Hi Hi w :."■•:. IRK HI BIB LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 00057110154 9 * .., * a> <* ► u .y.^%£k*\. O V * .** -»f/h>. ' r . l-M A CASE OF VISION INTO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF H. WERNER, WITH PARALLELS FROM EMANUEL SWEDENBORG, BY A. E. FORD. 20 ' Afipti 6f] KEpiGKoirajv, firi rig t&v dfivrjrayv exaKovr} ' eigl oe ovrot, ol oiSlv Wo oiofxsvoi elvai n ov ai> ovvuvtcli ditpl^ raZv X € P°^ V ^ a P^ at j npa£eis 51 koI Eviceig fcai r a v to dop glto v ovk d-rroSz'XOfievQi, o)£ hv ovaiag [jiepEt. GE AI. Kai filv 8fj t c5 YiU>Kp that h m W *eU hereafter It" a ic e a „ P o P M eSS ,r fS ° me ^ ™ d ° f * ^i^^JlTel^LT^ ^ his present of the spirituafeuWe r^ , g J' gSW " hit, ' ntothemind .ected /Or %£ Z^^/Z^J^^Z ren and a mi „, Wc S S J T' ^ ClericaI breth " thought ofS T„ 1 ^ ^ " lndined t0 some heresy is a -for th« , , ', , a CaSe ' there is no reaI ] ove of truth mLlt 2 „° , 9 to" I"' 868 f 0V : a " °*« — WerationJ S fessed, of t to "ccoun ^ ", t ^ ** k ^ and P»" stead of lo ; ;° JJj* t e ^ tended -'i g iou s guide in- K out lor the best ways in which to lead those translator's PREFACE. IX who trust him, is only seeking those that are most accustomed ? most safe and easy to himself. Yet it is a melancholy reflection, that if a man is willing to be such a guide, he will have enough to influence. He makes pro- fession of having truth for his object,, and he receives that same credit for skill in his peculiar calling, which the physician and the advocate receive. And indeed in a higher degree ; for great is the power of profession, when conveyed in the solemn phra- ses and the earnest gestures of the pulpit. They attach a certain sacredness to all that is uttered, and so it is no secret to any pastor in the land, that he has many who pay an unquestioning defe- rence to his words, and whose minds he can turn as it pleases him upon disputuble points within his own denomination, or bias favorably to any new opinions, Now it is seriously and affectionately asked, that in conside- ration of the character and office in which they hold themselves forth, and of their actual power over individual and general opinion, the clergy of the different denominations of the land will deal in honesty with the claims of the New Church. The ap- peal is made, it may be feared, in vain to the great body of them ; they will still put themselves blindfold under such guidance as they give to others, taking their impressions from the partisan works of those who have acquired a literary reputation among themselves, and reposing unlimited faith in the plausible mendaci- ties of religious journals. But there is a smaller number, to whom Swedenborg has perhaps already recommended himself, by some of those deep things in his writings, which are sure to lay hold of thinking and benevolent and open minds, or who, in various ways, have had a vehement doubt suggested to them whether he is the dreamer the world has set him down for, and his followers the dupes and enthusiasts they are called. Of such it is asked, and asked hopefully, that they will brace up what- ever there is of independent truth in their natures, and give this most important subject an investigation for themselves — let the world say what it will, and follow it if true — let every worldly interest suffer as it may. Let such recur to their own sermons. If they have ever preached that all truth is of God, and inesti- mable in value, that it is cheaply purchased with the loss of every thing dear in an earthly point of view, and if followed in 1* X . TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. holy living is eternal felicity, if they have ever pleaded with any one for a fair examination or their own doctrines and urged the loss and danger of closing the ears to all which has not flowed into them within the walls of one's own church, and the certain sterility of a close and bigoted and denominational cast of mind ; let them acknowledge that such noble maxims are not merely for deal- ing forth with the momentary elevationof the pulpit ; but for down- right and, if need be, painful practice, and so give to the solemn question whether the New Jerusalem is descending from God out of Heaven into our wretched world, the right of being heard by itself instead of its enemies, and of being weighed with balances into which name and interest shall not be thrown. It is to the cultivated, who are at the same time good, espe- cially to such among the clergy, that Swedenborg makes his ap- peal — if that can be called an appeal, which is a statement im- pressive by its very calmness, that the clergy will be the first to admit the truths of the New Jerusalem, and that they will be fol- lowed by the laity. Should not this have its weight ? Is it not prima facie proof that his doctrine is widely separate from the ig- norant fanaticisms with which it suits some to confound it ? For let the enthusiast or fanatic be pointed out, who has not manifest- ed an instinctive aversion to the settled clergy of the church, or, after a feeble effort to proselyte them, sunk down into low decla- mation against them. Another use may be made of such passa- ges. They are predictions, which, to some extent, have already been verified. In the leaven-like progress which the New Church has hitherto had, the clergy of one and another denomi- nation have been its first converts, the laity following them. Such has been the case in England, where instances have been even more frequent of secession from the established church than from among dissenters. There have been many cases of this kind, in this country, within a short period prst. The laity will doubtless follow in due proportion, but the clergy are as yet in the lead. Now that the New Church, were it only a new fangled superstition, would exercise its proselyting powers least and last of all, on minds which have been trained in the use of the dis- criminating and reflective faculties, and are commonly tinctured with a strong repugnance to novelties, is manifest enough, and, when minds of this stamp (to say nothing of the nobler qualities of the heart, which some at least of these proselytes display) are translator's preface. xi found accepting it, is there not a presumption, despite the world's cry to the contrary, that it has more than dream and vagary to build upon ? While some, a few it is granted in comparison of the whole number, are found going forth from the position where custom, education, settled persuasions, interest, and friendly re- monstrances united to keep them — persons never before suspected of an unbalanced mind, shall it convey to those who stay behind no suspicion that they have seen cogent truth ? Shall their sol- emn averment that they can justify themselves on the most solid grounds from the charge of enthusiasm, if a day is appointed them, pass for nothing? Surely not Honest men will not set these affirmations aside, coming in some instances, as they do, from those they did not disdain to be taught by in former times — in others, from their familiars and acquaintances — as things to be expected of course from those who have fallen into delusions. They will be regarded, in all fairness, as calls for a direct exami- nation of the subject, and will be listened to. Nothing in the shape of religious truth, that comes respectably recommended, should be turned away without a hearing, much less the solemn allegations made in the case under consideration- The New Church is diverse from all the denominations of Chris- tendom ; the very charge against it is, that it varies from them all in matters of the first moment, which all had regarded as settled, and introduces novelties of the gravest character. If these are errors, the world is right in calling them pernicious errors ; but if they are truths, they are truths of corresponding moment; and just so far as there is a presumption that they may be such, will be the desire of the truth— seeking to know how the case really is. Look once at the momentous allegations that are in question. The claim is put forth, that the most glorious prediction of the Bible is fulfilled in our days ; that another messenger has come from Heaven, not indeed to add to the inspired word, but to show that it is inspired in a sense worthy of the term ; that he has, as the highest point of his commission, developed in a manner not arbitrary but on grounds that convince the understanding, a spi- ritual sense in every part of the Scriptures, not excepting their sim- plest narrative, or the dryest catalogue of names — that this sense demonstrates how the three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which are commonly named Persons, are all in, and constituent princi- xii translator's preface. pies of, the Lord Jesus Christ, making Him the sole God of Heaven and of earth; that he has built on this spiritual sense a system of beautifully symmetrical doctrine, harmonizing with true science in all its branches, and finally, disclosed from his own observation the state of those two opposite worlds, in which the human race will exist to eternity, having been admitted to survey them for this very purpose. These allegations, to which many thinking and pious men have set their seals, will not, by the class to whom these con- siderations are addressed, be turned out of doors. Too much of the welfare of society, too much of eternal consequence, hangs by them, to allow of any rash and presumptuous determination. If any one when solicited to this just and reasonable course is disposed to turn away, he is not likely thereby to escape the matter. If it be from God — a point he cannot intelligently negative previous to examination — then it must prevail. But on other grounds, no one runs a risk in foretelling that the whole subject is to come into general discussion. The issue is made up. its friends are confident though calm ; it has advocates able both with the pen and the tongue ; it is winning more respect and exciting more hostility every day ; that respect is deepening with some into attachment ; that hostility is becoming more and more a medium to it, first of notice, then of acquaintance, and finally of firm adhesion. So it has been thus far, and it is lawful to read the future in the past. It will one day invade the most sacred premises of those who now regard it with contempt as a distant, unaggressive monstrosity. How will it be met, then, in complete ignorance of its nature and its claims ? Doubtless with such modes of warfare, as unreason- ing prejudice, and an ignorance that loves itself have always pur- sued. It will be named dire, heretical, blasphemous. It will be calumniated, that it may be condemned. A counterfeit likeness will be set up, that the " sharp sword" which would shiver to frag- ments against the true, may seem to hew it in pieces, and poisoned arrows will be drawn from religious journals, as from so many ar- mories of the false, and let fly at it ; but for all this, the truth will live on indestructible. It will be found that this is no tree, which, at the biire words, " be thou removed," will be plucked up and cast into the sea ; but rather — if the members of the New Church are not mistaken in claiming for it that glorious promise — the stone cutout without hands, growing into a mountain and filling the whole earth. AUTHOR'S PREFACE. When animal magnetism, some years ago, began to emerge from unmerited oblivion and neglect in Germany, and found new champions for its cause in my native country also, I, as well as the rest, heard with astonishment the wonderful facts every where related concerning female somnambulists. Not imagining that there could be a second and hitherto un- enlightened side of psychology, confined within the narrow limits of the philosophy of the day, actuated also by the shame of being the only believer among thousands, I seized, before any proper in- vestigation on my part, with eagerness and a preconceived con- viction that the phenomena of magnetism were mere delusions, chiefly upon publications against it. Of course I soon took my stand among the ranks of the decided unbelievers. From this time I took little notice more of the subject, wondering within myself, that men of distinguished name in the realms of science, should be the patrons of a thing which, in my opinion, was little more than a new prop and source for all kinds of superstition and delusion. These views received the first hard shock some fifteen years ago, in the following manner. I was at that time pastor in Bickelsberg at Sultz on the Rhine, and received quite unexpect- edly from my father at Tubingen, information that a somnambu- list, a girl not yet fourteen years of age, whom I knew but had not seen for several years, was under the care of Professor Es- chenmayer there, and had declared that my presence with her for a few days would contribute essentially to her restoration. XIV PREFACE. More from curiosity than because I expected to be of the least benefit to her health, I set off without delay for Tubingen, without announcing to any one there my purpose, or even the day on which I might be looked for. It was winter, and I arrived after seven o'clock in the morning. I was unable, by reason of some hindrances to be mentioned presently, to reach the house in which the girl resided, before eight. Scarcely had she seen me, as I opened the door of her chamber, before she fell into violent cramps and convulsions, w r hich so affected me, that I stood in the middle of the apartment as if rooted to the spot. In a few minutes, she spoke to me, her eyes being shut, " Leave me, I beg of you, a short time ; your presence just now is too trying to me ; return again in half an hour, I shall then be more quiet. Do you be so also ; your soul is in such agitation, that I suffer from it." I took my departure, and, as I was informed, immediately thereupon, she awoke soon after my leaving the chamber. In the course of half an hour I entered her chamber a second time. I was more composed, and she also welcomed me in a calm and friendly man- ner, and bade me sit by the bed-side. In a minute or two, she closed her eyes, took my hand, and said : " You are sick ; but I know a remedy that will relieve you." On my desiring her to name it, she broke out into lamentations and tears, and said after some time, laying her hand upon the pit of my stomach : " You are subject to cramps here ; but I may not tell you the remedy for it. Just as I am on the point of pronouncing it, I am stopped I know not how. It is as if a voice called to me : he is not to be healed in this way ! Alas, what grief this gives me ! You affect me so beneficially, and I am not permitted to show my gra- titude to you for it as I desire. How gladly would I help you !" Gentle and delicate as was this refusal, it was plainly not calcu- lated to strengthen my belief, that she knew the remedy which would relieve me. She might have known beforehand that I had been suffering for some time, especially in the abdomen, with cramps ; and so far, I saw nothing in this scene but an earnest sympathy and a highly excited imagination. But I was quickly shown my mistake, when, after sleeping quietly for a quarter of an hour, she said all at once to my great astonishment : " You were deceived this morning in your expectations." What do you mean ? " You came as far as Balingen in a sleigh ; there (smi- PREFACE. XV ling) the sleighing lasted no longer, and you were compelled to take a stage." This was really the case, and I had as yet spoken to no one in Tubingen of the circumstance. After a while she proceeded : " In Heckingen you fell in with a relation who was on his way to visit you in B. You saw one another at the post- house without a recognition." The fact was indeed so. I had not seen my cousin in years ; the glance which I threw upon him in passing, however, showed me something familiar in his face, and I asked the post-woman, who attended him to his car- riage, when she returned, whether she knew the gentleman who had just driven off. Yes, she replied, he is a merchant of Hanau, by the name of Z. Ha ! I exclaimed, where is he going ? See- ing me so much interested, the woman looked at me more closely and asked, " Are you not the pastor of B. ?" On my replying in the affirmative, she said to me : " He is going expressly to visit you." When I returned home, my wife told me that my cousin Z., who was on a journey to Switzerland, called to see me, and regretted much that he had not found me at home. What the somnambulist said on the following day no less passed my comprehension. " Yesterday evening you had al- most met with an accident in the suburbs ; your grey horse made a spring and came very near throwing you into the water." This was true to the letter. Not far from the so-called Wald- hornle, a hotel standing by itself close to the road-side, about half a league from Tubingen, there were some newly quarried large white mill-stones with holes in the middle, lying on the right beyond a turn in the road. The moon was shining and made the white of the stones more conspicuous. My horse, whose color was really a grey, was trotting, and coming sudden- ly in sight of the stones, as he made the turn, he started, sprang suddenly to the left, and almost precipitated the vehicle into the small stream called the Steinlach, which at that time ran close to the road. She also added : " I saw you yesterday pass the Neckar-Gate after seven, but you did not reach the house before eight, because a drunken postillion detained you." The matter stood thus : I was driving quietly along between the Wald- hornle and the city, towards Tubingen, along the high-way where three vehicles could easily, if need were, avoid a collision. All at once I heard a cursing and shouting behind, and directly the blows of a whip began to fall upon my covered vehicle. I XVI PREFACE. was soon satisfied that I was set upon by a drunken post-man who drove a two horse mail- wagon, and who had taken it into his head that I was bound to get out of his way, as being the king's messenger, although in my covered carriage I could not see him, nor, for the noise of the wheels, hear him either. I settled the matter with the coarse fellow as well as I could at the mo- ment, followed him, stopped at the post-house where he did, lodg- ed a complaint against him there for his insolence, and in conse- quence was detained for some time. Of this occurrence also I had not spoken a word to any one in the house ; the girl of course could by no possibility have gained a knowledge of it in the usual way. These declarations, and similar ones which I do not adduce because not heard from herself but from other (though highly credible) ear witnesses, while they brought my understanding to a state of suspension, had of necessity the ef- fect of shaking my unbelief to its very foundations. Unaccount- able as were the phenomena, they had yet actually taken place before my senses, and I concluded finally, what I should have done long before, to hear the other side and then to come to a con- clusion. I would have given much to have had it in my power to be longer with the invalid and observe her ; but my affairs called me, after two days, home again. Before setting out, (my faith be- ing somewhat advanced by selfish regards,) I requested Professor Eschenmayer, who had the girl under his care, and to whom I had communicated my case in detail, to ask her in the next crisis about the remedy adapted to it. He kindly consented. I accom- panied him to the patient, who knew nothing of this promise, and when, on being put in relation with him she fell asleep, he mentioned to her my wish in reference to my malady ; where- upon she replied immediately, with some dissatisfaction : " It seems I am to prescribe for the Reverend Pastor; but I have already told him that I am not at liberty to help him." Accord- ingly I set off without having the remedy communicated, (a happy circumstance for me,) but cured at least of my obstinate unbelief, and firmly resolved to enter the domain of animal magnetism with a more impartial mind, and to inform myself in it to the best of my abilities. I did so from that time as well as I was able, though for many years the wish that I might have it in my power to observe and treat a somnambulist myself, remained un- satisfied. But this wish was at length gratified, and the result PREFACE. XV11 of my observations made on that occasion, as also of my ex- periences and convictions from other quarters regarding animal magnetism, composes the following pages. And now some fur- ther remarks, necessary by way of preparation, relating to the personal history and the treatment of the somnambulist who plays a part in the following pages, as also to the theoretical out- lines annexed to the narrative. R. D., a girl eighteen years of age, concerning whose personal and family affairs I am ready to give the most satisfactory infor- mation to any one who desires it and has any just occasion for knowing them, was born in A., a small village of Upper Suabia, and brought up in a simple manner until her fourteenth year, before which she had passed happily through the usual diseases of children. She was quite weakly, particularly as regarded her nervous system. So early as her seventh year the physi- cians were apprehensive of an enlargement of the mesenteric glands. In her eighth and ninth, she had chlorosis and whooping- cough, and in her eleventh a violent attack of the erysipelas in the face. From that time to her fourteenth year she was healthy. The catamenia then made their appearance, and with them an eruption of the skin over her whole body. Probably this was not well understood, as to its nature, and the importance which it had in that crisis of the system, and so, from want of proper treatment, was suddenly checked, causing a swelling of the lower limbs. This affection lasted about a year. The feet were covered with deep sores, which discharged copiously, heal- ed slowly and left behind deep scars. Withal the catamenia had never been regular from their first appearance. In her sixteenth year, they had quite disappeared and only returned at the end of six months, and then with many inconveniences, particularly with oppressions of the chest. They never afterwards returned at the usual period, but often in three or four up to seven and eight weeks. These alternations went on till her eighteenth year, at which time a deep mental sorrow was added to these physical sufferings, and one the more oppressive, as she looked upon the cause of it as destroying forever her whole earthly happiness, and she had given up all hope of a favorable change in her destiny. It is easily to be seen how such a state of mind must re-act upon the bodily health, and that it may have con- tributed not a little, if not to bring about, yet to hasten on and XViU PREFACE. aggravate the condition described in the following pages. (Compare the crisis of the 13th June.) As regards her spiritual character, a highly simple education in the country had laid for it a very favorable foundation. Possessed of many happy men- tal endowments, she raised and enobled her faculties by reading and refined conversation ever more and more from her fourteenth year, when her family removed into a larger provincial city ; her quick comprehension, her accurate judgment, her natural aptness for the better, and especially her religious convictions contributing materially to her advancement. She cultivated to a high degree, her taste for music and especially for singing. Music was among her favorite amusements. Her soft melodious voice gave a peculiar charm to her songs, characterized as they were by an easy style, by purity and feeling. As regards the morbid state, which prepared the way for the magnetic one, the following must here be added : R. had suffered since October, 1833, with periodical cramps in the breast, which by degrees became more violent and, after va- rious remedies had been tried in vain, reached such a height that turns of suffocation came on, lasting indeed but a short time, but calculated to create much apprehension. From October, 1833, till the end of February, 1834, the cramps had returned only at intervals of from eight to ten days ; during the month of March, they came on every three or four days, and left behind great prostration and fatigue. Her strength failed visibly-— her complexion was yellow and pale, except occasionally when a transitory heat of the head kindled her face to a burning red. The appetite was irregular, the pulse for the most part was hard and small, even out of the attack, and her feelings peevish and ex- citable. The catamenia were always attended with such severe cramps and pains in the abdomen, that the patient was compelled, each time, to remain a day or two in bed, and the cause and its con- sequences did not generally disappear entirely before the seventh day. In general the cramps did not return for several days after this, whereas before, they followed in quick succession and with increasing violence. That her mood should change easily — that cheerful at one moment, she should often, without external oc- casioil, become sad, frequently even melancholy and petulant, will appear a matter of course in such a state of bodily and mental PREFACE. XIX suffering. A certain excitability and quickness of temper, which, with her best efforts she could not control, seems to have been a consequence of her weakliness from an early age, and of the oppression of her soul towards the last. As her friends were convinced that internal remedies not only failed to relieve her bodily sufferings but rather aggravated them, she resolved at last to give up medicines entirely, hoping that the powers of nature would find the means of recovery when thus left to operate unhindered and alone. She was not disap- pointed, although the particular turn which nature took was not in the least anticipated, either by herself or those who felt an in- terest in her. It may also be observed, that the girl, before she became mag- netic hereself, had so little idea of the possibility of such a state, that when no further doubt could remain as to the nature of her attacks, she listened with great astonishment in the waking state to such phenomena — asked to have them explained to her, and at first, declared even that she felt a kind of horror at herself when she thought of all she heard about her attacks be» ing real. This is a true sketch of the girl whose case is related in the following