Everyone wants to change their life. Few stop to think that the change that lasts begins from within, in a quiet and daily work that no one sees.
In Spiritism, this work has a name: reforma íntima. It is the effort to transform one's own character, exchanging pride, vanity, and selfishness for virtues. This guide explains what reforma íntima is, where it appears in Kardec's doctrine, and where you can start today.
What is reforma íntima
Reforma íntima is the continuous process of self-knowledge and moral improvement. It is the Spirit working on itself: recognizing its own flaws and replacing negative habits, thoughts, and feelings with better attitudes.
It is not a ceremony or a one-day ritual. It is a change from the inside out, made little by little, in everyday life. It deals with what is hardest to face: pride, vanity, envy, resentment, and selfishness.
An important curiosity. The expression "reforma íntima" does not appear with these words in the work of Allan Kardec. What exists is the concept, which runs through the entire Spiritist doctrine. The name was consecrated later, by the Brazilian Spiritist movement.
Spiritism understands that real happiness does not come from outside. It is born from the inner balance of someone who knows themselves, corrects themselves, and chooses good out of conviction, not out of fear.
It is worth separating the terms well, because Spiritism is a specific doctrine, that of Kardec, and not an umbrella for all spiritual practice. Reforma íntima is a concept of this doctrine, with its own basis.
Inner reform (reforma íntima) in Kardec's doctrine
Even without the name, the idea is at the heart of the codification. In The Gospel According to Spiritism, in chapter XVII, "Be Perfect," Kardec invites the human being to constant moral improvement.
The key phrase is direct: the true spiritist is recognized by their moral transformation and by the effort they make to tame bad inclinations. In other words, the mark of the spiritist is not knowing theory, but changing from within.
The starting point comes from The Book of Spirits. When Kardec asks what the most effective means is for a person to improve in this life, the Spirits' answer recalls an ancient wisdom: "Know thyself." Without knowing oneself, no one knows what they need to reform.
To deepen these foundations, it is worth reading our guide about The Book of Spirits and about who Allan Kardec was.
Where to start: self-knowledge
The first step is not to demand of oneself, but to look at oneself with honesty. Self-knowledge, in Spiritism, is seeing one's own qualities and one's own flaws without two common errors: self-deception and self-flagellation.
- Self-deception is hiding the flaw from oneself, thinking that "the problem is always the other person."
- Self-flagellation is the opposite, sickly: living while punishing oneself, without peace, which also blocks evolution.
The middle path is that of the serene observer. You notice what you did, understand why you did it, and decide what you want to change. Without drama, and without excuses.
This honest look illuminates where the work lies. For some, it is impatience. For others, envy, jealousy, or a sharp tongue. Each person has their point, and inner reform begins exactly there.
Kardec's daily self-examination
The Spirits Book offers a simple and ancient method: the examination of conscience at the end of the day. It is not a punishment. It is a review, like someone checking the accounts before sleeping.
Kardec's text describes the practice of those who want to know themselves as follows:
“I interrogated my conscience, reviewed what I had done, and asked myself if I had failed to fulfill any duty, if anyone would have reason to complain against me. It was in this way that I came to know myself and to see what in me needed reform.”
The invitation is this: every night, review the day. Ask yourself where you succeeded, where you failed, and what you would do differently. Ask for clarity from God and from your spirit guide. Done with consistency, this simple habit gives enormous strength for change.
The pillars of inner reform
Inner reform does not live on a single effort. It rests on some pillars that support each other:
- Self-knowledge: seeing oneself with truth, the starting point of everything
- Vigilance: noticing the flaw the instant it appears, before acting on impulse
- Prayer: the sincere conversation that asks for strength and calms the heart
- Continuous effort: accepting that change is daily and that relapses are part of it
- Charity: transforming intention into concrete action for the good of others
Notice that none of this is grand. Inner reform happens in small choices: holding back a sharp response, forgiving an old hurt, helping without expecting anything in return. It is in the small things that character is remade.
What inner reform is not
It is not self-flagellation. Suffering for the sake of suffering corrects no one. Spiritism speaks of improvement with serenity, not of guilt that paralyzes.
It is not a one-day thing. No one finishes inner reform in a week. It is the work of a lifetime, and of many, within the logic of reincarnation and the law of cause and effect.
It is not a search for immediate perfection. The goal is progress, not instant holiness. Every small step already counts.
It does not replace health treatment. Inner reform is moral and spiritual work. Intense psychic suffering also requires professional accompaniment, and one thing does not exclude the other. The inner balance it builds helps, including, to reduce vulnerability to the influences treated in desobsessão.
Frequently asked questions
What is inner reform in Spiritism?
It is the continuous process of self-knowledge and moral improvement in which the Spirit works on itself, exchanging flaws like pride, vanity, and selfishness for virtues. The term is not literal in Kardec, but the concept runs through the entire doctrine, especially in The Gospel According to Spiritism.
Where to start inner reform?
Through honest self-knowledge, without self-deception or self-flagellation. A good first step is the examination of conscience at the end of the day: review what you did, recognize successes and failures, and decide what to change. Constancy in this simple habit is what generates results.
Does inner reform appear in Kardec's books?
The concept yes, the expression no. In The Spirits' Book, the answer to "how to improve" is "know thyself." In The Gospel According to Spiritism, the chapter "Be Perfect" deals with moral transformation. The name "inner reform" was consecrated later, in Brazil.
How long does inner reform take?
There is no deadline. It is a lifelong work, resumed in every existence. Spiritism sees evolution as a long path, made of gradual progress. What matters is not the speed, but the constancy and sincerity of the effort.
Is inner reform the same as self-help?
Not exactly. Self-help usually aims at well-being and personal success. Inner reform aims at the moral transformation of the Spirit, with a doctrinal basis and evolutionary meaning. It includes charity and duty toward others, not just the benefit of the one who practices it.
Where to find Spiritist books
At Joia Mística Laroyê, you find support for your study of the doctrine:
- Works by Allan Kardec: The Spirits' Book and The Gospel According to Spiritism, the basis of inner reform
- Psychographed books: classics by Chico Xavier and the series by Joanna de Ângelis on self-knowledge
- White candles: for moments of prayer and concentration
- Cups and moringas: for fluidified water at home
Visit our shop in Extrema, Minas Gerais or buy via WhatsApp with delivery to all of Brazil.
To study from the sources, read chapter XVII, “Be Perfect”, from The Gospel According to Spiritism, and question 919 of The Spirits' Book, on KardecPedia.
References
- KardecPedia: Chapter XVII, “Be Perfect”, from The Gospel According to Spiritism
- KardecPedia: Question 919 of The Spirits' Book, about self-knowledge
