This cannot but appear as a paradox to a person on earth, who supposes that a thought is a simple unit, and not formed from tens of thousands of components. But even though it can be demonstrated by very many things in nature - [as] that to one action, thousands in fact myriads of muscles, as well as of the tiniest fibres all the way from the brain to the action, contribute, or, that throughout nature, myriads of rays contribute to the formation of one single object, as also to the propagation of growing things - still it appears as a paradox that something similar applies to a person's thoughts, and feelings, because the operation and influence of spirits and angels upon human minds has not been attested by experience. But from experience, through the mercy of God the Messiah, I am able to say that thousands of spirits and angels contribute, even though only a few are very close by. I am unable to explain the experiences, but can only say that this fact has been shown to me on several occasions, by sight and also by sense. I have even perceived their operations, somewhat obscurely, but so tangibly that I can affirm the matter with certainty. I perceived them both by sensation and from the murmur, in different ways and at different times, but their situations and states vary, according to the good pleasure of God the Messiah. And this will not be strange to any educated person if he only rightly compares the things in nature with those which must be in the heavens. 1747, the 19th day of November (old calendar). Like [the experience when] one spoke, and there was shown a bright cloud round about, so that I might see how much flowed in, also [how much] from his speech.