Some were greatly surprised that spirits had the sense of touch, and indeed, a very keen one, when yet they were spirits, and it was contrary to their every notion in the life of the body that spirits could have touch. I was inspired to say to them that this should in no way be surprising, since a person during life has the sense of touch and the rest the senses not from the body, but from the spirit that is in the body, from which the body has its life. Without the life of the spirit, there cannot be a life of touch in the body, as there cannot be eyesight without the sight of the spirit. Whatever is vital in the body, is not of the body, but of its spirit, for which reason the same vital element remains. For spirits imagine that they are in the body, but this opinion finally ceases. This is the cause of sensations of physical touch, which exist only with those recently come from the life of the body into the other life. Other more delicate senses succeed, which still all must relate to the sensation of touching in order to be senses.