Many believe that a man can be taught by the Lord through spirits who
speak with him. They who believe so, and will this communication, do
not know, however, that it is attended with danger to their souls.
While a man is living in the world, he is in the midst of spirits as
to his spirit; nevertheless spirits do not know they are with man, nor
a man that he is with spirits. But as soon as spirits begin to speak
with a man, they come out of their spiritual state into the man's
natural state; and then they know that they are with man, and they
unite themselves to the thoughts of his affection, and they speak with
him from those thoughts. Thence it is that the spirit speaking is in
the same principles as the man, whether these be true or false. These
he stirs up, and through his affection, united to the man's, strongly
confirms them. All this shows the danger in which a man is who speaks
with spirits, or who manifestly perceives their operation. Of the
nature of his affection, good or bad, a man is ignorant, also with
what others he is associated. If his is a pride of self-intelligence,
the spirit favors every thought from that source. Likewise there is
the favoring of principles which are inflamed from the fire which
those have who are not in truths from any genuine affection for them.
Whenever from a like affection a spirit favors a man's thoughts or
principles, then the former leads the latter, as the blind lead the
blind, until both fall into the ditch.
It is otherwise with those whom the Lord leads. He leads those who
love and will truths from Him. Such are enlightened when they read the
Word, for there the Lord is, and He speaks with every one according to
the latter's apprehension. When these hear speech from spirits, as
they do sometimes, they are not taught, but are led, and this so
prudently that the man is still left to himself. For every man is led
through the affections by the Lord, and he thinks from these freely as
if of himself. Were it otherwise, a man could not be reformed, nor
could he be enlightened.
--_Apocalypse Explained, nn._ 1182, 1183