2852. body is among such spirits, then each according to his own nature takes out what suits his character. In this way the person is pulled to pieces, suffers, is distressed and undergoes many kinds of pain, anguish, torment, annoyance. In short, evil spirits with me took out of my composite mental images things that were far away from the center of the image, doing this repeatedly, which sometimes surprised me a great deal.
The case is no different than what I brought up about objects [2843], that unclean spirits saw things I did not see, and drew my eyes toward filth, wherever it lay, near my feet, to the sides, or far away, of which I could not but have been entirely unaware if they had not known of it, sensed it, and then seen it. 1748, 18 Aug.
The reason is that they remove out of their sight and even shrink away from everything that is discordant with their unclean enjoyments, so they cast away to the sides things that do not agree and are clean and good, which to them are not only shadows, but thick darkness and cold, and like death.
2852. then every [spirit] according to his nature, takes away what belongs to his disposition; thus man is rended, suffers, is distressed, and undergoes many kinds of pain, anguish, torment, trouble; in a word, the evil spirits with me have taken out, from my composite ideas, the things which were far separated from the center of the idea, and this very many times, whereat I sometimes wondered greatly. Nevertheless, the case is similar as to what is taken away from objects; that unclean spirits saw what I did not see, and [directed] my eyes to filth, wherever it might be, near [my] feet, at [my] side, at a distance thence, and of which I could not have been but wholly ignorant, had not such [spirits] known, felt, and thus seen it. - 1748, August 18. The reason is, because they remove everything, so as not to see, and some abhor that which does not accord with their unclean pleasantnesses. Wherefore they reject to the sides whatever does not agree, so that to them [such] are not only shades, but darkness [caligo] and cold, [and] as it were, death.
2852. [vide 2851]