997. There are spirits who know absolutely no otherwise than that they are the people [they are with];
also, that they are the souls of others
When spirits are with people on earth, they generally do not at all realize that they are not those people. This I know from the corroboration of much and frequent experience.
Several times, also, spirits did not realize they were not the people being talked about, or thought about, so they completely take on the personalities of such people, whether living or dead. They so thoroughly convince themselves, that later, when the true person or the true soul is revealed, they feel ashamed.
When some spirit is [with me], thinking, there are even some who believe they are that spirit. One of them speaks out his thoughts, convinced at the time that he is that [thinking spirit]. He expresses those thoughts in the same way he expresses those of the more subtle type of spirits, who keep silent and only think.
In this way entirely different spirits can take on the conviction of being those people, or others, not realizing what is happening.
997. THERE ARE SPIRITS WHO KNOW NO OTHERWISE THAN THAT THEY ARE MEN: ALSO THAT THEY ARE THE SOULS OF OTHERS
While they are with man, spirits in general know no otherwise than that they are men, as I know by the confirmation of manifold and frequent experience. Moreover, they sometimes know no otherwise than that they are those men concerning whom there is discussion and thought. They put on, as it were, the entire personality of such individuals, whether alive or dead, and they so confirm themselves that, when the real man or real soul is afterwards discovered, they are affected with shame. There are also some who, when a spirit is present and thinking, suppose that they themselves are that spirit, so that they utter his thoughts. Such a spirit is then under the persuasion that it is himself. He likewise utters the man's thoughts as if they were the thoughts of the more subtle spirits, who are silent and are only thinking. Thus other spirits can be imbued with the persuasion that they are such persons, or some others, for they do not know whence this is.
997. Dantur spiritus, qui prorsus nesciunt quam quod homines sint, tum quod animae sint aliorum
Quod spiritus in genere nihil aliud sciant, dum apud hominem, quam quod ii homines sint, multiplici et frequenti experientia confirmatum scio, aliquoties etiam, quod spiritus non aliud sciverint, quam quod ii sint, de quibus agitur et cogitatur, sicut ut induant prorsus earum personam, sive vivi sint, sive mortui, ita confirmant se, ut postea cum verus homo seu vera anima detegitur, pudore afficiantur; sunt etiam qui putant se esse spiritum praesentem, cum is cogitat, sic ut ejus cogitationes eloquatur, tunc est in persuasione quod is sit; similiter is eloquitur ejus cogitata, sicut eorum spirituum qui subtiliores sunt, qui tacent et modo cogitant; ita indui possunt alii spiritus persuasione quod tales aut alii sint, nam nesciunt unde.