39. * as I have also noticed, admitted that they do not realize that they are not the person, though it was different in my own case. I was able to reply to them, and they to learn in this way that they were not earthly humans. I have been surrounded, by turns, by a multitude of many kinds and species of spirits, and even by some who had died many centuries ago, so that I might learn, by the Divine mercy of God the Messiah, what the spirits are like, and how they operate, and that God the Messiah arranges and controls them all entirely at His will. This experience of so many months' duration, could not but make these matters known to me, as well as the fact that certain spirits see the least details of thoughts and immediately inspire feelings and convictions concordant with their own character, doing so in such remarkable ways that it cannot at all be described. I have also and especially learned that no evil was ever injected by them, or any falsity, that was not wonderfully turned to good and truth, which both surprised those spirits and made them indignant, even angry. But the experiential evidence is more abundant than anyone could ever be brought to believe; for it has been continuous over such a long period of time, now nine or ten months. As far as people after death are concerned, however, this is a different matter. They are not then instruments of spirits as they are while living in the body, for a reason to be discussed elsewhere, for then they are spirits themselves, and indeed, more perfect. But that perfection will be spoken of elsewhere, by the Divine mercy of God the Messiah. For this matter is in itself so subtle that it cannot be explained in a few words. Indeed the spirits themselves do not want to acknowledge it. Therefore the matter will be discussed elsewhere, if God the Messiah sees fit. [Feeling (Affection); Good; Person on earth, Earthly human (Man); Evil; Earthly (Natural); Conviction (Persuasion); Spirit] [See also WE 1848-54, treating of the rule of the devil.] 1855. Now it has already been told above how spirits operate into people [cf. 5, 10-11, 39], namely, by their actual presence, as well as by the presence of light itself and of brightness. That is called light which flows into the part of the mind dealing with understanding; and brightness, which flows into the earthly mind. This latter kind is a mixture of solar and spiritual brightness, and by its means spirits operate at a distance, so that even if they are away from that mind, they are nevertheless able to operate into its faculties as if they were present, though not as effectively. They are like shining bodies, so to speak, because they are laden with energy, and so they spread light and brightness toward that mind. How this can occur is also evident from experience in nature in respect to sub-heavenly forces. If applied to heavenly and above-heavenly ones, it clearly illustrates what the influence of spirits on every faculty of a person on earth is like. Moreover, they are there in such abundance that they fill up the whole region around this world; but they are arranged entirely at the will of God the Messiah Himself, in accordance with every use and every purpose He has in view. * See the explaination of the asterisk in the Preface.