696. CONCERNING THE LIFE OF SOULS OR SPIRITS, AND ITS DIVERSITIES* Each spirit has his own instinct of life, which is apperceived when he is either, as it were, left to himself, or is in the society of similar spirits, but it disappears when he is in the society of better spirits. I have perceived that variation, as that a spirit was suddenly reduced to his natural instinct, so that he desired to take away the goods of another, though nothing of this appeared in the society in which he had been. Moreover, the life of a spirit is not only varied according to the type of his companions, but it is also elevated. This was shown in a similar way, namely, that by diminishing the number of his companions to a few, his life in like manner was diminished from cleverness to a more stupid one. Thus the lives of souls after death are adjoined to various societies, and in this way it is discerned of what quality they are, and with whom they are concordant. In every society souls suppose that they are the only ones who live of themselves. In a similar manner they are explored by means of the diverse states of a society of the same spirits; thus it is discerned by spirits and souls of what quality they are, for one is not the same in one state as in another. But the societies of angels must be similar in the variation of their states, because they all suffer themselves to be led by the Lord. 1748, Feb. 9. mThese things [were written] in the presence of those who constituted one society.n * Crossed out: "Every soul or spirit has his own proper instinct of life, acquired doing the life of the body. This instinct is varied, and sometimes hidden when in the society of better spirits."