The Perispirit
 

"The Spirit's Book" Question 150a
How does the soul assert its individuality, since it no longer has a material body? 
"It still has a semi-material body peculiar to itself, which it draws from the atmosphere of its planet and which represents the appearance of its last incarnation- its perispirit."

Question 135 and 135a
Is there anything in human beings besides a soul and a body?
"Yes, there is the link by which the soul and the body are connected."  Can you describe this link? "It is semi-material. In other words, it is by nature midway between soul and body. Without it, soul and body could not communicate with each other. This is, in fact, the purpose of the link; it enables the spirit to act on matter and matter to act on the spirit."

Definition | Formation | Nature (degree of purity, physical form) | 
Uniting With the Physical Body | Functions

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DEFINITION

If you have read the subsection (see link on menu bar at left) on What Are Spirits, you will recall that the human being is formed of three essential elements. As Kardec writes (in comments to the answer to question 135 of "The Spirits' Book"), "the first element is the body, which humans have in common with animals. As such, the body is animated by the same vital principle that exists in animals. The second element is the soul or incarnate spirit, of which the body is the habitation and through which it acts. The third element is a semi-material form called the perispirit; it constitutes the spirit's innermost envelope and unites the spirit with the body."

The perispirit is the spiritual body - the Spirit's fluidic, vaporous, quintessential, semi-material envelope, having both flexibility and expandability, that accompanies the Spirit throughout its entire existence (surviving even, the death of the material/human body), and under the command and direction of such, exercises important functions. It is this spiritual body that allows the spirit to act upon matter, and for matter to act upon it.
 

* Please note that to better understand the discussion of the perispirit to follow, it would be extremely helpful ,and is strongly advised, to have read our section on Scientific Basics (which defines spirit, matter, cosmic and vital principles, fluids, etc.)

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FORMATION

The perispirit is formed through an individualization of the Universal Cosmic Principle or Fluid (the latter being the irreducible and fundamental constituent of all matter, a subtle unifying substance that penetrates throughout the universe). Like the matter of the material body, the semi-material perispirit is a transformation or condensation of the cosmic fluid, in this case around a point of intelligence, or the soul, but differing in that it conserves its ethereal qualities.

The Spirit, in an instinctive, "automated" manner, forms its perispirit out of the fluids (which are transformed, yet still ethereal forms of the cosmic fluid) that it extracts from its current environment. We must remember that the nature of the spiritual fluids on and around each planet depends on that planet's level of advancement. So, as a Spirit moves from one region to another, its perispirit must be reformed. In this way, the Spirit forms the appropriate covering that will allow it to interact with its current environment.

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NATURE

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 Degree Of Purity

The nature of a Spirit's perispirit, meaning its degree of purity or etherealization, depends on: 
1) the atmospheric fluids (as mentioned above); and 
2) the Spirit's own level of moral advancement.

The latter is a major factor because the perispirit evolves and progresses, along with the Spirit, from one incarnation to the next. At any given moment, the perispirit's nature (relative to its current environment) is the sum result of its actions and experiences throughout its multiple existences, and with each step forward that the Spirit makes in its moral advancement, the perispirit becomes subtler, less material. The result is that the intimate make-up of the perispirit is not identical among the incarnate and discarnate Spirits that populate a planet and its surrounding space, a kind of variation does not happen with the carnal [material] bodies of the same beings.

The two factors above work together, whereby depending on a Spirit's level of purification (resulting from its moral evolution), its perispirit will be formed from the fluids of a greater or lesser density, within its present environment.

The fact that the perispirit's nature relates directly to Spirit's degree of evolution means that a Spirit can not simply assume any form it wishes, nor can a Spirit travel, at will, to a region of evolution higher that that which it has personally reached. Kardec explains this in "Genesis" (chapter 14, item #9) He writes:    

        "The nature of the fluidic covering always relates directly to the degree of the Spirit's moral advancement. The inferior spirits can not change their covering as they wish, just as they can not pass, at their own will, from one world to another. There are some, however, whose fluidic covering, despite being ethereal and imponderable in reference to tangible matter, is still so heavy with reference to the spiritual world, that it does not allow the Spirit to leave its own environment. In this category, we include those Spirits whose perispirit is so dense, that they [once disincarnated] confuse it with the carnal body and continue to believe that they are still alive [in the incarnate sense]. These Spirits, large in number, stay on the Earth's surface, like the incarnate, believing themselves to be still involved in their Earthly occupations and activities. Others, slightly less materialized, are not so enough to be able to rise above the Earthly regions. 
         On the contrary, the superior Spirits, can come to the inferior worlds, and even incarnate in them. They take, from the constructive elements of the world they have entered, the materials for the formation of the fluidic or corporeal body, appropriate for the environment of that world. They do this in the same way that a noble man changes, temporarily from his usual, grandiose attire to the clothing of a commoner, all the while remaining noble man.
         This is how the Spirits of the most elevated categories are able to manifest themselves to Earth's inhabitants, or to even incarnate among them as part of a mission. Such Spirits bring with them not the covering, but an intuitive memory of the regions in which they lived and which, in thought they are able to see. They are seers among the blind."

