1864. One of this type came to me, dressed like a nobleman, but I could not see his face. At his first approach, he insinuated by means of thoughts, as people do in the world by means of put on facial expressions, that he had many things he wanted to share with me, asking whether I was a Christian. I answered him that I was, which he also admitted that he knew.
He asked if he could be alone with me, because he had something to tell me that he did not want others to hear. But when I replied that one cannot be alone in the other life as one person with another on earth, and that one could not speak without many spirits being present, then he came closer and went right below the occiput, behind me, which made me realize, as was also said, that he was a bandit.
While he was there, I felt something like a stab through my heart, and after that also in my brain, one that would easily cause a person on earth to die. What technique he employed I do not know, I only felt as if it were something deadly, and he thought that I was dead. But because this was not the case, he told me that he had just come away from a person whom he had killed, and, in fact, with a dagger, from behind. He said he had developed a technique of doing this such that the person did not know what was happening before he fell down dead. And he himself would be regarded as guiltless-in fact, no wound appeared.
But because I was protected by the Lord, being kept safe from such attacks, I was not at all afraid.
1864. (One of this class came to me, clothed like a nobleman, though I could not see his face. At his first approach he insinuated, by suggestions and simulated faces, that he had many things which he wished to communicate to me, and inquiring whether I was a Christian. Upon my reply that I was, which he said he knew, he asked if he could be alone with me, for he had something to impart to me which he did not wish others to hear. But when I answered him that in the other life there was no such thing as one's being alone [with another], as one man may be with another on earth, and that one could not speak without many spirits being present to hear, he approached nearer, and entered under the occiput behind, whence it could be perceived, as in fact it was said, that he was an assassin. While he was there I perceived, as it were, a stroke through the heart, and then afterwards in the brain also, such as would cause speedy death to any man living. By what art he effected his purpose I know not, as I only perceived something deadly. He supposed I was dead; but as such was not the case, he said he had just come from a man whom he had killed in that manner, that is, by a poignard from behind, saying that he was skilled in the art [of taking life in such a way] that a man should not know that anything had hurt him before he fell down dead, and that he should be reputed no otherwise than as innocent, nay, that not even a wound should appear. But inasmuch as I was safe, being preserved by the Lord from all such assaults, I feared nothing [from his malice].)
1864. Unus talium ad me venit, vestitus sicut nobilis, sed faciem ejus videre non potui, is ad primum adventum insinuabat, per cogitationes, sicut solent in vita corporis, per simulatas facies, quod multa haberet, quae vellet mecum communicare, interrogans, num Christianus essem, cui respondebam, quod essem, quod etiam is se scire ajebat 1
; rogans, ut solus mecum posset esse, nam aliquid mihi narrare volebat, quae 2
alii non audirent, sed cum respondi, quod in altera vita soli nequeant 3
esse, sicut homo cum homine in terra, et quod plures spiritus adsunt, ac secus nec potuisset loqui, propius 4
accessit, et quidem subiit sub occipitium ad tergum, inde percipi potuit, quia ita dicebatur, quod latro esset; cumque ibi esset, percipiebam tanquam ictum per cor, post quoque in cerebro, ex quali ictu facile moriturus homo; qua arte usus, non scio, nam percepi quasi quid lethale, is putans, quod ego mortuus, sed quia non ita erat, dixit, quod venerit nunc ab homine, quem occiderit ita, et quidem per stylum a tergo, dicens, quod calleret artem, quod homo nesciret, priusquam succumbat 5
mortuus 1
, et quod is non aliter respiciatur ac insons, imo quod nec vulnus appareat; sed quia tutus eram, quia a talibus in salvo, a Domino, nihil timebam.
Footnotes:
1. imperfectum in the Manuscript
2. sic manuscript
3. The Manuscript has nequeat
4. The Manuscript has loqui; propius
5. The Manuscript has succumba