4257. HOW SPIRITS ACT UPON MAN. It was shown me by lively experience in what manner spirits excite the thoughts of man. They speak as man thinks, or man thinks as they speak, and those that are nearest as if in sleep, knowing no otherwise than that they are themselves the men. Whatever things they excite and speak of among each other, these the man thinks, both being in a similar idea. But there are spirits who are very near, or are subjects, and into them flow those that are more remote, but sometimes otherwise, and so on.