousand dependent or not causes beyond their control, may lead to a closure. Suppose that a given society had gathered every follower of the same town and that for some circumstance it no longer exists. There you have the members disperse and disoriented. Now, if instead there are fifty groups, if some disappear there will always be others and others will form. These are all hardy perennial plants that will be reborn, all the same. We must not cultivate a single tree in the field because lightning may abate it. Have a hundred and the same lightning will not affect them all, and the smaller they are the lesser exposed they will be. Hence, it all conspires in favor of the proposed system; when a given group that is formed somewhere becomes too big you must do like the bees: swarms that leave the mother-hive gather other hives and that in turn will form others. These will be other centers of action, irradiating around their own circle, more powerful for the propaganda than a single society.

7. The formation of the groups is therefore agreed in principle but there are still several important issues to be examined. The first of them is the uniformity of the Doctrine. Such uniformity could not be better guaranteed by a compact society considering that dissidents could always easily leave and form groups aside. Be the society united or fractioned the uniformity will be the natural consequence of the unity of the adopted foundation. It will complete in all groups that follow the route traced by The Spirits’ Book and The Mediums’ Book. One contains the principles of the Philosophy of the Science; the other the rules of the experimental and practical part. Those books were written with great clarity to avoid giving rise to different interpretations, an essential condition to any new doctrine. Up until now these books have served as regulators to the immense majority of spiritists and are welcomed everywhere with unequivocal sympathy. Those who tried to stay away from them had to acknowledge by their isolation and decreasing number of partisans, that the general opinion is not on their side. Such consent given by the majority has great value. It is a judgment that cannot be accused of personal influence since it is spontaneous and declared by thousands of people that are completely unknown. A proof of that general consent is that we were asked to translate it to several languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Polish, Russian and even Tatar. Without presumption we can then recommend its study and practice in the several spiritist meetings and with even more reason as they are the only ones where the Science is up until now treated comprehensively. Every other one that has been published about the subject has only touched on a few isolated points. As a matter of fact, we do not have the pretension of imposing our ideas. We just say that because it is our right. Those who find them convenient should then adopt them. The others have the right to reject them. Hence, the instructions we give are naturally for those who walk with us; for those who honor us with the title of their spiritist leader and in no way do we wish to regulate those who intend to follow another avenue. We deliver the Doctrine that we profess to the general appreciation. We have in fact found many adherents that give us confidence and reassurance before some isolated dissidences. In reality, the future will be the final judge. The susceptibilities of a offended egos, the ambition and frustrations for material hopes will disappear in everyone, by the force of things. No longer considering people, you will only see the doctrine and the judgment will be impartial. What are the new ideas that did not have self-serving contradictors when they came up? Who are the propagators of those ideas that were not targeted by the attacks of envy, particularly if crowned by success? Let us now return to our subject.

8. The second point is the formation of the groups. One of the first conditions is homogeneity without which there could not be a communion of thoughts. A meeting cannot be stable or serious if there isn’t sympathy among those who compose it and sympathy cannot exist among people who have divergent ideas and that have a hidden or even open opposition. Having said that, it is far from us the idea that the discussion must be stifled because, much on the contrary, we recommend a scrupulous examination of every communication and all phenomena. It must be well understood that each person can and must issue their opinion but there are persons who discuss to impose their ideas and not to clarify. We stand against the spirit of systematic opposition; against preconceived ideas that don’t yield even before the evidence. Such persons are incontestably a cause of disruption that must be avoided. The spiritist meetings, in this respect, are in exceptional condition; what they require above all is reverence. Well, how can one show reverence if there is always a distraction produced by an acrimonious controversy? If there is a bitter feeling among the attendees and when one feels surrounded by people that are knowingly hostile and in whose faces one can read sarcasm and disdain regarding everything that is not in agreement with their opinion?

