\ 
 
f 
 
CONCERNING 
 
 THE 
 
 EARTHS 
 
 inr 
 
 OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, 
 
 WHICH ARE CALLED 
 
 PLANETS, 
 
 AND CONCERNING THE 
 
 EARTHS m THE STARRT HEAVEN. 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR INHABITANTS, 
 
 AND ALSO or THE 
 
 SPIRITS AND ANGELS THERE, 
 
 FROM WHAT HAS BEEN SEEN AND HEARD. 
 
 TBANSLiTED FROM THE LATIN OF 
 
 EMANUEL^ SWEDENBORG. 
 
 Published at London by the Author, in 1758. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 ADONIS HOWARD 
 
 1828. 
 
Press of the New Jerusalem Magazine. 
 
 FREEMAN & BOLLES, PRINT. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Introduction, .... 1 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Mercury, its Spirits 
 
 and Inhabitants, .... 8 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Jupiter, its Spirits 
 
 and Inhabitants, - - - 43 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Mars, its Spirits and 
 
 Inhabitants, .... 91 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Saturn, its Spirits 
 
 and Inhabitants, - - - - 112 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Venus, its Spirits and 
 
 Inhabitants, • - - - 118 
 
 The Reasons why the Lord was willing to be born 
 
 on our earth, and not on another, - - 124 
 
 Concerning the Earths in the Starry Heaven, - 130 
 Concerning the First Earth in the Starry Heaven, its 
 
 Spirit? and Inhabitants, ... 136 
 
 Concerning a Second Earth in the Starry Heaven, its 
 
 Spirits and Inhabitants, ... 147 
 
 Concerning a Third Earth in the Starry Heaven, its 
 
 Spirits and Inhabitants, ... 153 
 
 Concerning a Fourth Earth in the Stari-y Heaven, its 
 
 Spirits and Inhabitants, - - - 161 
 
 Concerning a Fifth Earth in the Stari-y Heaven, its 
 
 Spirits and inhabitants, - - - 179 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/concerningearthsOOswed 
 
CONCERING THE 
 
 EARTHS IN THE UNIVERSE. 
 
 1. Inasmuch as, by the divine mercy of the 
 Lord, things interior are open to me, which 
 appertain to my spirit, and thereby it has been 
 granted me to discourse not only with spirits 
 and angels who are near our earth, but also 
 with those who are near other earths ; and 
 whereas I had a desire to know whether other 
 earths exist, and of what sort they are, and 
 what is the nature and quality of their inhabit- 
 ants, therefore it has been granted me of the 
 Lord, to discourse and converse with spirits 
 and angels who are from other earths, with 
 some for a day, with some for a week, and with 
 some for months, and to be instructed by them 
 concerning the earths, from which and near 
 which they were, and concerning the lives, 
 customs, and worship of the inhabitants thereof, 
 with various other things worthy to be noted : 
 And whereas in this manner it has been granted 
 me to become acquainted with such things, it 
 is permitted to describe them according to what 
 has been heard and seen. It is to be observed, 
 1 
 
2 
 
 that all spirits and angels are from the human 
 race ; (a) and that they are near their respective 
 earths ; (b) and that they are acquainted with 
 things on those earths ; and that by them man 
 may be instructed, if his interiors be so open, 
 as to be enabled to speak and converse with 
 them ; for man in his essence is a spirit, (c) and 
 together with spirits as to his interiors; (d) 
 wherefore he, whose interiors are opened by the 
 Lord, may discourse with them, as man with 
 man ; (e) which privilege has been granted 
 me now for twelve years daily. 
 
 Extracts from the Arcana Coelestia. 
 
 (a) That there are no spirits and angels, but 
 what were of the human race, n. 1880. 
 
 (b) That the spirits of everj- earth are near to 
 their own particular earth, because they are from 
 the inhabitants of that earth, and of a similar 
 genius and temper; and that they are serviceable 
 to those inhabitants, u. 9968. 
 
 (c) That the soul, which lives after death, is 
 the spirit of man, w hich is the real man in him, 
 and also appears in another life in a perfect hu- 
 man form, n. 322, 1880, 1881, 3633, 4622, 4735, 
 6054, 6605, 6626, 7021, 10594. 
 
 (d) That man, even during his abode in the 
 world, as to his interiors, consequently as to his 
 spirit or soul, is in the midst of spirits and angels, 
 of a nature and quality agreeing to his own, n. 
 2378, 3645, 4067, 4073, 4077. 
 
 (e) That man is capable of discoursing with 
 spirits and angels, and that tlie ancients on our 
 
3 
 
 2. That there are several earths, and men 
 upon them, and thence spirits and angels, is a 
 thing most perfectly well known in another life, 
 for it is there granted to every one, who desires 
 it from a love of truth and consequent use, to 
 discourse with the spirits of other earths, and 
 thereby to be confirmed concerning a plurality 
 of worlds, and to be informed, that the human 
 race is not confined to one earth only, but ex- 
 tends to earths innumerable ; and moreover to 
 know, what is the particular genius, manner of 
 life, and also divine worship, prevailing amongst 
 the inhabitants of each particular earth. 
 
 3. I have occasionally discoursed on this sub- 
 ject with the spirits of our earth, and the result 
 of our conversation was, that any man, of an 
 enlarged understanding, may conclude from 
 various considerations, that there are several 
 earths, and that they are inhabited by men; for 
 it is a suggestion of reason, that so great mate- 
 rial masses as the planets are, some of which far 
 exceed this earth in magnitude, are not empty 
 masses, and created only to be conveyed in 
 their revolutions round the sun, and to shine 
 with their scanty light for the benefit of one 
 
 earth did frequently discourse with them, n. 67, 
 68, 69, ,784, 1634, 1636, 7802. But that at this 
 day it is dangerous to discourse witli them, unless 
 man be in a true faith, and be led of the Lord, 
 n. 784, 9438, 10751. 
 
