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The Maniac – A Realistic Study of Madness from the Maniac’s Point of View – E Thelmar

Once I seemed to be sent out of my body into a sort of Limbo, where I wandered about, groping my way in complete darkness. The region seemed peopled with entities that I instinctively felt to be evil. They were not fiends-they were not personalities at all-they seemed strange entities (what, I could not make out, as I could see nothing), creations formed by the thoughts of human beings.

They never molested me or touched me, but some of them accosted me wanting to know how I, a living, human woman, came to be there, and asking me if I could help them or show them a way out of this place?

I said I knew my way out was to get back into my human body, from which I had been ejected against my own will by people who kept on killing that body, and that I could tell them nothing about this place, where I was sure I was never meant to be, as I could not open my eyes here, or see either the place or the people.

I asked them if they could not see any light anywhere?

They answered, Yes, but only a great way off, at the far end of a terribly rocky path.

"Well," I said, "make for that light, and you will get out of this place I feel sure."

They said, "You are afraid of us! -and that is why you have said that, and not because it is the truth!”

"I said, "I am afraid of you because you all seem to me to be evil entities-but I have said nothing that I do not believe to be the truth. If you can see light and will make for it, I honestly believe you will ultimately get out of this dark place. I am sure no smallest spark of good can ever be lost -you all must have some good in you."

They answered, "The only good in us is what we have taken from human beings."

"Well,” I said, "if you are simply obsessing entities, with absolutely no spark of good of your own in you, I don't see how you can ever endure. I am convinced that nothing but good will endure, and all evil will ultimately be shattered."

This made them angry, and they began threatening me saying that as I was afraid of them they would have power to come and torment me when I was back in my body, and they would come. But I had ceased to feel afraid of them, because I was sure that if they were evil they could have no power over me, as I should be far more powerful than they, and I said to them-

"I have told you what I believe to be the truth. If you have power to torment me, you will be able to do so; but I do not believe you have any power over me at all."

They could not answer a word to this, and afterwards I left the place and returned into my body.