Question: Are there "earthbound" souls who try to have,
and do have, an influence over people, sometimes taking
entire possession of their wills?
'Abdu'l-Baha answered, "There
are no earthbound souls. When the souls that are not good die, they go entirely
away from this earth and so cannot influence anyone. They are spiritually dead.
Their thoughts can have influence only while they are alive on the earth. Caiaphas
had great influence during his life, but as soon as he died, his influence
ceased. It was of this kind
that Christ said, 'Let the dead bury their dead.' But the good souls are given
eternal life, and sometimes God permits their thoughts to reach the earth to
help the people."
(From a table talk by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Daily Lessons Received at
Akka January 1908”, by Helen Goodall and Ella Goodall Cooper)
