LIFE IN THE MATERIAL WORLD

Introduction | Developing Body, Emerging Spirit | Forgetfulness of the Past
Necessity of Material Life | The Meaning of our Suffering | Moments of Liberation

 Moments of Liberation

Once a spirit begins the process of a material incarnation, it is not constantly bound to the material body until the moment of its disincarnation (at the death of the material body).  During moments of sleep, the bonds that tie the spirit to the body are loosened, and though it is not completely freed from the body, the spirit is able to interact with the material and spiritual planes, in a state very similar to that of the discarnate.  It enjoys faculties that are inactive in the waking state, and it can communicate with other spirits, either on Earth or on other planets.  Sometimes the spirit can even remember the past or foresee the future.

The activities of the spirit during such moments of liberation depend on its state at that time.  Spirits who have attained a reasonable level of progress will use such time to visit loved ones or to converse with more advanced spirits who can give them advice.  Some may also engage in work activities in the spirit realm, in which they collaborate with other good spirits to bring aid to those in need, both in the spiritual and material realms.  Other spirits seek places of a less useful nature. The spirits tell us¹ that these beings "seek the lower spheres, to which they are attracted by old affections or by their own primitive inclinations; and once there, they indulge in every sensual pleasure.  On these visits, they also receive corrupt suggestions, often baser than they conceive of when awake."

You may wonder, then, what significance our dreams have.  Well, they are often, though not always, a recollection of what our spirit experienced during sleep.  Still, they are often hard to interpret or understand because the memories we retain may be only of the confusion that accompanies our departure from, or return to, the body.  These memories, or other kinds which include scenes observed in other domains, can then become mixed up with vague impressions of what we did or thought about during the waking state.  We may not even recall a dream at all, since the impressions that a spirit receives during sleep do not come through its body's physical organs and are, therefore, difficult to retain upon awaking in the heavy, material body.

Kardec, Allan. "Return to the Body." The Spirits' Book.  Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from 2nd edition in French). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 1996. 128-137.

Barbosa, Pedro Franco. "O Homem." [Man] Espiritismo Basico [Basic Spiritism]. 3rd ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation].1987. 160-162.

Kardec, Allan. "Blessed are the Afflicted." The Gospel  Explained By The Spiritist Doctrine.  Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from 3rd edition in French). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 2000. 57-63.

Simonetti, Richard "Esquecimento do Passado" [Forgetfullness of the Past]. Reencarnação [Reincarnation]. 3rd ed. Baru-SP, Brazil: Centro Espírita Amor e Cardidade [Love and Charity Spiritist Center]. 1992. 149-152.

Simonetti, Richard "Evoluindo Sempre" [Always Evolving]. Quem Tem Medo Dos Espíritos? [Who's Afraid of Spirits]. 11th ed. Baru-SP, Brazil: Centro Espírita Amor e Cardidade [Love and Charity Spiritist Center]. 1992. 115-121

Estudo Sistematizado da FEB, Programa II, roteiro N 15.
Systematized Study Published by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation)