597. CONCERNING THE ARDENT CUPIDITY OF SPIRITS There are spirits who are easily kindled with cupidity, so that they thence become extremely impatient and as it were burn with cupidity, and this without having any use for the things desired, as also one of them confessed. Thus it has happened now and again that I burned with the cupidity of possessing and of buying this thing or that. I perceived that it was not I who so burned or desired, but that it was the spirits who spoke with me and testified their cupidity to the extent that they say that they can scarcely exist unless they obtain those things. Their cupidity lasts a long time, sometimes indeed until I have obtained [what they wanted]. This is even the case with those who know that the things they desire are of no use to them but only to me; which I have also represented to them; and one of them said that he knows this, but that he is nevertheless unable to desist. Their cupidity is kindled by many others who are similar in the general society, of whom those who are with man are the proximate subjects. And in order that I might know this more fully that cupidity was also changed with me in a moment, which was caused by the fact that other spirits had succeeded in their place. Thus there are spirits who excite cupidities and lusts and the like. This has happened to me so often that I cannot number the times. Thus there are genii through whom the Lord governs men, and He permits them to excite men for many reasons, both for the sake of punishment and for the sake of the removal of evils. 1748, Jan. 29. There are evil spirits who also excite the pleasure of sitting a long time in privies, and of staying there beyond a stated time; for devils are especially delighted with privies, as you may see above [nos. 377, 414].