pages. I have not withheld it from the public, for the reason that it contains much, which although it is not new, may further the cause of science. Well ascertained facts con- tribute greatly to a sure knowledge of animal magnetism ; and again, the phenomena are those of spontaneous somnambulism, a state which, as being the most natural form of magnetism, and at the same time the most uncommon, is deserving of special notice. The less sought and expected it was, on the part both of the patient and myself, so much the more surprising was it to find ourselves all at once in magnetic relation. The circum- stance was first cleared up to me in some measure, by a subse- quent declaration of the somnambulist, that my nervous system had been long predisposed, by continued cramps of the stomach, to complete sympathy with any somnambulist. That the occur- rence of the magnetic phenomena in the present instance was unsought, and that they were never, as they might have been, exalted and made more interesting by artificial operating, allows me to hope that my readers will believe me when I assure them, XX PREFACE. that the narrative as here given has been kept free from all foreign and impure admixtures, and that the words of the sub- ject are those which were faithfully taken down from her lips, with the exception only of such matters as were not suited to the public eye. To give the names of the witnesses present at the attacks met with some objections on their part, though they are all ready, in case of any reasonable demand, to give satisfactory information respecting all that took place in their presence and which they saw and heard. As for experiments with the patient, strong as was the temp- tation from motives of humane or scientific curiosity, they were few, and in every instance only such as were required by herself, or such as I knew before-hand would not be of the least prejudice to her health. The conversations about departed spirits and the state after death, although she sometimes found herself affected by them, she for the most part desired herself, or else broke them off when they began to hurt her. I should have been glad very often to have questioned her still farther, and in general to have con- versed with her on many very important subjects relating to the state of souls after death, especially as she once declared, that with little trouble on my part she could be raised to an equal degree of clairvoyance with the Seeress of Prevorst. But my ob- ject, which was the restoration of her health in the shortest pos- sible period, always repelled these wishes at once ; and after she had happily recovered, I rejoiced that I had no occasion to re- proach myself on this score. HISTORY OF THE CASE. April 2, 1834. The cramps in the breast, mentioned in the introduction, which of late had not only appeared almost daily, but had lasted longer than formerly, came on to-day at nine in the morning, with unusual violence. Hitherto the symptoms had been confined to a difficulty of breathing greater or less, to cramp in the muscles of the neck, and sharp pains through the breast ; but now, to the great terror of the by-standers, the breathing, after the usual at- tack, had continued for a few minutes but with unusual violence, ceased entirely, the face became pale, the arms moved convul- sively, the whole body jerked, and the feet, after quivering strongly, became rigid. Great as was the terror which seized those present, (my brother, my wife and sister,) at this surprising occurrence, their astonishment was yet greater, when the pa- tient, who had been conveyed to the sofa, all at once began to speak with her eyes shut. " Thanks be to God !" she exclaimed, slowly and solemnly, and with uplifted arms. Her features meanwhile had changed in a striking manner, and greatly to her advantage. As was the case in all the subsequent crises, they had far more spirituality and expression than in the waking state. Her cheeks had also gradually regained their color. In a short time, she folded her hands upon her breast, and repeated : " Thanks be to God ! In what a glorious, resplendent and beau- tiful state do I find myself I" 22 HISTORY OF THE CASE. She did not reply to the question of my sister, M.,* how she felt, but broke out, after she had spoken, into the most lively ex- pressions of joy, and into the words : " Ah ! you — you also are with me ?" And now she turned her eyes, which in the mean time she had half opened, with a quick and friendly smile to my sister, looked at her fixedly, and said to her : " You are good — oh, so good ! I love you dearly !" My wife also and my brother C, whom she had not hitherto observed, she saw after some time, and said of them : " C. and R. (my wife) are all bright and shining like you, M." (After a pause) : " Ah ! you too, I am allowed to see, H ?f and you are bright, also— but — but — (slowly, as if she could not find words for what she wished to express) — H. is ; it is singular — it is as though I saw him through gauze. It is not so with you ; I see you quite clear." (After a longer pause) : " If I could only see my father too, how it would rejoice me ! You could fetch him, surely, M., and will do it ?" Upon my sister's replying that her father was many leagues distant, and that her wish could not possibly be gratified, she became sad and said : " Ah ! I would it were pos- sible for me to see him ; I love him so much ; he had so much to suffer. " Suddenly she said : " Ah, now I see him,J and my sister C. with him ; how glad I am!" At last, she saw my sister L. in R., and said of her: " She too is good; she looks fair and friendly." Between the expressions thus made by R. in this first imperfect crisis, there occurred several intervals, in which she was apparently in a state of full wakefulness, and in which she frequently said in a complaining tone and with a mournful look, " Ah, here it is all so gloomy !" This natural state however would last only a few minutes, and thereupon * The name of my sister, as well as of the subject, begins with R. To avoid mistakes from the somnambulists being indicated by this letter, I chose another for my sister. t H. (Henry) is the name of myself, the author During this first crisis I was in another place, two leagues distant from the patient. X " If any one (in the spiritual world) think of another from affection, and earnestly desire to see him and speak with him, he forthwith stands before him."— D. P. 50. ^ This and several other passages are cited from Swedenborg, and con«y sidered apposite, on the ground that the somnambulist was, in some mea- sure, in the condition of a disembodied spirit, and of course subject to the laws which govern the spiritual world. See her own statement to this effect, post. — Tr. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 23 she would return to her higher state. After she had lain in this way for an hour and a half quiet and motionless, with the exception of the above expressions, her breathing scarcely per- ceptible, and her eyes all the time half closed, her hands and then her arms and legs began all at once to tremble. Soon there came on more violent jerkings and agitations of the whole body, lasting some minutes, with short interruptions. At length she fetched a deep breath, as if sighing, and waked up. She looked around in surprise, asked what had happened to her, and smiled incredulously when the facts, of which she had not the slightest recollection, were told her. For the rest, she felt well and stronger. The fifth of April The two days following the first attack passed with tolerable comfort. Pains or visible cramps did not come on, but on the other hand, the feelings of the patient were deeply affected. She wept much without being able to assign any particular reason for it, spoke of being weary of life, and could in no way be cheered up. On the fifth of April, in the afternoon, she was attacked with oppression of the chest and neck ; her breathing soon became short, difficult and rattling, her face dark and swollen, and when some turns of suffocation were past, during which she had been laid upon the sofa, the convulsive agitations described in the first attacks came again on with increased violence, and after lasting about eight minutes, were succeeded by a universal rigidity. The breath and the pulse were scarcely perceptible, the face became pale as death, and the features those of one dying. In this state I took her hand, and had scarcely done so when her whole body moved convulsively, her face cleared up, her color returned, and she said, with a quick manner while holding my hand : " Ah, you are here ? this is kind, very kind. Give me your hand, I pray, Albert !" Do you see me then with your eyes shut ? — " Just now I only see your hand shining clearly ; but I shall see you soon all over." How do you see me ? " With my hand ; but in what way I cannot tell you. You are with me and I feel it." Who am I then ? Did you not pronounce just now the name of 24 HISTORY OF THE CASE. ' Albert? (She smiles.) « That is a singular question. You are Albert, and that is your name." You mistake ; I am not .Albert, nor am I so called ; my name is Henry, as you well know. J \T^ me .f urself > but * moment since, that your name was Albert. I did not say so, you are certainly mistaken. Who is the Albert you speak of? (She thinks awhile.) "Ah, you are right, I was mistaken. lam still half in your world, and a moment ago could not rightly see how the matter really stood. Yes, you are a different being from Albert. I did not see you, because your life and Albert's life are united. I cannot explain tins to you now, I will do so hereafter; at present I am still too shor^ghted." Do you not recognize me then by my voice, which is so familiar to you ? « I hear your words indeed, but not m the usual way, through the air by means of the ear.* The reason of this I cannot now see very clearly." You spoke a little before, of our world-are you then in a different one from this . Yes-as you understand it ; we are all indeed, in the same great world, but my soul lives now another life than the rest of you and that is to me another world ; which, however, is still yours.f It is indeed true, that you cannot look into it at present, because your souls are bound." Where then is your soul ? << In a glorious region far above the sad earth."} Without the limits of its atmosphere ? « Yes, far, far." Is this more than twelve leagues high ? « Yes, it extends farther than that." Are you in the neighborhood of the moon ? « No, that is there." (Pointing downward to the south-west.) Can you not name the place where you believe yourself to be ? « I know with certain- ty that my soul is not on the earth ; but I cannot describe the mMmmm man wllh man flows/ ^ in , Q the ■ m eltowU v in * W 6 ** of •fhearmg, and moves it from without."-//. *HW8 Y ° rga ' 1 body r^nJiXtsZ^Zll'iH. &" l ° *" SpMt < while the HISTORY OF THE CASE, 25 place ; I know not why it is so, my eye appears as yet to be too dull." (As I endeavored to remove my hand which she had hitherto held fast, she said with some dissatisfaction.) " That must not be, you must not leave me." I do not mean to leave you ; I will stay with you. c< Well, but I must have your hand too, which does me great good." Are you in the magnetic state? "Yes,^ so people call it." How do you know that ? "I see it now, but in the waking state I do not understand it." You fell sponta- neously into this state ; this is not common. Usually it requires an artificial operation on the part of another person to bring it about. (Smiling :) " It did not happen quite so spontaneously ;K you and your sisters have magnetized me without knowing it ;\) neither had I, while awake, any idea of it. Now, I see well how it happened. My nerves imbibed from you in the waking state ; your nervous system especially operated beneficially upon me." Why mine in particular? " I cannot tell at present, but will do so hereafter. (After a pause.) Now I have a mind to rest without speaking more ; it is best. Only let me keep your hand ; sit down at my side." In this way she slept quite composedly for three quarters of an hour, after which she became restless, as was shown by light twitchings of the arms and face. I asked, What makes you so uneasy ? " Some one touched me." My sister M. had touched her. (My brother C. now made the same experiment, with the like result. She trembled yet more, and said :) " That hurts me." (When she was again composed, I asked her:) Do you see my wife and my sisters also? "No, I see only you. entirely, and Albert ; others I do not see." Yet C. is standing right by you ; you ought to see him. " I feel indeed a foreign influence, but see no one." (I touched C. with my left hand ; all at once she cried out, jerking with her left arm :) " I see him now, but not distinctly. But he has a different name in my world."* What i§ it? "I cannot yet pronounce it, it is too difficult for me." Have you also another name, where you are ? "Yes, in the waking state they call me R., but in the upper world I am called Felicitas." (A pause, during which she lets * In the spiritual world all are named according to the quality of their life. Ap.Ex.Q16, 2 26 HISTOHY OF THE CASE. my hand go, folds her own hands, and prays solemnly. In about five minutes :) " Ah ! I am permitted to see you also ? You are there, my sister? Yes, it is you, you look like my father."* Whom do you see ? " My sister, who died a child, and whom I never knew upon earth." (She prays again in silence, her lips only moving. After a quarter of an hour :) " Alas ! Now I must go back to the dismal earth. My Albert leaves me ; that makes me sad." (Suddenly she is seized with spasms, and she returned to the natural state, with the same symptoms, as long continued, as those which ushered in the magnetic one. She awoke after having lain in it about two hours, and was greatly astonished to find herself lying on the sofa, with all of us about her. All the rest of the day -she was uncommonly cheerful and boasted that her feelings had not been so comfortable for a long time. April the eighth. (From 9 to 12 in ihe morning.) So early as eight o'clock in the morning, R. complained of oppression and sickness at the stomach. In the course of half an hour there came on a difficulty of breathing. These two in- conveniences alternated till nine. About this time she is attack- ed, at first with light, and afterwards, with harder spasms of the arms and feet, and the breathing takes place only at increasing in- tervals, in violent expirations and rattling inspirations. After a struggle lasting for about three minutes, there follows a strong cramp-like agitation of every part of the body, continuing perhaps eight seconds. To this there succeeds a general calm, the face becomes serene, the features assume a heavenly expression, and the eyes are turned upwards and half closed. A friendly, quiet smile precedes the first question of the patient. " You have kept your promise then, my Albert ? That pleases me greatly. Are you here — really here ? How happy you make me ! (After a pause.) And you have not come alone ? You have brought There are two hereditary principles in man ; one derived from the fa- ther, the other from the mother; that from the mother is somewhat corpo- which in dispersed during regeneration ; but what man derives from the father remains to eternity. A, C. 1414. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 27 a friend with you ? This is kind in you. But you are far more glorious than your friend. (A pause.) You have made a jour- ney, my Albert ? For you, indeed, there is no such thing as distance.* Ah, you were in Bern ? You are administering to a sick one there also ?" (A pause, after which I said :) Tell me, I pray, who this Albert is of whom you are speaking ? " He is my attendant, invisible to me in the waking state, my guar- dian spirit.f Oh, you should see him ! I would you could do so. Hereafter I shall have it in my power to say more about him. At present, ask no more questions about him." Who is with Al- bert ? " It is one of his friends ; it is singular, I know him and and yet cannot tell who he is. He is called here Amandus." You know him ? Is he yet living on the earth ? " No, he is dead ; you will learn more of him also hereafter. (A pause of half an hour, during which her lips are moving, her features ex- press, now seriousness, now attention and reflection, now satis- faction and friendliness. After this she says aloud :) " I have spoken with Albert ;{ he tells me that I am in the magnetic state, and that by sleeping in it I shall be restored. O thanks, deep thanks to you, my guardian angel ! You will aid me, and help also the dear friend, who stands at my side and will lay his hand upon me, to a complete recovery of his health." You are to be treated magnetically then ? " Yes." And who is to do that ? " You, only you. Your influence upon me is beneficial. Albert has found no one in my condition, through whom he could * All progressions in the spiritual world are made by changes of the state of the interiors, so that progressions are nothing else than changes of state. Thus all the angels move ; hence to them there are no distances, neither are there spaces, but instead of them states and their changes. — H. if H. 192. t As soon as infants are baptized, angels are appointed over them, by whom they are kept in a state of receiving faith in the Lord ; and as they grow up and come to the exercise of their own right and their own reason, the guardian angels leave them, and they associate to themselves such spirits as make one with their life and faith. — T. C. R. 677. I was instructed that with every man there are two angelic spirits at his head, by whom the Lord protects men whose office it is to moderate and control the evil spirits who approach him, besides various other things pertaining to a man's truth and good. — S. D. 3525. In general angels of every society are sent to men that they may guard them.— if. $ H. 391. . t The speech of an angel or a spirit with man is heard as sonorously as the speech of a man with a man ; yet it is not heard by others who stand near, but by himself alone. — H. ^ -"• 248, 28 HISTORY OF THE CASE. work upon me but yourself." I am heartily willing ; but will not the magnetic treatment prejudice my health ? You know that I have myself only just recovered from a serious complaint, and still feel the consequences of it. " No, it will not hurt you in the least. You are not to magnetize me in the usual way ; that would be hurtful to us both. You are only to lay your hand on the pit of my stomach, or where else I direct you." Still I am afraid it might not agree with me. When I came in contact with you last, I experienced oppression at the stomach, fatigue and loss of appetite. Should this continue to be the case, there would be good ground for apprehension. " O apprehension ! — do not be alarmed. I saw and felt this three days ago, and just now spoke with Albert on the subject. He can easily relieve these symptoms, and has promised me to do so. Do not be concerned. To-day you will experience no incon- venience from treating me. You will have an appetite, feel com- fortably the whole day, and sleep well at night." How can Al- bert bring this about ? " He says, that you must indeed supply the power necessary to my treatment ; but that he will directly make good to you from his own vital force what flows from you — that he could not operate immediately upon my nerves, al- ready too excitable — that the attempt would be fatal to me." But how does it happen that his vital power can flow into me with impunity, when my own nervous system, too, is by no means a strong one ? (She thinks in silence, and then says :) " I have asked Albert ; he says, that it is not indeed usual, in the treatment of magnetic sleepers, that the magnetizers have the vigor they part with made up to them ; but that as your influence is so bene- ficial to me, you will gladly give me the advantage of it, and that therefore he will make good to you, as he is permitted, the power which you lose — that this, however, will not take place im- mediately, because it would hurt you greatly, but only after you have come into union with me — that then it will do you no harm." You mean by this the magnetic relation ? How is this to be the medium ? " You are slow to apprehend ; it is plain that when my life and yours are one, neither of us possesses his own apart from the other.* When this is the case, Albert can cause his * So alio can one spirit be filled by another until he knows not but that he in the other.— D. P. %. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 29 vital power to flow in, and communicate to you, his, and to me, his united with yours."* Still, I do not understand it. " I will explain it yet more distinctly. By the magnetic relation, as you call it, your vitality and mine become one and the same ; they blend together. A stream passes over from your system into mine. Now, when both are thus blended, Albert can contribute his power without injury to us. Do you understand it now ?" I will at least believe you, if I do not. "It is of no consequence. You will doubtless feel soon that I am right. But now I must talk with Albert." (She lies still, after taking my hand and laying it at the pit of her stomach, for half an hour, without the slightest motion. At length I ask- ed :) Can you tell what your disease properly is ? "I see into my abdomen ; it is the part which suffers most. (A pause.) My chest is also much affected . In the abdomen the nerves are darker than in other parts of the body, and, in places, spotted and not clear. That is very bad ; ah ! that looks sadly !" Should you not take medicines ? " O, no ! that would now be very hurtful. Your hand and Albert are my best medicines; any other now would do me mischief." Can you see also into my body ? " Yes, it is what I am doing at this moment." But you have your eyes shut ? "I see now otherwise than with my eyes. My eye is here." (She presses my hand to the pit of her stomach.) What do you see in my body ? " Your windpipe is weak ; you must be very careful of it, and never speak loudly and for a length of time. Your stomach too is not yet altogether in a good condition. The difficulty in the throat is connected with it. The two affections alternate. It is an obstinate disease of the nerves, that has ha- rassed you for a long time. Your present mode of living is very suitable ; only keep strictly within its limits. This is better than any medicine for you, at present, and matters will mend continu- ally. You may eat according to your appetite ; only adhere to the articles that agree with you ; you know what they are. You may take medicine only in case of necessity, which however is not to * When the angels turn themselves to man they so conjoin themselves to him that they know not otherwise than that the things appertaining to man are theirs — man also, on the other hand, knows not otherwise than that the things which flow in through the angels are his. — H. fy H. 252. 30 HISTORY OF THE CASE. be apprehended." How can you tell all this so precisely ? "I know it ; I see it ; it is as I said." Can you also see into the sys- tem of my sister M. ? " No, I do not see her at all. (I take M. by the hand, whereupon a spasmodic trembling of the body ensues, lasting however only a few minutes, after which she says :) Now I see her. I can also see into her system, but it is not clear enough for me. Albert too does not wish me to look deeper ; it would cost me, just now, too great an effort. I love M. dearly; she is very good ; but she must not approach me too closely ; it still affects me. (After reflecting a moment.) She too suffers in the stomach. She will not get better, unless she has rest, inter- nal, mental rest and peace ; bodily rest, just now, would be of ser- vice to her also. Both are very necessary. If she has them, she will improve. (Another quiet interval, during which she moves the muscles of her face in a singular and extremely rapid man- ner. This nervous exhibition over, her arms first, then her hands, and finally her fingers alone, begin to move with extraordinary rapidity, also for the space of about five minutes. She now folds her hands, while her feet tremble for the same length of time, and prays in silence. At length she speaks :) Oh, Albert, how de- lightful are my sensations. Deep is my joy that 1 may be with you. (Pause.) How ? You mean to go with me into a beauti- ful abode ? That is glorious. Ah ! how beautiful this prospect ! What resplendent appearances are here ! Ah, how beautiful ! You are kind, Albert ; you have done me a great pleasure." Whither has Albert carried you ? " Jnto a delightful region which I can compare with none that I have ever seen."* Where is this place? "Albert says it is in the neighborhood f of the Sun. There are creatures here quite different from what men are. They are much more pure and noble." You say, in the neighborhood of the Sun, not in the Sun itself? " I said so, and Albert says it is so. You do not believe that there are creatures in those spaces ; but yet it is so. I see the Sun, and these beings arc not in the Sun." It may be perhaps that the inhabitants of • There are there (in heaven) lands and lakes, mountains and hills, plains and vullies, fountains and rivers, paradises and groves. T. C. R. 693. t The spirits of every earth are near to their own particular earth, be- cause they MM from the inhabitants of that earth, and of a similar genius and temper. E. U. 1. note (b). HISTORY OF THE CASE. 31 that luminary rise from their dwelling place into these wide re- gions ? " That I do not know ; Albert does not say it ; but I see these beings in the neighborhood of the Sun. (A pause.) O, if it were so fair, so glorious on the earth below, as here, where there are no human passions, it were then good to live there. This whole life above consists of love ; every thing that is and is done here proceeds from love. This principle makes all the hap- piness that reigns here above."