Spiritual Experiences (Buss) n. 3624

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3624. REFLECTIONS OF THOUGHT. It is well known that by means of reflections we may learn the things pertaining to the body, as how the eye sees, the ear hears, the nose smells, the tongue tastes, and the touch perceives the diversities of body, for without reflection nothing is perceived, as is the case with those in a state of abstraction, whose body is almost as insensible as in sleep. But reflections of thoughts are given, which have very often been observed by me, but have not been described, because it was not thus given previously to reflect upon them. There are various objects of thoughts, in which, while a man is held, or his reflection is kept fixed upon them by spirits, they occasion much disturbance, as experience abundantly teaches respecting those things which are at present his own, or which may happen hereafter. As often as it was given me to think of my garden, of him who had the care of it, of my being called home, of money matters, of the state of the minds of those that were known to me, of the state or character of those in my house, of the things that I was to write, especially how they would be received by others, and the probability that they would not be understood, of new garments that were to be obtained, and various other things of this kind whenever I was held for some time in this kind of reflection, spirits would immediately throw in inconvenient, troublesome, and evil suggestions, together with confirmations and cupidities; and it was observed that when I had not been in the thought of such things for months or years, I had no care about them still less did they give trouble. These are the reflections of thought, in which whoever is detained he is the more infested by evil spirits the longer the reflection is continued.


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