1668. About spirits from a different Planet who are utterly unwilling [to admit] having been in a body
[Marginal note: Spirits of a certain satellite]
There are spirits of a kind who had so scorned the body during their bodily life, that they hate it, and could not bear being told that they had been clothed with a body. There were some tarrying in this region who spoke with me, and they said they did not like to come here, because here people imagine they are clothed with a body, which is insulting to them. Here they are constantly thinking about bodily matters, and then they portray these spirits as having bodies like themselves.
This resulted in the appearance that they portrayed snakes, which they sent against them. These snakes attack them, but from without, and are quickly pulled off. In fact, they even bind their both arms with snakes, which they shake off with annoyance.
When I asked what this was, they replied that spirits of this earth cause them this kind of annoyance, because they think they are with bodies, because of which they call themselves human beings, but these spirits do not think of themselves in this way, so their thoughts do not agree. Hence they portray this scene to them.
1668. CONCERNING SPIRITS FROM ANOTHER EARTH WHO ARE ALTOGETHER UNWILLING TO ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE EVER BEEN POSSESSED OF A BODY.
There is a class of spirits who have, during their bodily life, so despised the body that they come to regard it with hatred, nor can they bear to hear it said that they were once clothed with a body. There were some in this region who spoke with me, and said that they were not altogether willing to come hither, as they suppose that here are those who are clothed with a body, and by such they are contumeliously treated, as they are perpetually thinking of bodies, and represent the former as corporeal like themselves, whence ensues an appearance as if they represented serpents, and projected them towards the others, whom they [the serpents] approach, but not so as to fasten their fangs upon them, or to prevent their being easily cast off. Still they sometimes cause them to twine round each of their arms, while they, with uneasy promptings, aim to get rid of them. When I inquired into the reason of all this, they replied that the spirits of our earth cause them all this trouble, because they think themselves corporeal and call themselves men, but these spirits do not regard themselves in this light, wherefore their thoughts are dissonant, and hence the kind of representations spoken of.
1668. De spiritibus, qui prorsus nolunt se in corpore fuisse, ex 1
alia Tellure [m] Spiritus cujusdam satellitis [n]
Est genus spirituum, qui ita in vita corporis sui, contemserunt corpus, ut odio illud habeant, nec sustinerent dici, quod corpore induti fuerint; fuerunt aliqui in hac regione, et mecum loquuti, dicebantque quod huc non vellent venire, quia putant hic corpore indutos esse, quare ab iis contumeliis afficiuntur, cogitant enim jugi de corporibus, et eos sic repraesentant sicut semet corporeos; inde fit, quod apparuerit hoc, sicut repraesentaverint serpentes, quos in illos immitterent, qui serpentes eos adeunt sed extus, et mox divelluntur, imo quoque serpentibus ligant eorum brachia utraque, quos cum molestia excutiunt, cumque inquirerem, quid hoc esset, respondebant, quod spiritus hujus telluris iis tales molestias faciant, quia ii cogitant se corporeos, unde se vocant homines, at vero spiritus isti non cogitant se tales, quare cogitationes non conveniunt, inde tale repraesentant iis.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has fuisse Ex