* Might not we here below be so happy] K " Yes, we might, if we would only do as we should — but we men are often so ungodly, and therefore so unloving ! No, it is not possible, it is not possible. (A pause.) Move your hand a little further up, towards the pit of the stomach. (As I did so, she said, smiling :) Ah ! now I see every thing clearer and better; but ask no questions at present; Albert is speaking with his friend." (She appears to listen attentively. Soon after she be- gins to weep.) Why do you weep ? " Albert is telling to his friend, who knew my father well, his fortunes. He knew me and all my family on earth. I have often seen him. But now, in- deed, he is different from what he was there ;f and I cannot tell who he is. He too is very good, otherwise he could not be Al- bert's friend ; but yet he is still far, far below him. (A short pause ; then to me :) You will soon be called away to write something." (Scarcely had she spoken, when the door opened, and I was called away to write an order for some fruit. During my absence she lay, as my sister M. told me, quite motionless, with her eyes closed, and a pleasant smile on her face. When I returned she went on immediately to speak of Albert.) ,c I cannot express how good my Albert is — there is no spark of evil in him. Love, Truth, Faith, Humility — all in him blends harmoniously. These quali- ties form a glorious shape in the other world.! Here, O heret * When these (corporeal things) are removed, the love then becomes more pure, and at length angelic, which is to love the neighbor more than themselves ; for in the heavens their delight is to do good to another, and it is not delightful to do good to themselves, unless that it may become ano- ther's, thus for the sake of another. H. $ H. 406. t When the spirit of man first enters the world of spirits, which takes place shortly after his resuscitation, spoken of above ; he has a similar face and a similar tone of voice to what he had in the world. But afterwards the face is changed and becomes quite another one. H. $ H. 457. X For every one becomes his own love, not only as to the interiors, which are of the mind, but also as to the exteriors, which are of the face, the body, $2 iilSTORY OF THE CASE. it is glorious ! On earth he was not yet so pure as he is now. Ah ! how imperfect am I still, when I compare myself with him ! In the waking state I am often not good ; I have many faults. O, I thank yon, Albert, that I am permitted to be with you, where I feel so inexpressibly happy. (To me, after a pause :) You too are here again? That is kind; lay your left hand, if you please, once more on my stomach. (A pause.) To-day my Albert is devoted entirely to me in his calling."* What is his calling ? " To heal and to do good. Oh, it is good to be with him. But great as is my joy at being in a higher world, so great is my pain at being compelled to return. Everywhere here there is nothing but joy, love, and happiness ; here I see beings moving about full of the most interior love and friendship.! One feels involuntarily drawn to them. How it would rejoice me if you too could lake part in their conversation, if you could only speak with Albert. Yet, is he at present quite near you." How can that be, since you assert that you are in a higher world with Albert ? I am here in the chamber. " Albert has come near to you in spirit ; he is, as it were, in your soul ;"| you need not wonder tbat he can, in the same moment, be again in the most distant places of the higher world ; he is, as it were, every- where in the whole of his wide jurisdiction, where he wishes to be, like a thought. He loves you much ; I will tell you more of him hereafter." I am glad to hear it. But how comes it, that you identified me and Albert a few days since? (R. reflects.) and the speech ; for every one becomes the effigy of his own love, even in externals. H. $ H. 481. Goodness and charity is what forms and makes a resemblance of itself and causes the delightful and beautiful of charity to shine forth from the minutest parte of the face, so that they themselves are forms of charity. — Which form, when it is beheld, is inettable beauty. H. 8f H. 414. * These employments of the angels are their general employments, but every Dae has his particular charge. H. 8f H. 392. rhe angelic life consists in use and in doing works of charity — from these offices they receive a delight which cannot be described : thus they are images of the Lord; thus they love their neighbor more than them- selves ; and thus heaven is heaven to them ; wherefore angelic happiness i- in use, and from use, and according to use, that is according to the good offices of love and charity. A. C. 454. i Angela when they are with men, dwell as it were, in their affections, and arc near a man. BO far as he is in goods from truths. — H. fy H. 391. So also can one spirit be filled by another, until he knows not but that he U the oilier. This has very often been seen by me. — D. P. 90. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 33 Do you know what the word " identifies" means ] " Yes, to make one of, to blend, to confound. I confounded you, because I was not yet raised to the higher world as I am now. My inner eye was not yet fitted for seeing ; I even see Albert only by means of your vital influx, in which your image exists,* and through that image I see my Albert. I cannot sufficiently explain to you how I see with my inner eye ; it is as if I looked out from you.f If you were in my condition, you could easily under- stand it. (A pause). Do you believe that Albert is near you!" You say it with so much assurance, I will believe that it is so. " It is so, be assured ; and he would not come so near you, if he did not love you, nor would he have chosen you as the medium for operating upon me." Can you explain more clearly how his influence upon you is modified through me 7 " I can only say, that power of a higher kind proceeds from him, which, like a stream, works through you upon me, and does you good at the same time, as I said before. To be sure, you cannot quite understand it." Albert, then, is another person than my- self, a real second person ] "Yes, just so." Has your [Albert, been long among the inhabitants of the higher world? " That I do not know, and do not dare, at present, to ask. Perhaps I shall be allowed to ask about it hereafter. He is so good, and does every thing to please me ; but I must keep within due limits. How do you know these limits ? " I need only look at him and I know my duty. (A pause.) To-day he is clothed in white, snow white,]: and holds a golden wand in his hands. (To me.) You too are quite other than I see you with my eyes in my ordinary state, you are fairer."^ Whence does * There are spheres, which may be called spiritual spheres, which continually flow forth, yea, overflow from every spirit; they flow from the active principle of the affections and consequent thoughts, thus from the life itself. E. U. 64. tl will add this experience which is common in the spiritual world; one spirit can infuse his thoughts and affections into another spirit, and the latter does not know otherwise than that it is of his own thought and affection ; this is there called, thinking from another and thinking in another. D. P. 312. {The less intelligent (angels) have bright and white garments without splendor. H. $ H. 178. § For the face of man's spirit differs very much from the face of Ms body. Jf.^-H.457. 2* 34 IIISTORY OF THE CASE. this come, as I am sitting here in my morning gown at your side 1 " Because I see you with the eye of my soul ; your face is much more expressive ; your soul is copied therein.* (I take a pinch of snuff.) My nose pains me ; (smiling,) you have taken snuff." (R. now lay quiet a quarter of an hour, as if thinking, then became restless, opened her mouth several times but did not speak.) What disquiets you 7 "I have spoken with my Albert." What was the subject of your conversation'? " Albert says expressly, that I must not tell you, and when he enjoins any thing, I must obey without hesitation, though you should oppose it. Give me your other hand too. So ! now I feel as if I had one of your hands and one of Albert's. Albert's power works upon me especially through your left ; through your right he has already caused power to flow into you — This is also of benefit to me. (A pause.) But now — alas ! now Al- bert tells me he must soon leave me. That distresses me greatly. O, Albert, return soon again, I pray you — When will you come again? Ah, you will come again to-day] About four o'clock 7 That is excellent ! Come without fail ! (My sister M. approaches her couch without R. being able at all to see her.) Tell M. that her being near me is not painful to me ; but that, for the present, she must not approach me too closely. I must accustom myself to it by degrees. I perceive it hurts her a little that I should express such a wish ; however, it is absolutely necessary. But M. is good, she will understand it- (In consequence of sitting uneasily and bending to the left, I feel a shooting pain in the muscles of the right side, without mentioning it however to any one. But she observes it and says :) My right side pains me ; sit up straighter — Your hand will produce the effect, if you lay it but very lightly on the pit of my stomach. (A pause.) I feel very warm, will you not blow on me V 9 — What do you mean? — 4< I wish you to blow, but not strongly, into my face. (I did so.) Ah, that is cooling, that is refreshing. (After a few seconds :) That is enough— When I awake be so kind, as to prepare a drink for me." How must it 1 e made ? — In two glasses of water, drop 21 drops of lemon- •The face of the body is from the parents, but the face of the spirit from iti affection, of which it is the image, //, $ H. 457. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 35 juice, and put in some sugar ; but only you must prepare the lemonade. " — I will do so. — " I will ask you also to blow on it and to pass your fingers over it — look — (making the magnetic passes) in this way." I will do so — " Yes, you will do it gladly, I know, and all your desire is to benefit me — With you, yes, with you I shall recover my health. But I cannot now stay here in Schnaith ; your departure is at hand. My Albert says, that to-morrow I must set out for R- — , and what he tells me I must do without asking why. Only let me not be absent too long my Albert ; otherwise my body will suffer too much. But you will be quick to hear it. (After a pause.) — Yes, he grants my request ; I may come to you again ; but then you will no longer be in Schnaith. When that will be, he does not tell me. (A pause.) Yes, I must set off to-morrow ; I am expected in R. ; but I have a request to make of you." What is your wish? " It will not be good for me to walk early to-morrow to Enders- bach ; (where the conveyance to Stuttgart would take her up,) it is desirable that I should ride." — That will be cared for ; give yourself no concern about it. But will not the journey itself, be hurtful to you 1 " It will be of no service to my health ; still, if I am not too long separated from you, the ill effects may be repaired — (After a longer interval of silence.) I have some- thing still to say regarding my own and your bodily state. In the disease you have just passed through, the nerves of the abdomen have more especially suffered ; the stomach and liver w 7 ere only incidentally affected ; your affection was one of the nerves, and it is necessary for you still to take care of yourself. But follow only my advice, observe the regimen you are on at present, and do not suffer yourself to be too much affected by any thing ; what does not pertain to your affairs directly do not trouble yourself about, and quietly refer every thing where it belongs, until it is understood. Be not too much concerned about any thing external. You must overcome yourself. Al- bert will help you, if it is too hard for you.* For the present * In general, angels of every society are sent to men, that they may guard them and withdraw them from evil affections and thence thoughts, and inspire them with good affections, so far as they receive them from freedom ; by which also they rule the deeds or works of men, removing, as far as it is possible, evil intentions. H. fy H, 391. 36 HISTORY OF THE CASE. you need have no fears as to your health. But if you do not obey me it will be ruined. Your nervous system is very delicate and has been weakened by your previous attacks — a circum- stance, however, of great advantage to me. Should you under- take to magnetize me in the usual way, you would hurt yourself very greatly. You do so, as it is ; but there is one higher than either, who treats us both, in a manner, as a physician. As you are operating on me, Albert can be perpetually imparting to you new vitality. (After a pause.) The physician who treated you in your last attack is an excellent one, he knows your constitu- tion well. Continue to follow his advice. You will, at times, require his aid, by reason of many inconveniences. But have no fear, there is no occasion for it. (My brother C, who had left the chamber a short time before, now returned. I looked at him, intending to ask him some question. At this moment R. said ;) I see C. ; (as I turned my look from him) now I no longer see him ;* but with that single glance I saw something about him that should not be."— What is that ? — "He does not believe in magnetism, because he does not know it, and it is something quite new to him. He thinks I do not speak truly when I say that I am in a higher world. That hurts my feelings, but he will yet believe ; he will see presently that he labors under a mistake ; oh, in this state, it were impossible for me to say what was not true. (It was actually so, as C. confessed that he secretly doubted the phenomena of animal magnetism.) Why will he not leave off his snuffing. (I had just taken a pinch of snuff, the effect of which was to make her draw up her nose, and make some demonstrations of sneezing, without, however, doing it.) I must also (she proceeded after a short pause,) say something more of myself before I awake. You must prepare the lemonade for me after dinner — I must drink no more coffee. That comes hard to me, as I love it ; it affects my nerves. Milk, too, is not good for me. I must change my breakfast occasion- ally. To-morrow, I am to take a single cup of weak tea with milk that is not rich. The next day I wish health-chocolate, but still only one cup. Tell me this when I wake, otherwise I shall ■ Spirits can see nothing, through man, which is in this solar world, but they have seen through my eyes. H. fy H- 252, note. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 37 drink coffee in R. Albert says I must drink chocolate that has no spice in it, until he directs otherwise. As regards articles of diet during the day, I need not be particularly careful. Those difficult of digestion are not good. Hereafter, my stomach will be worse at first ; this will come from you, and you will reap a benefit from it, while I shall not suffer. If Albert allows me to go to Schwaikheim, I must walk a great deal, especially in the morning. I must, then also, drink water early in the morning, which will also do you good ; — therefore adopt the practice ; only, after meals, exercise is not good for you. (A pause.) My Albert says again that I must never be magnetized — you are therefore never to attempt it. (Some one came into the cham- ber, who was in perplexity on account of some household article lost or mislaid, which she announced, saying at the same time, that R. would know where the article was to be found, and that I must ask her. I did so ; but scarcely had I begun to speak, when she said :) I know what you are going to say, but such questions I do not like ; I will never answer them ; they are merely curious and answer no good end. (It was discovered at this moment, that a letter to Schorndorf, by which a place should have been engaged in the conveyance that went on the follow- ing day, from there to Stuttgart by the way of Endersbach, had not been sent. We were thrown by this circumstance into perplexity, and consulted whether it would not be necessary to send off a messenger with the letter. But R. declared :) That is unnecessary, I shall get a seat in Endersbach to-morrow ; in the mean time, (smiling.) it will occasion a transfer. (When she arrived early on the 19th in Endersbach, the seats in the conveyance were all taken, but a passenger offered to give up his place. and take a seat with the driver. She now turns to me :) You do not feel any weariness to-day, do you ? Yes, you feel quite comfortable ; you are stronger than you were early this morning. (In fact, I felt a degree of power and comfort in my whole system such as I had not experienced for a long time, and which, after the occurrences already related, threw me into astonishment.) " But now it is time for me to awake. Ah, how rapidly my Albert carries me. What a sight the earth presents at a distance !* How quickly have you returned with me to the * I was led by angels from the Lord to a certain earth in the starry 38 HISTORY OF THE CASE. earth, Albert. To remain there with you would be my most earnest wish. But it must be so ! Ah, he departs, he leaves me." (Now, there come on quickly spasms in the extremities, she turns hither and thither, as in a painful struggle, her teeth gnash, and her arms are twisted into the strangest positions. All at once there takes place a general quivering of the whole body, and after a few seconds she opens her eyes, about 12 o'clock, after she had slept for three hours. She rose im- mediately, and ate the mid-day meal with appetite. As she was astonished at what we told her, so we also were struck with the quite altered, flippant pronunciation of which she again made use, contrasting strongly with her solemn, slow, and pure speech during the crisis. April the eighth. (Four o'clock in the evening.) Qualms, cramps and trembling attend the transition into the higher state, exactly as in the forenoon at nine. She begs me, after the cramps had come on, not to approach her until their violence was past, because it would not be good for me and herself. At last she asks me to lay my left hand upon her stomach, whereupon a sudden and violent shivering of the whole body came on, followed, after a deep sigh, by a general quiet and comfort, which showed themselves in a pleasurable ex- pression of her features. Soon she speaks low and slowly, as usual, without being first addressed. "Ah! my Albert, my friendly attendant, are you come again ! yes, I am permitted to be with him once more. (A pause.) But this time he is alone ; his friend is not with him." — Where was Albert in the mean time? " Far, far distant; in many places ; but he was busy on the earth too."* — Where? — n In Bava- ria." What was his business there? "To heal, to do good, to create joy, to mitigate pain, is his calling, ""and he loves it.f heaven, when it was given me to take a view of the earth itself. E. (J. 127. In general angels of every society are sent to man. — H. ty H. 391, t That the divine love is life itself, and that hence the love appertain- ing to man is his life, is confirmed by many testimonies, but the most dis- tinguished of these testimonies is the consideration that the spirit of man HISTORY OF THE CASE. 39 Ah! it pains me to think that I must leave him to-morrow. But I must, must set off to-morrow, and it makes me very sad. (She weeps. After a long pause :) He promises, so far as he can, to give me relief, without your aid, and at a distance from you. He says that the reason why he has come to me twice to-day is, that he cannot be with me as he wishes, for some little time. Oh you are good, my Albert. (A pause.) She prays with her hands folded :) I thank Thee, merciful Father, who lookest lovingly on the needs of all Thy children, that Thou has sent me a physician so compassionate, so faithful a guide in my Albert. Oh, help me that I may never forget the gratitude I owe to Thee, to Whom alone it is due. (A long interval of silence.) Whither are you carrying me, Albert 1 Ah, into a mild fair region again ] " Yes, here I can be refreshed.'' Where is this region 1 Again in the neighborhood of the Sun ] " Yes, there again. But remove, I pray, the ring from your left hand, it gives me pain at the stomach. (When I had complied with her request she said :) So ! now I feel better. The gold in this ring is not quite so fine as in that which you wear on your right hand. The mixture of the metals causes me an unpleasant tension in the stomach and abdomen. I do not know what it proceeds from, There is copper in it. Each by itself would have a different effect. So it is, though I cannot explain it. (After being silent for some time :) Ah, my Albert, you are very kind. You are carrying me into the sun 1 Ah, how beautiful it is here ! A splendid garden extends before my eye, adorned with fragrant flowers."* — " There are flowers then blooming in the neighborhood of the sun 1 — " Yes indeed, but you could not see them with your eyes ;f they are of a quite different na- ture ;t much more delicate, like light and fragrance, and yet they is nothing but affection, and that hence man, after death, becomes an affec- tion ; if he be an angel, an affection of good use, and if he be a spirit of hell, an affection of evil use. — D. L. 9. * To those (angels) who are in intelligence, there appear gardens and paradises full of trees and flowers of every kind.— H. $ H. 176. t For the things which are in the heavens cannot be seen by the eyes of man's body, but by the eyes of his spirit.— H. fy H. 171. \ But the things which appear in the heavens, although they are in great part similar to those which are on the earth, still they are not simi- ar as to essence.— jff, fy H, 172. 40 HISTORY OF THE CASE. are flowers. I perceive this, and my Albert confirms it. (She moves her lips in silence, and a lovely serenity and cheerfulness spreads over her face. All at once she becomes serious, and her features express an effort of attention.) Ah, I see angels I what majesty ! what glory !* I cannot sustain it. This then is the residence of many blest ones that were once on earth ?"f Did your guardian spirit say so 1 " Yes, I see in him that it is so. (A pause.) Oh ye exalted beings ! ye lovely forms that have walked upon earth, with deep reverence do I behold you. Yes, you have escaped all the miseries that still oppress us here. Ye know nothing more of the sufferings of earth, of the, so often, bitter sufferings of human life.'* (She weeps in in silence — a long pause.) In order to quiet her, I said : speak with your Albert and ask him about the employment of those high beings. " I cannot do it just at present ; for he also is lost in gazing at the angels. (A pause.) Only think, even my Albert, this pure spirit, bends with humijity and reverence before these high beings.J Now Albert has turned to me again, but I cannot see in him, on what employment they are gone. Oh, how I thank you, my Albert, that you showed me the place by which they passed ; what a pleasure was that to my soul ! (A long pause.) Sweet Peace ! Only in this higher world thou dwellest in all thy fulness !{ And what love reigns here ! Only love, only faith, my Albert says, and the happiness pro- * They (the angels) have been seen by some, and have excited asto- nishment. — H. § H. 414 t Wherefore they (the angels) wish that I should "assert from their mouths, that in the universal heaven there is not one angel who was so created from the beginning, nor in hell any devil who was created an an- gel of light and cast down ; but that all, both in heaven and hell, are from the human race. — H. ty H, 311. * The angels in the celestial kingdom of the Lord very much excel in wisdom and glory the angels who are in the spiritual kingdom. — 11. fy H. 25. \ But still they (the governors) have honor and glory; they dwell in the midst of the society more elevated than others, and also in magnificent palaces ; they also accept this glory, and that honor, yet not for the sake of themselves.— H. ty H. 218. § There are two inmost things of Heaven, namely, innocence and peace . They are called inmost, because they proceed immediately from the Lord. Innocence is that from which is all the good ol heaven, and peace is that from which is all the delight of good. — fl. fy H. 285. The state of the Lord's kingdom is a stale of peace, and all happy states derived from love and faith toward the Lord exist in a state of peace. —A. C. 985. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 4l ceeding from them.* exist in these high regions. O that I could speak it out to all men! Me too, O Father, Thou wilt receive , as thy child. Behold, I too am full of trust in Thee, although I am but weak, a mere weak mortal. Thy Jove, Thy bound- less mercy, causes me to find favor in Thy sight. Of this I am sure. How blessed a thing it is to rejoice in Thee ! Already I have a foretaste of that high felicity. (She prays with her ' hands folded and raised to her face, with visible emotion, for a long time in silence. At length she lets her hands fall and says :) I was in a large Templef whither Albert carried me. Here I was permitted to pray with him. J I prayed for my father and for myself. For you also I prayed, my benefactor, through whom I shall be restored again to health. God will renew your health again, believe it, and trust in Him. But now listen ! My Albert bids me tell you, that in order to bring back the per- spiration of the feet, that is so favorable to your health, you must still lay the pitch plaster for some time to the soles. The perspiration will never indeed appear again as strong as in your earlier years ; but this is natural, and not at all necessary. Only you must always guard your feet, and especially the soles of your feet, against taking cold. You will always, when you have cold feet, experience uncomfortable sensations in the up- per part of your body. Only you must never let the plaster stay more than from ten to fourteen days ; the pitch would be altered by the perspiration and cease to have its effect. But I see the perspiration has already come. That is very well. (It was really so.) I must further say to your sister M., that as the affection of her eyes originated in her early youth, and is con- nected with the general state of her nervous system, she can hope for relief only by sparing her eyes. She is in the habit of reading much and long, is full of cares too, and often weeps. That is not good for her. She must spare her eyes more — medi- cines will do but little good. (A pause.) I am to tell C, with * Wherefore angelic happiness is in use, and from use, and according to use, that is, according to the good offices of love and charity. — A. C. 454. t And they prepared themselves, and accompanied the angel and en- tered ; and behold the temple was large, capable of holding about three thousand.