9. In The Mediums’ Book (#28) we described the character of the main varieties of spiritists; since that description is important for the current discussion we will repeat them here. The first line contains those who only believe in the manifestations. For those, Spiritism is just a Science of observation; a series of more or less curious facts; Philosophy and morality are accessories to which they don’t give much attention and whose reach does not concern them. We call them experimental spiritists. Then come those who see something beyond facts in Spiritism. They understand its Philosophical reach; admire the consequent morals but do not practice it; are ecstatic before the beauty of some communications, as when they hear an eloquent sermon but from which they take no advantage. The influence upon their character is null or insignificant. They don’t change their habits and are never deprived of any pleasure: the miser is always stingy, the proud always full of themselves and the envious and jealous always hostile. Christian charity to them is just a nice maxim and the assets of this world prevail against the future world in their appreciation. These are the imperfect spiritists. Side by side with them there are others in larger numbers than one may think and that don’t limit themselves to the admiration of the spiritist moral, but that practice it and accept it in all its consequences. Convinced that the Earthly experience is a transient trial they endeavor to take advantage of these brief moments to advance on the path of progress, striving to do good and suppress their bad inclinations. Their relationships are always safe because conviction repels any bad thoughts. Charity is always their rule of conduct. These are the true spiritists or the Christian spiritists.

10. If the preceding is well understood then it is clear that a group formed by elements exclusively from this last class would be in the best conditions because it is only among those who practice the law of love and charity that it is possible to establish a serious fraternal connection. Unions would not be long-lasting among people to whom moral is a mere theory, since those do not impose any impediment to their pride, ambition, vanity and selfishness, they do not impose more advantage to their words either; they will want to be the first when they should diminish themselves; will get irritated with contradictions and will not have scruples to sow disagreement and discord. Among the true spiritists, on the contrary, there is a feeling of mutual trust and benevolence. One can relax in such a sympathetic environment whereas there is stress and anxiety in a mixed environment.

11. All this is in the nature of things and there is no invention here. Does it follow that one must require perfection in the formation of the groups? It would be simply absurd, since it would be the same as demanding the impossible and then nobody would be able to take part in them. Spiritism aims at the betterment of humanity, thus it did not come to look for perfection but for those who strive to become better by practicing the teaching of the spirits. The true spiritist is not the one that has achieved the objective but the one who seriously want to achieve it. Whatever your antecedents may be, you will be a good spiritist just by acknowledging your imperfections and by being sincere and perseverant in the purpose of amending yourself. Spiritism is a true regeneration because it breaks the links with one’s past. One is indulgent with others as, one would like others to be, and not a single malevolent or bitter word leaves one’s mouth against anyone. Someone that behaved in a rude way in one meeting would be demonstrating not only lack of courtesy and civility but also lack of charity. Someone shocked by contradiction and who tried to impose his or her personality or ideas would give demonstrations of pride. Well, neither one nor the other would be on the true path of Spiritism, that is, Christian Spiritism. Anybody that believes to have a fairer opinion than another must have it accepted through gentleness and persuasion; bitterness on one’s part would be very wrong.

12. Hence simple logic demonstrates to anyone who knows the laws of Spiritism what are the best elements for the composition of really serious groups and we do not hesitate to say that these are the ones that have the greatest influence on the propagation of the Doctrine. By the esteem with which they control and by the example they give of its moral consequences they prove its seriousness and impose silence in mockery, which, when it attacks the good, is more than ridiculous, it is hateful.. In any case, what do you expect that an incredulous critic would think when observing experiments whose attendees are the first ones to consider it a game? He leaves it more incredulous than when he came in.

13. We have just indicated the best composition of groups; but perfection is not more likely in groups than in individuals; we indicated the objective and said that the more you approach it, the better the results will be. It can eventually be dominated by circumstances but one must focus every attention onto avoiding the hurdles. Unfortunately, when a group is created, one is not very strict in the choices because before anything else one wants to form the center; in order to be admitted in general one just need a simple desire or some sort of sympathy to the general ideas of Spiritism. Later it is observed that such adhesion was too easy.

14. In a group there is always the stable element and the floating element. The first is composed of hard-working people that form the base; the second element is composed of those who are admitted temporarily and accidentally. It is to the composition of the stable element that one must pay careful attention and in this case one must not hesitate in sacrificing quantity in favor of quality since this is the element of impulse and regulation. The floating element is less important because there is the freedom of modifying it at will. One must not lose sight of the fact that the spiritist meetings, like all other meetings in general, have the source of their vitality in their foundations. With that respect, it all depends on the starting point. The one who wishes to organize a group in good conditions must, before anything, ensure that one counts on the support of some sincere followers who take the Doctrine seriously and are known for their conciliatory and benevolent character. Once such a core is formed, even with three or four people only, the rules will be established for both admission and the realization of the session rules that must be observed by the newcomers. These rules may be modified according to the circumstances but there are some that are essential.

