4537. About the holy spirit, and the gift of understanding
Many times I have realized and said that the more anyone imagines himself to be the holy spirit, the more he loses of the gift of understanding, for it is the love of self that destroys it. This is still more the case with those who imagine themselves to be gods from eternity. This was also proven in regard to several who were in the highest, who were most deceitful, having the gift of understanding beyond others. They can see that they are unhappy, and declare that they have this due to their own life, making many other statements that are true, but still remaining as they are. This was shown by a look into the eye of one of them, where the gift of understanding resides: insofar as the love of self crept in, so far the light there was overcast, and a dark cloud took its place, and understanding perished.
4537. CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT AND INTELLECTUAL GIFTS.
It was often perceived and said that the more anyone thinks himself to be the Holy Spirit, the more he loses or destroys of his intellectual endowments, for it is the love of self which destroys. This is still more the case with those who think themselves to have been gods from eternity. The same thing was evinced in the case of certain most deceitful [spirits] in the highest elevation, who possess an intellectual gift beyond others. They can see that they are unhappy, and say that they owe this to their own life, and many other things which are true; but still they remain of the same quality, as was shown by an intuition into the eye where the intellectual endowment manifests itself. So far as the love of self creeps in, so far is the let there obscured, and a dark cloud succeeds, to the perishing of intellectual [principles].
4537. De spiritu sancto, et dono intellectuali
Multoties perceptum et dictum, quod quo magis aliquis putat se esse spiritum sanctum, eo magis perdit a dote intellectuali, nam amor sui est, quod perdit, ii magis qui deos ab aeterno se esse putant: ostensum quoque per aliquos, qui in altissimo, dolosissimi, qui intellectuale donum prae aliis habent, possunt videre quod infelices, dicere quod illud habeant ex sua vita, et plura quae vera, sed usque tales sunt, ostensum per intuitionem in oculum ejus ubi dos intellectualis, quantum amor sui irrepsit, tantum obnubilabatur lux ibi, et successit nimbus, et periret intellectuale.