  
 

<--- How does this work? 
(excerpt below from "Genesis" (chap 14, item #11):
"In the same way that fish can not live in the air, that Earthly animals can not live in an atmosphere with air too thin for their lungs, the inferior Spirits can not withstand the brilliance and impression made by the most ethereal of fluids. They would not die in an environment with such fluids, because Spirits do not die, but an intensive force keeps them away, just an earthly being moves away from a very hot fire or a blinding light. This is why a Spirit can not leave an environment appropriate for their nature; to leave a very material environment, they need to first change their nature, by ridding themselves of the material instincts [their ties to the material vs the spiritual] that hold them there, in other words, that they purify themselves [ purify their hearts] through a moral transformation. Through such a transformation, they will gradually identify with purer environments that become a necessity to them, like eyes, for someone who lived a long time in the darkness, naturally become accustomed to the light of day and the brilliance of the sun." 

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 Physical Form

The physical form assumed by the perispirit of the discarnate Spirit is that which the Spirit wishes to give it (within that Spirit's ability to change it), normally the human form, and most often the same form as the body it assumed in its last incarnation or that of another incarnation is such is needed, for example, in order to be recognized.

In the case of the human being, the Spirit (as always) is intimately tied to the perispirit, and the latter is in contact with all the cells of the human organism. The vital principle or fluid (another modification of the cosmic fluid; the union of it and matter brings forth life) establishes a necessary tie between the fluidic material of the perispirit and the dense material of the physical body.

The perispirit [of the incarnate] is not limited, however to the form or outline of the human body. Kardec writes ("Posthumous Works"- Manifestations of Spirits, item 11), "Because of its fluidic nature, it is expansive, and it radiates outward, creating around the body, an atmosphere that is more or less extended by thought and will." 
Regarding this point, Barbosa (in "Basic Spiritism") references a passage from the Spirit Andre Luiz, found in "Evolution in Two Worlds". Barbosa writes, "Andre Luiz teaches that all living beings are surrounded by an energetic halo that corresponds to their nature and that in human beings, this projection is modified and enriched by the factors of continuous thought, thereby constituting the human aura, the vital body, the ethereal double. Through [this projection], we exteriorize a reflection of ourselves, in accordance with what we think and do.  

Are the aura and the
 perispirit the same ?
Barbosa explains that "they are not the same thing, nor do they fulfill the same functions; the former disappears with the death of the physical body, while the second survives the disintegration of the matter and accompanies the Spirit to the invisible world. The human aura would be the [outward] radiation of the perispiritual body, and its colors vary in intensity and shade, according to the state of health and the greater or lesser spiritualization of men." (Barbosa, "Basic Spiritism")

Even while undergoing an incarnation or material existence, the perispirit, together with the spirit, can momentarily leave the material body (while the latter is in sleep or in a trance state), though it still remains tied to the body through a fluidic chord. In this case, the form represented is an exact copy of the material body, and can, if conditions permit, be seen by a medium or even materialize.

Such characteristics regarding the form assumed by the perispirit- of both the incarnate and discarnate spirit- make the perispirit one of the principle factors for the identification of the Spirits.

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 UNITING WITH THE PHYSICAL BODY

When a Spirit reincarnates, it is through the perispirit that it is united with the physical body. This union is carried out during the gestation period, where it is first tied to the embryo through a fluidic bond or "cord" (which is actually an extension of the perispirit) that attracts it with an irresistible force, from the moment of conception. As the embryo develops, the fluidic cord shortens, and the perispirit is joined, molecule by molecule, to the embryo.

At this time, the embryo also receives a kind of "glue", the vital principle, which, as we mentioned earlier, establishes a necessary tie between the fluidic material of the perispirit and the dense material of the physical body, and thereby brings life to the physical organism. The perispirit then binds to the biologic system as it forms, little by little, consolidating the most subtle ties, until the point at which it begins to animate the physical body. The animation is carried out through an energy, "more or less vigorous, that will determine the total possible longevity of the individual", taking into account the limits of genetics. 		  

