207. CONCERNING THE GENERAL STATE OF SPIRITS WITH MEN There are spirits around or with men who do not speak with spirits, and reflect back to them. Not that the spirits suppose themselves to be those men with whom they are, but only that they themselves are men; and they act as such. For every spirit supposes that he is a man, and is indignant if he is told otherwise. Indeed, they suppose that they have ears, eyes, and senses, such as men have: and when I said and demonstrated to them that this could not be the case for several reasons, they were indignant. Inasmuch as it has been conceded me by the mercy of God Messiah, I could affect them by means of certain reflections, and in many other ways, as if they enjoyed the use of the [corporeal] senses. I was thence able to conclude that a like idea remains with them after the death of the body, and that the more interior things of man know no otherwise than that they are the man; for the body is formed according to the image of the man, and by means of the muscles it acts as one with the will, as is well known; hence the idea of the body remains. It was also shown me today that spirits could be present and speak with me, as also to perceive what I thought, and yet they could not see anything I did, so that I was almost let into my former state; then, as formerly, I could feel nothing whatever of their operation, except so very fine that I could scarcely distinguish it from the common state. 1747, Oct. 13, o.s.