1770. The exceeding fallacy of sense, involved in a man's thinking that he lives from himself derives its origin from the love of self, which when it reigns makes it impossible that there should be faith in the Lord, though this alone, inasmuch as the Lord is alone, causes the knowledge and perception of that fact. And in order that this might be more clearly evinced to spirits - for the genuine angels know it and perceive it very manifestly (to know is, as it were, without them, to perceive is within them) - it was shown them by an experience which I scarcely dare produce, as scarcely anyone would believe it; but inasmuch as it occurred frequently, I would simply observe that when any spirit fixes his attention upon the walking of a horse and speaks at the same time, he is heard precisely as if the steps of the walking horse spoke - an experience at which the spirits were sometimes indignant, while the thought at the same time arose that the fallacy of sense in this case was similar to that in man's supposing himself to live from himself. - 1748, March 28. To whatever sound spirits apply their attention and direct their hearing and their imagination, whether to the strokes of hammers or other things, the speech is heard as having a similar sound; not that the speech is actually there, but such is the fallacy that it cannot be known but that the sound does speak.