257. There are also spirits called natural and corporeal spirits. When these come to a man they do not conjoin themselves with his thought, as other spirits do, but enter into his body, and occupy all his senses, and speak through his mouth, and act through his members, believing at the time that all things of the man are theirs. These are the spirits who possess man. But such spirits have been cast into hell by the Lord, and thus completely removed, and in consequence, such possessions are not possible to-day.# # External or bodily possessions do not exist today, as they did formerly (n. 1983). But internal possessions, which are of the mind, are more numerous than formerly (n. 1983, 4793). Man is inwardly possessed when he has filthy and scandalous thoughts about God and the neighbour, and is withheld from making them known only by external bonds, which are fear of the loss of reputation, honour, gain and fear of the law and of loss of life (n. 5990). Of the devilish spirits who chiefly possess the interiors of man (n. 4793). Of the devilish spirits who long to possess the exteriors of man; that such are shut up in hell (n. 2752, 5990).