15. Since the unity of principles is one of the fundamental points it cannot exist in those who did not study and thus cannot have a formed opinion. The first condition to be imposed is serious study, to avoid frequent distractions by objections and useless questions. The second is a categorical declaration of faith and adhesion to the doctrine of The Spirits’ Book and other special conditions that may be considered appropriate. This with respect to the permanent and senior members; to the observers that generally come to acquire a little bit more of knowledge and conviction it can be less rigorous; however since there are those who could cause disturbance with observations that are uncalled for, it is important to be assured of their dispositions. Before anything else, it is necessary to keep curious people away and anybody else that may be attracted by frivolous motives.

16. The order and regularity of the works are equally essential. We consider eminently useful to open each session by reading some passages of The Mediums’ Book and The Spirits’ Book. This ensures that the principles of the Science and the means of avoiding the hurdles often found in the practice are always fresh in everyone’s memory. Thus, attention will be concentrated on many points that may escape a private reading and may give rise to instructive comments and discussions that may also count on the participation of the spirits. It is just as important to archive every received communication according to the date with clear indication of the medium that served as the intermediary. The latter reference is useful for the study of the type of mediumship of each one. It often happens that we lose sight of these communications, which then become obsolete. This discourage the spirits who gave them aiming at the instruction of the attendees. It is then essential that the most instructive communications are collected and read from time to time. It is common that such communications are of general interest and not given by the spirits for the instruction of a few and to be left in archives. Therefore it is useful that they are taken to everybody through publicity. This subject will be examined in an article in the next issue, indicating the simplest mode, the most economical and at the same time the most adequate to achieve the objective.

17. As you can see, our instructions are exclusively addressed to the groups formed by serious and homogeneous elements; to those who want to follow the route of moral Spiritism, aiming at everyone’s progress, the essential and sole objective of the Doctrine; finally, to those who want to accept our guidance and to take into account the advice of our experience. It is incontestable that a group formed according to the indicated conditions will operate with regularity, without barriers and in an efficient way. What can be done by a group can also be done by others. Let us then suppose a given number of groups in a given town all formed based on the same foundation; there will necessarily be unity of principles since they hold the same flag; there will be a sympathetic union for their maxim is love and charity; they are, in a word, members of the same family among whom there could be no rivalry of ego since all are driven by the same feelings towards good.

18. However, it would be useful to have among them a point of connection, a center of action. According to the circumstances and places, the several groups leaving aside personal issues could designate for that a center that for its position and relative importance would be the most capable to give Spiritism a healthy impulse. According to the case and if necessary to avoid susceptibilities a central group, formed by delegates of all others, would take the name of director group. Given our impossibility to correspond with all of them, we would keep a more direct communication with that center. We could also and in certain cases designate a person to more specifically represent us. Without prejudice to the relationships that will forcibly establish among the groups of the same city that walk identical paths, an annual general assembly could gather the spiritists of the several groups in a familiar party that would be simultaneously the celebration of Spiritism. In such occasion there would be speeches given and the most remarkable communications would be read or those more appropriate to the occasion. What is possible among the groups of a given city is also possible among the groups of several cities as long as there is communion of principles and feelings among them, that is, as long as they can maintain reciprocal relationships. We will indicate the means to reach that when we talk about means of publicity.

19. All this, as we said, is of simple execution and without complicated engines but it all depends on the starting point, that is, of the composition of the primitive groups. If they are formed by good elements there will be so many other good roots that they will give provide fruits to. If, on the contrary, they are formed by heterogeneous and antipathetic elements; by doubtful spiritists, more concerned with the form than the substance, who consider the moral part as accessory and secondary, then one should expect irritating controversies and a deadlock; personal pretensions; shocks of susceptibility and consequently conflicts that anticipate disorganization. Among the true spiritists as defined above, who see the essential objective of Spiritism in its moral, which is the same to all, there will always be sacrifice of personality, condescendence and benevolence, and consequently security and stability in the relationships. That is why we have insisted so much on the fundamental qualities.

