I came across this interesting passage today, in Thomas. He is talking about whether the separated souls know about things going on here below. His answer is no, insofar as their natural cognition is concerned. He makes the following interesting remark about whether Samuel the prophet, when he appeared to Saul, was appearing by means of divine revelation or demonic deception. Note especially the canonical status of Ecclesiasticus.
Summa theologiae Ia q. 89 a. 8 ad 2:
Unde et de Samuele dici potest quod ipse apparuit per revelationem divinam; secundum hoc quod dicitur Eccli. 46 [23], quod dormivit, et notum fecit regi finem vitae suae. Vel illa apparitio fuit procurata per daemones: si tamen Ecclesiastici auctoritas non recipiatur, propter hoc quod inter canonicas scripturas apud Hebraeos non habetur.
Whence it can be said about Samuel that he appeared by means of divine revelation, according to what is said in Eclesiasticus 23, that "he slept, and made known to the king the end of his life." Or that apparition was procured by demons, if the authority of Ecclesiasticus should not be accpeted, accoridng to this that it is not held to be among the canonical scriptures by the Hebrews.
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