Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1866

Allan Kardec

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Vision of God[1]



Considering that God is everywhere, why can’t we see Him? Do we see Him when we leave Earth? These are also questions that are asked every day. The first one is easy to resolve: Our material organs have limited perceptions, that make the vision of certain things improper, even material things. That is how certain fluids totally escape our vision[2] and our instruments of analysis. We see the effects of the plague but cannot see the fluid that carries it; we see the bodies moving around by the gravitational force but we do not see that force.

Things of immaterial essence cannot be perceived by the material organs; it is only through the spiritual vision that we can see the Spirits and things of the immaterial world; therefore, it is only our soul that can have the perception of God. Does the soul see God immediately after death? That is what only the communications from beyond the grave can teach us. Through them we know that the vision of God is only the privilege of the more depurated souls, and that consequently very few have the necessary dematerialization after leaving the earthly envelope. A few simple comparisons will allow us to understand this without difficulty.

Someone at the bottom of a vale, surrounded by a thick fog, does not see the Sun; however, through an obscure light, he perceives the presence of the Sun. If he climbs the mountain, and as he moves to higher levels, the fog dissipates, the light becomes more and more lively, but he cannot see yet. When he begins to perceive, the Sun is still hidden, for the minimum mist is enough to fade its shine. It is only after he is completely elevated above the misty layer, in an atmosphere of perfectly pure air, he can see the Sun in all its splendor.

The same happens to someone that had his head covered by multiple veils. In the beginning he cannot see a thing; each veil that is removed allows him to see a stronger flash; it is only when the last veil is removed that he can see things clearly. This also happens to a liquid that carries strange materials. In the beginning it is muddy; after each distillation the transparency increases, until it is completely purified, acquiring a perfect transparency and no longer presents any obstacle to vision.

It is the same with the soul. The perispiritual envelope, although invisible and impalpable to us, it is a true matter to the soul, still too gross to certain perceptions. This envelope spiritualizes, as the soul elevates in morality. The imperfections of the soul are like veils that obfuscate its vision; each imperfection that is removed is one less veil, but it is only after having depurated completely that the soul enjoys the plenitude of its faculties.

Since God is the divine essence, by excellence, He cannot be perceived in all His shine but by the Spirits that have reached the highest degree of materialization. If the imperfect Spirits do not see Him, it is not because they are more far away than the others, considering that every being in nature, like themselves, are embedded in the divine fluid. The blind is exposed to light as we are, but nonetheless they cannot see it. Imperfections are the veils that hide God from the vision of inferior Spirits; when the misty is dissipated they will see Him resplendent. They will not need to climb or seek him in the depths of infinity; since the spiritual life is disentangled from the moral stains that muddied it, they will see God everywhere, even if they are on Earth because God is everywhere.

The Spirit depurates very slowly, and the multiple incarnations are the alembics, where each time some impurities are left at the bottom. By leaving the corporeal envelope, the Spirit does not instantaneously undress from his imperfections; that is the reason why some, after death, do not see God more than they saw when alive. However, as they purify, they have a clearer intuition of God; they may not see Him, but they understand Him better; the light is less fuzzy. Thus, when the Spirits say that God forbids them from answering a given question, it does not mean that God shows up to them or speaks with them to prescribe or block one thing or another. No; but they feel God, receive the emanations from God’s thoughts, as it happens to us when we feel the Spirits that involve us with their fluid, although we do not see them. Hence, no man can see God with the eyes of flesh. If such a favor were given to some, it would only be in the state of ecstasy, when the soul is as much detached from the links of matter as it is possible during the incarnation.

Moreover, such a privilege would only be given to elite souls, incarnate in missions rather than atonements. But, as the Spirits of the highest order shine with a dazzling brilliance, it may be that inferior Spirits, incarnate of discarnate, struck by the splendor around them, would believe to see God Himself. It is like someone that sees a minister, believing to be the sovereign.

What is the appearance of God to those that became worthy of such a gift? Any form? Like a human figure or like a magnificent focus of light? That is what human language is incapable of describing, since we do not have any reference that could give us an idea. We are like blind people to whom someone was trying to explain the sunshine. Our vocabulary is limited to our needs and to the boundaries of our ideas; the vocabulary of the savage could not describe the marvels of civilization; the vocabulary of the most civilized people is too poor to describe the splendors of heavens; our intelligence is too limited to understand them, and our very weak vision would be dazzled by them.



[1] See Genesis, Chap. II, items 31-37


[2] Even the air is invisible to us, although we feel and know it is there (T.N.)


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