2888. About evil spirits of the inward world of spirits, and then,
The power is given to resist evil spirits, even vehemently
Today, as often before, evil spirits and demons with their sharp darts, so to speak, of thoughts- which no human being [can] know about, consequently [cannot] believe possible, or that such spirits exist-were continually provoking me, while in fact holding me in my more pleasant [states]. Thus it was the kind of spirits that act with forethought [2848-2849, 2855-2857] - but spirits, not demons, which are worse. They act on nothing but things that do not come into a person's conscious thought, only on the mental imagery as a detail, so that one cannot be aware that such spirits have put their own things into one's mental imagery. For from the detail, while intent on it, one cannot judge unless one is aware.
Such are the deceitful and evil in the inward world of spirits, namely that they take the smallest mental images, which people consider and call simple, as their effects, as I have been allowed to learn from much live experience. Human beings, while they are earthly humans, although they are of this nature still do not know that such inward earthly thinking exists. When they become spirits in the other life, they then know whether in such a detail there are indeed evil and deceitful spirits, for they then come into the conscious exercise of such thinking, and are aware.
2888. CONCERNING EVIL SPIRITS OF THE INTERIOR WORLD OF SPIRITS. THAT POWER TO RESIST EVILS, EVEN WITH VIOLENCE, IS GRANTED.
Today, as often previously, evil spirits and genii, with their eyes, as it were, the points of thoughts, which no man can know, and therefore cannot believe there are such things, or that such spirits are given, continually harassed me, and, indeed, held me in my more pleasant [states]; thus it was a class of those, who act from premeditation, but spirits, and not genii, who are worse. These do nothing else, than do [produce] in the interior thought those things that do not come into the manifest thought of man, [but] merely into the idea of [his) thought, as an effect; so that man cannot know, that by such [spirits] [these] things are carried within the ideas of their thought, for he cannot conclude from the effect, so long as he is in the effect, unless he knows. Such are the deceitful and evil in the interior world of spirits, to wit, that the least ideas of thoughts with man, which he regards, and calls simple ideas of thoughts, are their effects. This was given me to know, from considerable and living experience. Man, while he is man, although of such a nature, still is not aware that such interior, natural thoughts are given; [but] when he becomes a spirit, in the other life, he is aware, when he is such; for certain evil and deceitful [spirits] are still in such, for then they come into the manifest exercise of such thoughts, and know.
2888. De spiritibus malis interioris mundi spirituum tum quod resistendi malis, etiam cum violentia, datur copia
Hodie sicut saepe prius, mali spiritus et genii acutis 1
suis quasi cogitationum spiculis, quae nemo hominum scire, proinde nec credere [potest] 2
quod talia sint, seu quod tales spiritus dentur, continuo me lacessebant, et quidem me in jucundioribus meis tenentes--sic 3
erat genus eorum qui praemeditato agunt, sed spiritus, non genii, qui pejores sunt--ii 4
nihil aliud faciunt, quam interiori cogitatione agunt, ea, quae non in hominis cogitationem manifestam veniunt 5
, solum in cogitationis ideam ut effectus, sic ut homo non scire potest, quod a talibus ingesta sint ideis cogitationis eorum {a}, nam ab effectu, dum est in effectu, concludere nequit, nisi sciat; tales sunt dolosi et mali in interiori spirituum mundo, nempe quod minimae cogitationum ideae apud hominem, quae putantur et vocantur ab eo simplices ideae cogitationis, sint eorum effectus, quod ex satis multa experientia et viva nosse mihi datum est: homo, dum homo est, quamvis talis, usque non novit, quod tales cogitationes interiores naturales dentur, cum spiritus fit in altera vita novit, cum talis est, num in tali effectu 6
quidem mali et dolosi sunt, nam tunc in talium cogitationum exercitium manifestum veniunt, et sciunt.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition oculis
2. sic in J.F.I. Tafel's edition
3. The Manuscript has tenentes, sic
4. The Manuscript has sunt, ii
5. The Manuscript has venit
6. valde imperfectum in the Manuscript