986. Outer ligaments are spirits who run back and forth, so to speak, and whenever they hear anything at once almost fly to their society and blurt out in a loud voice what the person had said. Several times I have learned this by experience. And there are those in the life of the body who love to do this-that is, to be able to make out what others are thinking, or who think they can, and whatever they hear they cannot keep to themselves, but are carried away by some deep urge to announce it to others in whose circle they are, and who keep them in their company just for this reason. There are spies like this on a larger scale, as well as in particular groups. They hurry around this way in the other life, and are admitted for that purpose, believing they are loved for it; but they are loved as means are to an end. 1748, 25 February.
986. The external ligaments are spirits who seemingly rush about hither and thither, and as soon as they hear anything they immediately fly, as it were, to their society, and with a loud voice declare what has been said. This I have learned at times by experience. There are some in the life of the body who love this, namely, to be able, or to seem to themselves to be able, to discern what others are thinking; nor can they keep what they hear to themselves, but carried away by some cupidity of the "animus" they tell it to others with whom they are in consociation, and who for this reason keep them in their society. There are like explorers in the general as in the single societies. These rush about in the other life in this way, and for the above reason they are admitted; thus they suppose that they are loved, but they are loved only as means to ends. 1748, Feb. 25.
986. Ligamenta externa sunt spiritus, qui cis et retro quasi procurrunt, quumque aliquid audiunt, tunc illico quasi volant ad suam societatem, et sonora voce id dicunt, quid dixit, quod per experientiam didici aliquoties, suntque ii in vita corporis, qui id amant, nempe ut quid alii cogitant perspicere 1
possunt, seu posse sibi videntur, et quod audiunt, non possunt quiescere, sed quadam animi cupiditate auferuntur, ut ea nuntient aliis, cum quibus in consortio sunt, quique ideo in societate eorum tenentur; similes exploratores in communi, sicut in singulis societatibus sunt, hi ita cursitant in altera vita, et ob finem istum admittuntur, seque ita amari autumant; sed amantur sicut sunt media ad fines. 1748, 25 Febr.
Footnotes:
1. imperfectum in the Manuscript