930. Thus they can also be examined to find out what kind of an idea they had had about the Lord, about heaven, about the life after bodily life, and such matters, and others having to do with society in general and in particular. There is a kind of field emanating [from them], and quite actively working so as to distort or change the thoughts of another, persuading [the soul] upon whom they are acting that [their thoughts] are his or hers.
Their action is stronger or weaker, depending upon what has taken root in someone by actual deeds aimed to achieve more or less their desired goals. Thus the goals one had set for oneself can also be determined, because of the means employed. Spirits who are weaker, and those susceptible to the operations of another, can easily be brought to believe that they are like the other, whose condition is induced upon them. But such conditioning does not work on angels. 1748, 22 February.
930. Thus they can also be explored as to what kind of idea they have concerning the Lord, heaven, the life after bodily life, and the like, and other things which concern general society and [particular] societies. There is, as it were, a sphere exhaling and operating very actively, so that it perverts or bends the thoughts of others, and persuades him that the thoughts which are active with them are as it were his own. Moreover, the activity of this sphere is usually stronger, or weaker, according to the actuality inrooted in the man from the ends which he has desired, more or less; in this way also the ends to which his desires are determined by the man can be ascertained, for he is the same in the means. Spirits who are rather weak, also those who are susceptible to the operations of another, can easily be induced to believe that they are of a certain nature, because the state of others is induced upon them; but such states cannot affect the angels. 1748, Feb. 22.
930. Sic etiam explorari possunt, qualem ideam habuerunt de Domino, de coelo, de vita post vitam corporis, deque similibus, et aliis quae societatem communem, et societates concernunt: est quasi sphaera exhalans, ac operans ad modum active, sic ut pervertat, seu flectat alius cogitationes, et persuadeant [spiritus] 1
, quasi ejus sint, cum quo 2
agunt, activitas etiam fortior esse solet, et debilior, secundum actualitatem radicatam apud hominem, ex finibus ejus cupitis magis minusve, sic etiam fines concludi possunt, ad quos determinatum sit 3
ab homine, quia talis est in mediis: spiritus qui debiliores sunt, tum qui susceptibiles alius operationum, facile induci possunt credere, quod tales sint, quia eorum status iis inducitur, at vero angelos 4
tales status afficere non possunt. 1748, 22 Febr.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition persuadeat substituit
2. The Manuscript has quibus
3. The Manuscript has determinati sint
4. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has angelos non