— T. C. R. 750. t Divine worship in the heavens is not unlike divine worship on earth, as to externals, but as to internals, it differs. In the heavens, as on earth, there are doctrines, there are preachings, and there are temples, — JF£ £ H. 42 HISTORY OF THE CASE. regard to his left eye, that calamine is not good for him ; he need only be careful not to neglect bathing it every day with cold water. Pure water is here better than all mixtures. But now, I must cease from speaking ; Albert wishes me to speak with him, and give my body perfect rest. (She lies more than three quarters of an hour motionless, breathing scarce percep- tibly ; only the delicately colored cheeks, and the mduth occa- sionally smiling, testify life. At length she moves her arms, lifts them up and exclaims :) Albert ! Albert ! you will not leave me surely ? No, he has only withdrawn a little way. He is already with me again. (As I had risen at the moment and removed my hand from her stomach, it occurred to me again, that the idea of Albert as a being distinct from myself was an effect of the imagination, and that she still confounded me with a creation of her own mind. But she said all at once :) Ah, I was mistaken ; you removed your hand, and the conse- quence was, that I could no longer see Albert distinctly. Now that you have put it back, I see him again quite distinctly. At this moment, he is quite near you — as it were one with you."— - But you said, that he and I were two beings ? "I said rightly; you are certainly two beings, inasmuch as you are on the earth, and he in the higher world ; thus far you are two souls. But I mean to say, that your essence on both sides has now blended together. I do not understand. IS You might under- stand it. As two bodies embracing, form as it were but one, so it is here. His soul pervades yours ;* it is a kind of hea- venly embrace." I beg you, however, to ask Albert, if we are two different persons ; I could wish a precise answer from him to this point. He says, yes, that you are two souls, but, just now, spiritually one, that he is, as it were, interlocked with you, and that he comes so near because he loves you. He adds, that while he lived on earth, his dispositions were very similar to yours, and that therefore he feels a particular attachment to you."f (A slight trembling seizes her.) Why do you * I will add this experience which is common in the spiritual world : one spirit can infuse his thoughts and affections into another spirit. — D. P. 312. t All things are consociated most exquisitely in the heavens, according to all the difference oflove to the Lord, and of mutual love, and of faith originating therein. — A. C. 2449. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 43 tremble? — " Albert has become very serious towards me. You desired me, from a very good motive, to ask him, whether he and you were two persons. I was secretly displeased at this, and felt hurt that you would not believe me on my own word. My Albert saw it, and as it by no means pleased him, he with- drew his power from me a few moments. But I saw my fault directly, and now he is again kind and friendly. He is just now at your right side." — (I extend my arm, point to the right and ask :) Is Albert here ? " Yes. just here ; you must now feel him more distinctly in your body than a little before, when he was nearer to you. At a little distance his influence is stronger. (In fact I experience in my right side a surprising and unusual warmth.) Yes, that is he ; he smiles at your astonishment. With what a friendly look he regards you !" I too, should be glad to see your guardian spirit. " Be satisfied for the present ; you have felt him ; you have now a mind to see him ; but that would not be good for you. He knows your wish ; but you could not endure his sight." How old was he, when he died? " Thirty-six years. He knew you long since as a child, and loved you. At that time he saw you often. " Did I know him ? "He knew you; let that suffice. Through me you have ap- proached him yet more closely." Am I related to him ? — " Yes, (smiling,) related in spirit ; upon this point Albert will say nothing." Did he belong to my profession ? Yes, yet he stood, in life, a degree higher than you." To the sacred profession? 11 Yes, to the same." Was he a citizen of Wirtemberg ? — u That I may not answer !" How long has he been dead ? (No answer came. After a pause.) " Albert does not wish to be questioned particularly as to his person ; he will hear nothing more of it." Is it well, in general, to put few questions to you ? — O no, continue to inquire ; if answering too long is pre- judicial to me, I will always tell you myself. I am glad to have you speak with me, and I will gladly inform you, where I may and can. I hope you will always so manage your questions as not to cost me too much effort. But as to that too, I can always tell you. At present, my magnetic state is not sufficiently advanced : as yet, I know little of much importance to tell you. Hereafter, I perceive I shall be able to do so. But now I must let my body rest again." (She lies a considerable 44 HISTORY OF TItE CASE. time motionless, with her hands crossed over her breast. Soon she begins to speak again :) K I had a conversation with Al- bert." On what subject did you converse ? — " He gave me several good counsels, but will not permit me to communicate them to you. They concern only myself. (A pause.) But the time is come when you are accustomed to eat. Take something, I pray you, you require it." Can I leave you so long, without any prejudice to you ? <; Well, but you can take something here by me ; here is a little table." That can be done — (while I was eating she said :) You have a good appetite, but your roast beef is too salt." (This was actually the case, though a word had not been said about it.) You may drink one glass of beer. I would ask you to take some of my lemonade, if the lemon- juice was good for your stomach. Beer suits you very well. Avoid wine entirely." What may we give you to eat this evening? — (She answered so low, that I was obliged to bring my ear quite close to her mouth, whereupon she suddenly ex- claimed aloud :) " Ah, I see into your head ; all the nerves — ah, it is clear there, all over clear ; light streaming in every direc- tion. It is a glorious sight. I can distinguish the radiations in the fibres of the brain. Yet I knew before, that there was nothing cloudy about your head" — I thought that in that higher world, where you say you are, there was no flattery — "O, speak not so ; thank God for your mental powers ; no, I had no such meaning." Be calm ; I was only jesting. You spoke, however, only of the radiation of material light in the nerves of my head. That is true — yet as a matter of course — (suddenly she makes a movement with her hand, at the same time showing in her face signs of pain.) What ails you 1 What has happened to you 1 — " The fourth finger of my left hand pains me exces- sively." How can I relieve it? Shall I make passes on it? " No, you have a ring of very fine gold in which some brilliants are set ; put it a little while, if you please, on my finger. (The ring was brought, and scarcely placed on her finger when the pain ceased.) It is an indescribably strong effect which these stones and the fine gold* produce on my nerves. (In subsequent + That a natural sphere is continually flowing forth not only from man but also from beasts, yea from trees, fruits, flowers, and also from metals, is a thing generally known. — A. & 4446. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 45 crises also, this ring showed peculiar and extraordinary effects, particularly on the nerves of her eyes, of which mention will be made in time.) It will gratify me, if I may retain the ring un- til to-morrow." As you like — but how will it be with your ^health in R. after you have made your journey from me 1 " Albert cannot approach me so nearly there indeed, because you will be away, but still he will come and help me as much as may be. I ^shall be obliged to suffer much in my breast ; but he has told me even now, that I will again feel him more than in Schwaikheim. He cannot and dare not operate upon me immediately, because Hhat would destroy me. My absence should not be a long one ; it would be prejudicial to me. (A pause.) When I shall be ' permitted to greet him again in Schwaikheim, I cannot as yet tell." Listen, R., I wish to ask you a question. (As no an- swer follows, I repeat what I had said, whereupon she replied :) = " In the world where I now am, I am not called R., but Felici- tas. Do not therefore call me by that name." But wherefore have you changed your name there for one that is so old fash- ioned? " Oh, it is a beautiful name ; when I awake, it will not indeed please me ; but here it is a very proper name ;* my Al- bert has told me this." — But why are you called Felicitas ; has that name a meaning 1 " My Albert was permitted to give me a name, and he chose this, for the reason that a friend of his whom he had highly esteemed on earth, and whom I much re- sembled, as he said, bore this name." I presume that the friend of your Albert is also dead ] " She is so," If that is the case, he can be with her ; for what purpose, then, this bestowal of her name by way of memento ] " You take too much for granted. She is in the other world, not however with him, but in a far different sphere of effort.f (All at once she became violently affected by the sudden entrance into her chamber, of a person, who approached her just as suddenly. The spasms * It is not known that in the spiritual world there are not names as in the natural world, but that every one is named according to the quality of his love and wisdom ; for as soon as any one comes into society or partici- pation with others, he is forthwith named according to his quality there. D. P. 230. t Because there is such a distinction between the angels of the celestial kingdom and the angels of the spiritual kingdom, therefore they are not together nor do they have intercourse with each other.— if. § H. 27. 46 HISTORY OF THE CASE. which had seized her, were gradually removed by laying one of iny hands on her stomach and the other on her forehead. After a pretty long and quiet interval:) "Now I must come back to you, it is Albert's will; he is obliged to leave me- Farewell, my guardian, my physician ; soon I shall be permitted again to see thee. ,, (She folds her hands and appears to pray in silence : soon she is seized with cramps tremblings and oppression of breathing ; a short convulsive cough and pecu- liarly violent spasms of the feet come on, lasting some minutes' whereupon she awakes, retaining not the slightest recollection of what had happened.) From April 9th to May 5th. On the 9th of April R. set out for R m, suffering much during the journey from pain in the stomach. The magnetic state returned as early as the 11th, after vio- lent cramps for a quarter of an hour, affecting particularly the breast, and terminating at last in convulsions of the ex- tremities. It was marked, now, by this peculiarity, that the pa- tient lay for the most part motionless and silent, and, especially at first, felt painfully the approach of any one, as was indicated by her features. My sister L., in whose house she was staying, attempted, immediately upon the attack, to approach the bed on which she had cast herself, to render her assistance ; but she immediately complained : " It hurts me, L., to have you near me." Soon however she called for L., and said to her, " I can support your presence now, better than a little while since ; it no longer affects me so painfully." But when L. undertook to lay her hand upon her stomach, she did not allow her to do it, nor even to touch her. After lying quietly for some time, she said quickly, " Ah, now he is here, my Albert ; but he can only relieve me a little. ,, She besought herguardian spirit earnestly, to let her soul go to Schnaith, which he so far granted, that she could see what her magnetizer and those about him were engaged in.* * The case is the same also with man a.s to his spirit, and therefore he also may be bo translated, [viz., by changes of the state of interior things,] whilst his hody still continues in its own place. — E. U. 125. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 47 ■'When, as she said, she had returned, she said : " H. is sitting I and writing at his secretary. C. is going to church. M. is |>busy in the kitchen." It was subsequently ascertained, that I all this took place at Schnaith exactly at the time indicated. I To the question of my sister L. whether she would regain her v health, she replied ; only with your brother H. and by the laying on of his hand is it possible ; without this help, I should scarce- ly recover. I know no one besides him who would operate [•upon me so beneficially. After some time, she heard, what she announced by looks of joy, delightful music,* and saw herself 1 translated into a fair, but to her, unknown region. Subsequently she had a painful cramp in the third finger of the left hand, when she said : "That ring would soon remove the pain," and asked L. to write for it to me, and procure it. " Yet, she . added, he must carry it some days on his finger, or carry it about his person : for it will supply in some measure the want of his own presence." Once in this crisis she rubbed her nose, observing : " Now he has taken snuff again." As my sister's ' husband was about to approach the bed, she begged him ear- nestly not to do so, and to sit down some distance off. In the mean time she heard his words, as well as those of his wife, and always replied to his questions. She further directed for her- self, that she must take nothing cold, or sour, and use no spices. She awoke after a sleep of about two hours, with the cramp and spasms which usually marked with her the begin- ning and the end of this state. On the 14th of April, there came on a new crisis accompanied by the spasmodic attack just mentioned, which lasted from nine till eleven o'clock in the forenoon. That day R., according to the letters I afterwards received, was very restless, for the most part melancholy, and complained of cramps in the stomach and peculiarly violent pain in the fourth finger of the left hand. It so happened that during this crisis the wished for ring arrived, which she was immediately aware of. She took it eagerly ; and scarcely had she put it on the suffering finger, when the pain ceased. The * There are here (in heaven) days of festivity appointed by the prince. — On these days there are concerts of music and songs in the public places. -2\ C. R. 745. 48 HISTORY OE THE CASE. cramp in the stomach was also removed by pressing it to the pit of the stomach. Soon there followed general relief, accom- panied by a pleasurable feeling. Albert appeared on this occa- sion also, and stayed some time with her. To the question, how it came that her guardian spirit, notwithstanding her having said that she would see him first again in Schwaik- heim, yet appeared to her, she replied : " I did not say that he would not appear to me at all, in this place, but that he could not approach me so closely, that is, could not work upon me so powerfully, as through H. For this reason, he did not remain with me so long as in Schnaith. ,, My mother, who was living with my sister, approached her bed ; but her influence also was not beneficial to her. On this occasion too, R. complained more than once, smiling indeed, but drawing up her nose and rubbing it, at my frequent pinches of snufF, using the words ; *' Why can he not leave off his snuffing." On the 16th of April, at two in the afternoon, a new crisis was announced by sickness, sighing and difficulty of breathing, and was fully introduced by the usual cramps, lasting about ten minutes. When her body was at rest, and her breathing had become slight, and scarce perceptible, she crossed her arms on her breast and said: "I may now converse longer with my Albert, let me therefore rest." In this way, she lay more than three quarters of an hour, like the form of one who had passed away without preceding disease. Afterwards, her features showed from time to time an expression by turns of friendliness, of seriousness, of attention, and silent mournfulness. At length she began to be restless, and when she was asked the reason, re- plied : My Albert has not granted me this time rny request to visit Schnaith." I asked — Why not this time 1 " He says it will do me no good, as I am in no contact with II., and merely visiting him at a distance will only make me more unquiet." My sister's husband had put on paper several questions which he wished to propose to the somnambulist, and as he did not a fleet her favorably himself, he communicated them to her through his wife L., with whom a kind of rapport had been re- stored. There was, however, some among them, which, though answered correctly, must here be passed over in silence. She was asked whether an absolute predestination was taught in HISTORY OF THE CASE. 49 the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, Hereto she answered very seriously : " What God has not seen fit to re- veal to man, he should not dive into." L. asked : We must be childlike, must we not, in our faith 1 (With a friendly smile :) " Yes, that is the right way." Is it taught, it was further asked, in holy writ, that there shall be an drroKardsrasis nduron-, (a resto- ration of all things ]) " Yes, every soul in which there is any 'thing good will finally be saved."* Now followed the question : ! What death did the apostles, Peter and Paul, die 7 ? (At this question she became very restless, and her whole body began to tremble. After some time she answered :) " Peter died on the cross. How Paul died I cannot tell. But put no more such 1 questions to me, I pray. They have no other end than that of curiosity. (Smiling.) I am inclined to think the next question on the paper is, who will be mayor in P. But this I shall not answer. It is quite too unimportant. Such questions answer no good purpose. Soon after, R. became restless and said : — A lady has arrived and is in the adjoining chamber." To the question, who is she 1 she answered quite correctly : "Mrs H. of L. ; she has just inquired of your mother, how I am. (After a pause :) My Albert will not visit me again until a week from | the next Monday, on the 28th of April ; ah, I must suffer much in the stomach until that time. But he says I may go soon to Schwaikheim ; the day, however, my Albert does not determine." She now rested again for a considerable time, with her eyes closed, and her lips moving from time to time. Before waking, she once more addressed my sister and said to her : k4 L., you are good ; for this reason it was ordered that I should come to you ; i my Albert knew well, that I would meet with a loving reception from you." About half past four o'clock, she awoke with pretty severe cramps of the breast, and spasms in the extremities. The following matters of interest pertaining to this day are yet to be noted. At the noon day meal, and in the waking state of | the patient, the conversation turned upon obituaries and their composition. Each one gave his view, about the best style of * If by combat against evils as sins, man has procured to himself any thing spiritual in the world, be it ever so small, he is saved, and his uses grow i afterwards like a grain of mustard seed into a tree, according to the Lord's words, in Matthew, Chap, xiii, 32.— D. L. 17. 50 HISTORY OF THE CASE. such public notices, on which occasion R. observed : " Short and feeling notices of this kind are those which please me best. Some time ago I read one in the Swabian Mercury, which pleased me very much ; it was thus : i( Softly fell asleep on the 15th of April, after a sickness of only two days, and passed to a better life, Jos. of Th., loved, honored, admired by the few who knew her well ; a rare instance of one, in whom innocent and child- like simplicity were united with the richest and most general cultivation, and a masculine understanding. Of this irreparable loss, &c." It was replied to her thereupon, that yesterday was the 15th of April, that no one had read this obituary, that the girl to whom it related was still living ; but R. maintained firmly that she had distinctly read this notice a short time ago. On Sunday, the 20th, there came several papers together, as is common in R. where they cannot be had daily, and among them was No. 104, of the 17th of April, which contained the above obituary, word for word ; it was dated the 15th, but was not printed before the 16th. They were all so much the more astonished at this remarkable coincidence, as R. had not even left the house, much less the place, since the 16th, and could from no quarter have received intelligence concerning the death of the girl, of whom neither she nor any in the house had the remotest knowledge. Of the phenomena which attended the crisis announced on the 28th of April, nothing can here be said, inasmuch as nothing relating to them was committed to paper, or reported to me by letter — save only that the cramps attending it were quite simi- lar to the earlier ones. On the 4th of May, my brother C. visited the patient in R. The latter had foretold his arrival, of which nothing could have been known there on that day. At half past one in the afternoon, the usual cramps came on, after a short indisposition, and there- upon the magnetic sleep, which lasted this time longer than usual. The cramps were severe, and accompanied by frightful convulsions ; there were turns of suffocation, and even during the sleep, the spasms and the violent pains in the stomach did not cease. The parish priest, R. of P. who happened to be present, offered his services and asked the patient : Can I come into relation with you? to which she replied : "Lay your hand HISTORY OF THE CASE. 51 J jpon me and it will relieve me." To the further question shall { magnetize you : she replied in the negative, and added : " ,i Cease, I beg of you, to address me in the plural. I cannot : bear to hear it." In this sleep she prescribed to herself a tea of violets and cowslips, which also was of service (History of two Somnambulists,) to Dr. Kerner's subject. On the 3d of May, R. heard a voice calling her name early in the morning as she lay awake in bed. She rose up in bed s and looked about. As she heard nothing and saw nothing, she =lay down again ; but directly she heard the voice a second 9 time distinctly call her name. She rose up again, and now saw a bright form, which she said was that of her magnatizer, my- self, which however disappeared after a few moments. On this - day, (the 4th,) my sister L. inquired more particularly of R., after she had fallen into the crisis, concerning this phenomenon, | and received for answer that she had really seen me. On the same day also R. foretold, that she should thenceforth have no more magnetic attacks in R. When asked the reason of it, she replied : "I shall set out for Schwaikheim ; when, I cannot yet : say. I shall have another crisis this evening, in which I shall learn the time of my departure. My Albert tells me that I 1 must not travel on Wednesday, as I shall be much troubled on that day with cramps." Shortly after, she awoke with the usual cramps. i At nine in the night, she was attacked with frightful cramps i and convulsions, which lasted till half past eleven, and termi- nated at length in a general rigidity. Those about her feared i for her life. Motion and life, however, returned by degrees, 1 and along with them waking consciousness. I learned further from my sister, that she had wept and prayed much in the j crisis of that day, and at one time pronounced audibly the following lines : — Holy to live and happy die, Glorious then again to rise, And with the just enjoy on high, To evil men denied, the prize — What happiness can greater be ? Is this, dear Lord, reserved for me I From the 6th to the 15th of May, there occurred no more 52 HISTORY OF THE CASE. magnetic sleeps ; but, on the other hand, she suffered much from qualms and cramps of the breast and stomach. Some- times a transient state of rigidity took place in particular limbs, and sometimes she felt in them shooting pains. Her mood, for the most part, was sad and tearful. May 16th. R. reached Schwaikheim this day at eleven o'clock in the afternoon. In half an hour after she arrived, the magnetic sleep made its appearance, having been preceded by sick stomach and cramps lasting about ten minutes. Scarcely was she magneti- cally waking, when her features, hitherto expressive of suffering, cleared up, she testified lively joy at being again near me, and spoke with evident satisfaction of the sensation of relief which was caused by my laying my hand upon her stomach. " Mean time, she said, I will not speak much to day, for I am exhausted by the journey." Agreeably to her wish, she was left to rest quietly on a sofa, and no further questions were put to her. About half-past one she began to speak of her own accord : Ah, how much I am strengthened ! God be thanked, that I am permitted to be here once more ! Had you been with me in R. I should have been spared much suffering. But it was so or- dered. I have fallen back much in my health from this long absence. My connection with you was already constituted, and I now feel, for the first time, that its severance was atten- ded with bad consequences for me. But every thing will go on, slowly to be sure, but well. What is lost can be recovered ; it is not too late. (A pause.) Such was God's will, and that must always be done, cost what it may. (She weeps, folds her hands and prays.) Yes, Thy mercy extends to me also, Thou God of truth. I, too, am a plant in Thy garden — Thou hast blessed me hitherto with infinite love ; Thou wilt continue still to do so. In the height of its bloom it is, that the plant requires peculiar protection ; that protection do Thou afford to me. Firmly I believe, that Thou wilt be to me a prop, leaning on which, the storms of life will pass over me harmless. No, I am not planted for this rough earth alone ; I am destined to bloom again there in the everlasting garden of my God. (A HISTORY OF THE CASE. 53 pause.) I feel very warm ; be so good as to blow lightly into my face. (I did so ; whereupon she said smilingly :) Your breath smells like the most delicate fragrance of apricots.