Spiritual Experiences (Odhner) n. 927

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927. I was also enabled to see how their dispositions then become apparent. There is a certain kind of aura emanating [from each soul], and in this case that aura, not being harmonious with my thought, immediately turned mine into the thought which the soul had, without the soul knowing it. For instance, when I thought the soul was in that place behind me, then at once, without his thinking and planning beforehand, that is, without premeditation, he made his way forward, so that I was scarcely aware but that he was in front below, whereas he was in back below. This was because he had been such in his life, that he did not want anyone to know on which side he stood, because then he would not be able to be in their company and know what they were planning, and would thus be deprived of opportunities (to profit [from them]), as the saying goes, or (to gain) honors and riches.* He behaved the same way in every case, unconsciously and unpremeditatedly distorting my more universal thoughts - so skillfully, that I hardly knew otherwise than that I was of this character - causing indignation in me, at being held in such a base feeling. And so it was in numerous instances that I have forgotten. In this way, their prevailing, or more universal, passions could be discovered; but the angels identify them easily. * The parentheses are in the original, for what reason we do not know.


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