Spectral evidence was used to falsely accuse women during the Salem Witch Trials, of witchcraft.

Purely on the statements of "witnesses" who had seen their spirits ie, apparations, appear to them despite the women in their bodies were nowhere near the accuser/s.

How bizarre was that? Pure superstition is how the courts based its judgment and death sentence on innocent women - falsely accused.

There are some parallels to Mormonism, especially the early days. Joseph Smith was affected to some degree by witchcraft, and the occult.

"Spectral evidence was admitted in the Salem Witch trials, but condemned by many before and after as legally invalid. Most of the convictions and executions were grounded in testimony of spectral evidence.

Spectral evidence is evidence based on visions and dreams of the actions of a witch's spirit or specter. Thus, spectral evidence is testimony about what an accused person's spirit did, rather than actions of the accused person in the body.

In the Salem witch trials, spectral evidence was used as evidence in the courts, especially in the early trials. If a witness could testify to seeing the spirit of someone, and could testify to interacting with that spirit, perhaps even bargaining with that spirit, that was considered evidence that the person possessed had consented to the possession and thus was responsible.

EXAMPLE
In the case of Bridget Bishop, she claimed "I am innocent to a Witch. I know not what a Witch is" when confronted with accusatory testimony of her appearing as a specter to abuse victims. Several men testified that she had visited them, in spectral form, in bed at night. She was convicted on June 2 and hanged on June 10."

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-spectral-evidence-3528204

and how it started in England and spread to Europe and America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfQTYLb8Mko


Common folk could not explain the things that happened to them and filled in the gaps with witchcraft or people wanted to settle scores or get rid of old women that annoyed them.

I hope we don't fall under that spell again.

Pretty creepy.

I'll try getting through that documentary - just not at bedtime.

People were more puritan and ignorant back then. If someone didn't like you , they could literally get rid of you by accusing you of witchcraft or make up some other odd behaviour. They probably hung a lot of innocent mentally ill or handicapped people also."The devil probably made them that way "

I recall my grade school teacher in history class explaining how if someone baked a cake (for an example of what constitute "witchcraft,") that was an unusual recipe unfamiliar to the Puritans that would be sufficient evidence that person was a witch if thus accused.

The idea of "spectral evidence," is also astonishing. They were so ignorant and superstitious they'd even believe in such nonsense.

If not for the governor going to bat for his falsely accused wife (per article,) who knows how much longer innocent people were tortured to death? It was community sponsored murder in the public square.

The "real" witches and warlocks were the false accusers. If there's a literal hell, hope to God they are there.

There was a lot of personal feuds and enimity involved in the Salem Witch Trials too.

False accusers rushed to have their enemies quashed before their enemies could turn on them!

How's that puritanical? No wonder the Puritans as a people have gone extinct. They done themselves in.

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Or warlock!

Except on Halloween.

;-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2017 09:55AM by Amyjo.

Some of my earliest ancestors to America go back that far and before.

I haven't been able to determine yet if any of them were involved with the Salem Witch Trials.

If they were, it's been withheld from the family information available on the FamilySearch website.

All I've been able to find on those early ancestors are names and dates of birth and death. That's been about it.

You might find it interesting.

https://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/

Oh, very cool.

Thanks for the info. :)

Here is some interesting information I first saw on PBS regarding what could have caused some of the physical complaints of the accusers. They may have been suffering from Ergot poisoning from stored grain.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/witches-curse-clues-evidence/1501/

Now that is an interesting find.

Was it something in their diet that caused hallucinations? Or superstitious beliefs responsible for induced delusions? Another alternative was outright fraudulent claims (see suggestions above,) to having someone removed from the community that someone else deemed threatening or something as simple as being sworn enemies callous enough to commit murder.

Basically the grain was rotting from an extremely wet summer and a mold that is toxic grew on the grain. It has a similar effect to taking LSD, causing hallucinations, convulsions etc. Very similar to the behavior described by the original young girls.

I spent hours at the Witch Museum the last time I was in Salem. The memorial to the killed near the water is also fascinating to visit. It was dedicated 300 years after the trials.

http://www.salemweb.com/memorial/memorial.php