3739. How truths and goods are raised by the Lord
It was clearly seen that Sirens and other spirits, when they raise up anything from a human memory, hold their mental imagery in things filthy and evil, then at once bringing forth from that human memory things the person had done and had thought in life, one after another, for such things in the person's memory interact with their mental imagery. As anyone may know from their own experience, when one holds onto a mental imagery of certain subjects everything comes up in succession that pertains to the general picture, about which one at once starts thinking, and sometimes speaking, all his speaking being therefrom.
3739. HOW TRUTHS AND GOODS FROM THE LORD ARE EXCITED.
It was, manifestly perceived that sirens and others, when they excite anything from the memory of man, hold the ideas solely in such things, as for instance in filthy or evil things, and then there immediately come forth from his memory such things as he had thought or done during his life, one after another; for these things which are in the memory of man correspond to their ideas; as man - which anyone may know from himself - while he holds his ideas on any subject, perceives that those things are excited in order which pertain to the general idea; concerning these he immediately thinks, and when he speaks all his speech is also from them.
3739. Quomodo excitantur vera et bona a Domino
Perceptum manifeste, quod Sirenes et alii cum aliquid excitant ab hominis memoria, quod solum teneant ideas in talibus, sicut in spurcis aut malis, tunc illico ex memoria hominis prodeunt talia, quae in vita egerit et cogitaverit, unum post alterum, nam correspondent eorum ideis ea quae in memoria hominis; sicut homo, quod nosse potest quisque a semet, cum tenet ideas in aliquibus, quod excitentur ea ordine, quae communis ideae sunt, de quibus illico cogitat, et [quae] quandoque eloquitur, inde quoque omnis ejus loquela.