[2] I have come to know all this from actual experience of spirits of this sort when they have been with me, for at that time they acted in a similar manner but even more expertly and craftily - for spirits act more skillfully than men do because they have been released from all connection with the body and from being shackled to gross modes of sensation. They were so skillful that on some occasions I did not perceive that their intention or end in view was to exercise control; and while talking among themselves they took care that I did not hear or realize what they were saying. But I was told by others who did hear them that their proposals were unspeakable, and that they were planning by the use of the arts of magic, and so with the aid of the devil's crew, how to attain their end. They thought nothing of murdering the upright; and as for the Lord in whose name they said that they wished to exercise control, they did not rate Him highly at all but regarded Him as just another human being, the worship of whom was a practice left over from ancient times, akin to that which existed among other nations who treated and worshipped human beings as gods. Yet they did not dare to decry Him because they had been born to that worship of Him, and if they did decry Him they would damage their own reputation. Of these spirits I can say this, that they beset the thoughts and will of people who are like themselves and worm their way into their affection and intention in such a manner that, but for the Lord's mercy, those persons cannot possibly know that such spirits are present or that they are within a community of such spirits.

[3] These spirits correspond to the harmful elements present in man's purer blood, termed the animal spirit, into which those elements enter without any order. They spread everywhere and are like poisons, freezing and putting out of action nerves and fibres, from which very serious and fatal diseases break out. When such spirits act in combination with one another, one knows that they do so from the fact that they go down on all fours, so to speak, and station themselves, at the back of one's head below the left side of the cerebellum. For spirits who act below the back of the head work in a more clandestine way than others; and those whose activity is directed on one's back desire to exercise control.

[4] They have reasoned with me regarding the Lord, saying that it was extraordinary He did not hear their prayers when they prayed and so did not come to the aid of those asking for help. But I was led to reply that they could not be heard because they had as their end in view such things as were contrary to the health of the human race and because they prayed for their own prosperity against that of all others. And when they prayed in this fashion, I added, heaven was closed, for those in heaven pay attention solely to the ends which those praying have in view. These spirits certainly did not wish to acknowledge anything I said; nevertheless they could not find anything to say in reply.

[5] There have been some men of this kind, accompanied by women, who said that they could follow many suggestions made by the women because women have a quicker and shrewder insight into such matters. They were especially delighted to have the company of those who had been whores. Such apply themselves in the next life to secret and magical arts for the most part, for very many magical arts exist in the next life which are totally unknown in the world. As soon as people of this nature enter the next life they apply themselves to those arts and learn how to bewitch those with whom they are present, especially those in whose name they wish to bear rule. They have no abhorrence of wicked ways. The nature of their hell and where they are when not in the world of spirits will be discussed elsewhere. From all this it may be seen that everyone's life remains with him after death.