315. THAT MAN'S THOUGHTS AND IDEAS APPEAR SO MANIFEST IN THE HEAVENS, AND [THOSE THERE] CAN SEE THEM INFLOWING INTO THE MAN AND LEADING HIM TO SPEAK, SO MANIFESTLY, THAT THE MAN CANNOT SUPPOSE THAT ANYTHING MORE MANIFEST IS POSSIBLE There was a certain soul with evil spirits around him, who, as I can surmise, never supposed otherwise than that he thought and did each and all things of himself. In order that it might appear clearly before the souls and spirits standing around how such a soul is led, and that he speaks and says nothing whatever except what inflows through the spirits who are around him, and invisible to him, there was dictated a merely trifling expression, and - as usually happens in the spiritual heaven - it appeared and was heard. This word, having been sent down, rolled about among the spirits, and thus came to all who were speaking; and the soul in the midst thus supposed that he spoke from himself, nor could he know otherwise, as he now says. Soon afterwards it was granted him to speak in like manner according to his thoughts, but more quickly, so that it might be shown how the same things can be more manifestly noticed and heard in the still more interior [heavens]. The speech, coming forth in a like manner, was done quickly, and sometimes more slowly, as when a man is thinking; but it could then be noticed that that soul, being so surrounded, could know no otherwise than that it was he who thought and spoke. 1747, Dec. 8.