Vital Principle
The vital principle is a modified form of the cosmic principle. Its union with matter brings forth vitality. Each being absorbs a portion of the universal source of the vital principle, and relinquishes it back with the death of the physical body. See Scientific Basics found in our web section Triple Aspect of Spiritism for more information.
In other words, the vital force suffers the modifying actions of the genes inherited from the parents, which transmit organic dispositions to the physical body. (ref: "A Evolucao Animica"(The Spiritual Evolution) by Gabrielle Delanne) Through the process of this union, the action of the vital force is what leads the perispirit to develop its functional properties.You will read more about the effects of this process below.

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FUNCTIONS OF THE PERISPIRIT

The perispirit employs some very important functions in its relationship with the soul or spirit. Below are some of the most significant. Note that often times these roles are quite interrelated:

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 Intermediary Between Spirit and Matter.

- The semi-material spiritual body unites the Spirit and the material body, making reciprocal influences between the two possible, serving as an instrument for the transmission of sensations between them, and allowing the Spirit to act upon matter.

- When the sensations come from the exterior, we can say that the body receives the impression, the perispirit transmits it, and the Spirit, the invisible and intelligent being, receives it.

- When a directive for actions initiates in the Spirit, we can say that the Spirit wants, the perispirit vibrates in transmission of the message, and the material body executes.

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 Mold for the physical body and form for the discarnate Spirit

- The "directive idea" for the organization and development of the physical body are held in the vital fluid, which is united with the perispirit upon reincarnation in a physical body (see Uniting with the Physical Body above). Gabrielle Dellane writes, "The perispirit, through its impregnation or transfusion with this vital fluid, and in becoming intimately tied with it, materializes sufficiently enough to become the director or regulator, the support for the vital energy modified by heredity. It is thanks to this vital fluid that the type of individual is formed, developed, conserved, and then destroyed…." ("A Evolucão Animica"(The Spiritual Evolution) ). 

- Through this process, the perispirit contains, fluidically, the cells, organs and instruments that condense on the material body. The human form then becomes a reflection of the perispirit, whereby we say that it is the perispirit that determines its form or outline, size, and other physical aspects, as well as the illnesses to which it is predisposed and other predetermined physical modifications, in accordance with the inheritance that the Spirit has accumulated in its various reincarnations (see Instrument of Cause and Effect below).

- In this function, the perispirit- again through the action of the vital principle, which is what reaches all the bodily organs and gives them life - also maintains the integrity of the physical body and its cells that undergo a continuous renovation.

- With reference to the discarnate Spirit, the perispirit continues to give form to the spirit, allowing it to conserve the human appearance with which it identifies.

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 Memory Archive.

- The perispirit retains all the states of consciousness, of sensibility, and of desire or will undergone or expressed by the Spirit, and holds a memory of all the knowledge the Spirit has ever acquired, every thought, dream, feeling, action, and experience, retaining all of the above from the moment of the Spirits inception to its present stage. Nothing is destroyed, and all of the various stages of a Spirit's development are registered in the perispirit, which conserves our identifying personality (a result of all accumulated) as the latter transforms and develops throughout the process of our evolution. (

- The registration of sensations by the perispirit can occur in a conscious or unconscious manner. Under normal conditions, the sensations modify the vibrational nature of the perispirit. If such modifications pass a minimal limit in intensity and duration, the sensations will be registered consciously, meaning there will be a conscious perception, and the Spirit will be aware of what is occurring. This is the memory of fixation. If this limit is not reached, then the sensation will be registered, but unconsciously. Because not all sensations and memories can manifest simultaneously, those that become weakened in rhythm will drop below the limits of perception and enter into the subconscious level.

- Through this memory, we can also see that throughout the process of evolution, the repetition of certain acts (from primordial methods of physical survival to evolved acts of a virtuous nature) create habits; at first the acts are conscious, but with constant repetition, requiring less time and force, they become mechanical, until the finally become automatic and unconscious.

- Through evocative memory, a Spirit (when permitted) is able to bring to the conscious level, the images of its past, gathered and stored in the perispiritual archive.

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 Instrument of Cause and Effect

- This function of the perispirit stems from its role as the Spirit's memory archive. As mentioned above, the perispirit registers everything undergone and done by the Spirit from the moment of its origin. At the initiation of a new reincarnation, as the perispirit unites with the physical embryo, it makes an impression of its memory upon the physical organism.