* It cools and refreshes me. (After some time my mother stepped into the chamber, when suddenly her whole body began to tremble ; the same thing had occurred just be- fore at the entrance of my brother C. I asked her therefore : cannot something be done to prevent your being so much agitated when any one enters the chamber? She re- plied : " Nothing can be done for this ; I cannot change it, nei- ther can you. It is the consequence of my excitable state ; it always pains me when persons approach me, be they who they will, yourself excepted. But especially painful and oppressive to me are those whose influence upon my nerves does not cor- respond to yours ; it always gives rise to cramps. That which animates my nerves, too, is often not in harmony with that which animates the nerves of others. I cannot tell you what that is, and much less the nature of this diversity ; but I know from my Albert, in whom I see it, that the cause can lie both in the body and in the spirit. The state of the health and mode of life have an effect, and not less, the person's principles and dispositions. (These expressions I drew from her by a series of questions, which are omitted for the sake of brevity.) But how can you, when persons approach you, seen at a distance, feel them pain- fully 1 " Every man, even one awake and in health, has an atmos- phere,! which has a certain extension. That of persons in the magnetic state is wider than that of the healthy. When the * That the blood nourishes itself with suitable matters from the air in- spired, is evident from the immense abundance of odors and exhalations that are continually issuing from shrubberies, gardens and plantations, and from the immense quantity of salts of various kinds issuing with water from land, rivers and lakes, and from the immense quantity of manure and animal exhalations and effluvia with which the air is impregnated. That these enter the lungs with the air cannot be denied. And as this is the case, it cannot be denied that the blood attracts therefrom such things as are servicable to it, and those things are servicable that correspond to the affections of its love. — That men in the world impregnate their blood with similar things according to correspondence of their love, follows of consequence ; for what a man's spirit loves, that, according to correspon- dence, his blood craves and attracts in respiration. — D. L. W. 420. t There goes out, yea flows forth from every man a spiritual sphere from the affections of his love, which encompasses him and infuses itself into 54 History of the case. two come in contact and blend, there arises in me, as being the more excitable, that sense of pain to which I can give no name, and which the healthy cannot experience at all. With you, however, it is the opposite ; near you, I feel comfortably, because that w T hich animates our nerves is in agreement." But will it not be well, that in your crisis another besides myself should be present in the chamber? "It is advisable, by all means, in order to avoid evil surmises ; however, I beg that no j one besides yourself may come near me while I am asleep. It is my wish as well as yours ; by degrees, however, I shall accustom myself to the presence of others. At first, indeed, it would be best for me to be alone with you." What do you mean by the words : at first ] "I mean the first attacks, which will follow each other in quick succession. In these, at their commencement, I could wish to be alone with you for a short time, which I will mark out, until your influence over me is restored to its destined state. In narrow chambers, the presence of strangers just at that time operates much more distressingly upon our atmospheres.' ' This point can be attended to, so long as you direct. (She now desired to rest some time longer, and accordingly lay quiet for about twenty minutes. Suddenly a general cramp shook her whole system, and she awoke cheerful and strengthened, about half past two.) 7 to 10, P. M. The whole of the afternoon R. was comfortable. About six o'clock she complained of a desire to vomit, and afterwards, of difficulty of breathing ; about a quarter past six, she was obliged to lie down, as she could scarcely move her feet, which felt as if asleep. About seven, the usual introductory cramps made their appearance. After they had ceased, which was in ten minutes, she sighed deeply, and with a pleasant smile raised her hands and arms as if towards some beloved object at a distance, and exclaimed : " Now you are again nearer to me, my dear Albert, the natural sphere which encompasses him, so that the two spheres are conjoined. — A. C. 4 / l / 10. For spheres are, as it were, the atmospheres of spirits in which thev live s. I) 3817. V y HISTORY OF THE CASE. 55 j your heavenly power pervades me again strongly ; oh, how I thank you. (A pause.) Ah, only see, he is again quite near you ; a stream of light proceeds from him to you ; I see it quite plainly. How resplendent is the sight!" (While I was drink- ing beer from a glass, I observed that as often as I swallowed ! she did the like. I said therefore :) You seem to relish the beer. " Yes — it is very good. You joke and laugh at such a c thing, but it is so. I do indeed taste it." But you took none of j it into your mouth, and yet you swallow and taste it 1 How am I to understand this ] (She smiles.) ' ' That surprises you, but j yet it is very natural. I share your bodily sensations, even t your motions I am often obliged to imitate." Whence does this come? *' I can only feel through you. My life and yours have become one life ; that which gives life and feeling has become so in common to us both that we are not two persons." Still, I do not understand how you can feel what I feel. 4{ Ima- gine my body now as in a state approaching death ; the power through which we feel we both of us have in common, and when you taste any thing, I taste it of necessity also, through that which gives us life in common, which all living beings have and which I cannot give a name to."* Why do your mouth and neck move when I swallow % This is without an object, if you have the sense and taste of what I take while your stomach does not receive any thing 1 " It proceeds from the fact that I am not dead." I do not understand it. " Under- stand me, I pray you. I am still alive, even as to the body. My soul is still in my body, but attached to it only slightly, so that it lies as it were powerless. The soul still exercises a control over it, the body obeying, because it is present, all its behests. But this control it exercises only when you will have it. And so my body does w T hat you will." But I did not will you to swallow ? " My soul also depends on you through the body. When you swallow my soul feels an impulse forthwith to do the same. Henceforth this will happen more frequently, because I shall come yet more closely in connection with you. * All animals 3 great and small, derive their origin from the spiritual principle in the ultimate or natural degree.—-/). L. W. 346. 56 HISTORY OF THE CASE. Subsequently it will happen more seldom, and at last cease entirely.' ' (After some time I put to my nose a bottle of Cologne water which my brother had handed me. Here the cor- rectness of the explanation she had given manifested itself com- pletely — at least as to the result. The scent of this article had never been pleasant to me, while she, in the waking state, was very fond of it. Nevertheless she said, the moment I ap- proached the bottle to my nose :) " Oh, do not ; it is disagree- able to me. (A pause.) Lay your hand, if you please, some- what higher on the pit of my stomach, and endeavor to operate healingly upon me by your vital power through the hand." How can I do this, and what suggested this thought to you 1 " My Albert just told me to say it." But how shall I set about if? " Albert says you have only to will." (I did as she di- rected me, and immediately her body rose by degrees, so that it rested only on the top of her head and on her heels. The motion and posture somewhat startled me, and she all at once sank back, saying ;) Do not be afraid ; it is well, very well — so it must be — you must not indeed make passes, but your part must be performed through the hand. (I had risen from my seat.) "Ah, now I see you better." Whence is that? " Because I see through the stomach ; I see more clearly too, because you are pressing your hand more firmly. While you were sitting, I did not see you entirely. I saw your hand, and your head through your hand. But it is not always so. My soul is often confined, as it were, by a spell to the pit of the stomach, and at such times can only look out from this point as through an aperture. Soon again it sees, (but only for a moment,) my own and your body entire. It is, as though it were leaving the body and re-entering it, by fits and starts.* But my Albert tells me I must now rest. (She lies quietly for about an hour with her arms crossed, as usual, over her breast* After this she begins to speak again, of her own accord :) Ah, Albert, how glorious is the sight you show me !" Where are you with Albert? "In the sun." Are you alone with Albert there 1 " No, there are many beings here whom I do not * When T had let my spirit into the body I was not seen by you, but when T had let it out of the body, I was seen.— T. C. R. 280. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 57 know. I arnon a different part of the sun, from that which I was lately permitted to enter. Oh, how delightful this state is to me ; my life receives nourishment, my soul gets food here. Every thing healthful is assembled here. Yes, in this way I cannot but recover." What do you find healthful to you in the sun 7 — " Life flows into me here ; but Albert says I am to stay here only a short time with my soul, to prepare me for passing to the evening-star, which at present is better for me." You speak very strange things. Your body is on earth ; how can you speak of remedies which your soul fetches for your body in the sun 1 " Why should I not say so, when it is really the case 1 My'Albert says, that my soul takes from the vital power of the sun a portion to itself, and it is still united to the body. There is nothing inconceivable about this ; however, Albert says it is so, and you must believe it. In Venus, he says, it is the same. Only the influence of this planet operates differently on my life." To this I can say nothing, except that I do not comprehend it. " Your doubts are not agreeable to my Al- bert." I did not say I doubted. " But such was your thought." (Here she was right.) When will you be transported into Venus 7 u In fourteen minutes from this time — and till then I must lie quite still and only talk in silence with my Albert." (In a quarter of an hour she moved her arms joyfully and said :) Now I am there." Where? u In the evening-star. Here, also, every thing is very fair : but its living force is not so pene- trating as that of the sun, although the influence of the sun is milder and softer. Here, however, I am to be ; it is better for my health. (A pause of several minutes.) " Where I am now the heat is not great." Can the soul then feel heat also? It is not indeed heat, but something at least related to it ; it is higher than earthly heat ;* I cannot give it a name, and yet it comes, my Albert says, from the sun.f My soul feels it, and *The heat of the world does not enter the heavens at all, because it is too gross, and is natural and not spiritual. — H. fy H. 135. t Something shall now be said concerning the heat of heaven. The heat of heaven in its essence is love. It proceeds from the Lord as a sun, which sun is the divine love in the Lord and from the Lord. — H. $ H. 133. That love, proceeding from the Lord as a sun, is felt in heaven as heat ? 3* 58 HISTORY OF THE CASE. for us magnetics this temperature is just the fitting one." Are you alone with Albert there 1 " No, Albert has with him be- sides myself three other female patients who are all magnetic, but in a higher degree than myself. They are magnetized artificially. They are all of about my age, and will recover as well as myself?" Who is with them when Albert is not? " They have their guardian-spirits, like all others, and their physicians who magnetize them." How comes it that Albert, who is your guardian-spirit, takes care of their persons also, who yet have, as you say, their own guardian-spirits ? " That is the ordination of God, and Albert loves greatly this business, which is now committed to him as his employment in the higher life. This is his business, until he is permitted to enter into a higher sphere of activity ; but not exclusively so; he has much more to do. It is the highest pleasure to him to help, to deliver, to mitigate pain."* This is a calling I would gladly pursue be- yond the grave. " Be as good as he is, and this happiness may be your portion. O, even on earth, it is a blessed employment to do good ; but in the higher world it is recompensed a thousand fold.f (A longer pause.) If I could only repay you what you are now doing for me ! (A pause.) Still I can at least (laying her hand upon my still feeble stomach) say how matters stand with your health, and give you some relief. I see your stomach ; the beer you have drunk agrees with you ; only, drink no more than one glass until I allow you more. You need not fear for your stomach ; it is better than you think. All will come outright, if you drink water every day as usual, and are careful to take moderate ex- ercise." (The last words she spoke so low that I scarcely heard them.) Why do you speak so low! " My breast is is because the interiors of the angels, from the divine good which is from the Lord are in love, whence the exteriors which grow warm thence are in heat. From this it is, that in heaven heat and love so correspond to each other, that every one there js in heat such as the love he is in.— //. the above I shall add tins memorable relation. I was onre seized M.ld.nly with a dtteaae that seemed to threaten my life. I suffered ex- gmatmg pain all over mv Lead ; a pestilential smoke ascended from that J ..rusal,.,,. which iH called Sodom and Egypt ; half dead wi the se^er tv HISTORY OF THE CASE. 75 I never had a feeling like it. It was not fall, nor pressure, nor I shock : I can give it no name ; but the reaction on my body was perceptible to my sensations, exactly as when the soul feels through the body a sudden blow by which it is greatly startled. This mutual action is much more sensible in a state like my present one. But now Albert wishes me to rest for fourteen minutes. (After this time had passed, during which there were j frequent contortions of the muscles of the face, particularly of j the lips, she said :) " You wish to ask more questions, do you j not V 9 Yes : how comes it that Albert yesterday chose you for the medium of communicating his power to me, notwithstanding j you maintained before, that Albert could not and might not ope- ] rate upon you immediately without injury ? " You forget that ] before Albert operates on me I always enter into communion J with your powers both of body and soul. This takes place , most intimately, when the cramps before the magnetic waking , state are passed, and you lay your hand on me. If Albert now ( desires to operate on me or yourself, it is not done immediately, since his celestial power is blended with our mutual vitality. It is then entirely at his option, what direction his healing life- stream takes within the magnetic circle, whether through you into me, or vice versa, or whether into you alone without pas- sing through my body. In the last case, however, his operation on you is not immediate, but tempered, and, so to speak, hu- f manized by my life-stream and your own, which have blended together. Now, last night, when I was so happy as to be your physician, Albert so ordered it that a vital ray, proceeding from 1 his interior and received by our life in common should pass into * my body ; and from it, working healingly by this transition, stream over into you. In this way, he says, it was good to af- 1 feet you, and the result has proved it. O doubt no more, I be- ' seech you ; my Albert always knows better than we what and j how all is to be ordered. Now I am to rest again, my Albert , says, and then to look into my body. (She lies still for half an I hour ; at length she speaks again :) My lungs look badly ; there I are some spots on the right lobe, which will yet give me trouble. Still no incurable affection of the breast will arise from them* I I shall not, when waking, take sufficient care of myself, although gg HISTORY OF THE CASE. you and others will warn me, and I shall have to suffer for it.* At present I see also into your stomach ; things are well there —better than in ray lungs. You may cherish a well grounded expectation to see the last trace of that affection gradually dis- appearing, if you are particularly careful in regard to your diet, and do not grow indifferent." (She now speaks quite low to herself; it was plain, however, from her looks that she was employed in questions and answers, for which reason I ask, after gome time :) Are you speaking with Albert? " Yes." What is the subject of your conversation 1 " Of that you are to know nothing ; such is my Albert's will. If I should undertake to tell you, my tongue would immediately be paralyzed again ; so, speak no more of it ; something else rather ; you have yet an- other question on your lips V 9 Yes ; but can you also tell what 1 would ask you about? (She thinks for some time, pressing my hand meanwhile more closely to the pit of her stomaeh, and then says, somewhat out of humor :) " It is the old thing over again ; I can give you no explanations besides those you have already had." You are mistaken. The question I wished to ask I have never yet put to you. (She presses my hand again and more closely to the pit of her stomach, and seems for several minutes to be reflecting silently ; at length she says in a pleasant manner :) u Yes, you are right ; it was not what I supposed. It is your wish, is it not, to learn from Albert something relating to me and yourself?" It is; try now whether you can find out what it is from Albert's looks, or in me. (R. is silent for some time ; soon she begins to tremble, becomes pale and stiff, and her breath seems to be entirely gone. When I perceived these appearances, which, as I had called them forth, caused me to feel uneasy, I rose and breathed several times on her stomach, whereupon, after a deep sigh, her consciousness returned. Scarcely had she again taken my hand, when she said :) Yes, it is something quite other than Albert's personality and the influx of light from him into me wliich you desire to know." What is it then? "You wish to An inflammation of the lungs, with which R. was attacked some montha after her recovery, and which brought her to the brink of the tjives significance to this expression.— Note by the Author. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 7 know about the operations of my soul, when your and Albert's • influence are brought to bear upon me." Exactly, it is the very '* thing I wished to know ; you astonish me. (She smiles.) " When -I shall have answered your question, it will no longer appear to you so extraordinary that I could know it." But tell me first 'of all, why you had so violent an attack just now. " I had a mind to see in my Albert what you wished to ask about ; but I ' saw nothing, as he was peremptory that I should read it in your • soul.* This cost me a considerable effort on account of the v waving of your life-stream, which appeared at onetime clearer, at another more obscure ; your will, also, was not always direc- < ted to it with equal intensity. Thence came the struggle ; I • was not unconscious ; I was much more clairvoyant than now, J since my body lay as if dead. But I must give an answer to 1 your question. My Albert tells me thus. As soon as the i cramps begin, my spirit and my soul are loosened from the ] body. The more noble of the two, the spirit, leaves first, the > soul follows it. The influx of yourself and Albert helps with c the cramps to bring about this severance. These would ope- j rate destructively on my body, if you and Albert did not control ' their energy. But my soul continues, however, still with the : body. You are not, nevertheless, to think of the soul as being bound to one place, as a person is bound. As soon as it leaves I its body, it is not with the body like a person, and yet it is with it ; it is both near and far from it. It has now a wide field of | vision, and is there principally where it works, perceives, or ' feels. f These, however, are only different names for one and ! the same employment. It continues all the while in connec- tion with the body ; even when apparently dead, it still lives in it ; were it separated entirely, actual death would be the * For when spirits come to man, they enter into all his memory, and excite thence whatever suits themselves ; yea, what I have often observed, they read the things contained therein as out of a book. — E. U. 13. t Since by the spirit of man is meant his mind, therefore by being in the spirit which is sometimes said in the Word, is meant a state of the mind separate from the body ; and because in that state, the prophets saw such things as exist m the spiritual world, therefore that is called the vision of God. Their state then was such as that of spirits themselves is, and angels in that world. In that state, the spirit of man, like his mind as to sight, may be transported from place to place, the body remaining in its own.— T. C. R. 157. 78 HISTORY OF THE CASE. consequence." Is every magnetic crisis, then, a kind of deaths "Yes, it is just so; we might call each magnetic sleep the commencement of death." What part is performed in all this by the nerves of your brain?—" For the most part none what- ever, although vital power still streams into them from my soul ; this takes place in so low a degree that they are of neces- sity thrown out of activity. So it is often with all parts of my body ; and then my soul is farther separated and more free from the body; for the most part, however, it still stands in need of the body in order for perception. It sounds no doubt oddly, when I say : I see through the stomach or the forehead ; but my soul, notwithstanding, sees quite otherwise than it can through the eye, hears otherwise, feels and observes all more perfectly than before.* How it is I cannot explain ; I do not know myself, as Albert is silent on the subject ; and if I did understand it, I should want words to explain, and you could not comprehend it. Thus much only I can say, that I seem often to behold every thing at once, but this only for a moment ; then I often see nothing, and again some particular object. If I could always see so perfectly, I should be dead. So long as I can speak with you, I perceive for the most part what you say, and your thoughts, which I read, are a guide to me. If I speak with Albert alone, the power of his soul exercises a strong attraction and force upon me ; hence I often rise a great distance with him, because he is so pure, so good, so holy, and withal so strong."f But how is the spirit united with the soul 1 And what is the difference between the two ? " The spirit * For man when he enters the spiritual world or the life after death, is in a body as in the world. Hut slill the difference between the life of man in the spiritual world, and his life in the natural world, is great, as well with respect to the external senses and their affections, as with respect to the internal senses ami their affections. Those who are in heaven perceive by the senses, thai is, they see and hear, much more exquisitely, and also think more wisely, than when they were in the world : for they see from the light of heaven, Which exceeds by many degrees the light of the world ; they hear also l>y a spiritual atmosphere, which likewise by many degrees ei thi t of .ho earth. — II. fy H. tSuch were the ancient times ; w herefore angels could then converge with men, and convey their minds, almost separate from things corporeal into beaven.-%E. U. 4U. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 79 can receive into itself the Highest;* the soul can only think and feel it." I do not understand. " The Divine can be essentially in the spirit, and the soul forms itself after the spirit. The soul has something corporeal about it,f the spirit has not; it is united with the body only through the soul. And yet soul and spirit are only one % % not divided ; they are blended, melted together. Only the spirit is the abiding, the soul is changeable, shaping itself after the spirit. But I am now exhausted, and must rest. Albert orders it too. (She now T lies quietly till a a quarter before nine, when she went on as follows :) I shall now wake up. Albert leaves me. My next sleep will occur the day after to-morrow, at six in the evening. To-morrow I shall be attacked with great qualms, but it will not come to a sleep. The day after, C. and M., your wife and mother, can be I present, if they wish it, during the greater part of the sleep ; j I shall be able, now, to bear them better when both together. j (At this moment my child, a boy of four years and a half, raises ; a cry at the door, opens it and leads in with great joy and pride I a wooden horse. R. observes him as soon as he gets into the ; chamber, and says ;) O, bring the little fellow to me ; his , presence produces a very good effect on me ; he is so childlike, \ so affectionate, so good ! When he grows up, my Albert says j he will guard him.§ In those years when more heavy tempta- \ tions beset him, he will take him into his special care. He is a \ very good child. Albert takes great delight in him; you too * Every angel, as well as every man, has an inmost or supreme degree, or a certain inmost or supreme state, into which the Lord's Divine Essence is first of all or proximately influent, and from which He arranges the other interior states, which they have in succession according to the degrees of order. This inmost or supreme state may be called the Lord's entrance to an angel, and to man, and His veriest habitation with them. — H. $ H. 39. t Thence it follows that the human mind is organized inwardly, of spiritual substances, and outwardly, of natural substances, and lastly, of material substances. — T. C. R. 38. s t It is a tenet of angelic wisdom that the mind of a man is a man, because God is man, and that the body (i. e. the spiritual body) is the external of the mind, that feels and acts, and that thus they are one and not two.