3917. On the Memory
It was shown by experience [what happens] when spirits operate from their own memory of personal matters into a person on earth. Then one does not know otherwise than that one had experienced some matter before, as I was shown also today. It results in a recollection such as Cicero, 1as if he had known something previously. This shows what confusion would arise if spirits operated into man from their own memory of personal matters, and not from the memory of man.
Once earlier a spirit had operated in me from his own memory of personal matters, and I then did not know differently than that I had experienced something, when I had in fact not at all. This also shows what confusion would ensue if a spirit had [use of] a memory of personal matters. 1748, 9 Nov.
Footnotes:
1. See Tusculanae Disputationes I. xxiv. 56-9.
3917. CONCERNING MEMORY.
It was shown by experience that when spirits act upon man from their own memory of particulars, man does not know otherwise than that he was previously cognizant of the very thing, as was evinced [by what happened] today; thence is the kind of recollection of which Cicero speaks, as if he had known [certain things] previously. Hence it appears what confusion would arise if spirits were to act upon man from their memory of particulars, and not from the memory of the man. On a former occasion also a spirit acted from his memory of particulars upon me when I was not aware but that I had known the thing, though I had in fact known nothing at all of it. Hence it is to be known what confusion [would ensue] if spirits should retain the memory of particulars. - 1748, November 9.
3917. De Memoria
Ostensum cum spiritus agunt ex memoria sua particularium in hominem, expertum, quod tunc homo non aliter sciat, quam quod prius id sciverit, sicut hodie etiam ostensum, inde recordatio talis, de qua Cicero, quasi noverit prius, inde constat qualis confusio oriretur, si spiritus ex memoria sua particularium agerent in hominem, et non ex memoria hominis. Prius quoque egit spiritus ex sua memoria particularium in me, tunc nec aliter sciebam, [quam] quod hoc noverim, cum tamen ne hilum noverim, inde quoque scitur, qualis confusio, si spiritui esset memoria particularium. 1748, 9 Nov.