2954. About the state of spirits with a person who is unaware of them and supposes he or she is ruled without spirits
I was in a shop to buy cheese, and while I was buying spirits poured into me a desire to buy this one or that one, to choose one above another, and to change [my mind], which I did not notice. As usual I was in their company, without reflecting on the spirits.
When it was finished, spirits were allowed to reflect on their state while they were making me buy and change [my mind], and they said that it was exactly as if they themselves were doing it, not knowing otherwise. It was also granted me to see this by their inflow into the outward organs of my mind.
So spirits have a life within people exactly as if they themselves were the person and it were their action and desire. 1748, 27 Aug.
2954. CONCERNING THE STATE OF SPIRITS WITH MAN, WHEN MAN IS IGNORANT [THEREOF], AND SUPPOSES HE IS DIRECTED BY HIMSELF, APART FROM SPIRITS.
(I was in a certain shop, in order to purchase ointment [costum]; then when I purchased, spirits infused a desire that I should buy this or that, that I should choose one thing in preference to another, and should change my mind, change [my purchase]. This I did not apperceive. As usual, in company, I was not reflecting upon [about] spirits. When [this] occurred, it was then granted to spirits to reflect upon their state, when they caused me to purchase and exchange [my purchase] [change my mind], and they said, that they were [then acting] entirely, as if they themselves had done it, and did not know different. It was also granted me to perceive this, by their influx into the exterior organs of the mind; so that spirits have a life in [penes] men, wholly as if they were the man; and it was they who acted and desired. - 1748, August 27.)
2954. De statu spirituum apud hominem, cum homo nescit, et putat a se absque spiritibus regi
Eram in quadam officina ad emendum caseum 1
, tunc cum emerem, infundebant spiritus cupidinem, ut emerem hoc vel illud, ut eligerem unum prae altero, utque mutarem, quod non appercipiebam 2
, eram sicut solitum in consortio absque reflexione super spiritus, cum factum; datum erat spiritibus tunc reflectere super statum eorum, cum facerent me emere et mutare, et dicebant, quod prorsus essent sicut ii fecissent, non aliter scientes, quod etiam mihi dabatur percipere per influxum eorum in orggna mentis exteriora, sic ut spiritus habeant vitam penes homines prorsus sicut ii essent homo; et ii agerent [et] cuperent 3
. 1748, 27 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. nisi cum in J.F.I. Tafel's edition legeris costum
2. The Manuscript has appercipiebam
3. The Manuscript has agerent, cuperent,