Life's Triunph - Spiritist Federation of Florida

182 Pages·2003·1.12 MB·English

by  Crisley Akin

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Paulo Rossi Severino

Life’s Trimph

Sao Paulo, Brazol
1994

Eectronic Version by Spiritist Alliance for Books – SAB
2003
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COPYRIGHT Creche Lar do Alvorecer – Grupo Espirita Caibar Schutel

Cover and Lay-Out
Andrea Luis Figaro Egido
Conrado Gonçalves
Kléber de Almeida

Front Cover Painting
José Lino Zechetto

Laser Composition
André Luis Fígaro Egido
Conrado Gonçaves

Data Processing
Aureliano Garcia do Amaral
Osvaldo Vicente Cerícola

Editing
Amantino Ramos de Freitas

Charts
André Luis Fígaro Egido
Conrado Gonçalves Santos

1st English Edition: 1,000 copies

Information for International Classification (CPI)
(Brazilian Book Chamber, SP, Brazil)
Severino Paulo Rossi:
Life’s Triumph: research on messages received by Chico Xavier/
Paulo Rossi Severino and AME-SP team of researchers - São Paulo, Brazil,
Editora Jornalística Fé, 1994. (English translation of the 1990 Portuguese
original edition - A Vida Triunfa: pesquisa sobre mensagens que Chico Xavier
recebeu).

1. Spiritism - Research I. Xavier, Francisco Cândido, 1990 - Research II. Title

90-0826 CDD-3.9072
-133.9092

Editora FE: Systematic Classification:
Av. Pedro Severino, 325 1. Spiritists: Biography and books 133.9092
04310-060 - Säo Paulo - SP, Brazil 2. Spiritism: Research 133.9072
Phone/Fax: [phone]. Research: Spiritism 133.9072

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FOREWORD
The history of the conquest of science is as fascinating as most adventure novels. The
development of ideas towards the true knowledge has the format of a ladder that follows side by side the
evolution of Mankind. Anticipating victory over true positive knowledge, firstly, man explained the
phenomena observed around him, as well as the universe, with metaphysical speculations and religious
myths. As the investigation progressed, helped by reason, allowing the substitution of metaphysical
speculation and mysticism through positive knowledge, the scientific disciplines were created.
Scientific knowledge waited for technological progress which supplied the ways and means for a
greater development of the sciences and so on. Step by step, man acquired more knowledge about the
world in which he lives.
It is natural that the largest portion of modern scientific knowledge is on the material parts of the
world and on the physical body of live beings, including man.
However, there is a question left, perhaps the most important one, concerning the nature of man:
are we only matter that is very well organized, or is there another component linked to the physiologic
part, nonmaterial but with substance, that survives the death of the physical body?
The answer to this question also implies the evaluation of the knowledge we have. Would our
total universal reality be a simple interaction of matter and energy ? Wouldn’t there exist another
counterpart of this reality, subtle, more basic, that would be considered as the “first cause” of everything
there is?
The solution of such fundamental problems requires the contribution of two areas of
investigation that are already in full development: the first is physics: the “Science of Nature”. A large
group of theoretical physicists, in their most advanced epistemological reflections, are coming to the
conclusion that, besides our observable reality, there must exist another subjacent reality, perhaps the
cause of everything that exists and from where our Universe emerged. It would be like a Conscience
capable of creating an infinite quantity of energy. The second consists of the research of cases which
suggest the survival of individuality after the death of the physical body. In the late part of the nineteenth
century and early twentieth century, exhaustive investigations were made on this matter resulting in
evidence that gives strong support to the thesis of survival after death. Nevertheless, a blind and
obliterative skepticism tried to invalidate the precious data of important results gathered in the
investigations of that period. All this material had been produced by eminent scholars who observed the
best known mediums that had coincidentally emerged in extraordinary abundance in those times.
Now, in the last few decades of this century, a new and vigorous boom of observations about
those facts, that, although they were mentioned time after time in previous periods, are back deserving
the attention of several modern researchers, many of them with no connection to religious ideas. Such
happenings are mainly the following: 1) Recall of episodes lived in previous existences, suggesting
reincarnation; 2) Visions of moribund persons and terminal patients giving evidence to the presence of
deceased friends and relatives, who very often come to the patient’s aid; 3) “Near death Experiences”
(NDE) where the patient is conscious and capable of observing another level of existence, “the beyond”,
describing what he experienced during his NDE. 4) The Out of Body Experiences, or astral projections,
where the person keeps full consciousness. 5) Finally, the transcommunication, through mediums and
through instruments, which enables the spirits or intelligent habitants in extra physical planes, to come in
contact with those living on the terrestrial plane and to communicate with them.
To this last category of evidences there are the already famous communications of the deceased,
through the extraordinary Brazilian sensitive Francisco Cândido Xavier (Chico Xavier).
What is more remarkable in these communications through Chico Xavier’s mediumship is the
precision and faithfulness of identifiable information in regard to friends and relatives, alive and
deceased, who were a part of the life of the communicating entity. Besides, in some instances, when the
communicating spirit is writing through the medium, the use of familiar statements and even slang
expressions used before death, are often present. There are many other signs of authenticity that can be
noticed in the cases researched in this book: LIFE’S TRIUMPH.
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Those who read this book written by Paulo Rossi Severino and his colleagues will be able to
observe that it is not just another collection of facts gathered without any other intention than to report
them. No, that is not it. The episodes, no doubt about it, are accurately described, but the author and his
colleagues did not act just as mere reporters, but also as genuine scientists and careful, honest, and
impartial researchers.
Paulo Rossi Severino followed carefully an intelligent and fastidious plan to accomplish his
research. The questionnaires, efficiently prepared by him and his friends, are an intelligent accumulation
of important data, that later on made possible a comparative computer analysis revealing details of great
interest and objectivity about the facts meticulously collected by the author.
The history of the sciences is full of examples of investigators without skills, who, without
having any academic background or degree are listed as great world scientists. For instance, Milton
Humason was a collaborator of the famous astronomer Edwin Hubble, in the observatory of Monte
Wilson in Pasadena, California. However, although Humason did not complete high school, he was the
best spectrograph technician of his time (1930). He was the one who measured the speed of divergence of
the galaxies; these precise measurements were used by every astronomer in the world and allowed
Hubble to discover his famous constant of expansion of the Universe. There are many examples as this
one that made Newton declare: “If I got to see further, it was because I climbed on gigantic shoulders”.
Paulo Rossi Severino makes me remember Milton Humason. His stubbornness and self-denial
allowed him to research almost two hundred cases. Very few people can measure the greatness of efforts
and sacrifices that a job of such proportion requires, considering that he took long hours away from
leisure and family time, using his own resources, often without helpers.
Serious study of this project by Paulo Rossi Severino and his colleagues will give answer to one
of the most important problems of our days, the “real nature of man”, as emphasized by F.W.H. Myers
(1843 - 1901) in the introduction of his classic work: “Human Personality and its Survival of Bodily
death”:
“In the long history of man’s efforts to understand his own environment and to govern his own
destiny, there exists one failure or singular omission that just the mention of it makes it sound like a
paradox. So far, it is strictly truthful to say that man did not apply the methods of modern science to his
most intrinsic problem - whether or not his personality involves any element that could survive death of
the physical body”.
If Myers were still among us, he probably would change his mind to acknowledge the most
recent investigations that we referred to in the previous paragraphs. Certainly, he would feel honored if
he could examine carefully the work of Paulo Rossi Severino and his companions, because it is the result
of the use of methods of modern science to the cases investigated by the authors of this excellent work:
LIFE’S TRIUMPH.

