3155. How it is that a spirit seems to lose what is his own
A certain spirit who was shown in various ways that he seems to live, and indeed seems to seem to live, was confused, thinking there was nothing at all of him that lived. So he was shown in various ways that he supposed he sees with his eyes, supposed his hands touch [things], so he seems to himself to have eyes, and to have hands.
He was further told that the same is the case with everything else as with the outer senses, which he seems to himself to enjoy [the use of] as when he was a person on earth. It is likewise the case with his thought, which he supposed at that time to be his alone. As it had been shown him before that he thought from others [3134], the society from which or with which he was thinking was removed from him, and then his inward parts seemed to be thinking, and in fact, in a more innocent way.
The thinking that had been taken away was placed on my head, so that he could get it back from there. This shows that it was only the society, and its look, that made the thinking and that matter which was put on my head, and that what remained by which he was living was a purer society. It is similar in the case of calluses that are removed [807, 862-865, 951-952, 958, 963-966, 1023-1029, 2467-2469]. 1748, 14 Sept.
3155. HOW IT HAPPENS [se habet] THAT A SPIRIT SEEMS TO BE PERSUADED [persuaderi, I think] THAT ANYTHING IS OF HIMSELF [suum].
A certain spirit to whom it was shown in various ways that he seems to live, yea, seems to seem to see, was thereby confused, and thought that thus there was nothing of him that lived: wherefore it was shown him in various ways that he thought he saw with his eyes, thought he touched with the hand: therefore that he seemed to himself to have eyes, and have hands. It was further told them that it is so with everything else [coeteris], just as with the external senses, which he seems to himself to enjoy like as when he was a man. It was equally the case with his thought, which he then supposed to be his alone, [and] this, when it was previously shown that he thought from others. Then the society from or with which he thought, was taken away from him: then his interiors seemed to think, yea in a more innocent manner. The thought which was removed was placed over my head, that he might there receive it. Hence it may be evident that it was only the society and its intuition which caused thought, and that force which was placed above the head: and that the rest [remainder] by which he lives was a purer society. It is just as when callosities [callis] are removed. - 1748, September 14.
3155. Quomodo se habet, quod spiritus videatur perdere quod suum
Quidam spiritus, cui ostensum variis quod videatur vivere, et quidem videatur videre [se] vivere 1
, inde confusus, cogitans quod sic nihil ejus {a} esset, quod viveret, quare ei ostensum variis, quod putaret videre suis oculis, putaret tangere manus, sic ut videatur sibi habere oculos, et habere manus: porro ei 2
dictum quod sic se habeat cum caeteris, sicut cum sensibus externis, quibus gaudere sibi videtur, sicut dum homo erat, pariter 3
cum ejus cogitatione, quam solam tunc putabat esse suam, hoc cum ostensum prius quod ex aliis cogitaret [3134], tunc demta est ei societas, ex qua seu cum qua cogitabat, tunc interiora ejus videbantur cogitare quidem innocentiori modo; cogitatio quae ablata ponebatur super capite meo, ut ibi reciperet eam; exinde constare potest, quod solum societas esset ejus intuitio quae faciebat cogitationem eam rem 4
quae ponebatur super capite; et reliquum quo vivat, quod purior {b} esset societas; similiter ac se habet cum callis ablatis [807, 862-865, 951-952, 958, 963-966, 1023-1029, 2467-2[469]. 1748, 14 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has videri (cf. indicem ad Vita)
2. The Manuscript has iis
3. The Manuscript has parriter
4. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition vim sed puncta supra verbum in the Manuscript liturae ab opposita pagina sunt