3064. From a single word of a spirit it is recognized what he is like
This was demonstrated to me, that is, that a spirit said only the word true, then signals of a twofold kind were evident to me, namely from the tone and from the mental image. The tone has differentiations even to a countless number, as is obvious from the tones of human speech in that their variety is beyond number, as is that of facial expressions. This is well known to everyone.
The other signal is that of the mental picture of the word true or truth. It showed at once what his general idea of true is like, whether it is general and has little content, whether there is simplicity in general, compassion in general, a calm quality, or an infantile or innocent quality, which is a general sign; then whether it is closed, or open, for example whether anything from heaven is being slipped into the picture, or whether it is drawing something from evils from self; then also, whether the mental image is very rich,
3064. THAT THE QUALITY OF A SPIRIT MAY BE RECOGNIZED FROM A SINGLE WORD.
(This was demonstrated to me, to wit, that should a spirit only speak the word true, then I possessed evidences [indications] of true kinds, to wit, from the sound, and from the idea. The sound has its differences to an indefinite extent, just as may be apparent from the sounds of men's speech, that the variety is indefinite, as of faces. Everyone knows this. Another evidence [indication] belongs to the idea of the word true or truth: it could be at once apparent of what quality is his general [communes] idea of true, whether generals or few things are therein: whether there is simplicity in the general [idea]; whether pity is in the general [idea]: whether a tranquil or infantile or innocent [principle is therein], which is a general indication [indicium]: further, whether [the idea] was closed or open: that if aught is insinuated from heaven, or by the evil into the idea, what he derives from himself.
3064. Quod ex una voce cognoscatur spiritus qualis est
Hoc mihi demonstratuu, nempe quod spiritus modo diceret vocem, verum, tunc indicia duplicis generis mihi exstantia erant, nempe ex sono, et ex idea; sonus habet suas differentias in indefinitum sicut constare potest ex sonis loquelae hominum, quod varietas sit indefinita, sicut facierum; ut cuivis notum est: alterum indicium est ideae vocis veri aut veritatis, illico constare potuit qualis idea ejus communis veri, num communis [sit] et pauca insint, num simplicitas in communi, num miseratio in communi, num tranquillum, num infantile aut innocens, quod est indicium commune, tum num clausa est, vel num aperta, ut si e coelo insinuetur quid in ideam, vel si a malis [idea] quid 1
trahat ex
(3065.) se: tum quoque num idea plenior sit, num 2
multum cognitionis, et qualis, tum num parum, num veri cognitio, num falsi cognitio veri illius, in statu isto; omnes differentiae vadunt in indefinitum: et praeterea spiritus angelici plura adhuc capiunt, quae adhuc inteeius sunt: et angeli adhuc plura quae in unoquoque particulari seu universali; quare spiritus potest illico cognosci, qualis est, ex una solum voce, cum Dominus dat iis percipere; nam in unaquavis idea, est homo, cum varietate quoad statum; et sciunt quoque quomodo externa, nempe sonus, et idea naturalis seu externa, ab interioribus dissentiant; praeter 3
adhuc plura in genere, quae non possunt ita dici. 1748, 6 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has malis, quid
2. The Manuscript has sit num
3. The Manuscript has dissentiant: praeter