20. Some may say that these severe restrictions constitute an obstacle to the propagation; that it is a mistake. Don’t believe that by opening the door to the first that shows up you are going to make miracles. Experience is there to demonstrate otherwise. You will face a swarm of curious and indifferent people that will come to the group as if to a spectacle. Now, the curious and indifferent are an obstacle and not a support. As for the systematic or proud unbelievers regardless of how much you show them, they will only see reason for ridicule because they will not understand and don’t want to make the effort to understand. We have already said this, and once again I repeat, that the true propagation, the one that is really useful and fruitful, that one is done by the moral ascendant of the serious meetings. Had everyone only known gatherings of this kind; there would be even more serious spiritists, since it must be said that many were deviated from the Doctrine because they only attended futile sessions, without order and seriousness. Thus, be serious in the true meaning of the word and serious people will come to you. These are the best propagators because they speak out of conviction and preach by both word and example.

21. Given the eminently serious character of the meetings it should not be inferred that one must systematically ban the physical manifestations. As we said in The Mediums’ Book (#326), these are of incontestable utility from the point of view of the study of the phenomena and for the conviction of certain people. Nevertheless, in order to take advantage of these two aspects, one must exclude every frivolous thought. A session that counts on a good medium of physical effects and that would be involved with manifestations of that kind with order, method and seriousness, whose moral condition offers every guarantee against charlatanism and fraud not only can obtain remarkable things from the point of view of the phenomena, but can also do an abundant good. Hence, we advise you not to neglect this kind of experience as long as there are adequate mediums and that special sessions are organized with that objective, independent of those dedicated to philosophical and moral communications. The powerful mediums of that category are rare but there are phenomena that although more vulgar are not less interesting and concluding because they demonstrate with evidence the independence of the medium. Among those, there are the communications of alphabetical typtology that sometimes give the most unexpected results. The theory of these phenomena is necessary so that their mode of operation may be understood since it rarely leads those who don’t understand them to a profound conviction. It also has the advantage of clarifying the normal conditions in which these phenomena may occur, and consequently, avoiding useless attempts thus uncovering fraud whenever it is the case. It is a mistake to believe that we are systematically against physical manifestations. We recommend and will always encourage the intelligent communications and in particular those that have a moral and philosophical reach because those are the ones which tend to the essential and definitive objective of Spiritism. As for the others, we have never contested their utility but we stand against their deplorable abuse or the possible abuse it can be made; against the exploitation by charlatanism; against the bad conditions in which they are frequently carried out thus entailing ridicule. We have said and repeat, that the physical manifestations are the beginning of a science and that nobody advances by only remaining with their a-b-c’s; that if Spiritism was not born out of the turning tables it would not grow as it did, and that today perhaps nobody would speak about it. That is the reason why we strive to make it enter the philosophical avenue, certain that by addressing more the intelligence than the eyes, it would touch the heart and no longer be a transient trend. That is the only way through which it could go around the world and enroot as a doctrine. The result has by far surpassed our expectation. We only give the physical manifestations a relative importance rather than absolute. That is our mistake to the eyes of some people that exclusively dedicate to that and cannot see anything beyond. If we are not personally involved with them, it is because they would not teach us anything new and because we have more essential things to do. Far from criticizing those involved with that, on the contrary, we encourage them as long as they do it in beneficial conditions. Every time that we learn about such kind of trustworthy meetings we will be the first to recommend them to the attention of new followers. That is our categorical declaration of faith about this issue.

