- 169 - Thereupon a voice called from the patient’s mouth: “Not indoors! God is a judge of widows and orphans!” The spirit started to cry and begged to be allowed at least to enter Blumhardt’s garden, a request that the Divine control appeared to grant. From all indications, this was the spirit of someone who during life had deprived widows and orphans of their shelter. Certain other experiences related by Blumhardt in his report have been purposely omitted by Zuendel in his biography of the clergyman. Zuendel’s reason for so doing was that in his opinion the dreadful and agonizing tricks of the Powers of Darkness witnessed by Blumhardt would dwarf the impression of the powerful Divine aid and would detract from it. It would, however, undoubtedly have been better had Zuendel related the facts in full, for the truth need never shun the light of day. What Zuendel omitted had to do with the power of the evil spirits to convert material substance into spiritual substance, to transport it in this state to other locations, for example into a human body, and there to condense it to solid matter again. The laws governing such “dematerialization” and “materialization” have been described in detail in the section on od in this book. Blumhardt uses the popular term “magic” to refer to these occurrences. But let us now listen to Blumhardt’s own account. He says: “Although I have already related so much that is incomprehensible and unheard of, the worst is yet to come. I shall continue to honestly relate what I remember, and I am certain that the Lord will hold His Hands over me also in this narration. My only consideration is to relate all this to His honour, who is the Victor over all dark powers. On the 8th of February, 1843, a new phase in the illness began. From then on I observed still more horrible apparitions and effects of the most varied magic. I was horrified to find that all the things that had until then been considered the most ridiculous popular superstition were actually happening before my eyes. Countless objects were magically transported into Gottliebin’s body, with the intent to kill her. She began vomiting up sand and little pieces of glass. Then came all sorts of iron pieces, especially old and bent nails of the sort used to nail boards together. Once, after the young woman had gagged for a long time, 12 such nails dropped one after another into the washing bowl held before her. Shoe buckles of various sizes and shapes, often so large that one could hardly comprehend how they could get through her throat, also emerged. She also choked up a piece of iron so large and broad that it took her breath away, so that she lay there for a few minutes as though dead. Countless pins, sewing needles and pieces of knitting needles also came out, often one at a time, but often also en masse, tied together with paper and feathers. It sometimes appeared as though knitting needles were drawn clear through her head, from ear to ear. Once several pieces, the length of a finger, came out of her ear. Another time I could, by laying my hands on her, feel and hear needles breaking or turning and being bent inside her head. Some were steel needles, small pieces of which moved slowly towards her throat and then came out of her mouth; others were of iron and bendable, and finally worked their way, bent three or four times, but whole, out through her mouth.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI1MzY3