2106. Spirits could recognize themselves from my face in the mirror
It has happened a number of times when I was looking at my face in the mirror - something made me do so-that [I perceived] the thoughts of the spirits with me, who were looking at the same time through my eyes. They were thinking nothing else, however, but that they were in a body in the world, believing they must have the same faces they had had in bodily life. Then also, the facial expression being changed somewhat, as far as was possible, into the expression on their own face, they recognized themselves, one after the other. Several became indignant; others thereby realized that they were in the other life-also, by seeing themselves in the mirror, what kind of attitudes they had. Each time, I spoke with them about their attitudes, and they admitted to them. 1748, 28 May.
2106. THAT SPIRITS WERE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THEMSELVES FROM MY FACE AS SEEN IN A MIRROR.
Many times it happened when I beheld my face in a mirror, being led to do so because of the thoughts of the spirits who were with me, who at the same time saw through my eyes, but who did not observe but that they were in the body or in the world, they supposed that they had faces like what they had in the life of the body; hence also the countenance [vultus faciei] was changed in some degree, as far as possible, into their countenance - they recognized themselves, one after another - many were indignant, others thus recognized that they were in another life. Then they perceived in the mirrors what sort of minds [animus] they had with themselves, as regards which they recognized as often as I spoke with them. - 1748, May 28.
2106. Quod spiritus se agnoscere potuerint ex facie mea in speculo
Pluries contigit, quum respicerem faciem in speculo, adductus ad id faciendum, quod cogitationes spirituum apud me, qui simul per oculos meos videbant, nihil autem cogitantes, quam quod essent in corpore seu in mundo, similes facies, ac habuerint in vita corporis, sibi fore putaverint, inde quoque faciei vultu aliquantum, quantum fieri potuit, in vultum eorum faciei mutato 1
, se agnoscebant, unus post alterum, plures indignati, alii sic agnoscentes quod in altera vita essent; tum quales animos habuerint cum semet in speculis vidissent; de quibus toties cum iis loquutus, agnoscentibus 2
. 1748, 28 Maj.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has mutatus ut apparet
2. The Manuscript has agnoscentes