The Spiritist View of Mental Disorders with Alexander Moreira-Almeida

Alexander Moreira-Almeida, MD, PhD is Professor of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Brazil. Former coordinator of the Section on Spirituality of the World Psychiatric Association. Recipient of the 2025 Oskar Pfister Award from the American Psychiatric Association, a major award recognizing contributions to psychiatry and spirituality. Author of more than 230 academic papers.

To register for the conference (in person or online) organized by Alexander on September 12, 2026, in Orlando, FL, go to https://spiritsciencesummit.com/

Alexander explores the Spiritist understanding of mental disorders, tracing Allan Kardec's attempt to unite mediumship, reincarnation, and scientific inquiry into consciousness. He discusses how Brazilian Spiritism distinguishes spiritual or mediumistic experiences from psychiatric illness, the historical development of Spiritist psychiatric hospitals, and emerging clinical research into complementary spiritual therapies. Moreira-Almeida examines obsession by discarnate spirits, ethical development, and the broader relationship between spirituality and mental well-being.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:48 Allan Kardec's Spiritism

00:09:56 Investigating mediumship scientifically

00:15:16 Spiritist healing methods

00:20:02 Distinguishing mediumship from mental illness

00:25:16 Spiritist psychiatric hospitals

00:30:34 Psychography and Jung

00:35:33 Obsession and spiritual influence

00:42:47 Spiritism and demons

00:49:24 Conclusion

New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in "parapsychology" ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science.

(Recorded on Monday, August 10, 2026)

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