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Principle / Fluid / Energy- Which is it?

You may have seen that the Allan Kardec Educational Society (A.K.E.S.), in their 1996 publication of “The Spirits' Book" adds the following as part of their Translator's footnote to question #27:

"The original French text used the word fluid, instead of principle. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was not unusual in the physics of the mid-1800s to use fluid to mean 'subtle, imponderable, all pervading substances, whose existence had been assumed to account for the phenomena of heat, magnetism, and electricity'. Nowadays, however, fluid is more commonly defined as a substance that is characterized by low resistance to flow and the tendency to assume the shape of its container, such as a liquid or gas. ... Throughout this book, then, we have chosen to substitute principle for fluid, a choice that was motivated by the spirits themselves, who, in reference to the vital principle, use these two words interchangeably (see chapter four). Thus, by cosmic principle, we mean the subtle, fundamental, unifying substance that gives rise to phenomena such as heat, magnetism, and electricity, and to matter itself."

To avoid confusion, we'd like to explain why you'll find, throughout our website, the continued usage of principle and fluid:

* The term cosmic fluid can be replaced by cosmic principle, with no problems. In this sense, we are referring to one thing ̶ a subtle, fundamental element, the fundamental source of all matter. However, as the different forms of matter, electricity, etc. are all modifications of this fundamental element, there is a need for a general term referring to those substances created as a result of this modification - those which are still in the ethereal state (not transformed to the point of becoming matter as we know it). In this case, we use the word fluids.

* The Random House Webster's Dictionary (© 1998) defines fluid as " n. "1. a substance, as a liquid or gas, that is capable of flowing and that changes its shape at a steady rate when acted upon by a force tending to change its shape adj. 2. pertaining to a substance that easily changes its shape; capable of flowing. 3. consisting of or pertaining to fluids. 4. changing readily; shifting; not fixed, stable, or rigid; fluid movements." This definition of fluid does not necessarily exclude the usage of fluid as referring to those ethereal substances (see above).

By referring to these ethereal substances as fluids, we are simply amplifying the meaning and scope of such a word to include a more enlightened understanding of the universal elements. We would add that the modified forms of the cosmic fluid, or principle, do not only change in shape but change in other qualities as well, when acted upon by some force, such as thought. Therefore, we refer to the cosmic principle or cosmic fluid (as A.K.E.S. does), as the subtle, fundamental, unifying substance that gives rise to phenomena such as heat, magnetism, and electricity, and to matter itself. When we use the term fluids, however, we are referring to the modified forms of the cosmic principle or fluid, when they are found in the ethereal state.

In some instances, the fluids may be referred to as energies.

*A common case would be when one speaks about incarnate beings giving off positive or negative energies that can affect themselves or others, or the way that such beings can, themselves, be affected by the energies in a particular environment. In such cases, these "energies" are referring to fluids that are affected by the positive or negative nature of one's thoughts (as in the case of "giving off energies") or by the positive, negative, or other qualities "absorbed" by the fluids from the environment in which they're found. The latter can affect an incarnate being in that environment, depending on his or her degree of sensitivity and level of synchronization, or affinity, with such qualities.

* We also point out that different forms of energy result from modifications of the cosmic fluid. The superior spirits answer part two of question #27 (Spirits' Book"), saying "The cosmic principle is susceptible to innumerable combinations. What you call electric energy, magnetic energy, etc., are simply modifications of it. The cosmic principle is essentially a more perfect and refined form of matter with an independent existence of its own."

* Another connection to the term energies is the fact that, though we cannot see them, the most basic particles of both ethereal fluids and matter are found in a state of vibration. The rate of vibration depends on the qualities of the fluids.