4236. On the punishments of those who disquiet man in sleep
I awoke, and I heard spirits above me who were awake, and who wanted to be with me in sleep; but presently falling asleep, I had a sad dream, and when I awoke it was said that those were the spirits who introduce dreams. Then suddenly, punishing spirits were present, which surprised me, and they were punishing them miserably, inducing on them a body and bodily senses, and this by a constant gnuggande, 1back and forth, against their resistance, so that they were torn into tiny pieces, their intention being thus to kill them entirely. The victims were for the most part sirens.
Footnotes:
1. Swedish for "rubbing."
4236. CONCERNING THE PUNISHMENT OF THOSE WHO TROUBLE MAN IN HIS SLEEP.
Upon awaking I heard the spirits who were awake above me, and who wished to be present with me in my sleep; but sinking shortly afterwards into slumber, I had a disagreeable dream, and upon awaking it was said that it was those spirits who introduced the dream. Punishers were then, to my astonishment, immediately present, who afflicted them most miserably, by mentally inducing upon them a body and bodily senses, and by a continual rolling backwards and forwards, attended with resisting struggles, so that they were torn or wrenched, as it were, by piecemeal; their purpose [animus] would have carried the punishers to the point of slaughtering [their victims]; the sufferers were for the most part sirens.
4236. De poenis eorum qui hominem in somno ejus inquietant
Evigilatus sum, et audivi spiritus supra me vigiles, et qui in somno mihi adesse volebant, sed mox insopitus, et somnium triste habui, et expergefactus, dicebatur quod spiritus ii essent, qui somnia introducerent; subito tunc aderant punitores, quod miratus, et puniebant eos miserabiliter, inducendo iis corpus et corporeos sensus, et per continua gnuggande, cis et retro, cum renisibus, sic ut particulatim lacerarentur, animus iis est eos prorsus sic necandi, erant plurima parte sirenes.