Vozes da Casa: Taina Marvila - Cópia

On the evening of 29 May, Livraria Lello once again played host to ideas that defy time. As part of the Conversations on the Future cycle, we welcomed Luís Portela - doctor, businessman, founder of BIAL and one of the most respected figures in scientific and spiritual thought in Portugal.

That evening, Luís Portela invited the attentive audience to think about the Future of Humanity from what is most intimate in each of us - thought, conscience and individual responsibility. In an era marked by social, ecological and spiritual imbalances, the speaker argued that self-improvement could be the greatest individual contribution to building a better future.

‘We are all senders and receivers of thought.’

If the 20th century was the century of reason, science and technology, Portela proposes that our time could become the century of ‘enlightenment’. Not in the mystical sense, per se, but as a deepening of self-knowledge, awareness and spirituality informed by science.

Drawing on his experience as the driving force behind the BIAL Foundation, which for more than three decades has supported scientific research in areas such as telepathy, consciousness and near-death experiences, Portela presented empirical and academic evidence on what has long been considered taboo: the mind as a creative force and thought as energy.

‘We are all transmitters and receivers of thought,’ he said, sharing the results of scientific studies on thought transmission and reincarnation carried out at institutions such as Cambridge, Padua or the University of Virginia. Although many of these investigations are not fully consolidated in the academic mainstream, Luís Portela argues that it is precisely there, in the dialogue with the invisible, with the inexplicable, with what has yet to be discovered, that the future of science lies.

‘The key is positive thinking, the ability to control one's words and actions.’

Far from promoting any dogma, Luís Portela talks about spirituality as an exercise in responsibility. ‘The key is positive thinking, the ability to control one's words and actions,’ he said, emphasising the importance of a daily exercise of introspection and alignment with the values we want to cultivate.

In an approach that combines psychology, quantum physics and philosophy, the author proposed that each of us has not only the power, but the duty to contribute to a more harmonious world. ‘Happiness,’ he said, "is not so much in reaping, but in sowing. It's not so much in receiving, but much more in giving."

The conversation was moderated by Jaime Quesado, economist and manager, who questioned whether, as a society, we are sufficiently awake to the urgency of self-improvement. This was followed by an exchange of ideas, which discussed topics such as genetic memories, the role of emotions in intuition, honesty with others, and the importance of the human spirit. The session ended with a clear message: the future doesn't start tomorrow - it starts with us.