1533. A spirit could not imagine otherwise than that it was he who was writing
When I was doing some writing, a spirit who was nearby at the left, when it was finished, thanked me for having helped him while writing. I realized that he imagined he was myself, as usual. He departed, and told others that he had not known otherwise than that he was writing, but he did not know whether he thought the hand that was writing to be his own, saying to another spirit that it was. And I suppose that if he had been with any other person [than myself], he would hardly have known differently than that he had been writing with his own hand. Such are the joint workings of spirits together with man.
There were others also, farther away from me, who wanted to claim for themselves some [of the action]. Thus it becomes clear how spirits work together [with man]. 1748, 19 March.
1533. A SPIRIT SUPPOSED NO OTHERWISE THAN THAT IT WAS HE WHO WROTE
A spirit was near me at the left while I was writing certain things, and when I had finished he thanked me for having assisted him in the writing; I knew that he supposed himself to be me, as is frequently the case. He went away and told others that he had known no otherwise than that it was he who was writing, although he did not know whether he had thought that it was his own hand that was doing the writing. He was speaking in this way to another spirit, and I suppose that if he had been with any other person he would scarcely have known other than that he had been writing with his own hand. Such is the cooperation of spirits with man. There were also others further away from me, who likewise wanted to claim something to themselves. It can thus be evident in what manner spirits cooperate. 11748, Mar. 19.
Footnotes:
1. Crossed out: "Co-operated with the prophets and the Evangelists, although as yet..."
1533. Quod spiritus non aliter putaret, quam quod scriberet
Cum scripsissem quaedam, spiritus qui prope erat a sinistro, postquam scriptum erat, gratias mihi egit, quod adjuvassem eum in scribendo, ego sciens 1
quod putaret [se] esse memet, sicut solet; discessit, et dixit aliis, quod non aliter scivisset, ac quod 2
is scriberet, sed nesciret, an putaret suam esse manum, quae scriberet, ita alii spiritui dicens 3
, et reor, si apud alium fuisset, quod vix aliud scivisset, quam quod is sua anu scripsisset; tales sunt cooperationes spirituum cum homine, alii quoque erant longius a me, qui aliquid sibi quoque vindicare vellent: ita quomodo spiritus cooperantur, constare potest. 1748, 19 Martius.
Footnotes:
1. vide praefationem hujus editionis sub capite "Idiosyncrasies"
2. The Manuscript has quos
3. The Manuscript has cum alio spiritu ubi alio spiritu in alii spiritui emendatum est sed deletio cum omissa