4 
 
 earth, but that their use must needs be more 
 enlarged and distinguished. He who believes, 
 as every one ought to beheve, that the Deity- 
 created the universe for no other end, than that 
 mankind, and thereby heaven, might have ex- 
 istence, (for mankind is the seminary of hea- 
 ven,) must needs believe also, that vi^heresoever 
 there is any earth, there likewise are men-in- 
 habitants. That the planets, which are visible 
 to our eyes, as being within the boundaries of 
 this solar system, are earths, may appear man- 
 ifest from this consideration, that they are bo- 
 dies of earthy matter, because they reflect the 
 light of the sun, and when seen through opti- 
 cal glasses, they appear not as stars glittering 
 by reason of their flame, but as earths varie- 
 gated by reason of their opaque spots. The 
 same may further appear from this considera- 
 tion, that they, in like manner as our earth, are 
 conveyed by a progressive motion round the 
 sun, in the way of the zodiac, whence they 
 have their years, and seasons of the year, as 
 Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter; and in 
 like manner revolve about their own axis, 
 whence they have their days, and times of the 
 day, as morning, mid-day, evening, and night; 
 moreover some of them have moons, which 
 are called satellites, and which perform their 
 revolutions round their central globes, as the 
 moon does round our earth ; the planet Saturn 
 
5 
 
 lias besides a large luminous belt, as being fur- 
 thest distant from the sun, which belt supplies 
 that earth with much light, although reflected. 
 How is it possible for any reasonable person, 
 acquainted with these circumstances, to assert, 
 that such bodies are void and without inhabit- 
 ants? 
 
 4. Moreover in my discourse with spirits I 
 have at such times suggested, that it is very 
 credible that in the universe there are more 
 earths than one, from this consideration, that 
 the starry heaven is so immense, and the stars 
 therein are so innumerable, each of which in 
 its place, or in its world, is a sun, and like our 
 sun, in various magnitude. Every consider- 
 ate person is led to conclude, that so immense 
 a wbole must needs be a means to some end, 
 the ultimate of creation, which end is the king- 
 dom of heaven, wherein the Divine may dwell 
 with angels and men ; for the visible universe, 
 or the heaven resplendent with stars so innu- 
 merable, which are so many suns, is only a 
 means, or medium, for the existence of earths, 
 and of men upon them, of whom may be form- 
 ed a celestial kingdom. From these consider- 
 ations every reasonable person must needs be 
 led to conceive, that so immense a means, 
 adapted to so great an end, was not constituted 
 for a raceof rpen from one earth only, and for 
 a heaven thence derived ; for what would this 
 2 
 
6 
 
 be to the Divine which is infinite, and to which 
 thousands, yea ten thousands of earths, all full 
 of inhabitants, are comparatively small, and 
 scarce of any amount ! 
 
 5. Moreover the angelic heaven is so im- 
 mense, that it corresponds with all and singu- 
 lar the things appertaining to man, myriads 
 corresponding to every member and organ, 
 and to all the viscera, and the respective af- 
 fections of each ; and it has been given to know, 
 that that heaven, as to all its correspondences, 
 can by no means exist, except by the inhabit- 
 ants of very many earths. (/) 
 
 6. There are spirits, whose sole study is to 
 acquire to themselves knowledges, because 
 they are delighted only with knowledges ; these 
 
 (/) That heaven corresponds to the Lord, and 
 that man, as to all and sinscular the things apper- 
 taining to him, corresponds to heaven, and that 
 hence heaven, before the Lord, is a man in a 
 large effigy, and may be called the grand man, 
 n. 2996, 2998, 3624 to 3649, 3636 to 3643, 3741 to 
 3745, 4625. Concerning the correspondence of 
 man, and of all things appertaining to him, with 
 the grand man, which is heaven, in general, from 
 experience, n. 3021, 3624 to 3649, 3741 to 3751, 
 3883, to 3896, 4039 to 4051, 4218 to 4228, 4318 
 to 4331, 4403 to 4421, 4527 to 4533, 4622 to 
 4633, 4652 to 4660, 4791 to 4805, 4931 to 4953, 
 5050 to 5061, 5171 to 5189, 537? to 5396, 5552 
 to 5573, 5711 to 5727, 10030. 
 
7 
 
 spirits are permitted to wander at large, and 
 even to pass out of this solar system into oth- 
 ers, and to procure for themselves knowledges : 
 These have declared, that there are not only- 
 earths inhabited by men, in this solar system, 
 but also out of it in the starry heaven, to an 
 immense number. These spirits are from the 
 planet Mercury. 
 
 7. As to what in general concerns the Di- 
 vine worship of the inhabitants of other earths, 
 such amongst them as are not idolaters, all 
 acknowledge the Lord to be the only God ; 
 for they adore the Divine not as invisible, but 
 as visible, for this reason amongst others, be- 
 cause when the Divine appears to them, he 
 appears in an human form, as he also formerly 
 appeared to Abraham and others on this 
 earth; (g) and they who adore the Divine un- 
 der an human form are all accepted of the 
 
 (g) That the inhabitants of all the earths 
 adore the Divine under an human form, conse- 
 quently the Lord, n. 8541 to 8547, 10159, 10736, 
 10737, 10738. And that they rejoice when they 
 hear that God was actually made man, n. 9361. 
 That it is impossible to think of God except in 
 an human form, n. 8705, 9359, 9972. That man 
 may worship and love what he has some idea of, 
 but not what he has no idea of, n. 4733, 5110, 
 5633,7211,9267, 10067. 
 
