Allan Kardec-THE Spirit's Book_ The Principles of Spiritist Doctrine (1989)

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ALLAN KARDEC
"Spirit and matter are distinct from one another; but the union of spirit and matter is
necessary to give intelligent activity to matter."
- Is this union equally necessary to the manifestation of spirit? (We refer, in this question, to
the principle of intelligence, abstractly considered, without reference to the individualities
designated by that term.)
"It is necessary for you, because you are not organised for perceiving spirit apart from matter.
Your senses are not formed for that order of perception."
26. Can spirit be conceived of without matter, and matter without spirit?
"Undoubtedly, as objects of thought."
27. There are, then, two general elements of the universe matter and spirit?"
"Yes; and above them both is God, the Creator, Parent of all things. These three elements are
the principle of all that exists-the universal trinity. But to the material element must be added
the universal fluid which plays the part of intermediary between spirit and matter, the nature
of the latter being too gross for spirit to be able to act directly upon it. Although, from another
point of view, this fluid may be classed as forming part of the material element, it is,
nevertheless, distinguished from that element by certain special properties of its own. If it
could be classed simply and absolutely as matter, there would be no reason why spirit also
should not be classed as matter. It is intermediary between spirit and matter. It is fluid, just as
matter is matter, and is susceptible of being made, through its innumerable combinations with
matter, under the directing action of spirit, to produce the infinite variety of things of which
you know as yet but a very small portion. This universal, primitive, or elementary fluid, being
the agent employed by spirit in acting upon matter is the principle without which matter
would remain for ever in a state of division, and would never acquire the properties given to
it by the state of ponderability."
-Is this fluid what we designate by the name of electricity?
"We have said that it is susceptible of innumerable combinations. What you call the electric
fluid, the magnetic fluid, etc., are modifications of the universal fluid, which, properly
speaking, is