2607. Earthly humans and spirits are not the ones who speak, but they suppose they are the ones who speak, and the life of all is to imagine that they live, think, speak, and act
I have very often conversed with spirits about this, for spirits cannot understand this any more than people on earth, and very often as a live experiment they have been shown that it is so - in fact I even noticed several times that they were being led to speak by others, all the while thinking it was themselves. So spirits like earthly humans do not know any better than that they are not being led by others, when yet they cannot even think, much less speak, the least thought, except from others. Experience of long duration in myself has strongly corroborated this.
But when they are granted the reflection that they are being led by others, then they at once think they are being deprived of their freedom and are not speaking on their own. How this matter stands, you may see elsewhere [842, 1948, 2099-2101, 2464-2466]. 1748, 15 July.
2607. THAT MEN AND SPIRITS ARE NOT THOSE WHO SPEAK, BUT SUPPOSE IT IS THEY WHO SPEAK, AND THAT THE LIFE OF ALL IS TO IMAGINE THEY THEMSELVES LIVE, THINK, SPEAK, AND ACT.
I have very often been in discourse with spirits concerning these things, for spirits cannot perceive this any more than men, and it is often shown them to the living experience that it is so. Yea, I have also perceived several times that they were led to speak by others, and meanwhile they supposed it was they [who spoke], so that spirits like man know nothing else than that they are not led by others when yet they cannot even think, still less speak, the least thing unless it be from others. From daily experience in me this has been strongly confirmed. But then the reflection is given them that they are led by others, then they immediately suppose they are deprived of their liberty and do not speak from themselves. See elsewhere how the matter is. - 1748, July 15.
2607. Quod homines et spiritus non ii sint qui loquuntur, sed putent se esse qui loquuntur, et quod vita omnium sit opinari se vivere, cogitare, loqui et agere
De his cum spiritibus quam saepius in sermone fui, nam hoc percipere non possunt spiritus magis quam homines, et saepius ad experientiam vivam iis ostensum est quod ita sit, imo etiam animadverti aliquoties, quod ducerentur loqui ab aliis, ac interea putarent quod ii essent, sic ut spiritus sicut homo nihil aliud sciat, quam quod non ducatur ab aliis, cum tamen ne minimum quidem cogitare minus loqui possint, nisi sit ab aliis; ab experientia diuturna in me hoc valde est confirmatum 1
; sed cum iis datur reflexio, quod ab aliis ducantur, tunc illico se putant libertate sua privari, et a se non loqui; quomodo se res habeat, alibi videas [842, 1948, 2099-2101, 2464-2466]. 1748, 15 Julius.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has confirmatus