TIME LINE – ALLAN KARDEC


1804 Hipollyte Léon Denizard Rivail was born in Lyons on 3rd October. He was the systematizer/codifier of Spiritism. His parents were: Jean-Baptiste Antoine Rivail (judge) and Jeanne Louise Duhamel.
1815 He went on to study at the Institute of Education – model school of Europe - in Yverdon, Switzerland. This institute was managed by the famous pedagogue Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827), whose theories laid the groundwork for modern primary school. Pestalozzi was influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), one of the leading European thinkers of the century. Rousseau’s political philosophy heavily influenced the French Revolution, as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought. Some of his works are ‘Émile or, On Education’ and ‘On the Social Contract’. Rousseau’s philosophy of education is not concerned with particular techniques of imparting information and concepts, but rather with developing the pupil’s character and moral sense.
1817 Rivail assisted less advanced pupils in their studies at the Yverdon institute. He was asked by Pestalozzi to teach officially, whereby the professor took him on as his eager disciple.  Rivail’s characteristics were: friendly, notable intelligence, keen observer, calm and moderate, energetic and persistent.
1822 Prof. Rivail leaves Yverdon; he moves to Paris. He focuses on the education of children and young Parisians until 1850. He starts attending the Society of Magnetism in Paris. He devotes himself to animal magnetism or mesmerism for 35 years. This method was created by Franz Anton Mesmer (1733 – 1815), who was an Austrian physician, according to which every living being is endowed with magnetic fluid that can be transmitted to other beings.
1824 He published his first textbook in two volumes: " A practical and theoretical study of Arithmetic, according to the methods of Pestalozzi, for the use of teachers and mothers"; two editions were released in the same year, due to the success achieved. It presents arithmetic in a practical, useful and accessible way, without loss of content. The book continued to be edited until 1876; seven years after his disincarnation.
1825 He founded an Elementary School, which followed the Pestalozzi methodology. He began his formal career by searching for techniques that valued the initiative and participation of students through motivation.
1826 He ran his own school, the Rivail Technical Institute, from 1826 to 1834 where teaching methods were based on those of Pestalozzi. It was situated in one of the best addresses in Paris, the rue de Sèvres, no. 35. There he taught chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy, comparative anatomy, and rhetoric.  He had the financial support of one of his maternal uncles, and later, his wife.
1828 Rivail publishes the "Proposed Plan for the Improvement of Public Instruction"; addressed to the French Parliament. He argues in this work that Pedagogy should be treated as science and corporal punishment should be condemned.
1831 He wins a contest sponsored by the Academy of Sciences of Arras in this year. He writes the "Memoir on the Public Education" to the committee that was established to reform education at that time. He authored around 21 works, including textbooks and booklets. He translated several books into German. He was the author of the play "A Passion Hall."
1832 Prof. Rivail married Amélie Gabrielle Boudet (1795-1883) in this year. She was nine years his senior; she was a a writer, fine arts teacher, poet, and artist. She was a talented cooperator in all of Denizard Rivail’s activities toward the school management, the classrooms, the research of the "turning tables" and the organisation of the Spiritist Teachings. She edited three books: "Spring Tales," "Understanding Design" and "The Essentials of Fine Arts." They had no children.
1835

Rivail's maternal uncle became bankrupt and asked for his money back. He was the one who had helped him financially in the creation of the Rivail Technical Institute. Rivail had to sell the Institute, due to lack of money. Rivail made unsuccessful investments with the money he got from the sale of the Institute; he ended up running out of money.

Amélie and Rivail didn’t feel discouraged. Rivail worked as an accountant for three companies during the day and at night he wrote several works for the University of France. He opened a free course on several subjects in his own home, with an emphasis on sciences. More than 500 students without financial resources passed through this course.
1851 Louis Napoléon Bonaparte established a dictatorship in France; he became know as Napoleon III. The dictatorship required policing and freedom restriction for all teaching activities. Rivail ceased all educational activities, devoting himself to become an accountant.
1852 Rivail has vision loss; he was diagnosed he’d become blind. A somnambulic while in the magnetic sleep states it would be transitory. He recovers his sight within a few months.
1854

Mr. Rivail first heard about the ‘turning tables’ from the magnetizer Mr. Fortier, with whom he maintained a relationship due to their studies on magnetism.

