A case of spiritual obsession: The Spirit and the juror

The following article was published in Spiritist Magazine of November 1858, and deals with a case of spiritual obsession, onde um rapaz foi obsediado por um Espírito – por culpa dele mesmo – a ponto de ser levado a matar uma senhora:

One of our correspondents, a man of great knowledge and holder of official scientific titles, which does not prevent him from committing the weakness of believing that we have a soul and that this soul survives the body, which after death remains wandering in space and can still communicate with the living, all the more so as he himself is a good medium and maintains conversations with beings from beyond the grave, he sends us the following letter:

"Sir,

“Perhaps you thought it wise to include the following fact in your interesting magazine:

“I was a juror some time ago. The court was to try a young man, barely out of his teens, accused of having murdered an elderly woman in horrible circumstances. The accused confessed and told the details of the crime with an impassivity and cynicism that made the assembly tremble.

“However, it is easy to predict, due to his age, his absolute lack of education and given the encouragement he received from his family, that extenuating circumstances would be presented in his favor, especially since he was driven by anger, acting against a provocation due to insults. .

“I wanted to consult the victim regarding the degree of his culpability. I called her, during a session, through a mental evocation. She let me know she was present and I placed my hand at her command. Here is the conversation we had ─ me, mentally, she in writing:

“─ What do you think of your murderer?

“─ I won’t be the one to accuse him.

“─ Why?

“─ Because he was led to crime by a man who courted me fifty years ago and who, having achieved nothing from me, swore to take revenge. After his death, he maintained the desire for revenge and took advantage of the accused's dispositions to inspire in him the desire to kill me.

“─ How do you know that?

“─ Because he himself told me, when I arrived in this world that I inhabit today.

“─ I understand your reservation in the face of the stimuli that your killer did not repel as he should and could have. But do you not think that the criminal inspiration, to which he voluntarily obeyed, would not have had the same power over him if he had not nurtured or entertained, for a long time, feelings of envy, hatred and revenge against you and your family? family?

“─ Definitely. Without it he would have been better able to resist. That's why I say that whoever wanted revenge took advantage of that young man's dispositions. You understand that he would not have addressed someone who was willing to resist.

“─ Does he enjoy your revenge?

“─ No, because you see that it will cost you dearly. Furthermore, instead of harming me, he provided me a service, allowing me to enter the world of Spirits sooner, where I am happier. It was, therefore, an evil action of no benefit to him.
“Mitigating circumstances were admitted by the jury, based on the reasons indicated above, and the death penalty was discarded.

“Regarding what I have just said, a moral observation of great importance must be made. It is necessary to conclude, in fact, that man must watch over his slightest malevolent thoughts and even his bad feelings, however fleeting they may seem, as they can attract evil and corrupted Spirits to him, and expose him, weak and unarmed. , to their guilty inspirations. It is a door that he opens to evil, without understanding the danger. It was, therefore, with a deep knowledge of man and the spiritual world that Jesus Christ said: 'Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matt. 5:28).

“Tenho a honra, etc. SIMON M…”