How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Page)
Quote #1
And in this time she saw, as she thought, devils opening their mouths all alight with burning flames of fire, as if they would have swallowed her, sometimes pawing her, sometimes threatening her, sometimes pulling her and hauling her about both night and day during the said time. (I.1.41-42)
Kempe suffers a severe bout of post-partum depression after the birth of her first child and is presented with this reality. For her, evil is tangible and real—and on it's on its way to get her. Perhaps this is a convenient way to talk about depression or even spiritual struggle, but Kempe doesn't appear to be speaking metaphorically here. Devils were part of her daily existence.
Quote #2
And, while she conversed on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, she heard so terrible a melody that she could not bear it. Then this creature fell down, as if she had lost her bodily strength [...]. (I.17.74)
We might say that Kempe tunes in to a different wavelength, almost as though she's conscious of something that not everyone can perceive. This hyper-reality reveals itself to Kempe through her senses. She not only tunes in, though—this experience shakes her to her core. Spiritual revelations have profound effects on her body and mind.
Quote #3
And sometimes, when she saw the crucifix, or if she saw a man had a wound, or a beast, whichever it were, or if a man beat a child before her or hit a horse or other beast with a whip, if she saw or heard it, she thought she saw our Lord being beaten or wounded [...]. (I.28.104)
Kempe has an enormous capacity to connect things in her world with religious memories or experiences. Perhaps this is because she's looking for God in all things and trying to find a connection between her inner life and the world around her. This can be an overwhelming experience for her, since she is often literally floored when those connections are made.