2072. What ideas are like, and what is within them is communicated to spirits, and to angels
This one example can show how it stands with ideas in which are false or profane elements: there was a certain tract of garden at which spirits had caused me to be frightened because they did not want it to be cultivated, and they even brought up dreadful thoughts, although the tract was beautiful, planted with trees.
This mental image remained, for when I portrayed that garden tract by a spiritual mental image 2 years later, then the spirits who were now around me began to shudder, as if they were suffering dreadful thoughts, because those dreadful fantasies that had been inspired earlier were being aroused, and so they were being frightened almost beyond endurance.
I therefore depicted to them how the matter stood, and that these were only illusions of evil spirits, who had induced those dreadful things, and being instructed they began to feel differently, and that horror departed.
2072. THAT IDEAS, WHATEVER THEIR QUALITY OR CONTENTS, ARE COMMUNICATED BY SPIRITS AND ANGELS.
From this single example it may also appear how it is with ideas in which are falses or profane things. There was a certain tract of garden, for which spirits inspired me with a certain horror, by reason that they were not willing it should appear to the mind, and indeed they then presented before me dire things, though the tract was a beautiful one, planted with trees. This idea remained; and when I represented in spiritual idea that garden tract two years afterward, then did the spirits who are now about me begin to be filled with horror, and, as it were, to suffer dire things, because those dire phantasies which were formerly stirred up were again excited, and they became so filled with horror as scarcely to endure it. Wherefore I represented to them how the thing was, and that it was only the illusions of evil spirits who induced these dire things. Being thus instructed, they began to feel otherwise, and that horror departed.
2072. Quod ideae, quales sunt, et quae in iis, communicentur spiritibus, et angelis
Ex uno hoc exemplo etiam constare potest, quomodo se habent ideae, in quibus falsa sunt, aut prophana, erat quidam tractus horti, pro quo spiritus mihi quendam horrorem fecerunt, ex causa, quod nollent ut is excoleretur 1
, et quidem tunc objecerunt mihi dira, tametsi tractus erat pulcher, arboribus consitus; haec idea remansit, cumque repraesentarem idea spirituali tractum eum hortulanum, post 2 annos, tunc ceperunt {a} spiritus, qui nunc circum me, horrescere, et quasi dira pati, quia dirae istae phantasiae, quae incussae prius sunt, excitabantur, et sic horrebant 2
, ut vix sustinerent; quare iis repraesentavi, quomodo se res haberet, et quod solum essent illusiones malorum spirituum, qui dira ista induxerunt, ita instructi aliter sentire coeperunt, et horror iste abiit.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition: "emoliretur pro emoleretur"
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has horrerent