 3 
 
8 
 
 Lord, (h) They say also, that no one can 
 rightly worship God, much less be joined to 
 him, unless he comprehends him by some 
 idea, and that God cannot be comprehended 
 except in an human form ; and if he be not so 
 comprehended, the interior sight, which is of 
 the thought, concerning God, is dissipated, as 
 the sight of the eye is when looking upon the 
 boundless universe; and that in this case the 
 thought must needs sink into nature, and wor- 
 ship nature instead of God. 
 
 8. When they were told that the Lord on 
 our earth assumed the human, they mused 
 awhile, and presently said, that it was done for 
 the salvation of the human race. 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Mercury, its 
 Spirits and Inhabitants. 
 
 9. That the universal heaven resembles 
 one man, who is therefore called the Grand 
 Man, and that all and singular the things ap- 
 pertaining to man, both his exteriors and inte- 
 riors, correspond to that man or heaven, is an 
 arcanum not as yet known in the world ; but 
 that it is so, has been abundantly proved. (/) 
 
 (h) That the Lord receives all who are princi- 
 pled in good, and who adore the Divine under an 
 human form, n. 9359, 7173. 
 
9 
 
 To constitute that Grand Man, there is need 
 of spirits from several earths, those who come 
 from our earth into heaven not being sufiicient 
 for this purpose, being respectively few; and 
 it is provided of the Lord, that whensoever 
 there be a deficiency in any place as to the 
 quality or quantity of correspondence, a sup- 
 ply be instantly made from another earth, to 
 fill up the deficiency, that so the proportion 
 may be preserved, and thus heaven be kept in 
 due consistence. 
 
 10. It was also discovered to me from hea- 
 ven, in what relation to the Grand Man the 
 spirits from the planet Mercury stand, viz. that 
 they have relation to the memory, but to the 
 memory of things abstracted from terrestrial 
 and merely material objects. Since however 
 it has been granted to discourse with them, 
 and this during several weeks, and to learn 
 their nature and quality, and to observe how 
 the inhabitants of that earth are particularly 
 circumstanced, I shall adduce what has been 
 thus experimentally made known to me. 
 
 1 1 . On a time some spirits came to me, and 
 it was declared from heaven, that they were 
 from the earth which is nearest to the sun, and 
 which in our earth is known by the name of 
 the planet Mercury ; immediately on their com- 
 ing, they explored my memory in search of all 
 that 1 knew; (spirits can do this most dexter- 
 
10 
 
 ously, for when they come to man, they see in 
 his memory all things contained therein :) (i) 
 During their search after various things, and 
 amongst others, after the cities and places 
 where 1 had heen, I observed, that they had 
 no inclination to know any thing of temples, 
 palaces, houses, or streets, but only of those 
 things which I knew were transacted in those 
 places, also of whatever related to the rule and 
 government therein prevailing, and to the tem- 
 pers and manners of the inhabitants, with other 
 things of a similar nature ; for such things co- 
 here with places in man's memory, wherefore 
 when the places are excited in remembrance, 
 those things also are brought to view at the 
 same time. I was much surprised to find 
 them of such a nature and quality, wherefore 
 I asked them, why they disregarded the mag- 
 nificence of the places, and only attended to 
 the things and circumstances connected there- 
 with ? They answered, because they had no 
 delight in looking at things material, corporeal 
 and terrestrial, but only at things real : hence 
 
 (i) That spirits enter into all the things of 
 man's memory, n. 2488, 5863, 6192, 6193, 6198, 
 6199, 6214. That angels enter into the affec- 
 tions and ends, from which, and for the sake of 
 which, man thinks, wills, and acts in such and 
 such a manner, in preference to every other, n. 
 1317, 1645, 5844. 
 
11 
 
 it was confirmed, that the spirits of that earth, 
 in the Grand Man, have relation to the mem- 
 ory of things abstracted from what is material 
 and terrestrial. 
 
 12. It was told me, that such is the life of 
 the inhabitants of that earth, viz. that they 
 have no concern about things terrestrial and 
 material, but only about the statutes, laws, and 
 forms of government, which prevail amongst 
 the nations therein ; also about the things of 
 heaven, which are innumerable : and I was fur- 
 ther informed, that several of the men of that 
 earth converse with spirits, and that thence 
 they have the knowledges of spiritual things, 
 and of the states of life after death; and thence 
 also their contempt of things corporeal and 
 terrestrial ; for they who know of a certainty, 
 and believe that they shall live after death, are 
 concerned about heavenly things, as being 
 eternal and happy, but not about worldly 
 things, only so far as the necessities of hfe re- 
 quire. Inasmuch as the inhabitants of the 
 planet Mercury are of such a nature and qual- 
 ity, therefore also the spirits, who are from 
 thence, are of a like nature and quality, (b) 
 
 13. With what eagerness they inquire into 
 and imbibe the knowledges of things, such as 
 appertain to the memory elevated above the 
 sensualities of the body, was made manifest to 
 me from this circumstance, that when they 
 
12 
 
 looked into those things which I knew respect- 
 ing heavenly subjects, they passed hastily 
 through them all, declaring every instant the 
 nature and quality of each : for when spirits 
 come to man, they enter into all his memory, 
 and excite thence whatever suits themselves; 
 yea, what 1 have often observed, they read the 
 things contained therein, as out of a book, (k) 
 These spirits did this with greater dexterity 
 and expedition, because they did not stop at 
 such things as are heavy and slugglish, and 
 which confine, and consequently retard the in- 
 ternal sight, as all terrestrial and corporeal 
 things do, when regarded as ends, that is, 
 when alone loved ; but they looked into things 
 essential ; for such things, which are not clog- 
 ged with things terrestrial, elevate the mind 
 upwards, whereas mere material things sink 
 the mind downwards, and at the same time 
 contract and shut it up. Their eagerness to 
 acquire knowledges, and to enrich the memory, 
 was manifest also from the following circum- 
 stance : on a time whilst 1 was writing some- 
 what concerning things to come, and they 
 were at a distance, so that they could not look 
 into those things from my memory, because I 
 
 (k) That the spirits, who are attendant on 
 man, are in possession of all things appertaining 
 to his memory, n. 5853, 6857, 5859, 5860. 
 
