The Spirits' Book

Allan Kardec

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375. When a person is insane, what is the state of that individual’s spirit?
“When a spirit is free it receives impressions directly and directly exerts its action on matter as well. When a spirit incarnates, it is in an entirely different condition and is required to act only through the designated organs. If some or all of those organs are impaired, its actions or impressions concerning those organs are interrupted. Individuals beset by such impairments become blind if they lose their eyes, deaf if they lose their ears, and so on. Imagine now that the organ responsible for manifestations of intelligence and will is partially or entirely impaired, and you will easily understand that the use of such an incomplete or distorted organ will provoke a functional distress that the spirit is fully conscious of but unable to control.”


a) Then it is always the body, and not the spirit, that is dysfunctional?
“Yes, but remember that just as a spirit acts upon matter, matter in turn reacts upon the spirit, at least to a certain extent. Due to the altered state of its receptor organs, the spirit may temporarily receive various impressions. When the insanity continues for long periods of time, the repetition of the same acts may exercise a permanent infuence on a spirit. It only ends with its complete separation from all material impressions.”

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