Hernani Guimarães Andrade
São Paulo, Summer of 1990
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD 05

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 09

PART I
Introduction 11
Chapter I - The medium 13
Chapter II - The mediumship 15
Chapter III - The Public Séances 17
Chapter IV - Hypoteses that could provide 18
Explanation for the Messages
Chapter V – Methodology 20
Final Considerations 21
The messages 22

PART II
Foreword 155
Chapter I- The Survival of the Spirit and the Research
Findings of the 20th Century 157
Chapter II - Reflections on the Research Data 166

APPENDICES
A – Charts to be included
B - Statistical Data obtained in the Research 173
C - Questionnaire used in the Field Survey 177
D - Author’s and Co-authors’ Résumés 181
E – Abstract 182
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To do research in Brazil is not an easy task, because of the country’s large size, because of the
financial obligations that we have to assume, utilizing only the leisure time available from remunerated
activities. We focus on this problem to have the permission of the reader to register gratitude and
recognition to the following:
Pedro Severino Junior and Ida Rossi Severino, my dear parents, for their example of honesty,
work and love, which left a permanent mark on our existence.
My dedicated wife Cléria Gandolfo Severino and my children Fábio, Ma Carolina and Leda
Cristina, for their tolerance with my absences and the many weekends away from home.
David Nahum Neto, friend and benefactor, companion of many trips during the first years of this
research.
Evanildo Raimundo Teixeira, friend and companion in researching some cases, revealing always
enormous enthusiasm.
Salvador Barbosa, our dear friend for his valuable collaboration.
Parents and families of communicant entities for their patience with us during the long
interviews.
Hemani Guimarães Andrade, one of the most lucid scientists and researchers of Brazil, for his
suggestions and permanent encouragement in the continuity of the work we committed ourselves to do.
To everyone that directly or indirectly helped us, making possible the publication of this work,
our deepest gratitude.
We specially want to thank the medium Francisco Cândido Xavier, for his patience and kindness
with which he tolerated our questions, always showing support for our objectives.

Paulo Rossi Severino
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