[2][10] Rivail's work with Pestalozzi helped lay the foundations for the teaching model in schools in France and Germany.

[citation needed] For several decades he helped advance Pestalozzi's pedagogy in France, founding schools and working as a teacher, educational writer and translator.

[clarification needed] The duration of the trading bank was fixed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry at ten years.

In the presence of other guests for the session, he entered into communication with a spirit named Zephyr, who gave him the mission of being the spokesman of the Dead.

In some cases, this was alleged to be a type of communication: the supposed spirits answered questions by controlling the movements of objects so as to pick out letters to form words, or simply indicate "yes" or "no".

[13] He compiled over one thousand questions concerning the nature and mechanisms of spirit communications, the reasons for human life on earth, and aspects of the spiritual realm.

"[15][16] Rivail wrote under the name "Allan Kardec", allegedly following the suggestion of a spirit identified as "Truth".