Fortier tells him that the tables 'speak'. Mr. Rivail responds, skeptic: "I will believe it when I see it and when it has been proven to me that a table has a brain for thinking, nerves for feeling and that it can become a sonambulist" (Posthumous Works, p. 265).
1855 Earlier this year, a friend called Mr. Carlotti makes him a long report about the " turning tables" Rivail spoke reservedly; although he knew him for 25 years. In May he attends a meeting wiht of "turning tables" for the first time, in the house of Mrs. Plainemaison. He feels surprised at the responses received from the 'table', despite being skeptic about it. "I glimpsed in that seeminglty frivolousness (...) something serious; like the revelation of a new law" (Posthumous Works, p. 267). A group of scholars hands him 50 notebooks with various communications.
1856 He starts to attend spiritist meetings. His notes turn into a book, but it was not clear to him that one day it should be published (Posthumous Works, p. 276). The Spirits help Rivail to do a complete review of the text already organised. This became The Spirits’ Books. On 30th April Rivail receives news of his mission, through the mediumship of Miss. Japhet (Posthumous Works, p. 277/287).
1857 The Spirits’ Book is published on 18th April. He adops the pseudonym Allan Kardec, a name he used in another incarnation. The expenses for publishing the book were paid entirely by Rivail. The first edition contains 501 questions, divided into three parts. The Spirits’ Books "talks about the immortality of the soul, the nature of Spirits and their relations with men, moral laws, present life, future life and the future of humanity.
1858 The first edition of the Spiritist Magazine is published on 1st January. Kardec maintains the publication of the magazine alone for 11 years, both financially and in writing, with the help of his wife. He founded the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. He adopts the system of submitting messages to critical examination. He prepared the book "What is Spiritism?", given the numerous correspondences he received. The book was released on the following year.
1860 The second edition of The Spirits’ Book is published in March. The work is enhanced, as it stands today (1019 questions). It’s divided into four parts, which are detailed in the following edited books. Kardec adopted the rational-intuitive method in the encoding of Spiritism. He considered the value of experimental analysis, through observation, and the use of reasoning to discover the truth. He supports the need for proceeding from the simple to the complex; from the particular to the general.
1861 The Mediums’ Book is published in January. ("it contains special teachings from the Spirits about the theory of all kinds of manifestations, ways of communication with the invisible world, the development of mediumship, the difficulties and stumbling blocks that can be found in the practice of Spiritism.") It’s the deepening of the second part of The Spirits’ Book. "It is better to repudiate a dozen truths than to admit a single error " (The Mediums’ Book, item 230, Spirit Erastes).
1864

The Gospel according to Spiritism  was launched ("it contains explanations of the moral maxims of Christ in accordance with Spiritism

and their application in various circumstances in life"). It is the deepening of the third part of The Spirits’ Book.

The title was "Imitation of the Gospel," which was discouraged by the editor and others. The fighti against Spiritists is intensified through specific courses taught by priests. Kardec discourages confrontation in the name of freedom of opinion. Major difficulties begin to appear (Posthumous Works, p. 307).
1865

The book Heaven and Hell, or The Justice of God according to Spiritism is published on 1st August. ("it contains a comparative examination of the various doctrines concerning the passage from the earthly life to spirit-life, future rewards and punishments, angels and demons, etc.., followed by numerous examples of the state of the soul during and after death ").

It is the deepening of the fourth part of The Spirits’ Book. It launches a collection of Spiritist Prayers. The work begins to weigh too much on Allan Kardec; he has health problems.
1868

The book Genesis, the Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism is published in January 1868.

It is on the first page: "Spiritism is the result of collective and consistent teaching of the Spirits. Science is called to establish the Genesis in accordance with the laws of Nature. God proves his greatness and his power by the mutability of its laws and not by revoking them. Past and future are present to God. " It is the deepening of the first part of The Spirits’ Book.
1869 Kardec was home alone on 31st March. He was about to reduce his activities and to move to another place, due to the considerable extension of his multiple occupations. He was arranging papers and books. Someone knocks at the door. It was a bookstore clerk who wanted to purchase a copy of the Spiritist Magazine. Kardec delivers the magazine and bows. He had an aneurysm. He died as he lived: working. A new change was prepared for Society. Mrs. Amélie Gabrielle Boudet, the widow of Professor Rivail, donates every year a certain amount for the spiritist movement, besides being present and dedicated to it. When she disincarnates (1883), she leaves in her will her assets to the "Society for the continuation of the Spiritist works of Allan Kardec".
1890 The book "Posthumous Works" is edited in 1890. Studies on Spiritism are published that were not contained in earlier works of Allan Kardec. This book is a true relic. It includes dialogues with the Spirits for guidance and support to the mission that Kardec was entrusted. Key highlights are his free will and the spiritual planning for the continuity of the work. He had many followers, such as Gabriel Dellane, Camille Flamarion, William Crookes, Leon Denis. Their works enrich the dissemination Spiritism - the Comforter promised by Jesus (Gospel According to Spiritism, chap. I).