3288. How the spirits of Mercury acquire for themselves so much higher knowledge of things
I spoke with them and realized that wherever they come, they at once discern from societies of other spirits what they know about the matters that then come up, for the spirits' mental faculty is such that they grasp at once whatever the others know, and what they do not know, thus there is a sharing, as when spirits come to someone on earth.
So several times they were allowed to find out whatever I knew about a given matter, just by clinging with their mental imagery to, and thus arousing things in me, either forgotten or not forgotten, that can fall within their aura, as has been made familiar to me on several occasions. Therefore, because they wander around so, they are enabled to learn countless things, which they also retain. But still they admit that even if they know countless things, yet there are countless things they do not know. For it is absolutely impossible in all eternity for them to know even the tiniest detail among the countless things [they know], without there being about that [one detail] countless numbers of countless numbers of things they do not know. 1748, 23 Sept.
3288. HOW THE SPIRITS OF MERCURY ACQUIRE TO THEMSELVES THE KNOWLEDGE OF THINGS.
(I spoke with them, and it was perceived that whenever they come, they at once perceive from the societies of other spirits what [these] know concerning such things as are then objects: for the faculty of spirits is such, that they at once perceive what others know, and what they do not know, so that there is communication, like as when a spirit comes to man. Thus it was several times granted them to know whatever I knew concerning anything, merely by inhering in their ideas, and so by exciting in me things, forgotten, or not forgotten, which may fall into their sphere: as has been several times, previously made known to me from experience. Wherefore because they thus wander about, it is granted them to know innumerable things, which they also retain. But still they confess that although they know indefinites, nevertheless there are indefinites still which they do not know; for never to eternity can it be given them to be able to know anything, not even the least, although there are indefinites, because from that [one] alone spring indefinities of indefinities, which they do not know. - 1748, September 23.)
3288. Quomodo spiritus Mercurii tantam rerum cognitionem sibi acquirant
Loquutus cum iis, et perceptum, quod ubicunque veniunt, illico percipiant a societatibus aliorum spirituum quid norunt de iis quae objecta tunc sunt, nam spirituum facultas talis est, ut illico percipiant quicquid alii sciunt, et quid non sciunt, sic ut sit communicatio, sicut dum spiritus ad hominem venit; ita aliquoties iis scire datum, quicquid de aliqua re scirem, solum ideis suis inhaerendo, et sic excitando 1
ea quae apud me, sive oblita sive non oblita, quae in eorum sphaeram cadere 2
possunt, sicut aliquoties prius notum ab experientia mihi factum; quare quia vagantur ita, noscere iis datur innumera, quae etiam retinent; sed usque fatentur, quod licet indefinita sciant, usque tamen indefinita sint quae non sciunt 3
, nam nusquam in aeternum dari potest, ut aliquid ne minimum quidem scire possint 4
tametsi indefinita sint, quin de eo solo indefinitatum 5
indefinitates sint quae non sciunt. 1748, 23 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has excitandi
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has cadi
3. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition sciant (sed cf. indicem ad Mercurius et Scientia)
4. The Manuscript has possint possint
5. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has indefinatum