1132. As for their way of working, the fact is that they join themselves to a spirit, as they did to me, and continually search out what he is thinking, and what he is like at the time. They grasp an object of thought, or some idea that comes up, and hold onto it tightly and do not withdraw until something else shows itself, which again they seize together with the former thought.
So they more or less draw the thoughts of a spirit or a person on earth to themselves, and watch what else they are thinking about the same matter, joining it with the former thoughts, and so on, until they have found out the attitude of the person they are with. For they do not let the spirit or person on earth wander from their mental image, because what is put in front of us commands our consciousness, so when kept in the same idea, or confronted with the same object, all related thoughts cannot but come forward. Furthermore, they not only draw in this way whatever a person or spirit is thinking, but also what they are hoping for. So they constantly try to find out their desires; but this is not so much permitted. Every man and spirit is evil, and when on their own, their life is made up of mere desires.
1132. But as regards their operation, it is as follows:
They apply themselves to a spirit as they do to me, and continually explore what he is thinking about, and of what quality he then is. They seize upon the thought or idea which is presented and hold on to it tenaciously, nor do they recede from it until something else offers itself which they again seize upon conjointly with the former thought. In this way they, as it were, draw forth his thoughts from a spirit or a man, and clearly see what further he is thinking about the same matter, and this they conjoin with the former things, and so on continuously until they have explored the "animus" of the one with whom they are; for they do not permit the spirit or man to wander away from his own idea, inasmuch as the object [of his thought] activates the senses. Thus when he is held in the same idea or in the same object all the things related thereto must needs come forth. Moreover, in this way they attract not only whatever the man or spirit is thinking about, but also what he longs for, so that they are constantly eager to learn his cupidities; but this is not so permitted, for every man and spirit is evil, and from himself he has only the life of cupidities.
1132. Sed quod operationem eorum attinet, est ea, nempe quod applicent se spiritui, sicut mihi, et explorant jugiter quid cogitat, et qualis tunc sit, arripiunt objectam eorum cogitationem seu ideam, et eam detinent tenaciter nec inde recedunt, 1
donec aliquid se offerat, quod iterum arripiunt 2
conjunctim cum priori cogitatione, sic a spiritu, seu homine, attrahunt quasi ejus cogitationes, et perspiciunt quid porro de eadem re cogitet, quod conjungunt cum prioribus, et sic continue, usque dum exploraverint animum ejus apud quem sunt, nam non sinunt spiritum seu hominem divagari a sua idea, nam objectum movet sensus, sic cum tenentur in eadem idea, seu in eodem objecto, non potest non quin prodeant omnia ea, quae affinia sunt; porro non solum ita attrahunt quicquid homo aut spiritus cogitat, sed quod cupit; sic ut cupiditates ejus nosse constanter cupiant, sed hoc non ita permittitur, quia omnis homo et spiritus malus est, et modo vitam cupiditatum ex se habet.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has
2. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition et forte Manuscript arripiant