Spectral evidence is a form of evidence based upon dreams and
visions. It was admitted into court during the
Salem witch trials by the appointed chief justice,
William Stoughton. The booklet
A Tryal of Witches taken from a contemporary report of the proceedings of the
Bury St. Edmunds witch trial of 1662 became a model for and was referenced in the Trials when the magistrates were looking for proof that such evidence could be used in a court of law.