541. As regards their speaking with their spirits, there are two kinds of evil spirits who molest them.* One kind is their worst. When he comes, a trembling and a kind of fear seizes them collectively, such as also seized me visibly when he came to me, so that I trembled, deeply frightened. Looking at him as he was placed before me, I saw that he was a dark being, like a dark cloud, with several stars in front of him. He came up to my left side, retreating toward my back. He spoke with me, trying to talk with me in the same way as he did with them, but he was prevented by their angels, about whom something will be told presently [542]. He said that he could find out all that they had thought and done, which he does actually draw out of their memory. This is easy for spirits to do, when the Lord permits it. Thus he wanted to reprove me for things I had thought and done, which he wanted to bring out, but it had been forbidden him. Still, he said that this is how he reproves others, surprised that he could not do so with me. He said that he is also allowed to chastise them by punishments, such as pains in the joints, even to such an intensity that they can bear it no longer - such as a twisting of the joints in the fingers, and feet, and also by some pains like gentle pricks in the face - subject to permission. * The second kind is spoken of in 545.