2021. The Lord could give anyone the ability to contemplate inward matters by a spiritual mental image
Some spirits were thinking that only I was able, by a spiritual mental image, to contemplate inward matters and be as a spirit, and they had consequently, as usual, guessed wrong. But they were told that all people could be like this, the Lord willing, even those who are very stupid.
Then I was reminded of a certain stupid individual several years earlier, who sometimes used to almost orate publicly, and at such times things that he normally never could have known or remembered were called to his mind.
Moreover, I was then shown by an experience that when the spiritual mental image was taken away, I was exactly like anyone else in regard to my thinking, which surprised them, and that [the mind] was opened as it pleased the Lord, not only in myself, but also in all spirits, in whomsoever it pleases the Lord to do this. Besides, I had learned earlier by experience, that spirits when brought into this condition would communicate to me something in them, so that I could not tell otherwise than that I had known it and was simply recalling it - even though I later realized that it had been the working of spirits upon me, such as there is of people on earth upon spirits, who think they know what the person knows. The effect was therefore reversed.
From the above and many other experiences, one may conclude that the mind can be opened in anyone, in whomsoever it pleases the Lord to do so, so as to contemplate a matter by a spiritual mental image - and to be sure, according to order in those who have faith, but extraordinarily and miraculously in those who do not have faith.
2021. THAT THE LORD CAN ENABLE ANYONE, BY A SPIRITUAL IDEA, TO PERCEIVE INTERIOR THINGS.
Certain spirits supposed that I only was in such a state as to be capable, by a spiritual idea, of perceiving interior things, and of being as a spirit, from whence, as usual, they drew some kind of sinister inference; but it was said to them that all could be such if the Lord pleased, even the most stupid, and I was then reminded of a certain stupid individual whom I had known many years before. This man was accustomed at certain times to make public addresses, and he could then recollect a multitude of things which he could not possibly at any other time recall to mind. It was then, moreover, shown to me by experience that upon the withdrawal of such a spiritual idea, I was altogether like any other person in thought, which was a matter of wonder to spirits, and that, according to the Lord's good pleasure, not only was this faculty opened with me, but also with all spirits, to whom the Lord should see fit to grant it. By experience, moreover, I had previously learned that spirits, when reduced into a similar state, would communicate to me such things as pertained to them, that I knew no otherwise than that I myself had once known them, and thus recollected them, when yet, afterwards, I knew that it was owing to the operation of spirits upon me, similar to the operation of man upon spirits, who suppose that they know what the man knows, the effect being thus reciprocal. From these and many other facts, it may be concluded that, with whomsoever the Lord pleases the mind may be opened, so that by a spiritual idea things may be intuitively perceived - in an orderly manner with those who are in faith, and in an extraordinary and miraculous manner with those who are not in faith.
2021. Quod Dominus unicuique dare posset, idea spirituali intueri res interiores
Putabant quidam spiritus, quod ego solus ita essem, ut idea spirituali intueri possem res interiores, et esse sicut spiritus, et inde conjectaaunt, ut solitum iis, sinistrum; sed iis dicebatur, quod omnes tales esse potuissent, si Dominus ita vellet, imo qui stupidissimi sunt, et in memoriam mihi revocabatur quidam stupidus, ante plures annos, qui certis temporibus quasi concionabatur, et quae nusquam alioquin scire et reminisci potuit, tunc in mentem ejus vocabantur. Praeterea per experientiam mihi ostendebatur tunc, quod ablata idea spirituali, essem prorsus sicut alius in cogitatione, quod mirabantur, et quod secundum beneplacitum Domini, aperiretur, non solum penes me, sed etiam penes omnes spiritus, apud quos, beneplacet Domino; praeterea per experientiam prius didici, quod spiritus, in similem statum redacti, communicarent mecum talia quae penes eos essent, sic ut non scirem aliter, quam quod ego id scivissem, et sic quod reminiscerer, cum tamen postea cognovi, quod esset spirituum operatio in me, sicut est hominis in spiritus, qui putant se scire quod homo [scit], erat sic mutatum; ex his et pluribus aliis concludi potest, quod omnibus 1
, quibuscunque beneplacet Domino, aperiri mens queat, ut idea spirituali intueatur res; et quidem secundum ordinem apud eos, qui in fide sunt; modo extraordinario et miraculose apud eos, qui non in fide.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has omnes