— D. L. W. 369. § And as they (infants,) grow up and come to the exercise of their own right and their own reason, the guardian angels leave them, and they asso- ciate to themselves such spirits as make one with their life and faith. — T. C. R. 677, 80 HISTORY OF THE CASE. will experience much joy from him. (A pause, during which she holds the boy by the hand, who gazes in wonder at one asleep, yet speaking intones so unusually solemn.) Corporeally he has also much from you ; and for this reason too it is so beneficial to have him near me. (She now lays her hand on his head and says :) God bless thee, dear child! O God, take his heart into Thy keeping, that it may remain good !" (After these words she sinks back on the bed, begins to tremble and develope her usual cramps. They last only five or six minutes, and terminate with a loud groaning, and a sudden, violent agitation of the body, upon which she immediately opens her eyes.) May 21s*. A little after four in the afternoon, R. experiences nausea, succeeded by unconsciousness, and finally a stiffening of the whole body. In three quarters of an hour the rigidity was relaxed by my laying on my hand and breathing on the pit of her stomach, when she recovered her speech. * To-day, she said, I am in a peculiar state, which has come on from weakness in consequence of my present singular bodily indisposition. I am only half magnetized, and see at times very clearly, but often scarcely at all. I hear with the left ear and see, now from my eyes, now from the pit of the stomach, but at this moment, besides you, nothing in the world." Make the attempt once to see through your fc re head. (She made a visible effort to comply with my wish, the muscles of the forehead moved, and she said after a few minutes :) " I now see you through the forehead." Can you now see again through the eyes, if I desire it] "Yes, I can. (She moves her eyes and the skin of the forehead for some time.) Now I see through the eyes." How can you effect that ? " How, 1 do not know ; I make the effort and do it. (Directly she transferred the seat of vision again to the forehead, obser- ving at the same time :) It seems as if a trap or a curtain fell all at once from before my forehead, when I have a mind to see through it, or as if a sliding-windovv were pushed this way and that But I cannot explain to you how it happens. (Hereupon I observe, that when she saw through the forehead, the eyes had a fixed and sidelong look, which was not the case when she HISTORY OF THE CASE. 81 said she saw with her eyes. She said further :) At this time I do not see my Albert either ; still I know that he sees me, and does not overlook me. I feel that he will come to us yet for a moment and communicate something to you." How can that be 1 " You will hear it ; I do not know it. (In this condition R. was much more cheerful than in the proper and perfect magnetic state. She was more friendly than usual, and could even — a thing she did not like at other times in the crisis and tolerated least of all in me — jest occasionally, and laugh heartily. She was aJso able, while she lay in this half-sleep, to look into dis- tant places here and there on the earth. She saw her sisters in U. as they were taking a meal together in the 6itting-room, and looked at R. in the kitchen of the rectory, where she saw my sister L. engaged in preparations for supper. In particular she observed more than once, that L. went hither and thither fre- quently in the kitchen, but was somewhat out of humor because she had a head-ache. In this state she remembered also, that she was much better pleased in her waking life with the name of R. than of Felicitas, which last she could not bear. At length becoming more serious she said :) I see my Albert com- ing ; he is here ; what he has to tell you concerns myself alone." What is it] — Can you now tell it 1 " He bids me tell you, that you must now forthwith, for seven minutes, press my two knees firmly together with your hands, and at the same time press downwards, and support the pressure downwards with your will." What good will this do] "It will relieve me greatly ; only do it. Just now it will be of particular service to me." (When I had gone through this manipulation her face brightened more than usual ; she rose with the upper part of her body, notwithstanding she had crossed her hands over her breast, in a free and gradual manner towards me, so that I be- gan to feel somewhat awed, and said :) t; Thou faithful helper !" (and thereupon lay quietly and slowly down again.) Why did you rise towards me I " You attracted me, but immediately repelled me again. For a moment you withdrew your power from me entirely." Why so 1 " The way in which I rose up was something new and surprising to you ; you were startled at it, and I felt your emotion." Yes, such was the case — but l ell me how can you talk with Albert ; how does he make him- *4 g2 HISTORY OF THE CASE. self understood by you ! " He speaks nothing ; I see in him all that he wills and thinks !* Even when he is friendly and smiles, he does not do it with the mouth ; he speaks and thinks and wishes all with his whole being at once. Just now he said to me or rather gave me to understand, that I would have done well had I followed the advice given to me early in the morning, and left off my corslets. Had I done so, the operation on the knees this evening would have been unnecessary. (At half-past five R. awakes, after some qualms like those experienced about four, without any cramps or agitations of the body.) May 22d, 6 to 9, P. M. Unusually violent and long continued cramps preceded this time the magnetic sleep. The chest was especially affected, and her respiration ceased so entirely for half a minute, while the movements of the body and the anxious countenance indica- ted a struggling for breath, that I felt apprehensive for the life of the sufferer. However, she became more quiet about half- past six, her limbs gradually extended for the last violent agi- tations which always preceded the magnetic awakening, and - hoy had passed, her features brightened up, and in a short time she began to speak pleasantly of her own accord ; O God, Thou dealest with me lovingly and like a Father. Thou hast again sent him to me, my faithful physician, who in my troubles never leaves me. (She folds her hands.) Heart- felt thanks to Thee for the same. Still care for me, Thy suffer- ing child; Thou wilt do so; I know it well. Art Thou not my Father, my All 1 (After a short pause, to me :) Lay your hand now somewhat higher on the pit of my stomach. (To Albert:) and you have not come alone, my guardian] What have you brought with you for me ] (A pause.) Ah ! a glo- rious flower ] Such a one saw I never yet ;f the purple of its cup burns like fire ; and how majestically it stands by my Al- bert's Bide ! (She pondprs.) Truly this flower has great There is also speech (among the angels) by gestures corresponding to the affections, and representing things similar to what are represented by words.- //. g //. 244. ere are also species of trees and flowers there, which are no Where seen, nor can exist in iho world.— if. ty //. 176. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 83 meaning for me ; I see this in Albert." What meaning 1 li I do not know altogether, as yet, but I shall learn it. It is quite like you." Like mel " So I said." I cannot imagine that I have any resemblance to a flower. " Still it is so." How is that possible? " I cannot as yet see rightly ; but there is cer- tainly a relation in the flower to us. When I learn more about it, I will communicate it to you." I am in truth very cu- rious to know how it is ; describe me the flower, I pray, by its exterior. tc It is a noble, majestic plant, more than six feet high : it is as tall as my Albert, and stands at his side." Is it a plant like any which we have on earth 1 " Yes, but only par- tially so ; it has a stalk and leaves, and a gloriously beautiful flower of a purple color adorns its summit, and has the shape of a cup. The colors are fair beyond those of earth ;* the green of the leaves and the red of the flowers is embroidered as it were with many golden beams, threads and points. The stalk is con- stantly flaming upwards in splendid light, as if a stream of golden light were coursing through it without intermission. " Has the plant roots also ] " No, here it is different ; the flower does not draw its life and vigor from any solid body, but im- bibes them from without." Is it broken off, that Albert could bring it with him? and where do such flowers grow ] "In the sun there are many such plants ; they float at large, and do not, like the plants in our world, adhere to the bodies in the sun. Thus they exist, attracting the vital force of the sun, as it were, independently. They receive no gross sap through roots for their nourishment, like earthly plants." It needs a strong faith to believe this, my good Seeress. (Offended.) *'• My Albert tells me so, and you are at liberty to believe it or not, as you like. But you will yet hear much which you must re- ceive without being able to comprehend it. But now I wish to be alone with Albert for twenty-eight minutes. (She lays her hands over her breast and lies exactly that length of time without moving. During this interval I was struck with the phenomenon which had manifested itself in her last half- sleep when her body was attracted towards in e. I made the * Colors are seen in the other life which so far surpass in brilliancy and lustre the splendid colors of the world, that they can scarcely be com- pared together. — A. C. 4530. 84 HISTORY OF THE CASE. trial, as she was lying thus still, so to operate upon her through a fixed purpose that her body should follow the attraction of mine. For this end I held the thumbs of my two hands at the distance of about three inches from her, willing that they should adhere to mine. Scarcely had I done so, when her arms opened by successive jerks or hitches, and she rose again with the upper part of her body towards me. I drew back, and she continued to follow me, until I feared she would fall at last out of bed. I therefore changed my direction again, gradually approaching her feet. The upper part of her person still fol- lowed me ; on which occasion I was struck with the fact, that when I approached my forehead to hers it followed mine, while at the 6ame time her arm, when I approached my thumb to it and made a motion opposite to that of the head, turned towards my thumb and so to the opposite side, so that one part of her body could be drawn in one direction, the other in the other. I now left the chamber for a moment. When I returned and took a seat by her bed, she said quickly :) You smell strangely ; what have you about you ] (She imitated the sound and the movement of smelling with the nose.) You have something peculiar about you. What is it ?" I do not know what you smell. (She became more and more restless and excited, did not lie still a moment, and all her limbs, even the head and the muscles of the face, began to play in a lively manner. Mean- while I took in all silence an armed magnet, which I had just brought and had hitherto concealed in the breast pocket of my coat where it had been about two feet from her, held it enclosed in my left hand, and laid it upon her stomach. Scarcely had I done this, when she began to tremble lightly, then to laugh, to sing at intervals, and to make the oddest motions. Every moment she declared :) M Ah, that is good, very good ; but remove it, take it away." When I went to remove it, she grasped my hand and would not let it go. At length I lifted it about a foot above her stomach, whereupon her body rose to that height, so that she rested only on her heels and her head. This however seemed to exhaust her ; for which reason I laid the stone on B table which stood near. Doubtless I executed this movement suddenly ; for she said very quickly and with some ill— humor : " Ah, that pulls and tears me again ! Can you not HISTORY OF THE CASE. 85 then proceed more gently with me 1 You should not have removed the stone from me so suddenly ; I had almost fallen into cramps from it." Do you know then the name of the stone 1 Yes, it is a stone magnet, and I can assure you that it operates on me very beneficially : only remove the iron bands (the arma- ture) that are on it ; they make it too strong for me. You will do it, will you not] Do it immediately, I beg of you ; I love the stone, I long for it, and wish to lay it to my heart. (When the armature of the magnet was removed, she seized it, highly delighted, and did not quit it during the whole of the crisis, always maintaining that it was healing to her. After she had pressed it to her breast, perhaps seven or eight minutes, she said quickly :) This helps me to understand the flower better." What] "The stone." What does it show you about the flower? " That it is a remedy." How 1 A remedy for your- self 1 " Yes, for me, and all who are in my condition. Its power, which it diffuses like a delightful odor,* fills me and contributes to my recovery. This fragrance is exactly like your breath, and its power is like your vital power, and has some resemblance to the power of the stone and the heavenly power of my Albert. Ah, this is all excellent ; here every thing works together to make me well again. See, now I know why I com- pared you with the flower ; your and Albert's effect upon me is similar to it." But you said a little since, that the stone smelt " strangely" : it would seem that the smell was not pleasant to you. " Yes, such was the fact ; but now the iron is away ; that spoiled the smell." But to what end a remedy like this, when you have my vital force and Albert's also 1 Or are not these sufficient ! " O, your influence is but too powerful ; that of the flower is much milder, and yet different from that of the stone, which operates with least energy. Just at this time, when I feel uncomfortably, the flower works to most advantage. This my Albert was aware of, and therefore brought it with him." Does it still continue near Albert ? " Yes, there it is, shining in all its beauty." How comes it that the magnet excited your smell first ] " That I do not know ; it is the case * And there the common delight is perceived in heaven as the smell of a garden, with variety according to the fragrances there from the flowers and fruits.— D. P. 304. 85 HISTOKV OF THE CASE. probably with all magnetics. Albert says nothing on the sub- ject ; perhaps we should not understand the explanation. (My sister M. being present she desired that R. would describe her guardian spirit. When I made her acquainted with this wish she said :) Your sister has also felt a wish that I should greet my Albert from her. (Smiling.) I have done so, and it has pleased him very much. He did not know M., but became acquainted with her first through myself and you ;* at this moment he is looking on her very kindly." How does your Albert look ? On his countenance there rests ever a gentle, heavenly expression of friendliness ; his eyes are blue ; his cheeks are slightly colored, as if the color were breathed upon them ; his hair is clear brown ; he has a fine Grecian nose, a lofty forehead, a face somewhat long, and a pleasing, friendly mouth. His hand is very fine ; his build strong and tall ; in his bearing there is something majestic ; his look is spiritual and pure, and a heavenly seriousness rests on his forehead. His clothing is brilliant white, and on his head rests a wreath of palms. O Albert, how fair thou art ! His whole is unspeakably glorious. (A pause.) Amandus, my Albert's friend, approaches, us ; I am rejoiced to see him again. He is now standing at his side and is looking towards me." Has Amandus been here some time 1 " Yes, he came with Albert, but afterwards went away. He was here a short time ago, when I had the violent cramps. These lasted so long, because Albert was not here immediately ; he had something important to attend to. Amandus longed for him to come ; he also had to talk with him ; on what subject, I do not know. (A pause.) Oh see, Albert is holding in his hand a leaf on which my name is written ; it rejoices Amandus, and he looks at me smilingly." Which of your names is inscribed there] "The right one, that by which Amandus knows me, and every other spirit would know me. You cannot comprehend this name; it cannot Neither spirits nor angels, by their own proper sight, can see any thing that if in the natural world — nevertheless hoih spirits and angels, when it s the Lord, can see things in the iiatur.il world through the eyes of man. E. V 135. They who speak with the angels of heaven, also see those things which are in heaven, because they see from the light of heaven, in which their interiors are ; the angels also see through them the things which are on the earth, II ., pt. 2d, 38,877. HISTORY OF THE~CASE. 93 myself? Neither did I see him with my bodily eyes ; would it not have been the same thing, had he shown himself to me in the dream, in his present essential form ? " O no, Albert says that even in a dream, such an impression would have been in- jurious to you." I have yet another doubt which prompts me to ask you a question. "Ask it by all means." You delineated Albert's form indeed beautifully, but mixed up in your sketch so much that was earthly, and even, if you will allow me to say it, contradictory, that I cannot believe you have given us an ac- curate account of your Albert. " Albert smiles, and tells me you are right ; I know not what to think of the matter. (An interval of silence, during which she seems to be thinking, and speaking with Albert. After some minutes she says cheerfully :) 44 Ah, now I know what you mean. Albert has informed me. Even I, he says, though I stand now much higher than you, cannot as yet look at his essence exactly as it is, so long as I am united to the body. I could not endure it either ; I have only an approximate image of him.* Every thing, for example, of the nature of color which I saw about him, the red cheeks, the blue eyes, and the like, were additions which he gave me to see only in appearance, in order to veil his true interiors which would not have been supportable to me. In like manner I am not permitted to know the true name which he has there, because I could not comprehend it. Ah, it makes me right sad, that I cannot see my Albert as he is." (She weeps a long time.) This explanation gives me great joy, since it has re- moved scruples very natural to me in my position. (R. would not be soon comforted, and remained sad nearly half an hour, weeping and sighing continually. At length she said :) " Alas, my Albert is obliged to leave me for half an hour, to aid some dying person. f O, come back soon, I pray, dear guide ! Al- ready he is gone, and I no more see so clearly." Where have you been, since falling asleep, with Albert 1 " Here in Schwaik- heim with you and Amandus. The flower is not here this time." * There are several kinds of visions and they are the more perfect, in proportion as they are more interior. — A. C. 1786. t There are also some (angels) who are present to those who are raised from the dead.— H. $ H. 391. 94 HISTORY OF THE CASE. Why not again in the sun 1 " I do not know ; Albert thought it not best.° (After a pause.) Ah, I hear now with my right ear ; I see Albert at a great distance. (I laid my left hand on her eyes, which were open but quite fixed, whereupon she said :) When you do this, I always see you with my forehead, and then you are larger and more shining." But I am not made any larger by merely laying my hand on your eyes ; so that you must be again mistaken ! (Peevishly, gloomily and shortly :) " Mistaken ! You are always thinking about mis- takes ; I am not mistaken ; but I cannot explain the phe- nomenon at present." I am sorry for it; meanwhile it would gratify me, if you could. (The answer was yet shorter and sharper :) When I say I cannot, you must rest content. (This short repulse, not at all suiting her relations towards me, determined me to the following declaration :) I excuse your unbecoming speech, simply because 1 believe that you are not, now that Albert has left you, quite mistress of yourself; but I hereby enjoin you to be silent, and to say nothing until Albert appears again. (After about eighteen minutes, during which time she lay quite rigid, she evidently made efforts to speak. Her jaw was closed convulsively ; I breathed on her mouth, and it was relieved. She then said :) " I was wrong ; Albert has already given me a reproof on account of my ungentle con- duct ; forgive me ; I will take care not to repeat the fault. You were right ; Albert's presence was wanting to me, and I sud- denly fell back quite near to the earth again. Now, however, I can satisfy you on the subject of your doubts. When you laid your hand on my eyes, I saw you through the forehead, and much brighter. Your form had to me a more distinct outline than is usually the case ; hence you appeared to me just as you really are, and eo it happened that I took you to be larger. Of course you were not in fact any larger for it. When you now lay your hand on my eyes, I see my Albert also brighter, and, as it were, larger; this without doubt is a delusion on my part. I 1 ; r the reason that I then see Albert so clearly, your image falls a little into the back-ground, and is seemingly eclipsed by Albert's splendor,* which is much stronger than yours. It ThOM who are in this affection, or what is the same thing, in this love, -re in heavenly intelligence, and nhine in Heaven, as with the splendor HISTORY OF THE CASE. 95 was from this cause, you thought that I confounded you originally with Albert. Not so, I scarcely saw you any more. I have always considered you as distinct persons, as you indeed are. Oh, I often see you both very different in form, notwith- standing all your resemblance, and in different places. But Albert will yet convince you firmly, that he has a real existence and is no image of my fancy." That will give me great plea- sure. Only he must not use you as a medium for this purpose, as your bare assurances in the matter, very naturally, are not enough for me. " I understand you; Albert is amused at your doubts, which I cannot rightly comprehend ; me they do not please ; but he says he will confirm your faith soon. But now no more sceptical questions. I must rest for some time. (She rests a good while; at last she says :) Amandus is going. He is summoned away by his charge. He nods me once more a friendly farewell ! Farewell, good Amandus ; come to see me again soon. (A pause.) I feel very warm ; I pray you, blow lightly into my face. (I did so.) That cools me very pleasantly ; the sensation pervades my whole frame." Do you again smell any thing ? K Yes, your breath smells like apricots." (Jestingly.) I could not have thought so ethereal a fragrance was contained in my breath. " Jest on ; but I have the enjoyment of it." Allow me to ask you one thing more 1 "Do so." You said yesterday, that you saw your name written on a leaf in Albert's hand; can you tell me what that was for? "Now I can. Albert wished to give Amandus, who had known me formerly, an image of me." Did it require a written explanation for this end ? " Oh no, the thing is not as you think. Amandus had known me, in life, as a child ; Albert knew it would gratify him to represent me as I had become in my interiors since that period ; this Amandus could not see so clearly as Albert can. He gave him, accordingly, a kind of delineation of me, which is more than an image, or a name, or a cypher. This you can- not comprehend, there is more of essence* in the matter than you can understand, or I am able to explain. I do not myself of the expanse. They shine thus, because divine truth, wheresoever it is in Heaven, gives light. — H. $ H. 3-17. * It is worthy of remark that writings in the heaven's flow naturally from the thoughts themselves, and this so easily, that it is as if thought put itself forth.— H. $ H. 262. HISTORY OF THE CASE. fully understand it, but the fact is so. That the delineation ap- peared to me as ray name on a leaf, was done by Albert for my sake. He meant to tell me thereby at the same time : As these characters, which signify you, beam with pure light, so your heart must become quite pure and bright. Thus the leaf was at the same time a symbol to me. (A pause.) To-morrow Albert will come again at six in the evening. Now, he is again called away ; but he will be here again immediately." Will your attack ever happen on Sunday ? IC Never in the morning ; if it occurs on Sunday, it will always be in the evening. You preach the word of God on this day ; you are not to be inter- rupted in this business ; Albert has so ordered it." Is Sun- day observed also in Albert's country 1 " Certainly ; the praise of the Most High is always celebrated there, but on that day more universally and more solemnly.* Albert has also a pecu^ liar employment on Sunday." Wherein does that consist ] " I do not see clearly ; probably he then gives instruction.! (A pause.) I am looking into your throat, which yesterday was hoarse ; it is now well." Yes, I was surprised at the sudden im- provement. (Smiling.) "It was Albert's will that I should take the malady on myself, and hence it came, that you lost your hoarseness to-day, while I have it now. (She was troubled with it for several days afterwards.) It will be easy for me to surmount it ; with your profession you would find it more diffi- cult." I thank you for having removed this inconvenience. 