5596. When a spirit turns himself to another spirit, or to a man who speaks from ideas or affections, fully or cogitatively, then he is wholly in the like, both in perception and in sense, if he speaks from truths confirmed in himself. This has often happened with me. And then they understand and perceive altogether like the other, if only his interiors were opened; for then the communication is full. The one is as it were in the other, or in the spirit of the other, as regards thoughts and affections, and then knows what he had not known, just as if he [knew it] of himself. Thus takes place, in the heavens, consociation and communication of all. But, as soon as one turns himself away, looks to the side, or backward, then he is brought into another thought; and, if he turns to his love, and to his faith, then he is in precisely the opposite perception, and the other's thought [with him] altogether perishes. Such a thing has frequently happened with me, and then the very infernals have acknowledged celestial truths; for celestial truths have such force; but, as soon as they turned themselves backward, they were in the contraries. I was often, by this means, harassed by spirits, who yet did not want [to admit it]. They believed that it was they who knew all the things which I knew; and so they wanted to instruct me, unaware of the fact that [their knowledge] was from my [mind], or from those things which were with me; when, nevertheless, from themselves they knew nothing at all about that identical matter, - as, also, was shown them several times.