1939. [Newly arrived] souls are spirits, for when a person dies he or she becomes a spirit and can therefore also be present with a person on earth. This is plain to me from much experience. Many people whom I had known in bodily life have been with me, and really for quite a long time-for days, weeks, months-and have declared the same thing. They then thought that they had returned into the body, or into the world. Not being allowed to think back on the fact that they are spirits, and are separated [from the person], and that other spirits take their place and are then removed, they are unable to realize that they are spirits. Very many who had departed from life a short time back have been with me, which I was able to find out both because of their astonishment and from other signs. 1748, 12 May.