5857. I have spoken on several occasions to spirits about their ability, far superior to any that man has, to take to themselves everything in a person's memory the moment he arrives. I have said that even though they have had no previous knowledge at all of the branches of knowledge, the languages, or the particular matters that a person learns about and absorbs from infancy to old age, they nevertheless take possession of them all in an instant. Thus among the learned they are learned; among the clever they are clever; and among the judicious they are judicious. These things said by me have inflated those spirits with pride, for they were not good spirits. For that reason I was led to tell them also that when among the untaught they were untaught; when among the stupid they were stupid; and when among the senseless and foolish they were senseless and foolish. This is because they take to themselves everything existing interiorly in the person with whom they are present, including every one of his illusions, misconceptions, and false ideas, consequently his senseless and foolish notions. But evil spirits cannot get near young children because young children do not as yet have anything in their memory which those spirits can take to themselves. For this reason those present with young children are good spirits and angels.