207.关于灵人与世人的通常状态。有些灵人就在不与灵人说话或反思他们的世人周围或与其同在。他们根本不相信自己就是与这些世人同在的那些人，只是以为他们自己就是世人；他们像世人一样生活。因为每个灵人都以为自己是一个世人，若被告知不是，就会发怒。事实上，他们以为自己拥有世人那样的耳朵、眼睛和感官；当我告诉他们，并向他们证明：由于几个原因，这种情况是不可能的时，他们很不高兴。
1)不过，我能通过弥赛神的怜悯所恩赐给我的某些反思和其它许多方法使他们感觉他们仿佛使用肉体感官。我由此得出以下结论：这种观念在肉体死后仍留在他们身上，人的更内在事物只知道他们是人；因为身体是照着此人的形像形成的，它通过肌肉而与意愿行如一体，这是众所周知的；身体的概念由此而保留下来。
2)今天我还被指示，灵人能与我同在并说话，以及觉察我的思维；然而，他们看不见我所做的任何事。所以，我几乎被带回我以前的状态；那时，我和以前一样感受不到他们的任何行动，除非这种感受如此细微，以致我几乎难以将它与正常状态区分开来。
207. About the normal state of spirits with people on earth [164]
Spirits around or in people who do not speak with them or reflect upon them, do not at all believe they are those people they are present with, but only that they are people, and that they live like them. For every spirit believes himself to be a person on earth, and is indignant if told otherwise. In fact, they think they have ears, eyes and senses such as people on earth, and when I told and showed them that this cannot be the case, for several reasons, it displeased them.
1. ) But because I was able, by certain reflections granted to me by God the Messiah's mercy, and several other methods, to give them the feeling that they had use of bodily senses, I came to the conclusion that this idea does remain with them after the death of the body, and that the more inward aspects of a person do not know otherwise than that they are a human being, for into the image [of the more inward person] the body was formed [in the first place]. By means of muscles, the body acts in unison with the will, as is well known, whence comes the abiding idea of body.
2. ) Today also I was shown that spirits could be present and speak with me, as well as perceive my thoughts - and nevertheless see nothing that I did. So I was almost sent back into my former state; then I could feel nothing whatever of their operation as I usually could, except so little that I could hardly tell the difference between this and the ordinary state. 1747, the 13th day of October (old calendar).
207. CONCERNING THE GENERAL STATE OF SPIRITS WITH MEN
There are spirits around or with men who do not speak with spirits, and reflect back to them. Not that the spirits suppose themselves to be those men with whom they are, but only that they themselves are men; and they act as such. For every spirit supposes that he is a man, and is indignant if he is told otherwise. Indeed, they suppose that they have ears, eyes, and senses, such as men have: and when I said and demonstrated to them that this could not be the case for several reasons, they were indignant. Inasmuch as it has been conceded me by the mercy of God Messiah, I could affect them by means of certain reflections, and in many other ways, as if they enjoyed the use of the [corporeal] senses. I was thence able to conclude that a like idea remains with them after the death of the body, and that the more interior things of man know no otherwise than that they are the man; for the body is formed according to the image of the man, and by means of the muscles it acts as one with the will, as is well known; hence the idea of the body remains. It was also shown me today that spirits could be present and speak with me, as also to perceive what I thought, and yet they could not see anything I did, so that I was almost let into my former state; then, as formerly, I could feel nothing whatever of their operation, except so very fine that I could scarcely distinguish it from the common state. 1747, Oct. 13, o.s.
207. De spirituum statu communi apud homines
Spiritus circum aut penes homines, qui cum illis non loquuntur ac reflectunt ad eos, non quid 1
autumant se esse eos homines, apud quos sunt, sed modo quod sint homines, et sic agant, nam unusquisque spiritus autumat se esse hominem, et indignatur si aliud iis dicatur, imo putant se habere aures, oculos et sensus, quales homines, cumque iis dicerem ac demonstrarem, quod res ita se habere nequeat, ex aliquibus causis, indignati 2
sunt; quippe per certas reflexiones, ex misericordia Dei Messiae concessas mihi potui 3
afficere eos, tanquam sensibus fruerentur, et pluribus aliis modis, inde concludere potui, quod similis idea penes eos remaneat, post corporis mortem, et quod intimiora hominis nihil aliud sciant, quam quod homo sint, ad imaginem ejus enim corpus formatum est; et per musculos unum agit corpus cum voluntate, ut notum est, inde idea remanens corporis. Hodie quoque mihi ostensum est, quod spiritus adesse potuerint, et mecum loqui, ut et percipere cogitata, et tamen nihil videre, quod egi; sic ut paene remissus sim in statum priorem; tunc nihil usquam sentire potui de operatione eorum, sicut alioquin, nisi ita perparum, ut vix id discernere potuissem a communi statu. 1747, die 13 Octob. st. v.
Footnotes:
1. hoc est prorsus non
2. exitus abscissus in the Manuscript
3. The Manuscript has Messiae, concessas mihi potu