Monday, February 6, 2012

Chico Xavier



This was Chico Xavier, a Spiritist who claimed to be able to communicate with the dead.
And, around here, that claim is generally accepted.

So much so, that the Brazilian government even issued a stamp in his honor:


There have been, over the course of the last half-century or so, countless books and magazine and newspaper articles about him, even a feature film.

Check out the sheer volume of stuff on Google and YouTube. It’s impressive.

But I daresay few of you, reading these lines, have ever heard of him.
Because his fame never traveled far beyond the borders of Brazil.


Chico was born, a little over a hundred years ago, in a small town in the State of Minas Gerais. His mother died when he was five, but he alleged that she materialized for him after her death. And, he also alleged, from an early age, to sense the presence of other spirits and to hear their voices.

While still in elementary school, according to a well-documented account, he produced an essay considered to be far too erudite for a child.

And when his teacher challenged him on it, he went to the blackboard and began to write, and write, and write, spontaneously producing a profound statement on the theme.

One, he contended, had been dictated to him, by a spirit, as he wrote.

This became the first public manifestation of what later became his stock-in-trade: psychography, writing “automatically” without apparent awareness or premeditation.

In his lifetime, with this technique, and with only a limited grade-school education, he produced 413 books, some of them in languages in which he was not fluent.

Including English.

And always, as he claimed, with his hand guided by spirits.

He died on the day Brazil won the World Cup in 2002, having earlier remarked that he’d like to breathe his last “on a day of national celebration” so his “passing would not bring sorrow”.

And there are those that think he planned it that way.

His work led to the establishment of Kardecist Spiritism as one of the religions professed in Brazil.

Unfamiliar with Allan Kardec? You can learn more about him by following this link:

The words that flowed from Chico Xavier’s pen took the form of religious tracts, novels, even works of philosophy.


And they were translated into Spanish, French, Japanese, Esperanto and English.


Up to now, an estimated 50 million copies of them have been sold.
And all of the profits, all of them, have been channeled into charity work.

Xavier never kept a centavo for himself. And he never tried to take the credit for any of his work. Each and every one of his books bears the line “dictated by the spirit of–” on the title page.


He lived on into his nineties, was made an honorary citizen of many cities and towns all across Brazil and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Tens of thousands of people attest that he enabled them to communicate with their deceased loved ones, and that he was able to tell them things he could not possibly have known about both the living and the dead.

He did most of his work in Uberaba, a small town in the State of Minas Gerais

And is buried there.


This is his tomb. It’s always full of flowers.

Leighton - Monday

15 comments:

  1. Is there a rational explanation that you know of, Leighton?

    Mira

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  2. It renews one's faith to hear that Chico Xavier never attempted to profit from what so many believed to be his gift. And no matter what drove him, or potential rational explanations some may offer for his other-world abilities, it sounds as though he used his position of trust to selflessly help those in need find their way through difficult times. The world could use more like him.

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  3. Mira,
    Nope! No rational explanation at all.

    Jeff,
    What you said!

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    Replies
    1. Please found all the rational explanations in "The spirits book" of Allan Kardec. Yes, i said rational.

      Delete
    2. Please found all the rational explanations in "The spirits book" of Allan Kardec. Yes, i said rational.

      Delete
  4. Just because it is not scientifically understood and seldom occurs, does not make it irrational. Only misunderstood.

    Rita

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  5. I like your article Leighton about Chico xavier who was also elected as "The Greatest Brazilian of all time" on October 3 2012. With all my respect I disagree about Chico Xavier is not famous outside Brazil. He's books were translate to languages such Romanian, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Swedish, and many others languages. In 1981 he was indicated to the Nobel Peace Prize, and more than fifty million copies of books have been distributed. I think he is very known outside Brazil.

    Mira, There is a very neutral documentary entitled "The Afterlife Investigations" is on Netflix as well. Maybe you can find some rational explanations there.

    Rogel.

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  6. Thank you, Rogel, for your contribution.
    I stand corrected on the fact that his fame "never travelled".
    Very wrong of me to say that.
    Of course, it did.
    But I stand by my comment that he remains relatively unknown outside of Brazil.
    I'll bet that more than 90 percent of the Anglo-Saxon world have never heard of him. And, as far as Asia is concerned, I daresay the percentage would rise to closer to 99%. Too bad. He was an Amazing man.
    But, really, he never did get the recognition outside of Brazil except among a small coterie of people who were "into" spiritualism.
    Ask around.
    Not in Brazil, but elsewhere.
    You'll see.

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    Replies
    1. True. I am a german living in switzerland. Unfortunately, neither me nor anybody I know has ever heard of him. Googling ectoplasma made the connection few days ago. So for me, doing research, I found your article interesting and helpful.

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    2. You are correct. He touches many lives and is well known in Brazil, but not in other countries. You get to be spiritualistic to come across his name. He was a great soul!

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  7. Wow its amazing,I just watched astral city: a spiritual journey based on chico Xavier on Amazon. I'm very happy I was given knowledge of his gift. It's just what I've needed Hope.

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  8. His new film based on the book AS LIFE GOES ON was screened in Brazil in Septe. 2012.. Do you know if its ever coming out in DVD. Any news about it at all. We showed the Chico film called ASTRAL CITY and wish to show more of his films... Gracias...

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  9. Anonymous,
    Are you referring to the film "Nosso Lar"?
    I haven't seen it myself, but my sister-in-law has -- and didn't think much of it. Check it out on Google:

    http://www.google.com.br/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=chico+xavier+filme&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&ei=QaZdUYDNHIuE8ATE6ID4Aw#hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=nosso+lar+movie&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAGOovnz8BQMDgyYHsxCXfq6-QVJ5VmVlmhKYnZxrkZxTocXrm1-WmRqcmZJanlhZvGq1V8_kH9KVLAGJfwqi_I-kX3M8AwDEm7k-RgAAAA&sa=X&ei=QqZdUY-dBIW49QSS34HYAQ&ved=0CN8BELEO&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.eWU&fp=7e9def9c71bf40ba&biw=1600&bih=715

    You can, apparently watch it streaming.

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  10. I am also Brazilian, and I am proud of Chico Xavier, not because he was a Brazilian, but for the example of life he had. I wish we could find more often more people of good heart like him . For those how would like to understand more about Chico Xavier and many others serious mediums’ works, I suggest reading about the Spiritism - Kardecism. Recently, I decided to join a group of studies about Spiritism, and I am really enjoying their philosophy of life. If I can help, please, send me an email that I will be glad to answer (edguadalupe@hotmail.com). Eduardo

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  11. 'But I stand by my comment that he remains relatively unknown outside of Brazil.'

    You are quite right Leighton. I live in the UK and have been interested in spiritualism for 30 yrs and have only recently encountered him. But then most people know very little of Edgar Cayce or Silver Birch either.
    And how many, even in your part of the world know of Leslie Flint - on his web page you can listen to hundreds of direct voice recordings of spirit communicators.
    www.leslieflint.com A vast wealth of evidence of the afterlife , comparable to the 14000 readings of Cayce held at the A.R.E in Virginia Beach.
    I wonder who there is in China or India perhaps of whom none of use have heard !
    good wishes to you
    Steven

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