4207. About those who desire [to return] into the body and the world
There are spirits who desire to return into the body, and again into the world, and then to obsess people on earth. These are detained in their own hell, lest they come to stay with people. Especially adulterers have this desire, and sirens, as well as others. They are punished sometimes severely, in order that they might acquire an abhorrence for that desire. By punishing spirits, a fantasy is induced on them of the body, so that they do not know but that they are in a body, the senses of which are now entirely the same. They are even able so to speak to harden the body and then to torture and mangle all the members, and break it up in various ways, causing immense pain, and this repeatedly, until they acquire a horror of such treatment. Various kinds of horror, terror, and shame are the outer restraints that are imposed by means of punishments on evil souls or spirits after death. 1749, 13 April.
4207. CONCERNING THOSE WHO DESIRE TO RETURN INTO THE BODY AND INTO THE WORLD.
There are spirits who desire to return into the body and thus again into the world, and in this manner to obsess men. Such are retained in their own hell, that they may not come near to man. Adulterers and sirens are pre-eminently of this class, as also others. They are sometimes punished with great severity that they may have a horror of that cupidity. The phantasy of a body is induced upon them by the punishing spirits, so that they know no otherwise than that they are actually in a body, so entirely similar is the sensation; nay, such spirits can, as it were, harden the body, and so put them in torture by mangling all their limbs, and breaking them in different ways, accompanied with immense anguish, and this often till they are inspired with a honor [of such a desire], for horrors, terrors, and shames are external bonds which are imposed through punishments upon such souls or evil spirits after death. - 1749, April 13.
4207. De iis qui cupiunt [redire] in corpus et in mundum
Sunt spiritus qui cupiunt redire in corpus, et iterum in mundum, et sic obsidere hominem, ii detinentur in suo inferno, ne apud hominem veniant, adulteri imprimis hoc cupiunt, et sirenes; tum quoque alii; puniuntur quandoque graviter, ut pro cupiditate ista horrorem trahant; a spiritibus punitoribus inducitur eis phantasia corporis, ut non sciant aliter ac quod in corpore sint, prorsus similes eis tunc sensus; imo indurare quasi corpus possunt, et sic contorquentur, laniantur quoad omnia membra, diffringuntur diversis modis, cum immane dolore, et hoc toties, usque dum horrorem trahant; horrores, terrores et pudores sunt vincula externa, quae animabus talibus, seu malis spiritibus post mortem per poenas incutiuntur. 1749, 13 April.