819. By various experiences it has become clear that spirits believe they are people on earth
By much experience over a long period, it has been made clear to me that spirits do not know differently than that they are the same as myself, so that they have admitted it many times, with full assurance, declaring it to be so both when separated, and when joined to me in different ways. I was instructed by reflections, and by experiences, that spirits strictly believe that they are the person [they are with], both in respect to the person's reasoning power, or thinking, and to the body and bodily actions, even those that are characteristic; thus they imagine to be their own what the person thinks and does, indeed, that the whole person is themselves.
819. IT IS MANIFEST FROM VARIED EXPERIENCE THAT SPIRITS SUPPOSE THEMSELVES TO BE MEN
It has been made manifest to me by much long continued experience that spirits know no otherwise than that they are the same person as myself. They have so confessed many times with every confirmation, both when separate from, and when adjoined [to me] in various ways, and they have spoken accordingly. I have been instructed by reflections and by experiences that spirits suppose that only they are the man, both as to his rational part or thought, and also as to his body and the actions of his body, even those that are natural. Thus they suppose that they think, that they act, indeed, they suppose that they are the whole man.
819. Quod varia experientia manifestatum est quod spiritus putent se homines esse
Hoc multa et diutina experientia manifestum mihi factum est, quod spiritus non aliter sciant quam quod sint 1
idem ac ego, sic ut fassi sint hoc pluries cum omni confirmatione, et separati, et adjuncti, varie, et sic loquuti instructum per reflexiones, et per experientias, quod spiritus modo putent se hominem esse, tam quoad rationalem ejus partem, seu cogitationem, quam etiam quoad corpus, actiones corporis, quoque naturales, putant sic [suum] quod cogitat, quod agit 2
, imo totum hominem [se] esse putant.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has sim
2. The Manuscript has cogitant, quod agunt