Spirits believe, as do souls after the death of the body, that they utilize all of the kind of memory they had in the life of the body. But by a revealing experience today, like some earlier ones, I have learned - and spoken with souls and spirits about the same matter, who were obliged to admit it - that they have no memory of personal matters, but a more inward memory that pertains to character, on which all and the least things are inscribed that they had ever thought in the life of the body and that they had done. One might say that knowledge more or less occupies the surface, and everything related to feelings constitutes the core. 1) To souls and spirits who were able to speak from their character making use of the knowledge within me, it could by no means appear otherwise than that they had retained all remembrance of their bodily life. They put on that knowledge as if it were theirs, so that they could not know otherwise than that my memory was theirs. This happened in one way with those I had known in life, in another with those I had not known. This is obvious from the single fact, to which I bear witness, that all spirits when they came to me were able to speak in my vernacular tongue, no matter where they had been born, not knowing but that it was their language and that they had been born into it. About their own language they knew nothing whatever. 2) Their character takes the place of memory, so that they loathe, or love, truths or goodness, as if by some keen scent. For as soon as anything comes along that is not agreeable to their character, they bend it off toward things that soothe their character. They do this so skillfully and amazingly that they do not know but that they are acting from the memory. Moreover, they can even converse among themselves on a variety of subjects from things in a person [they are with] - which is also amazing, although I did not hear [the discussion] - and then likewise, not know otherwise, than that they are speaking from their own former memory. Certain acquaintances were surprised at this, but still could not but acknowledge the truth of it. But it must be understood that all things, even the very least, are so governed by God the Messiah that they cannot take out of anyone's memory any but those things that can serve a use. Thus it is wonderful the way all things and each detail are governed. 3) Nor should there be any doubt but that each and every detail inscribed on [the memory] during the life of the body can also be brought forth and shown to them, as I have experienced myself most lucidly. The smallest details are brought out, and even in their own point of time, and I could not in any way prevent it. To recount the particular experiences would be a needlessly lengthy undertaking. 1747, the 4th day of December.