1 2 Richard Simonetti WHO IS AFRAID OF DEATH ? Translated by Marilda Cortez Cesar Caselato Electronic edition by Spiritist Alliance for Books 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to the people who made possible the English Edition of this book. In Brazil Ângela Maria Ferreira de Freitas Marcelo and Cláudia Palhares Maria Aparecida Tuon In the USA Daniel Benjamin George and Akemi Adams Jussara Korngold Special Thanks to Sidney Francez Fernandes for the general coordination of this project. 4 ISBN 85-86359-16-5 Cover Designer: José Policena de Campos Neto Illustrations: Celso da Silva Original Brazilian title: “Quem Tem Medo da Morte?” First edition in English – March 1999 Copyright 1999 by Centro Espírita Amor e Caridade Bauru São Paulo Brazil Edition and Distribution Rua Sete de Setembro, 8-56 CEP 17015-031 Bauru São Paulo Brazil Tel/fax +55-14-2270618 www.ceac.org.br [email protected] 5 CATALOGED IN THE RECORDS OF THE NATIONAL BOOK DEPARTMENT S598w Simonetti, Richard, 1935- Who is afraid of death? /Richard Simonetti. 1.ed. - Bauru, SP : CEAC Ed, 1999. 144p. : il. ; cm. ISBN 85-86359-16-5 Tradução de: Quem tem medo da morte ? 1. Espiritismo. 2. Medo da Morte. I. Título. CDD-133.9 6 “Let us look at the dead ones as if they were just absent. By thus thinking, we will not be mistaken.” (Seneca) “Death is nothing more than the return to the real life.” (Scipio) “Nothing vanishes and nothing dies, except the coating, the shape, the carnal envelope, in which the confined Spirit struggles, fights, suffers, improves. The shape dies - the carcass - but the soul shines again - the gnome of light; and what is this existence of the body - a single blow - in face of the existence of the soul - the eternity? We are the dead ones; dead in life, in order to live again in death.” (Alberto Veiga) 7 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE.................................................................................................................................................11 BEAM OF LIGHT...................................................................................................................................13 THE SPIRITUAL BODY........................................................................................................................14 SPIRITUAL HELP..................................................................................................................................16 DISCONNECTION.................................................................................................................................17 BALANCE................................................................................................................................................18 DIFFICULTIES IN THE RETURN JOURNEY.................................................................................19 THE RALLY FROM DEATH...............................................................................................................20 UNFAILING RESOURCE.....................................................................................................................21 DELAYS IN THE DISCONNECTING PROCESS.............................................................................22 TRAGEDY................................................................................................................................................23 COMPROMISING ESCAPE.................................................................................................................24 DEATH OF CHILDREN........................................................................................................................25 WHY DO FLOWERS DIE?...................................................................................................................26 ABORTION..............................................................................................................................................27 AWARENESS OF WRONGDOING.....................................................................................................29 A DISGUSTING SOLUTION................................................................................................................30 OLD TRAUMA........................................................................................................................................32 IS IT TIME?.............................................................................................................................................33 DANGEROUS GAME.............................................................................................................................34 FUNERALS..............................................................................................................................................35 IDEAL FUNERAL...................................................................................................................................36 FOR HIS SAKE.......................................................................................................................................37 THE GARMENT IN THE CLOSET.....................................................................................................38 WARNINGS FROM BEYOND..............................................................................................................39 STRANGE CULT....................................................................................................................................41 FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD................................................................................................................42 CREMATION..........................................................................................................................................43 9 TRANSPLANTS......................................................................................................................................44 BLESSED CHARITY..............................................................................................................................45 CURIOUS OBSESSION.........................................................................................................................46 THE MOST IMPORTANT....................................................................................................................47 ROOTS OF STABILITY........................................................................................................................48 RETURNED JEWELS............................................................................................................................49 PASSPORT...............................................................................................................................................51 10