13 
 
 was not willing to read them in their presence, 
 they were very indignant, and contrary to their 
 usual behaviour, they were desirous to abuse 
 me, saying that I was one of the worst of men, 
 with such hke indignities ; and that they might 
 give a proof of their resentment, they caused 
 a kind of contraction attended with pain on the 
 right side of my head even to the ear ; but 
 these things did not hurt me ; nevertheless, in 
 consequence of having done evil, they removed 
 themselves to a yet greater distance, but pre- 
 sently they stood still again, desirous to know 
 what I had written : such is their eager thirst 
 after knowledges. 
 
 14. The spirits of Mercury, above all other 
 spirits, possess the knowledges of things, as 
 well respecting this solar system, as respecting 
 the earths which are in the starry heaven ; and 
 what they have once acquired to themselves, 
 that they retain, and also recollect it, as often 
 as any thing similar occurs : hence also it may 
 appear manifest, that spirits have memory, and 
 that it is much more perfect than the memory 
 of men; and further, that what they hear, see, 
 and perceive, they retain, and especially such 
 things as delight them, as these spirits are de- 
 lighted with knowledges ; for whatever things 
 cause delight, and affect the love, these flow 
 in as it were spontaneously, and remain ; other 
 things do not enter, but only touch the surface, 
 and pass by. 
 
14 
 
 15. When the spirits of Mercury come to 
 other societies, they explore and collect from 
 them what they know, and then they depart ; 
 for such communication is granted amongst 
 spirits, and especially amongst angels, that when 
 they are in a society, if they are accepted and 
 loved, all things which they know are commu- 
 nicated. (I) 
 
 16. In consequence of their knowledges, the 
 spirits of Mercury have an extraordinary degree 
 of haughtiness ; wherefore they are given to 
 understand, that although they know innumer- 
 able things, yet there are infinite things which 
 they do not know; and that if their knowledges 
 should increase to eternity, the notice even of 
 all general or common things would still be un- 
 attainable; they are told likewise of their 
 haughtiness and highmindedness, and how 
 misbecoming such a temper is ; but on such 
 occasions they reply, that it is not haughtiness, 
 but only a glorying by reason of the faculty of 
 their memory ; thus they have the art of excul- 
 pating themselves, and excusing their foibles. 
 
 17. They are averse to discourse consisting 
 of vocal expressions, because it is material, 
 
 (I) That in the heavens there is given a com- 
 munication of all good things, inasmuch as it is 
 the property of heavenly love to communicate all 
 Jts possessions with others ; and that hence the 
 angels derive wisdom and happifiess, n. 649, 550, 
 1390, 1391, 1399, 10130, 10723. 
 
15 
 
 wherefore when I conversed with them with- 
 out intermediate spirits, I could only do it by 
 a species of active thought. Their memory, 
 as consisting of things, not of images purely 
 material, affords a nearer supply of its objects 
 to the thinking principle; for the thinking prin- 
 ciple, which is above the imagination, requires 
 for its objects things abstracted from material : 
 but notwithstanding this, the spirits of ^Mercury 
 are little distinguished for their judgment, hav- 
 ing no delight in the exercise of that faculty, 
 and the deducing of conclusions from know- 
 ledges; for bare knowledges alone are the 
 things which give them pleasure. 
 
 18. They were questioned, whether they 
 proposed to themselves any use from their 
 knowledges; and at the same time it was re- 
 presented to them, that it is not enough to be 
 delighted with knowledges, because knowledges 
 have res|)ect to uses, and uses ought to be the 
 ends of knowledges; from knowledges alone no 
 use results to them, but to others with whom 
 they are disposed to communicate their know- 
 ledges ; and that it is very inexpedient for any 
 one, who wishes to become wise, to rest satis- 
 fied with mere knowledges, these being only 
 administering causes, intended to be subservi- 
 ent to the investigation of things appertaining 
 to life: but they replied, that they were de- 
 lighted with knowledges, and that knowledges 
 to them are uses. 
 
16 
 
 19. Some of them also are unwilling to ap- 
 pear as men, like the spirits of other earths, 
 and would rather appear as crystalline globes; 
 the reason why they are desirous to appear so, 
 although they do not appear so, is, because the 
 knowledges of things immaterial are represent- 
 ed in another life by crystals. 
 
 20. The spirits of Mercury differ totally 
 from the spirits of our earth, for the spirits of 
 our earth have not so much concern about im- 
 material things, but about worldly, corporeal, 
 and terrestrial things, which are material; 
 wherefore the spirits of Mercury cannot abide 
 together with the spirits of our earth, and of 
 consequence, wheresoever they meet them, they 
 fly away; for the spiritual spheres, which are 
 exhaled from each, are altogether contrary tiie 
 one to the other. The spirits of Mercury have 
 a common saying, that they have no inchnation 
 to look at a sheath, but at things stripped of 
 their sheath, that is, at interior things. 
 
