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148. There appeared some spirits at a distance, who were unwilling to approach. The reason was, that they could not be together with the spirits of our Earth who were then about me. From this I apperceived that they were from another earth; and I was told afterwards that they were from a certain earth in the universe; but where that earth is, was not made known to me. These spirits, unlike the spirits from our Earth, were absolutely unwilling to think about their body, or even about anything corporeal and material; hence it was that they were unwilling to approach; yet, after the removal of some of the spirits of our Earth, they drew nearer, and spoke with me. But then there was a sense of anxiety arising from the collision of the spheres; for spiritual spheres surround all spirits and societies of spiritscc; and since they emanate from the life of the affections and the consequent thoughts, therefore where the affections are contrary collision takes place, and hence arises anxiety. The spirits of our Earth related, that they dare not even approach them; since, on their approach, they are not only seized with anxiety, but also appear to themselves as if they were bound hand and foot with serpents, from which they cannot be freed till they have departed. This appearance takes its origin from correspondence; for the spirits of our Earth, in the Grand Man, have relation to external sense, consequently to the corporeal Sensual, and this Sensual is represented in the other life by serpentsxx.
Footnote xx: (^)The external Sensual of man in the spiritual world is represented by serpents, because it is in the lowest [parts], and relatively to the more interior things in man, lies on the ground, and as it were creeps; and on this ground they were called serpents who reasoned from that Sensual, nos. 195-197, 6398, 6949.
149. As the spirits of that earth are such, they appear in the eyes of other spirits, not in a distinct human form, as others do, but as clouds, in most cases like a dusky cloud, with the fair human colour interspersed; but they said, that within they are fair, and that when they become angels, this duskiness is changed into a beautiful blue; which was also shown me. I asked whether, during their life as men in the world, they had entertained such an idea respecting their bodies. They [pg 9] replied that the men of their earth make no account of their bodies, but only of the spirit in the body, because they know that the spirit will live for ever, but that the body must perish. They said also, that many on their earth believe that the spirit of the body has existed from eternity, and that it was infused into the body when they were conceived; but they added, that now they know that it is not so, and that they repent of having ever been in so false an opinion.
150. When I asked them whether they would like to see any objects on our Earth, informing them that it was possible to do so through my eyes (see above, no. 135), they answered first, that they could not, and afterwards, that they would not, because the things that they would see would be only earthly and material things, from which they remove their thoughts as much as possible. But nevertheless, there were represented before them magnificent palaces, resembling those on our Earth possessed by kings and princes; for such things can be represented before spirits, and, when they are represented, they appear exactly as if they existed. But the spirits from that earth esteemed them as nothing, calling them marble images; and then they related that they have more magnificent things belonging to them, which are their sacred temples, built not of stone but of wood. When it was objected that these were still earthly objects, they replied that they were not earthly, but heavenly, because when they gaze upon them they have not an earthly but a heavenly idea; believing that after death they should also see like objects in heaven.
151. They then represented their sacred temples before the spirits of our Earth, who declared that they had not seen anything more magnificent; and as they were also seen by me, I can therefore describe them. They are constructed of trees not cut down, but growing in the place where they first took root. They said that on that earth there are trees of a wonderful size and height; these they set in rows from the first, so that they may form porticos and colonnades; and by cutting and pruning, they fit and prepare the tender shoots, so that as they grow they may interlace and join together so as to form the groundwork and floor of the temple to be constructed, and to rise at the sides to form the walls, and above to bend into arches to form the roof. In this manner they construct the temple with admirable art, raised high above the ground. They also prepare an ascent into it by successive branches of the trees, extended from the trunk and firmly connected together. Moreover, they adorn the temple without and within in various ways, by disposing the foliage into forms: thus they build entire groves. But it was not permitted me to [pg 80] see the character of these temples within: I was only told that the light of their sun is let in by apertures amongst the branches, and is transmitted here and there through crystals, by which means the light falling upon the walls is varied in colours like those of the rainbow, especially blue and orange, of which they are fondest. Such are their architectural works, which they prefer to the most magnificent palaces of our Earth.
152. They said further, that the inhabitants do not dwell in high places, but on the earth in lowly cottages, for the reason that high places are for the Lord who is in heaven, and lowly places for men who are on earth. Their cottages were also shown me. They were oblong, having within along the walls a continuous couch, on which they lie one behind another. On the side opposite to the door is a rounded alcove, before which is a table, and behind the table a fire-place, by which the whole chamber is lighted. In this fire-place, there is not a burning fire, but a luminous wood, which gives out as much light as the flame of a common fire does. They said that in the evening these logs of wood appeared as if they had in them the fire of live coals.
153. They said that they do not live as societies, but as households by themselves; and that they are societies when they meet for worship; that on these occasions those who teach walk within the temple, and the rest in the porches at the sides; and that at their meetings they experience interior joys, arising from the sight of the temple, and from the worship celebrated therein.
154. In respect to Divine worship, they said that they acknowledge a God under the Human Form, consequently our Lord; for all who acknowledge the God of the universe under the Human Form are accepted and led by our Lord: the rest cannot be led, because they think apart from a form. They added, that the inhabitants of their earth are instructed about the things of heaven by a certain immediate intercourse with angels and spirits, into which they may be brought by the Lord more easily than others, because they reject corporeal things from their thought and affection. I asked what becomes of those amongst them who are evil. They told me that on their earth no wicked person is allowed to exist; but if any one thinks and does evil, he is reprimanded by a certain spirit, who threatens him with death if he persists in doing so; and if he persists, he dies by a swoon; and that by this means the men of that earth are preserved from the contagion of evils. A certain spirit of this character was also sent to me: he spoke with me as if with those [evil ones]: he moreover inflicted something of pain in the [pg 81] region of my abdomen, saying that this is what he does to those who think and do evil, and that he threatens them with death if they persist. I was also told that they who profane holy things are grievously punished; and that before the punishing spirit comes, there appears to them in vision the gaping mouth of a lion, of a livid colour, which seems as if it would swallow their head, and tear it asunder from the body, whence they are seized with horror. They call the punishing spirit the devil.
155. As they were desirous to know how the case is on our Earth in regard to revelation, I told them that it is effected by means of writing and preaching from the Word, and not by immediate intercourse with spirits and angels; and that what is written can be published by printing, and thus be read and comprehended by whole societies, and that thus the life can be amended. They were exceedingly surprised that such an art, utterly unknown elsewhere, could exist on our Earth; but they comprehended that on this Earth, where corporeal and terrestrial things are so much loved, Divine things could not otherwise inflow from heaven and be received; and that it would be dangerous for such beings to converse with angels.
156. The spirits of that earth appear above, in the plane of the head, towards the right. All spirits are distinguished by their situation relatively to the human body; and this is a consequence of the universal heaven corresponding with all things of manf. These spirits keep themselves in that plane, and at that distance, because their correspondence is not with the externals, but with the interiors, belonging to man. Their action is upon the left knee, above and a little below, with a certain vibration very sensibly felt. This is a sign that they correspond with the conjunction of natural things and heavenly things.
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