4041. THAT NOTHING IS FROM ITSELF. The deceitful spirits over the head, by means solely of their roundabout leading of thought, prompted the spirits that were above me to speak, which they supposed to be wholly from themselves, although it was not congenial to their nature, yet they supposed it to be from themselves; as, for instance, that I should not do so and so, because it did not succeed, and that I should ascribe it to insanity. This they said as from themselves, so that they knew not the contrary till afterwards. Cupidity and persuasion appeared, but this was perhaps breathed in, as it usually is. It was thought alone [that operated], and this is merely a directing of the vessels of the memory, which caused the speaking to be as if from themselves. It thus appeared how it is that they move subjects to speak, viz., by means of thought alone, which the subject follows and utters. This was shown from others who led the deceitful also to speak; one thus prompted said that he simply thought, and as he thought he spoke, but whence came his thought he said he did not know.