Another passage in the same book explains that mirrors reveal the original shape of animal spirits that have taken on human form to deceive people.
其實葛洪書中不只一次提及明鏡照妖之力。「登涉篇」主要談道士入山的方法，其中另有一段也談及鏡子的功用。他說，萬物成精後，都能假託人形騙人，只是照在鏡中就原形畢露了。