7even Days: Christian Spiritism

Luke 11:13 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Outside the Pentecostal churches of the Western world, the Holy Spirit is overshadowed by the divinity of Jesus. But for members of secret sects dwelling in some of the most impoverished areas in the Philippines, the Holy Spirit takes main stage as the link to their shamanistic past and hope for their present and spiritual future.

Harvey Martin spent nearly six years as a participatory observer in a secret sect which is the source of genuine spiritual healers in the Philippines. In the book The Secret Teachings of The Espiritistas, Harvey shared his research and first-hand experiences, which eventually lead to his discovery of an important piece of a puzzle; a puzzle known as psychic surgery.

But psychic surgery, as fantastic and controversial as it is, is only the surface of a much deeper tradition. What Harvey uncovered was an organization in direct communication with the Holy Spirit – Christian Spiritism. Using the context of Catholicism blended with the Spiritist Doctrine (such as The Spirit's Book) of Allan Kardec, Christian Spiritism developed some unique qualities (shared only by Brazil) that are considered to be heretic by Western wisdom traditions, and deluded by scientific and skeptical standards. These are:

1. Channeling as an integral part of religious service

2. Christian Mediumship Training, which emphasize concentration, meditation, self-hypnosis, and progressive mediumistic cognition (such as trance), the whole point of which is to receive only the spirits of light.

3. A dispensational system with striking similarities to that of Joachim of Fiore, in which the Holy Spirit is celebrated as the living core of a Divine mission

4. An organization, making use of spirit-directed healing, which is modeled after the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

In his book, Harvey presented compelling evidence based on extensive research, including his own personal experiences, supporting the claims of Christian Spiritism. It is up to the readers whether to believe them, dismiss them, or accept their inherent partial truths while putting them in the context of a more-embracing map of reality. But one thing is clear, Harvey went in with healthy skepticism; he came out a believer.

Image linked from Metamind.Net

"In the remote provinces of the rural Philippines, far removed from the scrutiny of the punishing God of the pre-millennialists, Christian Spiritists, working under the aegis of the Holy Spirit, have brought to light a very special form of worship... one that enables ordinary human beings to function in paranormal capacities for the greater glory of God. I believe, as the Spiritist Doctrine teaches, that a component of our consciousness not only survives death, but resides in the after-death state even while we are living. This component of our consciousness links us to a subtle realm inhabited by all who have gone before us. I am convinced that within this subtle realm a wonderful power exists, a power that has influenced historical events toward a coming spiritual awakening."

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