3172. What fantasies [are], and what imaginations
I spoke with spirits about fantasies, and in fact with those who supposed that they were entirely bodied people, even though they knew they were spirits-among other things, [the fantasy] that they seemed to themselves to be trying the lowest functions of the body. So we spoke about fantasies, and I was inspired to tell one of them that from that he could know what fantasy is, and that people seem to live by their own power, and yet this is a fantasy, and that it is no wonder that such fantasies regarding the body and physical things exist, as long as that fantasy that they live by themselves or by their own power remains.
3172. WHAT PHANTASIES ARE AND WHAT ARE IMAGINATIONS.
I spoke with spirits concerning phantasies, yea, with those who supposed that they are wholly bodily [corporeal] men, although they knew that they were spirits, besides other things also, that they seemed to themselves to attempt the lowest functions of the body. Wherefore we spoke concerning phantasies, and it was granted to tell him that hence may be known what is phantasy, and that man seems to live from himself and yet it is such a phantasy, and that it is not wonderful that there exist phantasies of this sort concerning the body and corporeal things, so long as that phantasy of living in or from himself remains.
3172. Quid phantasiae, et quid imaginationes
Loquutus sum cum spiritibus de phantasiis, et quidem cum iis qui putabant se prorsus corporei homines esse, tametsi sciebant quod essent spiritus 1
, praeter alia, quod quoque functiones corporis infimas viderentur sibi conari; quare loquutum est de phantasiis, et dicere ei {a} datum, quod exinde sciri possit, quid phantasia, et quod videatur homo vivere ex se, et tamen est 2
talis phantasia, et quod non mirum quod ejuscemodi phantasiae de corpore et corporeis existant, quamdiu phantasia ista, quod vivat in se seu ex se, manet.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition: "spiritus pro spiritibus"
2. The Manuscript has est est