An enormous success. This is the final balance of multiple international activities carried out by the International Spiritist Medical Association (AME – Int) during the month of October, 2008. The starting point was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the II United States Spiritist Medical Congress took place October 3 to 5. This flawless event was coordinated by the Spiritist Federation of Florida, under the able helm of Décio Santos and Maurício Cisneiros, and had the support of the recently established US Spiritist Medical Association (SMA-US), chaired by Sonia Doi, MD. An army of dedicated volunteers made sure that all details were carefully taken care of.

Every day of this congress was highly productive, with conferences presented in English, Spanish and Portuguese that conveyed a wealth of information and led to vivid discussions – one of the highlights of the event. In her presentation at the beginning of the congress, Marlene Nobre, MD, President of AME-Int, set the pace to be followed by other speakers. Amit Goswami, PhD, Institute of Theoretical Science, U. of Oregon, explained with great clarity how Quantum Physics concepts can be applied to our health and biological structure; Peter Fenwick, MD, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, presented his research about psychic phenomena occurring at the moment of death, much along the lines of late spiritist researcher Ernesto Bozzano; Julio Peres, PhD, U. of São Paulo, advanced some of the preliminary results of his joint research with Andrew Newberg, MD, U. of Pennsylvania; Alexander Moreira de Almeida, MD, Juiz de Fora Federal University, described his studies with automatic writing mediums wired to PET-Scan machines, in order to identify which areas of the brain are involved in this process, and last, but not least, Melvin Morse, MD, world famous author and researcher, presented amazing reports of children that had undergone near-death experiences (NDEs).

The Fort Lauderdale congress was followed by other events in five European cities: London, Bonn, Lisbon, Fribourg and Liege. All these events were a work of love of tireless volunteers under the coordination of experienced organizers: Elsa Rossi and Joca Dalledone, in London; Dagobert and Fernanda Goebels, in Bonn; Orlando Carvalho and Rosario Caedo, in Lisbon; Nelly Bertchold, in Fribourg, Switzerland, and Jean-Paul and Giselle Evrard, in Liege, Belgium.

As participants in different countries exchanged ideas and experiences, new possibilities for ground-breaking research in medicine and spirituality came to light. In the UK and in Germany, for example, it is expected that research and applied studies in spirit releasement therapy will greatly increase.

Similarly, the event in Liege provided an invaluable opportunity for Brazilian physicians to meet with renowned specialists, such as Jean-Jacques Charbonier, MD, from Toulouse, France, opening up new fields of research that emphasize the presence of some immaterial component in the human being.

At the end of this journey of Brazilian physicians, who visited six countries in two continents, it became quite clear that spirituality is slowly becoming established in all levels of society, thus making possible the construction of a bridge linking science and spirituality. This final alliance is a natural consequence of the advancement of human knowledge; without it, there is no future for mankind. As it had already been forecasted, there is no individual or leader with the necessary attributes to effect such change of paradigm. The reality is that there are a great number of people, in all corners of the world, that will implement this change, all of them under the inspiration of “The Spirit of Truth.” In conclusion, these are the people that are working hard, without seeking any personal recognition, towards the redemption of our planet. They are absolutely sure that only universal love can save humanity, which insists in clinging to old paradigms.

Blessed are those that can already envision this unique moment in the history of our planet, and even more, those that can work for its renovation and participate in this change.

EUA The Second United States Spiritist Medical Congress will be held October 3 – 5, at the Hilton Airport Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The congress is organized by The Kardecian Spiritist Federation of Florida with the cooperation of three additional organizations, namely The United States Spiritist Council, The US Spiritist Medical Association (SMA-US) and The International Spiritist Medical Association (AME-Int). This event is endorsed by two Brazilian institutions, Lar Fabiano de Cristo and The Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB), and by the International Spiritist Council (CEI).

The program includes five American specialists - Amit Goswami, Christina Puchalski, Dolores Krüger, Melvin Morse and Uma Krishinamurthy, five Brazilian speakers and three Spanish-speaking lecturers. Additional information at the website www.spiritistcongress.com or by e-mail from info@spiritistfederation.us.

United Kingdom A conference on the theme Working with Soul in Illness and in Health will be held in London October 8 to 9 under the coordination of Andrew Powell, MD, and Marlene Nobre, MD. This event is organized by The International Spiritist Medical Association (AME-Int), The British Union of Spiritist Societies (BUSS, and by The Spirit Release Foundation (SRF). Speakers will include British specialists Alan Sanderson, MD, (SRF founder),. Serena Roney-Dougal, MD, David Furlong, and Tony Neate, SRF president. The conference venue will be The Auditorium, Society of Chemical Industries, 14/15 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8PS.

Additional information in Portuguese can be obtained by e-mail from bussevents@gmail.com, em português, and in English from fridamaria@blueyonder.co.uk, or at the websites www.bussorg.co.uk, www.spiritrelease.com and www.medspiritcongress.org and also by phone (004407950181581).

Germany On October11 – 12, Bonn will host The First German Congress on Medicine and Spirituality organized by The International Spiritist Medical Association (AME-Int). There will be five German and five Brazilian speakers. Additional information can be obtained by e-mail from e-mails info@psichomedizin.de or from marinho.goebel@t-online.de, with Fernanda Marinho-Gobel, or at the website www.psychomedizin.com.

Portugal On October 18 – 20, Lisbon will host The III Portuguese Conference on Medicine and Spirituality (III Jornadas Portuguesas de Medicina e Espiritualidade), whose theme is The Spiritual Contribution to Medicine in the Twenty-first Century. This event will be held at the Dental Medical College Auditorium, Lisbon University. Portuguese and Brazilian physicians will discuss important health aspects of our current times, such as Alzheimers, pain, euthanasia, coma, anxiety, depression and suicide, panic syndrome, schizophrenia, bulimia, and genetics.

They will focus on the doctor’s mission of unselfish love and dedication under the light of the Spiritist Medical Paradigm, which promotes a definitive alliance between Health and Spirituality. For additional information and/or to register, please visit the website of the Spiritist Group Batuíra (www.geb-portugal.org) or send an e-mail to jornadas@verdadeluz.pt.

Switzerland A conference will be held October 22 – 23, in Fribourg, to discuss the theme Medicine and Spirituality: An Integral Vision of the Human Being. The conference venue will be Le Phénix, rue des Alpes 7, 1.700. Program of the event here Website: www.ame-ch.org. For more information contact Nelly Berchtold, at nellyberchtold@hotmail.com.

Belgium The First Belgian Congress on Medicine and Spirituality (1er Congrès Belge de Médicine et Spiritualité) will be held October 25 – 26 at Palais de Congrès de Liège, Liège. Speakers include American author and pediatrician Melvin Morse, three European and six Brazilian specialists. For more information visit the website www.cmsb.be or by e-mail to mail info@cmsb.be.