 21. On a time there appeared a whitish co- 
 loured flame, which burnt briskly, and this for 
 nearly an hour; that flame signified the ap- 
 proach of spirits of Mercury, who for penetra- 
 tion, thought, and speech, were more prompt 
 than the former spirits : when they were come, 
 they instantly ran through the things contained 
 in my memory, but I could not perceive what 
 observations they made, by reason of their 
 
17 
 
 promptitude; I heard them afterwards express 
 the nature and quality of some particulars; in 
 respect to what I had seen in the heavens and in 
 the world of spirits, they said that they knew 
 those things before : I perceived that a multi- 
 tude of spirits consociated with them was behind 
 a little to the left in the plane of the Occiput. 
 
 22. At another time I saw a multitude of 
 such spirits, but at some distance from me, in 
 front a little to the right, and thence they dis- 
 coursed with me, but by means of intermediate 
 spirits ; for their speech was as quick as thought, 
 which does not fall into human speech, but by 
 means of other spirits; and what surprised me, 
 they spake not singly, but in a volume together 
 ( volumatim,) and yet readily and rapidly : their 
 speech, appeared undulatory, in consequence 
 of the numbers who spake at the same time, 
 and what is remarkable, it was conveyed to- 
 wards my left eye, although they were to the 
 right; the reason was, because the left eye cor- 
 responds to the knowledges of things abstract- 
 ed from what is material, consequently to such 
 things as appertain to intelligence, whereas 
 the right eye corresponds to such things as ap- 
 pertain to wisdom, (m) They likewise per- 
 
 (m) That the eye corresponds to the under- 
 standing, because the understanding is internal 
 sight, and the sight or things immaterial, n. 2701, 
 4410, 4526, 9051, 10569. That the sight of the 
 4 
 
IS 
 
 ceived and judged of what they heard with the 
 same promptitude with which they discoursed, 
 saying ofsuch a thing tliat it was so, and of such 
 a thing that it was )iot so; their judgment was 
 as it were instantaneous. 
 
 23. There was a spirit from another earth, 
 who was well qualified to discourse with them, 
 being a quick and ready speaker, but who af- 
 fected elegance in his discourse ; they instantly 
 decided on whatever he spake, saying of this, 
 that it was too elegant, of that, that it was too 
 polished ; so that the sole thing they attended 
 to was, whether they could hear any thing from 
 him which they had never known before, reject- 
 ing thus the things which were as shades to the 
 substance of the discourse, as all affections of 
 elegance and erudition especially are, for these 
 hide the real things, and instead thereof present 
 expressions, which are only material forms of 
 things; for the speaker keeps the attention fix- 
 ed herein, and is desirous that his expressions 
 should be regarded more than the meaning of 
 them, whereby the ears are affected more than 
 the minds of the audience. 
 
 24. The spirits of the earth Mercury do not 
 
 left eye corresponds to truths, consequently to 
 hitelligence, and the sight of the right eye corres- 
 ponds to the goods of truth, consequently to wis 
 dom, n. 4410. 
 
19 
 
 abide long in one place, or within companies of 
 the spirits of one world, but wander through 
 the universe ; the reason is, because they have 
 relation to the memory of things, which memo- 
 ry must be continually stored with fresh sup- 
 plies; hence it is granted them to wander about, 
 and to acquire to themselves knowledges in 
 every place. During their sojourning in this 
 manner, if they meet with spirits who love ma- 
 terial things, that is, things corporeal and ter- 
 restrial, they avoid their company, and be- 
 betake themselves were such things are no sub- 
 jects of discourse. Hence it may appear, that 
 their mind is elevated above things of sense, 
 and thus that they are in an interior luminous 
 principle : this was also given me actually to 
 perceive, whilst they were near me, and dis- 
 coursed with me ; I observed at such times, 
 that I was withdrawn from things of sense, 
 insomuch that the luminous principle of exter- 
 nal vision began to grow dull and obscure. 
 
 25. The spirits of that earth go in compan- 
 ies and phalanxes, and when assembled togeth- 
 er, they form as it were a globe ; thus they are 
 joined together by the Lord, that they may act 
 in unity, and that the knowledges of each may 
 be communicated wilh all, and the knowledges 
 of all with each, as is the case in Heaven. (/) 
 That they wander through the universe to ac- 
 quire the knowledges of tilings, appeared to me 
 
20 
 
 also from this circumstance, that once, when 
 they appeared very remote from me, they dis- 
 coursed with me thence, and said, that they 
 were then gathered together, and journeying 
 out of tlie sphere of this world into the starry 
 heaven, where they knew such spirits existed, 
 as had no concern about terrestrial and corpo- 
 real things, but only about things elevated above 
 them, and that they were desirous to associate 
 with those spirits. It was given to understand, 
 that they themselves do not know whither they 
 are journeying, but that they are led by the 
 divine guidance to those places, where they 
 may be instructed concerning such things as 
 they are yet unacquainted with, and which 
 agree with the knowledges that they have al- 
 ready : it was given to understand further, that 
 they do not know how to find the companies 
 with whom they are joined together, and that 
 this also is of divine direction. 
 
 26. In consequence of their thus journey- 
 ing through the universe, and thereby being 
 enabled to know more than others respecting 
 the worlds and earths out of the sphere of our 
 solar system, I have also discoursed with them 
 on this subject; they said that in the universe 
 there are very many earths inhabited by men; 
 and that they wonder how any should suppose 
 (whom they called men of little judgment) that 
 the heaven of the omnipotent God consisted 
 
21 
 
 only of spirits and angels who come from one 
 earth, when these comparatively are so few, 
 that in respect to the omnipotence of God they 
 are scarce any thing, nor would it alter the case 
 even supposing there were myriads of worlds, 
 and myriads of earths: they declared, more- 
 over, that they knew there were earths exist- 
 ing in the universe to the number of some 
 hundred thousands and upwards; and yet what 
 is this to the Divine which is infinite ? 
 
