3417. Philosophers who have conceived fantasies regarding spirits are unable to believe that spirits have the use of senses
When I was excerpting my observations in numbers 1719, 1720, about spirits and their senses, certain learned men were present at the time whose perception [of the matter] was communicated to me, making me realize that they cannot at all believe that spirits can make use of any of the senses, much less feel pain, fear, terror, their philosophic fantasies having brought on them such darkness. So it is the uneducated who are able to believe. 1748, 30 Sept.
3417. THAT PHILOSOPHERS WHO HAVE TAKEN UP PHANTASIES CONCERNING SPIRITS CANNOT BELIEVE THAT SPIRITS ENJOY FEELING [SENSE] [sensu].
(When I extracted what is observed in Nos. 1719, 1720, concerning spirits and their sense, then were present certain learned ones, and their perception was communicated to me: from which I perceived that they can never believe [that] spirits can be endowed [pollere] with any sense, still less a sense of pains, horrors, [and] terrors: thus have their philosophic phantasies induced [brought] darkness on them. Wherefore the unlearned are they who can believe. - 1748, September 30.
3417. Quod philosophi, qui de spiritibus phantasias cepprint, non credere possint, quod spiritus sensu gaudeant
Cum excerperem ea, quae n. 1719, 1720 de spiritibus et eorum sensu observata sunt, tunc aderant quidam docti, et eorum perceptio mihi communicata, ex qua percepi, quod nusquam credere possint, [quod] 1
spiritus aliquo sensu, minus sensu dolorum, horrorum, terrorum pollere possint: ita philosophicae eorum phantasiae induxerunt iis tenebras: quare indocti sunt qui credere possunt. 1748, 30 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. sic in J.F.I. Tafel's edition