2228. About reflection
I spoke with spirits about reflection, saying that without reflection, there is no life. Now I am telling them that by means of reflections given by the Lord, the life of their understanding is perfected by the Lord Alone so that they can tell what something is and its quality, and impress such information on the memory as knowledge. I added that brute animals do not have this reflection, for which reason they are not perfected, but remain in the condition proper to their nature-except for a reflection fear can inspire in them, but this does not happen by way of the intellect. 1748, 7 June.
2228. CONCERNING REFLECTION.
(I spoke with spirits concerning reflection, that [they have] no life apart from reflection, in that their intellectual life is perfected by, the Lord alone, through reflections granted by the Lord, so that they can know what and of what quality [anything] is, and so [the fact] is impressed on their memory that they may be in the knowledge thereof. Further, that brutes have not such reflection, wherefore they are not perfected, but remain in the state of their own nature. Besides which they could be inspired with fear, but this does not happen by an intellectual way. - 1748, June 7.)
2228. De reflexione
Loquutus sum cum spiritibus de reflexione, quod absque reflexione nulla vita, nunc quod per reflexiones, a Domino datas, vita eorum intellectualis a Domino Solo perficiatur, ita scire possunt, quid et quale sit, et ita imprimitur memoriae, ut [haec] in eorum cognitione sint. Tum, quod bruta talem reflexionem non habeant, quare nec perficiuntur, sed manent in statu suaemet naturae; praeter quae {a} ex timore iis posset incuti, sed hoc non fit per viam intellectualem. 1748, 7 Junius.