5896. About Fantasies
What the characteristics of Fantasies are was evident from a certain one who had fantasies. He seemed to himself to climb into a coach, and the coach was changed into elephant, and he saw himself sitting on an elephant, and the next moment he seemed to be thrown down by the elephant's trunk and tramped on as well. After he got up, they spoke with him, saying that these were visions and not realities. He replied that he knew that they were visions, but yet because he saw them with his eyes and felt the pain of being trampled underfoot and of being thrown down, they could not be otherwise than real. The spirits argued with him at considerable length that it was only a vision, but still he could not be convinced that it was not real, because he had actually seen and felt it. It was Jacob Benzelius 1.
Footnotes:
1. For information on this person see the footnote to passage 5004.
5896. PHANTASIES.
What phantasies are could be evident from a certain one who was in phantasies; for he seemed of himself to mount into a chariot, and the chariot to be changed into an elephant; he also seemed to himself to be seated on the elephant and the next moment to be thrown down by the elephant's trunk, and also to be trampled upon. After he rose up, they [i.e., the bystanders] spoke to him, saying, that those things were visions and not realities. He replied that he knew they were visions, but that, still, since he saw them with his eyes, and felt the pain of the trampling and of the throwing down, it cannot be otherwise than real. The spirits reasoned with him, at considerable length, that it was merely a vision; but yet he could not be convinced that it was not real, because he actually saw and felt it. It was Jacob Benzelius.
5896. De Phantasiis
Quales Phantasiae sunt constare potuit a quodam qui in phantasiis erat, quod videbatur sibi scandere currum, et quod currus mutaretur in elephantem, et is sibi visus supra elephantem sedere, et mox ab elephantis rostro dejici, et quoque calcari, postquam surrexit, loquuti sunt cum illo, dicendo quod illa essent visiones et non realia, respondit quod sciverit quod essent visiones, sed usque quia vidit oculis suis, et sentit dolorem proculcationis, et dejectionis, quod non possit aliter esse quam reale, spiritus ratiocinabantur cum eo, satis multum, quod esset visio solum, sed usque non potuit convinci quin esset reale, quia actualiter vidit et sensit. Erat Jacob Benzelius.