3497. To this class, however, belong some that are evil as well as those that are not evil, and their quality may be understood from their resemblance to Dippel [mentioned above]. They are such as have general ideas, not being bound [or devoted] to any particular principle which they have confirmed to themselves. These general [or vague] ideas which distinguish such spirits are not easily described. They held my mind set loose, as it were, from everything certain and determinate, and acted as if roaming abroad in an open field, so that unless certain others had retained my thoughts in a measure restricted, I should have had no proper sense of anything, so diffusive is their sphere. And yet, what I could not but wonder at, they were able, even in that sphere, to speak of things that were [definite and] certain, and if such [spirits] were not detained in ideas of speech, I should scarce know that they existed, for it is, as it were, a common sphere of spirit as a whole [totius spiritus]. Should the operations in the body take place according to it the motive fibers would be so relaxed that a man could scarcely restrain his evacuations, which it was also given to experience. In fact they had nothing else of a determinate character in their minds than the wish to lead good men by good affections and evil men by the cupidities of evil; and because they are in this general idea, and not determined by life, they that are good can mingle with many societies of the good, and there be fixed and determined, but not to anything that is not good, as was clearly ascertained. The evil, on the other hand, can mingle with many evil societies, and there be fixed. Those that are in such a general state of ideas reflect but little upon other persons, though still many things fall into their thoughts; so that they do not know, until they begin to reflect, that they are actually drawing others over to their interests. - 1748, October 7.