EXPERIMENTAL SPIRITISM
A Field That Differs From The Exact Sciences
Science of Observation | Theory + Phenomena
Critics and skeptics of Kardec would often go to him, full of doubts and accusations about the kinds of mediumistic studies that he was involved in and the findings that he published regarding them. They would tell him, "Ok, let me come to one of your meetings to see it for myself and you can prove to me that you speak the truth." Kardec would respond, explaining that simply attending a meeting or two would not prove anything or provide the attending skeptic with anything close to a complete knowledge of Spiritism. He said, "You can not take a course in experimental Spiritism," and he compared the observations that he made, over time, to those of a naturalist observing an animal.
It is only with time and patience that one can acquire accurate data. He told those who were truly interested to begin first by studying theory and philosophy. Then, with the necessary background on the subject and a readiness to treat the subject seriously, they could attend a meeting and observe the phenomena. Kardec's words hold true today for us as well. Before we involve ourselves in any mediumistic studies, we should study the theories and explanations.
Spiritism and science complete one another. As Kardec said, "Science, without Spiritism, finds itself unable to explain certain phenomena, simply by the material laws; Spiritism, without science, would be without support and examination."
Kardec, Allan. Christian Spiritism (a compilation of two Kardec books: Spiritism Reduced to Its Simplest Expression and What is Spiritism). Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from original French editions, published 1860 and 1859, respectively). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 1985. 40-41;55; 63;93..
Barbosa, Pedro Franco. "O Espiritismo Cientifico" [Scientific Spiritism] Espiritismo Basico [Basic Spiritism]. 3rd ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation].1987. 103-107.