4167. On the nature of spirits
Because spirits are not permitted to make use of the memory of personal matters, there are inward memories - which, however, cannot properly be called memories, but rather faculties of the memory of personal matters such as people on earth exercise when not thinking from that memory. They think in this manner many times without realizing it, even though the memory of personal things is the plane from which [they think], but still there is an ability to think from it, and spirits are of this nature, thus more excellent than man. They are present with people so that they can think from their memory, because they are faculties and instruments, and as such do not know differently than that they are the person and that the person's personal matters are theirs - this is clear to me from very many experiences. I have told them that this is the case, and they are displeased,
obs. thinking all the personal matters they are telling to be theirs; but when it is obs. demonstrated - as it was also by the fact that they speak with my tongue, and know all the languages that I do, and which I do not know and they do not know - then being convinced, they became silent.
[2] Mankind's memory is their outermost plane. They were also convinced when it was said that if they were present with insane people, they would also become insane, with the intelligent they would be intelligent, and would still imagine everything to be theirs. In short, it is the life of principles with them, and according to that life, they reason, and when that life flows into man's memory, it arouses the same qualities. This is evident to me from many experiences. Their life of passions arouses passions. These lives appear as instincts. 1749, 11 Mar.
4167. CONCERNING THE NATURE OF SPIRITS.
Inasmuch as it is not permitted to spirits to use the memory of particular or material things [particularium], there are interior memories - which however cannot properly be called memories, but rather faculties of the memory of particulars - corresponding to the quality of the man when he does not think from this material kind of memory; man in fact often thinks in this way, though he is not aware of it. Still the memory of particular or material things is the plane from which he is enabled to do it, since the very faculty of thinking is from that ground. Such are spirits, and thus are they more excellent than man. They are with man, so that they think from his memory, because they are faculties and potencies, and then they know no otherwise than that the are the man, and that the particulars of the man are theirs. This I have learned by a multitude of experiences, having spoken with them and been assured that the fact is so. They indeed resent the idea, and suppose that all the particulars which they utter are their own, but when the truth was demonstrated, and especially that they spoke in my own language and that they knew all the languages which I know, and were ignorant of all of which I am ignorant, they became silent under the force of conviction. The memory of man is their ultimate plane; of this they were convinced from their being told that if they were with the insane, they also would be insane; if with the intelligent, that they would be intelligent, and yet would think everything to be their own.
In a word, the life of man's first principles is with them, and according to that life they reason, which life when it flows into man's memory excites similar things, as was clear to me for many reasons. The life of their cupidities excites cupidities, and these lives appear as instinct. - 1749, March 11.
4167. De spirituum natura
Quia spiritibus non permittitur uti memoria particularium, sunt memoriae interiores, quae nec memoriae dici possunt, sed facultates memoriae particularium, qualis homo, si non ex memoria particularium cogitat, homo multoties ita cogitat, sed nescit, tametsi memoria particularium est planum ex quo, sed usque facultas est inde cogitandi, tales sunt spiritus, ita excellentiores homine; apud hominem sunt, ut ex ejus memoria cogitent, quia facultates et potentiae sunt, et tunc non sciunt aliter ac sint homo, et quod particularia hominis sint eorum, hoc perplurimis experientiis mihi constat, loquutus cum iis quod ita sit, indignantur, et putant esse eorum omnia particularia quae loquuntur, sed cum demonstratum, ut quoque per id quod lingua mea loquantur, et sciant omnes linguas, quas ego, et quas non scio nec ii sciunt, tunc convicti conticuerunt. Hominis memoria est eorum ultimum planum; convicti etiam ex eo, quod dictum, si essent apud insanos, etiam insanirent: apud intelligentes intelligentes essent, et putarent usque omnia esse sua; verbo est vita principiorum apud eos, et secundum eam vitam ratiocinantur, quae vita cum influit in memoriam hominis, excitat similia, hoc multis mihi constitit, vita cupiditatum eorum excitat cupiditates; apparent vitae sicut instinctus. 1749, 11 Mart.