- The Doctrine of Spiritism teaches us that every action we take, be it in favor of or contrary to our moral and intellectual advancement, will have an effect, a consequence that we will experience. The Doctrine also teaches us that often times, the suffering that we are experiencing in the present life has its cause in a previous existence. It is through the mechanism described above that all of our negative thoughts, our immoral acts, our abuses of the physical body, our actions that violate the rights of another, etc. are registered in the spiritual body and manifest their repercussions in the physical body, either in the same existence or in a future incarnation- with the severity of the repercussion depending on the Spirit's intention behind its actions and its degree of awareness of the laws that govern its actions, as well as the severity of the immediate or direct effect that such acts had on itself or others. In the same manner, our positive thoughts and virtuous actions bring forth positive repercussions that work in our favor, weakening the effects of our mistakes and carrying us upward on the scale of evolution.

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 Instrument for Phenomena of Mediumship

- This perispirit is a fundamental instrument in the communications between the spiritual and physical planes. This applies for mediumistic phenomena of both the intelligent and physical kinds.

Allan Kardec writes (in "Posthumous Works", Manifestations of the Spirits, items 13 and 14):
 "It is by means of the perispirit that Spirits act upon inert matter and produce the different phenomena of the manifestations. Its ethereal nature does not present an obstacle, once we recognize that the most powerful of motors are powered by gases and other imponderable fluids. There is no room, then, with the aid of such a lever, for fear of seeing Spirits produce certain physical effects, such as rapping and noises of all kinds, lifting of objects, transport and projection of objects through space, etc. There is no need to explain such effects as marvelous or supernatural. The Spirits, acting upon matter, can manifest themselves in various and differing ways; through physical effects, like noises and the movement of objects; through the transmission of thought, through vision or hearing, through words, or through touch, writing, design, music, etc., in other words, through all the means possible of putting them in contact with men."

You can read more about thus role of the perispirit in our web section dedicated to Mediumship (see link on home page menu).

Kardec, Allan. "Return To The Body." The Spirits' Book.  Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from 2nd edition in French). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 1996. 135;139-140.

Kardec, Allan. "The Liberation of The Soul." The Spirits' Book.  Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from 2nd edition in French). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 1996. 150.

Kardec, Allan. "Spirits." The Spirits' Book.  Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from 2nd edition in French). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 1996. 34-35.

Kardec, Allan. "The Fluids" A Genese [Genesis]. 37th ed. Trans. Guillon Ribeiro (translated from 5th edition in French). Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation].1987. 277-280.

Kardec, Allan. "Manifestações Dos Espiritos" [Manifestations of the Spirits]. Obras Póstumas  [Posthumous Works]. 8th ed. Trans. Salvador Gentile. Ed (of translation). Elias Barbosa. (translated from 6th edition in French). Araras-SP, Brazil. Instituto de Difusão Espírita [Institute for Spiritist Dissemination].1993. 42-43.

Palhano Jr., Lamartine. "O Corpo Espiritual" [The Spiritual Body]. Teología Espírita [Spiritist Theology]. Rio de Janeiro: Centro Espírita Léon Denis [Leon Denis Spiritist Center]. 2001. 105-110.

Barbosa, Pedro Franco. "O Homem." [Man] Espiritismo Basico [Basic Spiritism]. 3rd ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation].1987. 152-165.

Dellane, Gabriel. "A Vida" [Life] A Evolucao Animica [The Evolution of Soul]. Trad. De Manuel Quintao. 6. Ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation], 1989, Pag.39, 55-56.

Dellane, Gabriel. " A Alma Animal" [The Animal Soul]. A Evolucao Animica [The Evolution of Soul]. Trad. De Manuel Quintao. 6. Ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation], 1989, Pag.39, 81.

Dellane, Gabriel. "O Papel da Alma do Ponto de Vista da Encarnacao, da Hreditariedade e da Loucura" [The Role of the Soul from the Point of View of Incarnation, Heredity, and Madness]. A Evolucao Animica [The Evolution of Soul]. Trad. De Manuel Quintao. 6. Ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation]. 1989.225-226

Dellane, Gabriel. A Reencarnação [Reincarnation]. Trad. Carlos Imbassahy]. 11. Ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation]. 1998. 59-63.

Luiz, André [Spirit Author], XAVIER ,Francisco Candido & VIERA, Waldo [Mediums]. " Predisposicoes Morbidas" [Morbid Predispositions] . Evolucao em Dois Mundos [Evolution in Two Worlds]. 14. Ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation]. 1995. 213-214.