22. In the beginning we said that several spiritist groups requested to unite with the Parisian Society. They even used the word affiliation; an explanation is needed with that respect. The Parisian Society was the first to be formed regular and legally. For its position and the nature of its works, it had great participation in the development of Spiritism, and in our opinion, it justifies the title Initiating Society that was given by certain spirits. Its moral influence was felt far away and although numerically restricted there is an awareness that it did more for the propagation than if it had open its doors to the general public. It was formed with the only objective of studying the Spiritist Science in-depth. For that it did not need to gather in a large auditorium or with a large number of members since it knows that the true propaganda takes place through the influence of the principles. Since it is not moved by any material interest an excessive number of participants would be more damaging than useful. Thus it will gladly see multiplying around it private groups formed in good conditions and with whom it could establish fraternal relationships. It would not be consistent with its principles and would not be up to its mission if it could conceive a shadow of envy; anyone who considers the Society capable of that, doesn’t know it. These observations are sufficient to show that the Parisian Society could not have the pretension of absorbing other societies that could be formed in Paris or elsewhere and keeping the same customary procedures. In that case the word affiliation would not be improper since it would suppose a kind of material supremacy, something that is not absolutely aspired by the Society and that would even have inconveniences. As an initiating and central Society it can establish purely scientific relationships with the other groups or societies but its role stops there. It does not exert any control upon those societies who have no dependency and are entirely free to form as they wish without the need to report back anything to anybody and without any intrusion of the Parisian Society in any kind of business of the others. Thus, the foreign societies may form on the same basis; declare that they abide by the same principles and without any other relationship other than the concentration of studies and advice that can be asked and that the Parisian Society will give with pleasure. On the other hand, the Parisian Society does not boast of being immune to the vicissitudes more than the others. If, say, it had them under control and for any reason it disappeared, then the lack of a supporting point would result in disruption. The groups or societies must seek a supporting point more solid than a human institution that is necessarily fragile. They must acquire their resilience on the principles of the Doctrine that is the same to all and one that outlives all of them irrespective of having those principles represented by a formed society.

23. The role of the Parisian Society was clearly defined in order to avoid any misunderstanding or false interpretation; the relations it establishes with foreign societies become extremely simplified, limited to moral, scientific and exchanges of mutual benevolence, without any hierarchy. They will exchange the results of their observations through publications and correspondence. In order that the Parisian Society may establish these relationships, it is necessary that it receives accurate information from the foreign societies that are supposedly marching on the same route and holding the same flag. They will then be included in the list of correspondents. In the case where there are several groups in one town, a central group as discussed above in paragraph 18 will represent them.

24. We will now indicate a few works with which the several societies may collaborate in a useful way; later we will indicate others. We know that the spirits, not having any sovereign science, can see certain principles from their personal point of view and consequently not be always in agreement. The best criterion of truth is naturally the agreement of the lessons in several points by different spirits and through mediums that do not know one another. That is how The Spirits’ Book was composed. However there are still many important questions that can be resolved in that way and whose solution will have more authority the more it is obtained in its large majority. Hence, the Parisian Society may occasionally address questions of this kind to every corresponding group that will then request the position of their spiritual guides through their mediums. Another task is related to the bibliographic search. There is a large number of old and modern books where we can find more or less direct testimonials of the spiritist ideas. A collection of those testimonials would be a very precious work but this is almost impossible to be carried out by a single person. Nonetheless it becomes easier if each group is prepared to gather a few elements out of their readings and studies, and transmit them to the Parisian Society that will coordinate the work.

25. In the current situation this is the only possible organization of Spiritism. Later the circumstances may change but one must not do anything that is untimely. It is already a lot in the short time where followers have multiplied enough, leading to this result. There is in this undertaking a horizon that can extend to infinity given the simplicity of the organization. Therefore let us not complicate it for being afraid that we will find obstacles. Those who are kind to demonstrate some trust may be assured that we will not leave you behind and that everything will come at the appropriate time. It is only to those that we address our instructions, as I said, without the pretension of imposing ourselves to those who don’t walk with us. In order to denigrate our work they said that we want to make a school out of Spiritism. Well, why wouldn’t we have that right? Didn’t Mr. de Mirville try to form a devilish school? Why would we be forced to follow the steps of this or that? Don’t we have the right of opinion, the right to formulate, publish and proclaim it? If that idea finds so many followers, apparently they don’t consider it lacking common sense. But that is our mistake in the eyes of certain people who don’t forgive us for having arrived faster than they did and even more so, for our triumph. Be it a school then if they wish so. For us it will be a real honor to write on its façade: School of moral, philosophical and Christian Spiritism. All those who hold the flag love and charity are invited. Everyone who holds that flag has our deepest sympathies and will never lack our support.

Allan Kardec

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