1939. [Newly arrived] souls are spirits, for when a person dies he or she becomes a spirit and can therefore also be present with a person on earth. This is plain to me from much experience. Many people whom I had known in bodily life have been with me, and really for quite a long time - for days, weeks, months - and have declared the same thing. They then thought that they had returned into the body, or into the world. Not being allowed to think back on the fact that they are spirits, and are separated [from the person], and that other spirits take their place and are then removed, they are unable to realize that they are spirits.
Very many who had departed from life a short time back have been with me, which I was able to find out both because of their astonishment and from other signs. 1748, 12 May.
1939. Souls are spirits; for when a man dies, he becomes a spirit. Thus he can also be present to man, which was evinced to me by much experience; for there were with me many of those known to me in the life of the body, and that, too, for a very considerable period, even for days, weeks, and months, which they in like manner confessed, supposing that they thus returned into the body or into the world. Without reflection granted them that they were spirits, and were separated [from men in the flesh], and that, upon their removal, others had succeeded in their place, they would not be able to know that they were spirits. Very many who had departed life but a little while before, were with me, which I could discover as much from their stupor as from other indications. - 1748, May 12.)
1939. Animae sunt spiritus, nam dum moritur homo fit spiritus, sic quoque adesse potest homini, quod mihi per multam experientiam constat, nam apud me fuerunt plures ex notis mihi in vita corporis, et quidem satis diu, per dies, septimanas, menses, et similiter fassi sunt, putantes, quod sic rediissent in corpus seu in mundum; absque reflexione iis data quod spiritus sint, et separentur, aliique loco eorum succedant, [et] removeantur, non scire possunt, quod spiritus sint. Perplures qui ante paucum temporis excesserunt vita, apud me fuerunt, quod cognoscere potui 1
, tam ex stupore eorum, quam ex aliis indiciis. 1748, 12 Maj.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has potuit