4S None of that ; I have only proceeded according to Albert's will, and the transfer of your affection will not hurt me. But now my return is at hand. Albert has come again to give me back to the life of the earth. (A pause.) To-morrow at nine o'clock give me some raspberry-juice with water. I must not walk out in the morning to-morrow. Your brother C. has a swelling on the neck ; tell him to put on it a clay poultice, but ' At ilie dawn of day we heard a proclamation : To-day is the Sabbath ; and they arose and asked the angel what that was for. He answered that it was lor the worship of God, which returns at stated times, and is pro- claimed by the priests. — T. C. It. 750. i Prom the above account it appears manifest, that spirits retain in the memory what they see and hear in another life, and that they are capa- ble o{' being instructed alike as when they were men in the world. — E, HISTORY OF THE CASE. 97 "warm; the clay must be baked. (A pause.) Now — now — I awake. Farewell ! my Albert." (The usual cramps come on and she wakes up strengthened.) May 2m 9 6 to 9, P. M. v R. had announced another crisis for this evening at six o'clock. To satisfy myself whether the occurrence of the cramps took place punctually at the time indicated, and with no agency on her part, I begged the members of my family, in answer to her question what time she had fixed for another sleep, to say five o'clock. This was done ; and thinking it would be no other- wise, she so arranged her affairs as that she should have them off her hands at that hour. As no attack occurred at five, and there were no signs of it so late as a quarter after, she thought she had made a mistake. I now asked her to go with us into the garden lying near the house, as it was warm and pleasant 1 in the open air. She followed us, and was in a cheerful mood. J I must also observe, that I had put the mantel clock for- i ward a quarter of an hour, in the morning, so that it struck 1 five and six sooner than it should by the sun. I had also, j without her knowledge, had all the watches in the house set, in the morning, with the mantel clock. Thus it struck .six, and R. still continued in lively spirits in the garden. ] Under some pretence we now brought her back into the I chamber just as it struck a quarter to seven in the sitting I room. This clock had been exactly a quarter too fast by ' my watch, an excellent time-piece, which alone I had not al- tered. The watch therefore pointed precisely to six— and scarcely had the first quarter struck, when the usual cramps, i the short, dry, hacking cough, and the trembling of the limbs j came on. R. was now quickly laid on the bed. In a few I minutes, after the accustomed general agitation of the body was j past, she said cheerfully : " How much trouble you have given | yourself to cheat me ! It was well that I left the garden and reached the chamber in time. You may set it down for the fu- ! ture, that I can neither add nor diminish in this matter. My malady takes its own course ; only my Albert can change the time of the crisis, and he does it only in case of necessity ; but 5 9 g HISTORY OF THE CASE. I always see it in him forthwith, without being obliged to ex- amine my own nerves and blood-vessels. But I must administer you a reproof, my dear doctor." For what cause 1 " You have not regarded, this time, my warning to keep at a little distance from mo during my cramps ; you might easily have been affected by some of the consequences. Albert however has prevented it. In such cases, when they come on unexpectedly, let the cramps take their course; they will not hurt me. You stand in too close connexion with me, not to run the risk of taking them yourself. In case of need, rather ask your brother and your sister to lay me on the bed. But do you remain at a distance. The harm that might come to me from contact with others will soon be removed. " Is Al- bert here ? " Yes, he was here when the cramps first began. Give me, I pray, the magnet again ; it does me good ; lay it on my breast. (I did as she wished, and she said with satisfac- tion :) This stone I would not take a great deal for ; it smells delightfully too. ,, How ? " I cannot compare the smell ; it is as though compounded of many others. It is something like fine fruits, and at the same time like good, strong wine. But now I must accompany Albert." Whither] "That I do not know yet ; he only tells me that he will go with me forthwith. Ah, it is done already ; I am at the destined place." (Suddenly her countenance was pale, and her breathing less perceptible, as was always the case when her soul was far from her body.) Can you now name the place in which you are ] " No, not yet ; I only see that it is not at all light, here." Is it a fixed body, where you are? *« Yes, but it-is quite dark there, although torches are lighted every where." How] Torches? I am astonished. How can that be ] Torches in a place that belongs to the supersensual world ] " Not altogether to the super- sensual world. No, there are creatures there that are grossly corporeal." Is it any remote part of our own earth % " No : Albert is now going with me to another part of this body; ah, there it is still more gloomy.' , Why is this place so obscure] " Because it lies so deep below." I do not understand that. You say u below ;" what is below ] " The sun does not shine into it ; it is a place whose position is opposite to the sun." Is it the moon 3 " Yes, yes, that is it ; 1 know it now ; Albert HISTORY OF THE CASE. «y confirms it." Do you see any living beings in this planet 1 tc Yes, just now very many together." Are they corporeal beings that you see 1 " They have something corporeal, but not like men."* Are they the original inhabitants of the moon] " No, they were transferred thither. "f Do you know any of them 1 (She looks long and attentively.) " There are so many there, I cannot at once see aright. But yes, now I see one whom I knew upon earth. He worked long in my father's employment in E. He was a wagoner. I recognize him perfectly. There are many other forms and countenances there that I have seen before ; but I do not exactly remember them." Do souls of departed men then dwell in this place ? " Yes, they do. But there are also spirits there which have been transferred hither from other stars. "J But for what purpose do these souls need torches — or material light at all 1 " I did not say they needed torches. Besides I spoke, a little before, of another region of the moon, where I first was. But there are also, where I now am, such lights, if the term torches offends you. The place is lighted in a peculiar manner, be- cause there is no sun-light. I may properly use the word "lights." You will have nothing to object to that?" No; only tell me, whether beings other than departed souls are found where you now are. " Here I see none, but there are such where I was first. When I go there again, I will tell you more of them ; I cannot at present." What is the nature of fhat mode of lighting the moon, you spoke of. " The moon is illuminated, like the earth, by the sun ; there are also alterna- tions of day and night on it." Exactly as on the earth ? (She thinks and then says :) Lay your hand, if you please, on my * Hence appears the nature of corporeal men: they are not corporeal as to their understanding but as to their love, that is, they are not corporeal as to their understanding when they speak in company, but when they speak with themselves in spirit. ; and as in spirit they are such, therefore, after death, both as to love and understanding, they become what are called corporeal spirits. t The good spirits who are to be instructed are conveyed thither (to the places of instruction) by the Lord, when they have passed through their second state in the world of spirits. — H. ty H. 513. JThat there are many earths, and men upon them, and spirits and angels thence, is very well known in the other life.— H. fy H. 417, 100 HISTORY OF THE CASE. forehead, so that I may see more clearly. (When I did so, she said :) Yes, the moon is enlightened by the sun alternately, like the earth ; only, in the moon, the days and nights are longer. One side of the moon is turned to the sun much longer than the earth ever is. The other side, consequently, has a night of corresponding length. Still it is not so very dark there, as you think perhaps. It is the place where I am now." That is just what I wished to ask you ; namely, what is the nature of the artificial illumination of which you spoke. "I did not speak of any artificial illumination." But you spoke of torches or lights. "Yes, but I understood by it an illumination that does not proceed directly from the sun, or any other heavenly body ; an illumination that does not comprehend the hemis- phere of the moon, but is only partial." Tell me what you can about it. " That is not much ; I see here and there a clear- ness, which proceeds perhaps from the atmosphere of the moon. I do not know this, and Albert says nothing on the subject." Are you then on the dark side of the moon, which is always turned away from the earth 1 tJ Yes, there. And here I see only such beings, as, when they lived on earth, were very low in point of knowledge." What kind of knowledge do you mean? " I mean moral and religious. In particular, such come hither, as, on earth, did not believe in Christ, the Redeemer of men, who either found His doctrines unintelligible, and therefore rejected them, or were neglected from their youth up in re- ligious instruction, and for that reason never felt much interest in such matters.* Ah, only think, here in the moon there are souls, who, even after their temporal death, are unwilling to hear of it.f (Interrupting herself, with joyful looks :) Ah, Albert, I just now observe it, you have then brought the flower with you again ! Thank God ! It is here once more." Why does that * There are a few who are altogether ignorant of God : that these if they have lived a moral life, are instructed after death by the angels, and in their mora] life receive a spiritual principle, may be seen inlhe doc- trine of the new Jerusalem concerning the Lord. — D. P. 254. t From b ling so dominantly natural, they scarcely know that they are in ti, • other Life.— S. J) Ft. 2d, :tf07. At length they acknowledged, when they were with me, that they were ipirita, hut still tiny could not bo prevailed upon to believe that they were out of the body.— A. C. 941. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 101 flower interest you so much ? " I now learn, for the first time, from Albert, that when this flower shall have withered, my malady is at an end. The lowest and largest leaf is already withered. I see plainly from that flower and from Albert, that my health will soon begin to improve. It is indeed high, but it will wither away entirely. This will take a considerable time yet, it is true. My magnetic sleeps will cease by degrees ; then cramps and qualms will come on, three or four times at first in the day ; but these also will grow fewer and weaker, and the disease at last will cease altogether." How will it be then with your period 1 " If I do not commit any imprudence, every thing will then be regular, and I shall have nothing more in particular to suffer. (A pause.) Only my lungs. Ah, there, things are not altogether right. As yet I can say nothing certain on this subject ; my breast at the best is weak ; the lungs are spotted here and there, and that is not a good sign. For a long time after my recovery I shall frequently have oppression of the chest and shooting pains. When the termination of my present disease will take place I cannot yet tell. At all events, I must remain with you for some time after the last attack, as, other- wise, the cramps might easily return. I will indicate the time more precisely. (A pause.) But now remove the magnet ; its operation begins to be too strong. (I removed it slowly, keep- ing it still however in my hand, which I approached, without her being aware of it, to the head of her bed, and there press- ed the magnet. Immediately she cried out :) Ah, that draws ! It hurts me above there ; take away the stone. I see you now through my head. (To bring the vision back to the pit of the stomach, I moved my hand with the stone slowly over the head and breast down towards the stomach. When I came where her hands were crossed over her breast, the left hand, which lay uppermost, moved quickly toward the stone ; I raised the stone, and the hand followed in every direction in which I carried the magnet. As a needle attaches itself to the magnet, so was it with her fingers. If I removed the stone from one of her fingers the next immediately adhered to it. This I did with my arm raised up, by which I became gradually fa- tigued. Thoughtlessly, I let my arm sink to lay the magnet on her stomach, in doing which I forgot that I must necessarily 102 HISTORY OF THE CASE. take a direction downward from her arm. The consequence \va3 that she complained vehemently, and exclaimed : For heaven's sake, not back, not back, it causes me great pain. (I was obliged to hold her hand for some minutes, on which the pains in the arm gradually disappeared.) Now let the stone only lie a little while on the stomach ; it will restore all. (In fifteen minutes she bid me take it away again, which I did, this time, more cautiously. I will add here, that as often as I touched her right eye, or her forehead when she was seeing through it, with the magnet, she always said that she saw me much larger. Once she even said:) You look like a giant. (A pause.) You are feeling to-day some inconvenience in the stomach, and I suffer with you." You are right. Whence does it proceed ] The reason is, that yesterday and to-day you slept some minutes after every meal. You must avoid this habit. It is not at all good for you. Rather leave off your habit of sitting and read- ing after meals, when you are very apt to be overcome with sleep. Divert yourself with conversation, or entertain yourself with music, or take gentle exercise. Your digestion would suf- fer from a frequent repetition of this error. (A pause.) Ah, my Albert, whither are you going] He is gone ; he was oblig- ed to leave me for a short time ; I am now alone with you ; but he will soon be back. (She says nothing whatever now for half an hour, lying still. Then joyfully :) Ah, there he is again, my dear Albert; I bid you welcome. You have performed an errand in the service of a superior angel ]* O happy Albert, how weak and imperfect are we in comparison with you !" Are you still in the moon ! « Yes, but I can tell you nothing more about this body, to-day. You have a mind, I see, to hear more." You are right, I should like it ; if, however, it exhausts you, do not attempt it. '•Albert says, it would be better for me to do so at his next visit. (Shortly afterwards I made the surprising dis- covery, that when I looked into her half-opened eyes, the'right one moved this way and that, and the head nodded forwards.* I repeated the experiment several times and always observed, tC vrn!t i!'f y VVOr f ^ in these th ings> there came a messenger from aS&^522feM^ Sfc«ft ** they^red HiAm M W i ^"'««wcat ureuu Willi mm. j uitmbcivc8,and accompanied their angel.— T. C. K 742 HISTORY OF THE CASE. 103 that when I no longer looked fixedly at her, the effect ceased. I wished to see, now, how far this would extend, if I continued my gaze some time. The result was as follows : The right eye was fixed on mine, while the left had a quite different direction, so that she squinted ; the head moved forward by jerks towards my right eye, rose higher and higher, and when I drew back with my head, the whole upper part of her body rose up, but al- ways with a manifest direction of her right eye towards mine. At length when she had come within a few inches of me, the jerking movement forward became quicker, and her head then struck my forehead pretty hard, the right eye seeking mine. When this contact took place, her whole body trembled a few moments ; thereupon she said ; " My eye is satisfied/' and of her own accord laid herself quietly down again on her back. This phenomenon occurred several times afterwards. Almost the same effect was produced by a reflection of the sun's rays from the above-mentioned brilliant, which she sometimes asked for that she might lay it at the pit of her stomach. A broken ray from one of the stones of this ring, once by accident, struck her right eye, when it began suddenly to move, the head com- menced a jerking movement forward towards the ring, and never stopped until she had pressed her right eye some moments strongly upon it, with the like trembling of the body. If I took the ring away after the head had begun to move towards it, her right eye became spasmodically fixed, and she complained of shooting pains in it, which could be removed only by breath- ing and laying my hand on it for some length of time. The same was also the case, when she had already brought her eye close to mine and I suddenly removed my head.) " My Albert asks something of you, which you will doubtless do with pleasure/ ' Tell me what I can do for your guardian spirit ? " By your morning walks, he says, in consequence of which you breakfast at a different hour from the members of your family, it has happened occasionally that the morning prayers of the house- hold have been neglected. He begs you so to order things, that this may not be the case hereafter." Say to your Albert that I thank him heartily for this suggestion, and will take care that all hindrances shall for the future be put aside. " This rejoices my Albert. He is especially glad, that you have received his request so lovingly. He says, this encourages him to suggest 104 HISTORY OF THE CASE. another matter to your consideration." Tell him that I will be gratified by any suggestion from him. " Albert says, you have more to do to-morrow than is right." To-morrow, I shall preach ; I do not understand it. « You will do more than that Albert says. You will also have a church-meeting on the holy day This, he says, should not be." (Of this she could, as I think, have known nothing, as I had spoken with no one in the house on the subject.) Who told you that 1 « My Albert knows it and does not like it." If he knows that, he knows also that I did not wish it so. Circumstances are such that I could manage no other way. « Albert is aware of that, he only wishes you should seek to cut off this necessity hereafter." I will do so. «I will now rest some time, Albert wishes it. (For about twenty minutes she lay quiet and spoke not a word. She hen said : Ah, the little fellow is crying in the parlor ; he is refractory to his aunt (Immediately thereupon the boy came m at the door, still weeping, and R. called to him :) Come to me, dear boy ; you did not wish to obey ; you should have done so, cry no longer, and be a good and obedient child." (The hoy had refused, as appeared afterwards, to let any one but his mother undress and put him to bed.) Will the crisis o to-day last much longer? « It is just now terminating. Next Tuesday, my Albert will visit me again ; he leaves mf now £ a few moments." t was so. The usual cramps, which, how- rAinine^ckr ^ ^ « e ° m0tb ^" May 27th, 6 to 9, P. M. ute?w ramPS ''" th \ breaSt "^ the C ° U S h C0me on * few min- utes before s,x, without being preceded by nausea; they are very sbght however, and last only five minute, On the oth r . , he b 0d s agita ed> • p ^ ^ ■tote, with greater seventy. It shakes all over as in some vio li i:z sJT ti,ei \r cnes a11 her iimbs ^3£5 d crks and strikes with her arms so violently, that I was a DD re .o.,,ve she might injure herself against the bed frame Th s '-ever, is not the case. Suddenly she grows cal'the^s HISTORY OF THE CASE. 105 are half closed, the arras as usual crossed over the breast. la a few minutes she says ;) "Albert, where have you been stay- ing so long r Was he not here immediately ? ■ He has one dangerously sick in French Switzerland, who was treated amiss in her magnetic state. This is what detained him ; he has re- moved the mischief," How do you find your Albert so soon, when you fall into a crisis, in the land of spirits 1 (Smiling.) " He finds me ; it is his charge to visit me." Is he alone? "Yes, as yet; later, Amandus will come too." Will your Albert stay with you here this time ? " No, he will immediately accompany me again to the moon. (A pause.) But, Albert, you look very seriously on me ! O, I have done wrong ; I promised you to control my temperament better, and forgot the resolution yester- day, altogether. Ah, I was foolishly sensitive and excited. I will certainly not do it again, my guide ; be kind to me once more, I earnestly beseech you. (A pause, during which she weeps ;) Yes, indeed ; my heart, Albert says, and not my health only, will suffer from it, if I do not watch myself more closely. O, I thank you, Albert, that you are now kind to me again; he is looking at me again with perfect kindness ; I am quite happy (A pause.) He is going with me now to the moon." (A slight trembling comes over her, and her body visibly stretches itself out, the face is deserted by its color, and the breathing becomes almost imperceptible.) What carries your Albert into the moon? '"It is good, at present, for my health, to accompany him thither; but besides this, his business also leads him thither." What has he to do there ? " He teaches among the inhabit- ants of the moon." Is this what he is doing now? " Yes, at this present moment." Can those who learn perceive you? " Yes, some of them are looking on me, but do not however know me ; Albert is frequently accompanied by persons in my state. I am at some distance from the hearers ; Albert says I may not come close to them, as it would be very injurious to me." Do you hear and understand the instruction ? "I hear, indeed, that he is teaching, and know it too, but it is done in a language I do not understand." Are they the sounds in which we converse here ? " O no ; I only feel it. On other occasions as well, Al- bert does not speak as we do ; I gather every thing from him by sight ; he does not speak with the mouth, like men, but with 5* lct 3 HISTORY OF THE CASE. hit whole essence.* His satisfaction and his seriousness, also, are not to be seen in his countenance only, but in his whole person. This language every departed spirit understands immediately.! Should I be magnetized artificially, I could be raised to a degree in which I should understand this language perfectly ; but it would be my destruction." But as you understand Albert's communications to yourself, you ought likewise to understand when he speaks with the inhabitants of the moon. " O, that is not so. Albert accommodates himself to my weakness, and so makes himself intelligible to me. But I cannot follow him when he speaks with elevated spirits. There is still a wide difference between a departed soul and one in a magnetic state." Does this instruction, then, in the moon, belong to the usual employ- ments of Albert ] " Yes, but besides him there are several other guardian spirits there who are charged with this duty. "J What are the chief topics on which he is now speaking ] (She con- verses in silence with Albert, and shortly says :) He is speaking with them on what was not rightly intelligible to them here in God's word ; he instructs them concerning it,} gives them ex- hortations, shows them the way to the true understanding of it, and points to the glorious goal. O Albert, were I but there ! O, make me so good, that, when I have finished my course, I may be permitted to worship, in those higher circles, the God who has led me hitherto in so faithful, so fatherly a manner, and thank Him for his unmerited love. Ah, I am still so imperfect. * I am informed by the angels, that the first discourse of all in every earth was effected by the face, and this from two origins, the lips and the eyes. This kind of discourse, therefore, excelled vocal discourse, as much as the sense of seeing excels that of hearing, or as the sight of a fine country ex- celi a verbal description of it. Add to this that such discourse was in i merit with the discourse of angels, with whom men in those times had communication ; and also that when the face speaks, or the mind by the face, the angelic discourse is exhibited with man in its ultimate natu- ral form, but not so in verbal discourse. — JE. U. 54. 1 It is in consequence of the correspondence of the speech of thought, and the speech of the month, that man when he comes after death among Spirits, knows how to speak in an universal language, thus with spirits, whatsoever lad been their language in the world — A. C. 6987. | Instructions are effected by the angels of various societies. — H. fy II. T>13. ' All instruction is there effected from doctrine derived from the word, Hid not from the word without doctrine.— //. ty II. 516. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 107 We might all accomplish more than we do, but we so very often do not will it. Oh, you should see, — I would have you see it, — the holy zeal with which my Albert is now teaching, and his deep humility. Think it, only, this glorious Albert holds himself for one of the meanest servants of God. That is well pleasing in His sight ; He is near to all who are of a humble spirit. Let us, dear friend, strive to become such." (A pause.) You said, just now, that you did not understand the language in which Albert conveyed his instructions ; how could you then give me the substance of them] " Albert wishes I should hear what he says, and therefore makes himself understood by me, in his usual manner." But how can Albert teach, and speak with you, at the same time 1 (She smiles.) It, is not there as it is here, on earth. He sees me, hears me, cares for me, answers me, — all, while he is teaching. You have no idea of the rapidity with which all this is done. A thought, and he is here with me, a thought, and he is in the remotest place. He does not need the tedious way, and the lumbering speech of men ; he is not impeded by a body. At this moment, how- ever, he has ceased to teach." The instruction then is over ] " Yes, the assembly is dispersing." Whither are they going? u Each one goes to his own calling." In what does that con- sist] t: That I cannot now see clearly. It would cost me too great an effort. As Albert does not answer such questions, I should be obliged to find it out myself. But go on with your questions ; I will tell you, when it hurts me to answer ; it gratifies you to talk on these subjects, and for that reason I speak of them gladly." Is that side of the moon which is always turned to the earth inhabited, as well as the other ] t: Yes." What kind of :beings are there ? " They are de- parted souls of men also." But you said that there were also grossly corporeal beings in the moon. " I said so ; and such is the fact. The moon is different in this respect from the earth. It has three kinds of inhabitants. On that which is for the most part the obscure side, are found departed souls that have been sadly neglected. This is here, where I am now. I have already said something to you about this abode. On the side always turned to the earth, are also, for the most part, 2 OS HISTORY OF THE CASE. separate souls ; they are somewhat better ;* but they are still far behindhand. In the middle, in a ring about the moon, where twilight reigns, are the original inhabitants, of whom I said that they were gross and corporeal. They are, in a great measure, hemmed in by huge mountains and rocks impossible for them to pass : nor do they have any desire to pass them. (A pause.) I must now rest. In fourteen minutes you may ask me more questions. ,, (When this time had elapsed I asked :) Are the original inhabitants organized corporeally like men ? " They are much smaller than menf — their ex- ternal form is similar to ours. They breathe also, but their lungs are different from ours.