 27. The spirits of Mercury, who were at- 
 tendant upon me, whilst I was writing and ex- 
 plaining the Word as to its internal sense, and 
 who perceived what I wrote, said, that the 
 things which I wrote were very gross ( admodum 
 crassa,) and that almost all the expressions 
 appeared as material ; but it was given to reply, 
 that to the men of our earth what was written 
 seemed subtle and elevated, and many things 
 incomprehensible : I added, that several on this 
 earth do not know, that it is the internal man 
 which acts on the external, and causes the ex- 
 ternal to hve ; and that they persuade them- 
 selves from the fallacies of the senses, .that the 
 body has life, and that in consequence thereof, 
 such as are wicked and unbelieving entertain 
 doubts respecting a life after death ; also, that 
 the part of man, which is to live after death, is 
 not by them called spirit, but soul ; and that 
 ihey dispute what soul is, and where is its abode, 
 5 
 
22 
 
 and believe, that the material body, aUhough 
 dispersed throughout the atmosphere, is to be 
 joined again to it, in order that man may hve as 
 man ; with many other things of a like nature. 
 The spirits of Mercur}', on hearing these things, 
 asked, whether such men could become angels ? 
 and it was given to answer, that they become 
 angels, who have lived in the good of faith and 
 charity, and that then ihey are no longer in exter- 
 nal and njaterial things, but in internal and spirit- 
 ual ; and when they come into that state, that 
 they are in a light superior to that in which the 
 spirits from JNlercurj' are. To convince them 
 that it was so, an angel was allowed to discourse 
 with them, who had come into heaven from our 
 earth, having hved in the good of faith and 
 charity, concerning whom more will be said 
 presently. 
 
 28. On another occasion, there was sent me 
 by the spirits of Mercury a long piece of paper, 
 of an irregular shape, consisting of several 
 pieces pasted together, which appeared as if cov- 
 ered with print, like our printed books; I asked 
 wheth^ they had the art of printing amongst 
 them? but the}' said, they had not, nevertheless 
 they knew that on our earth we had such printed 
 papers ; they had no inclination to say more ; 
 but I perceived that they thought that know- 
 ledges with us were upon our paper, and not so 
 much in our understandings, thus in a sneering 
 
23 
 
 way insinuating, that our papers knew more 
 than we ourselves did : they were instructed 
 however how the real case was in this respect. 
 After some time they returned, and sent me 
 another paper, which appeared also printed like 
 the former, but not so pasted together and ir- 
 regular, but neat and handsome ; they said, that 
 they were further informed, that in our earth 
 there are such papers, and books made of them. 
 
 29. From the above account it appears man- 
 ifest, that spirits retain in the memory what 
 they see and hear in another life, and that they 
 are capable of being instructed alike as when 
 they were men in the world, consequently of 
 being instructed in things appertaining to faith, 
 and thereby of being perfected : in proportion 
 as spirits and angels are of a more interior cha- 
 racter and quality, in the same proportion they 
 receive instruction more readily, and in a greater 
 fulness, and retain it more perfectly; and inas- 
 much as this faculty abides forever, it is evident 
 that they are continually advancing in wisdom : 
 with the spirits of Mercury there is a constant 
 growth in the science of things, but not in wis- 
 dom thence derived, because they love know- 
 ledges, which are means, but not uses which are 
 ends. 
 
 30. The particular genius and character of 
 the spirits, who are from the planet Mercury, 
 may still further appear from the following ac- 
 
24 
 
 count. It is to be observed, that all spirits and 
 
 angels whatsoever were once men ; for the 
 human race is the seminary of heaven ; also 
 that spirits are altogether such, as to affections 
 and inclinations, as they were during their life 
 in the world whilst men ; for every one's life 
 follows him into another world : (n) this being 
 the case, the genius and character of the men 
 of every earth may be known from the genius 
 and character of the spirits who come from 
 thence. 
 
 31. Inasmuch as the spirits of Mercury, in 
 the Grand JMan, have relation to the memory 
 of things abstracted from what is material, there- 
 fore when any one discourses with them con- 
 cerning things terrestrial, corporeal, and merely 
 Worldly, they are altogether unwilling to hear 
 him; and if they are forced to hear, they trans- 
 mute the things spoken of into other things, 
 and for the most part into things contrary, that 
 they may avoid attending to them. 
 
 32. That I might be fully convinced of this their 
 particular genius and character, it was allow- 
 ed to represent to them meadows, fallow lands, 
 
 (n) That every one's life remains with him and 
 follows him after'death, n. 4227, 7440. That the 
 externals of life are kept closed after death, and 
 the internals opened, n. 4314,5128,0495. That 
 then all and singular the things of thought are 
 made manifest, n. 4633, 5128. 
 
25 
 
 gardens, woods, and rivers, (to represent such 
 tilings is imaginatively to exhibit them before 
 another, in which case, in another world, they 
 ajjpear to the life ;) but they instantly transmuted 
 them, obscuring the meadows and fallow fields, 
 and by representations filling them with snakes; 
 the rivers they made black, so that the water 
 no longer appeared limpid. When I asked them 
 why they did so, they said, that they had no 
 inchnation to think of such things, but of things 
 real, which are the knowledges of things ab- 
 stracted from what is terrestrial, especially of 
 such things as exist in the heavens. 
 
