433. IT IS ALSO GIVEN TO SPIRITS, MORE THAN TO MEN, TO BE ABLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO VIEW INTERIORLY OF WHAT QUALITY A MAN HAS BEEN. THESE WAYS WERE REPRESENTED BY VARIOUS THINGS Besides the things said above, namely, that spirits possess all a man's language as their native tongue and also put on his memory as though it were their own [n. 400]; they can also, when it is granted by God Messiah, view interiorly the single things in a man which concern his life. This, however, has been represented by some things that they have taken from the many, as by a bladder* and similar things, which seemed to be taken away. In this way, as though instructed, they have immediately said what it was. Once it was also represented by the likeness of a cloud taken away from a soul, whilst in the meanwhile the man remains in another state. [They seemed] to take away from me also similar little bladders, although it was only a representation by means of like things, and thence they saw the special things of my life; thus they view interiorly such things from one little bladder or part. Moreover, they also contemplate the loves, inclinations, affections, besides the things of the memory represented clearly before the eye, at which I was very greatly surprised, since they could view with their eyes, not only the single ideas of anyone, but also his least affections. The spiritual life is such that these things can be presented for contemplation; not so the life of the body. 1747, Dec. 30. * In the Index (s.v. Sapientia) it is said to be "a water bubble".