3909. Evil spirits gain power from numbers
I noticed a certain female spirit, who was a medium of evil spirits that were inspiring wickedness persuasively. Other spirits, partly from curiosity, partly from the fact that they were drawing themselves away from thinking about the things I had written, were watching quite attentively to see how that medium was behaving, and what would come of it. So the gazes and thoughts of many were fixed upon her who was the medium, causing her powers of thought to be increased; for the more there are looking upon the one, the more strongly she acts, as I had previously also observed, who attracted the gazes of others magically, by intercepting the things that were streaming in, getting through in this manner to those from whom the flow was coming. The spirits were told that the power of this medium was thus increased. Therefore they were withdrawn, and she was left alone with the evil spirits, after which no power could be felt - at which the spirits were surprised. 1748, 8 Nov.
3909. THAT EVIL SPIRITS ACQUIRE TO THEMSELVES [ADDITIONAL] POWERS FROM NUMBERS.
I observed a certain [female] who was a subject of evil spirits, that inspired abominable things with [a powerful] persuasion. Other spirits, partly from curiosity and partly from a desire to abstract their thoughts from what I was writing, observed with a fixed attention how such a subject [would be affected], and what would happen; the intuitions and ideas of several were then fixed upon her who was the subject, from whence her powers of thinking were increased; for in proportion as the intuitions of a number concenter in one, she acts more strongly, as I had also observed before, [in the case of one] who had thus magically attracted the intuitions of others by receiving the things that flowed in, and so going to those from whom the influx came. It was said to spirits that the power of that subject would be thus augmented; wherefore they were withdrawn, and she being left alone with evil spirits, her power was entirely gone, which could be perceived, and at which the spirits wondered. - 1748, November 8.
3909. Quod spiritus mali, acquirant sibi vires ex pluribus 1
Observavi quandam, quae subjectum erat spirituum malorum, qui inspirabant nefanda, cum persuasione; alii spiritus, partim ex curiositate, partim ex eo, quod se abstraherent a cogitando de iis, quae scripsi, observabant attente satis, quomodo tale subjectum [ageret], et quid eveniret, inde plurium intuitiones et ideae erant in eam, quae subjectum, inde vires ejus cogitandi auctae sunt, nam quo plurium intuitiones in unam, eo fortius agit, sicut prius observaveram quoque, quae attrahebat aliorum intuitiones magice, per id quod exciperet quae influebant, et sic pergendo ad eos, a quibus influxus; dictum spiritibus, quod sic augeretur istius subjecti vis; quare abstrahebantur, et relicta solum malis, tunc nulla erat vis quae percipi potuit, quod mirati spiritus. 1748, 8 Nov.
Footnotes:
1. supra caput hoc apparet in ms. articulus inabsolutus nec numeratus, transversis lineis deletus:
Quomodo spiritus etiam excitant ea quae sunt in memoria hominis
Erant, quae spiritus excibant e memoria mea, quae percepi, quod non ita sicut ii qui possident memoriam hominis,et quod sic excitationes fiebant ex eo, quod essent eorum,