 33. Afterwards I represented to them birds 
 of different sizes both large and small, such as 
 exist on our earth; for in another life such 
 things may be represented to the life ; when they 
 saw the birds represented, they were dispos- 
 ed at first to change them, but afterwards they 
 were delighted with them and seemed satisfied ; 
 the reason was, because birds signify the know- 
 ledges of things, and the perception of this sig- 
 nification flowed in also at that instant ; (o) thus 
 they desisted from transmuting them, and there- 
 by from averting the ideas of their memory. 
 
 (o) That birds signify things rational, things 
 intellectual, thoughts, ideas, and knowledges, n. 
 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 993, 5149, 7441. 
 And this with a variety according to the genera 
 and species of birds, 3219. 
 0 
 
26 
 
 Afterwards it was allowed to represent be- 
 fore them a most pleasant garden full of lamps 
 and lights; instantly they paused, and their at- 
 tention was fixed, by reason that lamps with 
 hghts signify truths which are lucid by virtue 
 of good, (p) Hence it was made manifest that 
 their attention might be fixed in viewing things 
 material, if the signification of those things in a 
 spiritual sense was but insinuated at the same 
 lime; for the things appertaining to such spirit- 
 ual sense are not so abstracted from things ma- 
 terial, being representative thereof. 
 
 34. Moreover 1 discoursed with them con- 
 cerning sheep and lambs, but they were not 
 disposed to hear of such things, because they 
 were perceived by them as things terrestrial : 
 the reason was, because they did not under- 
 stand what innocence is, which lambs signify, 
 as was perceivable from this circumstance, that 
 w'hen I told them that lambs, represented in 
 heaven, signify innocence, (q) they immedi- 
 ately said, that they did not know what inno- 
 cence was, but only knew it as to the name; 
 the reason was, because they are affected only 
 with knowledges, and not with uses, which are 
 
 (p) That lamps with lights signify truths which 
 are lucid by virtue of good, n. 4638, 9548, 9783. 
 
 (q) That Iambs in heaven, and in the Word, 
 signify innocence, n. 3994, 7840, 10132. 
 
27 
 
 the ends of knowledges, consequently tliey 
 cannot know, froui internal perception, what 
 innocence is. 
 
 35. Some of the spirits of the earth Mercury 
 on a time came to me, being sent by others 
 with intent to learn what I was employed about, 
 to whom one of the spirits of our earth said, 
 that they might tell those who sent them, not to 
 speak any thing but what was true, and not, 
 according to their usual practice, suggest things 
 opposite to what they are questioned about ; 
 for if any of the spirits of our earth were to do 
 so, he would be chastised for it ; but immedi- 
 ately the company, which was at a distance, 
 from which those spirits were sent, made an- 
 swer, that if they must be chastised on that ac- 
 count, they must all be chastised, inasmuch as 
 by reason of acquired habit they could not do 
 otherwise. They added, that when they dis- 
 course with the men of their own earth, they 
 also do so, but this not with any intention of 
 deceiving, but to inspire a desire of knowledge ; 
 for when they suggest things opposite, and con- 
 ceal things in a certain manner, then a desire 
 of knowledge is excited, and thereby from an 
 earnestness to search out and discover those 
 things, the memory is perfected. I also dis- 
 coursed with them at another time on the same 
 subject, and because I knew that they conversed 
 with the men of their earth, I asked them in 
 7 
 
28 
 
 what manner they instruct their inhabitants ? 
 They said, that they do not instruct them as to 
 all particulars in relation to the subject matter 
 of instruction, but slill insinuate some percep- 
 tion thereof, that thus a desire of examining 
 and acquiring the knowledge of it may be ex- 
 cited and cherished ; which desire would die 
 away, in case they fully explained all particu- 
 lars. They added, that they suggest objections 
 of things opposite also for this reason, that the 
 truth afterwards may appear more striking; 
 for all truth is made manifest by relation to its 
 opposites. 
 
 36. It is their constant custom not to declare 
 to another what they know, but still they desire 
 to learn from all others what is known to them : 
 nevertheless, with their own society they com- 
 municate all things, insomuch that what one 
 knows all know, and what all know each one 
 knows in that society. (/) 
 
 37. Inasmuch as the spirits of Mercury 
 abound with knowledges, they are principled 
 in a species of haughtiness ; hence they imagine 
 that they know so much, that it is almost im- 
 possible to know more : but it has been told 
 them by the spirits of our earth, that their 
 knowledge is not so extensive as they imagine, 
 but comparatively scanty, and that the things 
 which they do not know are infinite in respect 
 to what they do know, and as the waters of the 
 
29 
 
 largest ocean compared with the waters of a 
 very small founlain; and further, that the first 
 step in the ladder of wisdom is to know, ac- 
 knowledge, and perceive, that what is known 
 is little, and scarce any thing, in comparison 
 with what is unknown. To convince thein that 
 this is the case, it was given, that a certain 
 angelic spirit should discourse with them, and 
 should tell them in general what they knew, 
 and what they did not know, and that there 
 were infinite things which they did not know, 
 also that eternity would not suffice for their ac- 
 quiring even a general knowledge of things : 
 he discoursed by angelic ideas, much more 
 readily than they did, and hecause he disco- 
 vei-ed to them what they knew, and what they 
 did not know, they were struck with amaze- 
 ment. Afterwards 1 saw another angel dis- 
 coursing with them, he appeared in some alti- 
 tude to the right; he was from our earth, and 
 enumerated very many things which they did 
 not know ; afterwards he discoursed with them 
 by changes of state, which they said they did 
 not understand ; then he told them, that every 
 change of state contains infinite things, as did 
 also every smallest part of such change. When 
 they heard these things, inasmuch as they had 
 been puffed up with self-conceit by reason of 
 their knowledges, they began to humble them- 
 selves : their humiliation was represented by 
 