^J Why so? " Because what they inhale is not of the same nature as our air, and because the moon has a much smaller atmosphere. They stand also on a much lower grade of cultivation, than the inhabitants of the earth. They stand still in need of visible heavenly guidance, which we no longer require, and for that reason there come to them instructors like my Albert."} (A pause.) Do you see, where the original inhabitants of the moon reside, works like the artificial works of men 1 " Yes ; I see, for example, build- ings; they are however entirely of stone ; that kind of stone, however, which is very abundant here, is not found on the earth. They have metals also, as Albert says ; but they too are differ- ent from ours; and they have but a few of them. Their style * All who are in places of instruction dwell distinct among them- a Ives.— 11. £ 11. 514. t Their faces appeared not unhandsome, but longer than the faces of oilier spirits ; in regard to stature they appeared like children of seven years old, but more robust; thus they were dwarfs, (homunciones.) It was told me by the angels that they were from the moon.— E. U. 111. I It was perceived that this was ouing to this particular circumstance, that the inhabitants of the moon do not speak from the lungs, like the inhabitants of oilier earths, but from the abdomen, and thus from a e nam quantity of air there collected, by reason that the moon is not encompassed with an atmosphere like (similar to) that of other earths.— i ov.ry other earth divine truth is manifested by word of mouth by spirili and angels, as was said above in speaking of the inhabitants of the earth in this solar system; but this manifestation is confined to families ; nankmd in most earths li\e distinct according to families; wherefore divine truth thus revealed by spirits and angels is not conveyed far beyond the hunts oi iamihes, and unless a new revelation constantly succeeds, truth l- either perverted or perishes.— £. U. 120. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 109 of building is quite different from ours ; they are all rounded off at the top. There are mountain chains every where in the moon, of enormous elevation ; and some which eject fire and masses of every description."— Do you see trees and forests in the moon? " Where the human inhabitants are, I see such, but not many; they are different too from our trees ; but how I cannot say. I see that they are smaller and thinner." Is there water^also in the moon'? " There may be water, but I do not see it." Ask Albert. " He says yes, but I do not see any. (A pause.) Only think, here, in this gloomy abode where I am, there are ^creatures so deplorable as to doubt of the immortality of their souls,* and the existence of a God.f These are forced back into the huge mountains, and so re- strained to these places, that they do not dare to leave them. Ah, there they mutually torment themselves, by continual strifes and contradictions, J in which none are right. § Albert says these are the most unhappy beings. They are such as gathered nothing on earth for their spirit ; in consequence of which they have nothing there. O these are very pitiable ; they are so empty, so desolate ;|| they are wretched creatures, and a torment to themselves. U (A pause.) It is also much * Tie quality of their (the spirits of the Hollanders) faith, even though miracles should be wrought, may hence appear. It is such that they neither believe in spirit, nor heaven, nor hell. — &. D., Ft. 2d, 3521. t Those who flow out of the natural world into this, and hear that they are in another world, gather themselves into companies in many places and ask — "Where is Heaven and where is Hell?" as also, "Where is God V — and after they have been instructed, they still begin to reason, to dispute and to debate whether there is a God. — T. C. R. 332. ^They (certain spirits.) are called reasoners because they never con- clude any thing, but take up whatever they hear, and dispute whether it be by continually contradicting. They love nothing more than to attack truths and thus to pull them to pieces by discussing them. These are they who believe themselves to be learned above all in the world. — T. C. R. 332. $From these appearances I conjectured that below those meteors stood those who were disputing about imaginary things, which they esteemed of great moment.— T. C. R. 335. II i asked the angels concerning the lot of such . And they said, that such, when they are alone, cannot think any thing, and thus speak ; but that they stand mute like automatons and, as it were, in a deep sleep, but that they are awaked as soon as they hear any thing. — T. C. R. 334. 1f That some are vastated by fears, some by infestations from their own evils which they have done in the world, and from their own falses which they have thought in the world, whence come anxieties and pangs of con- science?— if. # H. 513. HO HISTORY OF THE CASE. more difficult for thera, to correct their knowledges there, since those means are wanting which we have on earth. At times they are permitted to cast a look into the state of such as are better and happier.* This is done with the pur- pose of at least stirring them up to desire for what is better ; but with these beings this is hard to accomplish. One that has brought with him so little, or rather almost nothing that is true, has no desire to learn : for this reason they are not willing.! Freedom remains to them there also.J O God ! Let us always endeavor right earnestly to learn more purely the things that are better. From you. (turning to me,) my friend, wilFmuch, very much, one day be required. O be zealous to reach the prize that is held out before you. (A pause.) Ah, the poor creatures ! They do not believe in the Redeemer, a thing that is justly required of us all. Through Him alone we must and can be saved ; for this cause He came into the world, to save sinners. A belief in God is not enough ; our knowledge must go higher than that of Jews and Heathen ; but the requisitions on us are greater also; we have far more means to elevate our knowledge and animate our faith. (A pause.) O that all men would lay it to heart, that no one would forget it, that we can live here but a short time. All our endeavors should be directed towards enlarging our knowledges for the higher life, according to the precepts of the doctrine of Jesus, and at the same time to im- prove our moral state. Then we need not be anxious about the help and support of the most High ; for He is great and of great power. (She prays :) Great is Thy name, O Lord. The wonders of Thy works praise Thee ; unsearchable are Thy doings. The happy hosts of the angels adore the depths of Thy * Certain spirits, not evil, sunk into rest as into sleep, and thus as to the interiors which are of their mind they were translated into heaven ; for spirits, before their interiors are opened, can be translated into heaven, and be instructed concerning the happiness of those who are there. — J I. i\JI. 411. 1 Some understood when they were turned to tho?e who were in the light of truth, that they were truths, but still they were not willing to understand them, wherefore they denied them, when they were in their own false*, :v!id thus in themselves. — II. ty H. 464. i lence it appeared very evident that the wicked as well as the good fin lbe other world) have equally the faculty of liberty.— J). L. W. 2CG. HIST0R1 OF THE CASE* 111 wisdom ! Without limits is Thy love, without bounds Thy mercy ; all souls are happy in Thee ! (A pause.) I search deeply to know Thee, but only find that I cannot do without Thee. (A long pause.) If we only have reached the feeling that we stand infinitely below Him, we have already made great progress in true knowledge. Only the humble are pleasing in God's sight. He is with them. (Turning to me :) A few days ago you had a conversation with me in which your brother took part ; it was in your chamber, in the evening. We looked out on the beauties of nature. That was of benefit to me ; I shall never forget it. I am still very far, in the waking state, from having clear ideas about higher things. My Albert begs you to repeat similar conversations with me. But now I will rest a gain. (She lies quietly for a quarter of an hour.) Your hand trembles on my stomach ; your arm is somewhat fatigued ; you cannot keep your hand on me, in this position ; sit in a more convenient posture towards me." (It was as she said ; my arm pained me in con sequence of its uneasy position. Suddenly she starts.) W T hat has happened to you? (All astonished she says :) Just now I saw my own self, my whole form. I was sitting in a chaise that was driving past. That is very singular. (After a short interval.) Ah ! that is the chaise you have a mind to buy; it is painted green." How can you know that] I have not yet seen it myself, and it is full fifteen leagues distant. "Nevertheless I saw it, and without doubt it is the one ; I am not mistaken. I shall ride in it too, I see plainly. To-morrow afternoon you will receive more p articular accounts about it. (It was really the case. Unexpectedly there came, instead of a written communication, which, for the rest, I was not looking for under eight days, on the next afternoon at half past one, a messenger who brought me information respecting the chaise. R. described the chaise which I had never seen, accurately, to the smallest particular, and added that it was good and not too dear ; that I should not repent of the purchase. Of the price she could know absolutely nothing, and yet she named it correctly, and even did not forget to say what present was intended for the negotiator. All turned out as she had foretold. She said further on this subject :) I saw this carriage before ; but where? (Thinking.) Where could it have been 1 Ah, a few 2 1 o HISTORY OF THE CASE. days ago I dreamed that I drove up in it to the door of the post-house in Tuttlingen. That was an ordinary dream, of no account ;* but the conveyance was the same that I saw just now, and which you will buy." Will you see more widely and clearly hereafter, than you do now 1 " Somewhat more clearly, without doubt, but not much more. I am capable of the highest degree of clairvoyance ; but the thing must be allowed to take its own course. It would be disastrous should you carry me higher." That I will never do. "I know it, but I will tell you what would be the first consequence should you do it. I should lose my period altogether, from which, deplorable states and unin- terrupted ill health would ensue. I should never be well again, and must soon die. " I thought that the period would be in- duced by artificial magnetism, and rather be increased 1 " That would indeed be the case at first, but soon every thing would take another turn, and be as I have said. (Surprised :) Ah, I see my blood at this moment running in the larger and more minute vessels. It is a glorious sight ! (A somewhat long pause.) What a streaming up and down !" Do you see your heart too 1 " Yes, that is the centre of all the motions. Oh, you ought to see it 1 (A pause.) Without R.'s being able to perceive it, I had taken in my mouth a peppermint cake : immediately she made a wry face, made the various motions of tasting with the mouth, and then said :) What have you, I pray, in your mouth ! B-r-r-r ! how it burns ! Ah, mint, peppermint ; confess it ! I feel pep- permint on my tongue. (Smiling.) You meant to cheat me; but do you not find that you cannot impose on me ? (A pause.) But listen, friend, I must tell you something." I will hear it. "I could— I ought— no, it cannot, must not be." What do you wish to say 1 " I had a mind to tell you something ; but — no, I dare not. But yet — (A long pause, during which she becomes more and more restless. At length her features brighten again, and she says :) - My Albert tells me to ask you, not to preach on the coming Sunday." Why so? My throat is indeed somewhat weakened; but I hope it will be well The third sort (of dreams) come by spirits, who are near when man i uleep. which aro also significative. But fantastic dreams have an- other origin.— A, C, 1976. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 113 by Sunday. " Not on account of your throat, Albert says." Then ask him if he will be so good as to communicate his reasons ] "It is not good for you; I cannot say more." Without good grounds I cannot, as you see yourself, dispense with this duty of my calling. there are such there, and that they have a considerable resem- blance to us men !"* Why^do you see none ? " Albert says, I may and must not ; that no somnambulist has ever been per- mitted to see the original inhabitants of Venus." Why not ? " That he does not tell me." What inhabitants of Venus is Al- bert teaching ? " Those who were once inhabitants of Earth, and now, in Venus, have got an extremely fine body, like the clothing of my Albert, which seems to consist of light and gold- shine."! Do you see these beings ? " Certainly ; yet I may not approach them so nearly as those in the Moon?" Why not ? 11 They are all purer than I am, and Albert so wills it." Yet I should think, that when their teacher is so closely united with you, the scholars could have no objection to your approaching. "I do not know that ; but Albert's command is enoughfor me." * In the planet Venus there are two kinds ofmen.—E.U. 106. t Spirits and angels are clothed in agreement with their intelligence, and according to the reception of truth in their life, for tins is intelligence. Indeed the light of their intelligence is formed into garments, and when this light is so formed, they not only appear as garments, but actually are garments. — A. E. 3iJ5. 6 122 HISTORY OF THE CASE. On what degree of perfection do these inhabitants of Venus stand, as compared with Albert and the inhabitants of the earth? i; Into Venus are translated all good souls, who, on earth, with the best desires, were always in a condition where they did not feel themselves happy ; souls, who, without their own fault, have missed the aim of their life, but remained uncorrupted ; the persecuted, the abused, the falsely estimated, good men, are very numerous there ; the ignorant in religion, also, who were so without their own fault, and yet remained good.* Such souls have here a happy lot ; they all have their employments, con- cerning which Albert tells me nothing. They are happy among themselves, and yet this place is only one of preparation for a higher happiness that awaits them." You said that Al- bert teaches ; is he about it now ? " Yes, but there are fewer hearers assembled this time, Albert says, than usual." Why sol " Many are celebrating a parting, festival,! in another region of Venus, where several souls, who are ready for their transition^ to a higher planet enter once more into the circle of the friends whom they are about to leave, and rejoice in com- mon with them." Whither are they transferred? " Albert says, that he knows only of two, certainly, that they pass to the sun." Will the highest felicity the human soul can reach be experienced in the sun 1 " O, no, no, all that is only the begin- ning. Above the sun, there are worlds without end§ and felicities without number. The more perfect spirits are found in other places of the creation. Yet God very often sends His angels too, (and these are much higher than all the inhabitants of the suns,) into our solar system to execute His commands. Albert says, that I will be permitted to see this, this very hour ; * It is provided that all who have lived well, and acknowledged a God, are instructed by the angels after death. — D.P. 328. t There are here days of festivity appointed by the prince. — T. C. R. 745. | But this beginning of man's life after death continues only for a few days ; but how he is afterwards led from one state into another and at Length either into heaven or into hell, will be told in what follows. — //. if U. 451. $ flow immense the heaven of the Lord is may also be manifest from this, that all the planets visible to the eyo in our solar system are earths, and moreover that there are innumerable ones in the universe, and all full of inhabitant*.— 1L $ II. 417. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 123 I do not know what he means." On what subject is Albert speaking 1 " Of God's loving providences, and His wise and fatherly designs in all His ways. I hear him also speak of Jesus' doctrine, and of redemption, and of God's grace through Him. Oh, you should hear how my Albert teaches ! Now he assumes a holy seriousness — a majesty before which I bend with humility. When the names of God and Jesus are pro- nounced, his whole person becomes glorious. Oh, my Albert is deeply in earnest. You too must learn to speak thus before your congregation ; then God's blessing and power will be in your preaching. (A pause.) O Thou most loving Father ! How do I thank Thee, that Thou hast caused Thy truth to be proclaimed to me ! What would I be, if I knew nothing of Thee, and the doctrine of Jesus ! For me, too, did my Redeemer die. How can I thank Thee for this, O Thou most Holy ! (A pause.) Yes, obedience to Thy will — let that be my first duty, and love — yes love ! Give me ever more and more of living faith and love, and of trust in the grace which Thou hast bestowed upon me. Thou hast often heretofore poured comfort into my suffering heart ; when my faith began to sink, Thy love always raised me up again ;* O thanks and praise be to Thee forever. (A pause of some length.) Make me, O Father, ever more and more ready to submit myself to Thy holy leadings ; teach me, in all zealous endeavors, to give myself up to Thy wise ordination. Send light into my heart, when darkness overshadows it ; teach me to pray aright, and ever to cling to Thee. Teach me, for every benefit of Thy hand, to render such thanks as are pleasing in Thy sight. O Father ! make me good. Make me to account little of the things of earth, and never to lose sight of the highest aim. Then I shall never fall, and, when strong temptations come upon me, Thou wilt protect me. Bless, most Merciful, my resolutions ; give me strength and power to execute them. Help me to fight against myself: Thou seest I would do so, but without Thy aid it is not possible for me to do even the * For in them (temptations) man, to appearance, is left to himself alone, although he is not left, for God is then most really present in the inmost of him and supports him. — T. C. R. 126. 124 HISTORY OF THE CASE. least thing." (A long interval of silence, during which she has her hands folded. The above prayer she spoke very slowly and solemnly, making a shorter or longer pause at almost every line.) Can you tell me any thing of the external nature of the place where you are now staying 1 u Yes." What do you see there ] " Delightful lanscapes, and plains, and gloriously beau- tiful gardens.* In the moon it is much more rugged than here." Are these gardens laid out artificially 1 u Yes, but not hedged in, as below on the earth, and, in general, they are different ; they wind into one another, and into the country which I am looking over. There are also quite different plants here, such as we know nothing about. Still, they stand in a fair order, delightful to my eye. The abode in this planet is glorious. (R. now rests again for a quarter of an hour. After this she lays her left hand on my breast, and says :) Your breast is still somewhat affected ; yet it is better, and the attack will pass off." (With her hand outstretched, she causes a stream from Albert's power to flow through herself into my breast, which I feel distinctly in the course of half a minute. During the process, her left arm trembles, and, subsequently, a rigidity came on in the forearm, the hand, and the five fingers.) Whence this phenomenon 1 " Hold my hand now, and it will soon go over. That which is diseased in your breast must pass over by degrees into mine ; I shall get rid of it more easily than you." You also had a spitting of blood one day after me, as you know ; take care of yourself, I pray you. " Be easy, quite easy : a part of your affection I must have ; it cannot be otherwise ; but it will do me no harm whatever. But do you take care how you go out to walk, on cold, misty mornings, and how you walk at the rapid pace you usually do. (In the meantime my sister M. had come in again, with the intention of putting some questions to R. As she again stood quite near me, she observed her imme- diately, and said :) M. has a mind to ask me some questions ; let her do so by all means ; I shall hear what she says through you, if you pay strict attention." (M. asked :) Can you name * For there are in the spiritual world objects in all respects like those in the natural world. Thus there are lands and countries, plains, fields, gar- dens and groves. — T. C. R. HISTORY OF THE CASE. 125 nothing that will relieve the man who is suffering under con- traction, whom we visited to-day ? |; Ah ! (joyfully :) if I only could ! O, he suffers very much ! Albert, name me, I beseech you, some remedy. (A pause.) Alas ! now I see the case just as it stands. We can only relieve him ; he can never be cured. Dear M., boil him occasionally a little wine ; it will be pleasant to him, and will strengthen him ; but always half water and half wine ; otherwise itvvould be too strong for him ; leave out spices, too, but do not spare sugar, (A pause.) How I thank you, Albert, for telling me this. (A pause.) He may also take lemon-juice." M. wishes to ask one question more. " I will hear." (M. asks :) Whence does it come, that little incidents in my own or another's life, if they are of a somewhat serious nature, often affect me so much more strongly than they should ? Can no bodily remedy be applied for this ] " No, my dear, this depends on the tender- ness of your heart, the depth of your feelings, the external and often disagreeable circumstances of your position, and doubtless also on your bad state of health. Hope for a change in your circumstances, and these things will all be better. (M. leaves the chamber. When she was gone, R. said :) Oh, M. is very good ; she deserves all our love. Still — but now enough of questions. Every one of them costs me an effort. I will be glad if you will now let me rest. (She appears to converse for a long time silently with Albert ; when I left her couch, she always begged me to return soon. M. called me shortly out of the chamber, and gave something into my hands, with which I re- turned, and said :) I have brought something for you ; do you see it 7 "I see a rose, and a sheet of paper, on which there is something in M.'s handwriting." Can you read it] (I lay the sheet on her stomach ; she makes a manifest effort to read it ; after some time she says :) " Ah, it is sad, I cannot accom- plish it ; were I in a higher state only for a moment ! (A pause.) The intention, indeed, I see plainly in Albert and yourself ; only the words — but yes — rose — garden — gift ; at the top is also the word friendly. Ah, Albert, I should like so much to know it." Well, then, I will read it. (I read :) You have answered my questions in so friendly a manner, accept, there- fore, the gift of this rose, the first from our garden. " Ah, how much this delights me ! Kind M. ! I saw the general meaning 126 HISTORY OF THE CASE. well ; I had a clear image of the action, in my soul, but the par- ticular words I could not read in their connection. Remind me, I pray you, of this scene, in the waking state ; I shall know something about it." How is it that you will remember this particular scene, while, in general, you remember nothing that occurs in the sleeping state 1 "I exerted all my power to read the paper; it was a matter of great interest to me ; for which reason, the impression on my soul was so strong that it will oc- cupy my thoughts hereafter." Do you know of no means which would make it easy to bring your memory over with you into the waking state ] " No, there is none." Think earnestly on this point. I wish it greatly. (She reflects a long time, at length, in about eight minutes, she says; ) "Yes, there is yet a way ; you must charge me earnestly to retain that which I am to remember ; right earnestly,— otherwise it will be of no avail." (The next morning, at breakfast, I asked her :) Did you not get something yesterday as a present ] " I do not remember any thing, but last night I received something in a very vivid dream from M.* What was it 1 A rose, and a paper on which stood the words, &c. (She repeats the above words exactly. But when we gave her the rose, with the paper, which were both near her in the room, she was exceedingly surprised, and, for the moment, could not comprehend the circumstance. After a short pause, R. said, all at once raising up her arms, as if startled :) Ah, what a glorious splendor I see away over my Albert!" Is it a splendor which proceeds from him ? " O no ; at a great distance, I see many hundred angels approaching ; what heavenly radiance beams from them ;f it is what no human eye could bear. (A pause.) Now they begin a song ;J Oh, you should hear it; never in my life have I heard * Neither did the Apostles, before the Lord's resurrection, see the Lord in the glorified human, with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the spirit, which appears, after awakening, as if it were in sleep. — T. C. R. 777. t Those who are in this affection, or what is the same thing, who are in this love, are in heavenly intelligence, and shine in heaven as with the splendor of the expanse.— H. A/ H. 347. I have seen angelic faces o( the third heaven, which were such, that DO painter with all his art could ever give any thing of such light to colore, so as to equal a thousandth part of the light and life which ap- peared in their faces.— H.