Allan Kardec-THE Spirit's Book_ The Principles of Spiritist Doctrine (1989)

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ALLAN KARDEC
he desires or of what he fears, thus producing what may be properly termed an effect of the
imagination. When the mind is much busied with any idea, it is apt to connect everything it
sees with that idea."
406. When, in a dream, we see persons who are well known to us doing things which they are
not in any way thinking of, is it not a mere effect of the imagination?
"Of which they are not thinking? How do you know that it is so? Their spirit may come to
visit yours, as yours may go to visit theirs; and you do not always know, in your waking state,
what they may be thinking of. And besides, you often, in your dreams, apply to persons whom
you know, and according to your own desires, reminiscences of what took place, or is taking
place, in other existences."
407. Is it necessary to the emancipation of the soul that the sleep of the body should be
complete?
"No; the spirit recovers his liberty as soon as the senses become torpid. He takes advantage,
in order to emancipate himself, of every moment of respite left him by the body. As soon as
there occurs any prostration of the vital forces, the spirit disengages himself from the body,
and the feebler the body, the freer is the spirit."
It is for this reason that dozing, or a mere dulling of the senses, often presents the same images as
dreaming.
408. We sometimes seem to hear within ourselves words distinctly pronounced, but having no
connection with what we are thinking of,-what is the cause of this?
"Yes, you often hear words, and even whole sentences, especially when your senses begin to
grow torpid. It is sometimes the faint echo of the utterance of a spirit who wishes to
communicate with you."
409. Often, when only half-asleep, and with our eyes closed, we see distinct images, figures
of which we perceive the minutest details,-is this an effect of vision or of imagination?
"The body being torpid, the spirit tries to break his chain. He goes away and sees; if the sleep
were deeper, the vision would be a dream."
410. We sometimes, when asleep, or half-asleep, have ideas which seem to us to be excellent,
but which, despite all the efforts