5855. Before the way was opened to me to speak with spirits, I was of the opinion that no spirit or angel could ever know or perceive my thoughts, because they were within me, and known to God alone. And then it once happened that I observed that a certain spirit knew what I was thinking, for he spoke with me about what I was thinking of, in a few words, and gave an indication of his presence by a certain sign. At this I was astounded, chiefly because he knew my thoughts. From this it was evident how difficult it is for a man to believe that any spirit knows what he is thinking, when yet he knows not only the thoughts which the man himself knows, but also the least things of his thoughts and affections, which the man does not know-nay, such things as the man can never know during the life of the body. This I know from the continuous experience of many years.