Chico Xavier and the Sacred Experience: a Semiotic and Ethnopsychological Perspective

Summary

The article explores the Sacred experience related to Chico Xavier, a prominent Brazilian Spiritist medium. It discusses the evolution of Spiritism from its philosophical roots in France to its religious dominance in Brazil. Two stories about Xavier are analyzed: one emphasizes discipline and asceticism linked to his spiritual mission, while the other focuses on conversion and healing, highlighting belief and conduct coherence. The conclusion notes unique aspects of Xavier's Sacred experience, including community engagement and the connection between psychic power and love.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article aims to propose and understanding of the Sacred experience in relation to Chico Xavier, an important Brazilian Spiritist medium from the twentieth century. From a theoretical methodology based on semiotics and ethnopsychology, the article initially begins with a discussion on the notion of Sacred and the changes that occurred in Spiritism since its origins in France, linked to philosophy, until its arrival in Brazil, where the religious content became dominant. Then, the article provides two tales about Chico Xavier and their analysis in terms of their relationship with the Sacred. In the first story, about his spiritual mission, topics such as discipline and asceticism are highlighted; in the second, about conversion and healing, topics related to reflexivity, coherence between belief and conduct, and the processes of transformation typical of conversion are emphasized. In the conclusion, some aspects on the specificity of the experience of the Sacred brought by Chico Xavier are noted, such as the character of musement , the need for a language of dialogue, the collective and community content of their diffusion, the need for consensual criteria for legitimacy, along with the problem of psychic power, as something essentially linked to love and future.

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