Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1865

Nothing is lost in this world, not only regarding matter where everything is incessantly renovated and perfected according to the immutable laws of the Creator applied to all things, but also in the domain of intelligence. Humanity is like a single person that lived forever and endlessly acquired new knowledge. This is not an image but an actual fact because the Spirit is immortal. It is only the body, an envelope or dress for the Spirit, that falls when it is worn out and then replaced by another one. That very matter endures changes. As the Spirit progresses new values are acquired and, if I can say so, a more luxurious, more pleasant and accommodating outfit is deserved for the expression of your earthly language.

Matter depurates and becomes lighter and lighter but never disappearing completely, at least in the intermediary regions; be it as a body or as a perispirit, matter always follows intelligence providing that point of contact in the communications with the inferior, the equal and the superior to instruct, meditate and learn. We said that nothing is lost in nature. We must add that nothing is useless. Everything, even the most dangerous beasts and the subtlest poisonous substances have their reasons for being. How many things were earlier considered useless or harmful to later on have their usefulness acknowledged? There are some, therefore, that you do not understand. Without much detail I will only say that harmful things force you to be cautious and vigilant, exercising your intelligence, whereas if on the contrary mankind had nothing to fear it would lead to laziness and to the impairment of progress. If need is the mother of technology, technology is also the daughter of intelligence.

As some object, God could undoubtedly have spared us from trials and difficulties that seem superfluous; but if the obstacles are imposed on us it is to awake the sleeping resources in our souls; it is to drive the impulses of the treasures of intelligence that would remain buried in our minds if there would be no need or danger to avoid, forcing you to watch out for your own preservation. Instinct is born, followed by intelligence; the thoughts are linked, and reasoning is invented. If I reason I judge, good or bad, that is true, but it is through wrong reasoning that one is led to learn or acknowledge truth. When one is deceived several times, one ends up by learning and that truth, that intelligence obtained after so much work becomes an invaluable asset.

You are afraid of losing your own discoveries. What is it that you do then? You educate your children, your friends, developing their own intelligence by sowing and fructifying there what you have acquired out of your own intellectual efforts.

That is how everything is linked, that progress is a natural law and that human knowledge that is developed progressively is transmitted from generation to generation. After that let them come and say that everything is matter!

Materialistic persons, in their majority, only repeal spirituality because otherwise they would have to renounce to their own mistakes, their way of living and habits. It would be too painful and hence they prefer to deny everything.

Pascal