4161. About what is the spirits' own
There were spirits with me who were trying to direct what I was writing from what is their own, whose character was hardly describable. They limit the mental imagery in such a way that I could not tell what was of use, and what was not. They fixate every extension of the thinking in such a way that one can scarcely be sure of anything, depriving other spirits of all freedom, and thereby all pleasure. In short, they are closed up, with hardly anything of life in them - knowing nothing, and wanting to know everything, as if made of wood. They captivate people, nor do they leave them any freedom, wanting to occupy and possess them, when yet in the company of angels, people are free and able to expand their thoughts, and it is given them to know what is good and true, while with the former the contrary is the case. 1749, 5 Mar.
4161. CONCERNING THE PROPRIUM OF SPIRITS.
There were spirits with me who, from their proprium, wished to direct what I should write. They were of a quality scarcely to be described. They limit the ideas in such a way that I seemed to know nothing of what would be of advantage and what would not. They take away all extension of thought, narrowing it in such a manner that scarcely anything [general] can be known. They take away from other spirits all freedom, and all the delight thence arising. In a word, they are closed [as to their minds], so that there is scarcely anything of life in them; they know nothing, and yet desire to know everything, being, as it were, a kind of wooden entities. They bring a man into bondage, nor leave him any freedom; they wish to occupy and possess him, when yet so long as man is in consort with the angels everything is free, and he has extension of thought, and is enabled to know what is good and true; but with these everything is the reverse. - 1749, March 5.
4161. De proprio spirituum
Fuerunt spiritus apud me, qui ex proprio voluerunt dirigere quae scriberem, tales erant ut describi vix possit, finiunt ideas, ut nihil scirem, quid conducit et non conducit, demum omnem extensionem cogitandi concentrant ut [quis] vix quicquam scire possit, demum aliis spiritibus omne liberum, et omne inde jucundum, verbo, sunt clausi, ut vix aliquid vitae, nihil sciunt, et volunt omnia scire; sunt sicut lignei; hominem emancipant, nec ei quicquam liberum relinquunt, occupare eum et possidere cupiunt, cum tamen cum homo in consortio angelorum omne est liberum, et extensionem cogitationis habet, et nosse ei datur quid bonum et verum, contrarium apud illos. 1749, 5 Mart.