3616. About the inner person
When I was writing by means of a thought-transfer to me about spirits who did not know that there is an inner person, I soon spoke with the spirits, saying it was surprising that people do not know there is an inward person. Everyday experience shows that people behave differently in mannerisms, facial expression, words, than as they are thinking inwardly, thus separating outward and inward qualities. It is apparent that they are double, especially the deceitful, so as to be one person inwardly and a different one outwardly, because they separate them.
Hence it is evident that there is an inward person, separate from the outer or bodily one, which if one thinks it to be thought only, could not be separated from the outer one if it were not a reality. But because people do not reflect, but remain in superficialities, they do not learn this - especially the less deceitful. Moreover, the spirits could observe that good separates itself from evil, that is, thinks that a certain thing must not be done, so that good thus extinguishes the evil of thought, and therefore [knows] that there is something more inward that fights with the thought. 1748, 19 Oct.
3616. CONCERNING THE INTERNAL MAN.
When writing, concerning spirits who were ignorant that an internal man is given, I was intellectually informed, and it was afterwards said in conversing with spirits that it was wonderful that man did not know that there is an internal man, when every day he might, upon reflection, experimentally know that he bears himself differently in gesture, look, and word, from what he inwardly thinks, thus that he separates his exteriors from his interiors, and thus appears double, especially when his interiors are deceitful, consequently that he is one interiorly and another exteriorly, on account of this separation. Hence it may appear that an interior man is given, separate from the external or corporeal, which, if one thinks it to be thought only, could not be separated from the external or corporeal, which, if one thinks it to be thought only, could not be separated from the external, unless it were something real. But because they do not reflect, but abide in externals, they do not know [the truth], and are less deceitful compared with others. Moreover, they could observe that good separates itself from evil; that one, for instance, thinks that a certain thing is not to be done, thus that good in this way extinguishes the evil of thought, consequently that there is something still more interior which fights with the thought. - 1748, October 19.
3616. De interno homine
Cum scriberem de spiritibus qui nesciebant quod internus homo detur, per cogitationem communicatam mihi, mox cum spiritibus loquutus, quod mirum sit quod homo nec sciat dari interiorem hominem, cum singulis diebus id ad experientiam reflecteret, quod se gerat aliter gestibus, vultu, verbis, quam quod cogitet intus, sic ut separet sic exteriora ab interioribus, inde quod duplex sit apparet, dolosi imprimis, sic alium esse interius et alium exterius, quia separat ea; inde constare potuit, quod interior homo detur, qui separatus ab externo seu corporeo, quem si solam cogitationem putat, ea non potest separari ab externo nisi reale esset; sed quia non reflectunt, sed manent in externis, non sciunt, et prae aliis [qui] minus dolosi; praeterea observare potuerunt, quod bonum se separet a malo, quod nempe cogitet ita non faciendum, sic ut bonum sic exstinguat malum cogitationis, inde quod interius adhuc sit, quod pugnat cum cogitatione. 1748, 19 Oct.