30 
 
 the sinking downwards of their volume [tolu- 
 ■minis); (for that company then appeared as a 
 volume, in front at a distance towards the left, 
 in the plane of the region below the navel,) 
 but the volume appeared as it were hollowed 
 in the middle, and elevated on the sides; a re- 
 ciprocal moving was also observed therein : 
 they were likewise given to understand what 
 that signified, viz. what they thought in their 
 humiliation, and that they, who appeared ele- 
 vated on the sides, were not as yet in any hu- 
 miliation : then I saw that the volume was 
 separated, and that they, who were not in hu- 
 miliation, were remanded back towards their 
 orb, the rest remaining where they were. 
 
 38. On a time the spirits of Mercury came 
 to a certain spirit from our earth, who, during 
 his abode in the world, had been most distin- 
 guished for his great learning, (it was Christian 
 Wolf,) desiring to receive information from 
 him on various subjects; but when they per- 
 ceived that what he said was not elevated 
 above the sensual things of the natural man, 
 inasmuch as in his discourse his thoughts were 
 intent on fame and honourary distinction, and 
 he was desirous as in the world (for in another 
 hfe every one is like his former self) to con- 
 nect various things into serieses, and from 
 those serieses again and continually to form 
 other conclusions, and thus to construct a 
 
31 
 
 chain of several consequences and deductions 
 grounded therein, which they did not see or 
 acknowledge to be true, and which therefore 
 they declared to be chains which neither co- 
 hered in themselves, nor with the conclusions, 
 calling them obscurity grounded in authority 
 (obscurum auctoritatis) ; they then desisted 
 from asking him further questions, inquiring 
 only, how this is called, and how that ; and 
 whereas he answered these inquiries also by 
 material ideas, and by no spiritual ones, they 
 retired from him : for every one, in another 
 life, discourses spiritually, or by spiritual ideas, 
 only so far as he had believed on God during 
 his abode in the world, and materially, so far 
 as he had not believed on God. An occasion 
 here offering itself, it may be expedient to 
 mention how it fares in another life with the 
 learned, who imbibe intelligence from their 
 own meditation kindled with the love of know- 
 ing truths for the sake of truths, thus for the 
 sake of uses abstracted from wordly consider- 
 ations, and how with those who imbibe intelli- 
 gence from others without any meditation of 
 their own, as is tlie common case with such as 
 desire to know truths solely for reputation's 
 sake, that they may be accounted learned, and 
 thereby attain worldly honour or gain, thus who 
 desire to know truths, not for the sake of uses 
 abstracted from worldly considerations. Con- 
 
32 
 
 cerning such, it is allowed to relate the follow- 
 ing experience. There was perceived on a time 
 somewhat noisy, or sonorous, [so riorum quod- 
 dam) penetrating from beneath, near the left 
 side, even to the left ear : 1 observed that they 
 were spirits, who there attempted to force a way, 
 but of what sort they were I could not know ; 
 however, when they had forced a way, they 
 spake with me, saying that they were logicians 
 and metaphysicians, and that they had immersed 
 their thoughts in the sciences of logic and me- 
 taphysics, with no other end than to acquire the 
 character of being learned, and thus to be ad- 
 vanced to honour and emolument, lamenting 
 that they now led a miserable life, in conse- 
 quence of applying to those sciences with no 
 other end, and thus not having cultivated thereby 
 their radonal principle ; their speech was slow, 
 and of a mule tone (^mute sonans). In the mean 
 time there were two discoursing with each other 
 above my head, and on inquiring who they were, 
 it was said that one of them was a most distin- 
 guished character in the learned world, and it 
 was given me to believe that it was Aristotle; 
 who the other was, remained untold : the for- 
 mer was then let into the state, in which he was 
 during his life in the world ; for every one 
 may easily be let into the state of his life, which 
 he had in the world, inasmuch as he has with 
 him every state of his former life : but, what 
 
33 
 
 surprised me, he applied himself to the right 
 ear, and there spake, but in a hoarse tone of 
 voice, yet with sound sense : from the purport 
 of bis discourse I perceived, that he was altogeth- 
 er of a different genius and temper from those 
 schoolmen who first ascended, in that he wrote 
 from a ground of thought and discernment in 
 himself, and thence produced his philosophical 
 discoveries ; so that the terms, which he in- 
 vented, and which he imposed on speculative 
 subjects, were forms of expression by which he 
 described interior things ; also that he was 
 excited to such pursuits by a delight of the 
 affection, and by a desire of knowing the things 
 appertaining to the thinking and intellectual 
 faculties ; and that he followed obediently 
 whatever his spirit had dictated; wherefore he 
 applied himself to the right ear, contrary to the 
 custom of his followers who are called the 
 schoolmen, and who do not go from thought 
 to terms, but from terms to thoughts, thus in 
 a contrary way ; and several of them do not 
 even proceed to thoughts, but stick solely in 
 terms, which if they apply, it is to confirm 
 whatever they desire, and to impose on false 
 principles an appearance of truth according to 
 their eagerness to persuade others : hence 
 philosophical investigations led them rather to 
 folly than to wisdom ; and hence they have dark- 
 ness instead of light. Afterwards I discours- 
 
34 
 
 ed with him concerning the analytic science, 
 observing, that a child, in half an hour's con- 
 versation, speaks more philosophically, an- 
 alytically, and logically, than would be in his 
 power to describe by a volume, inasmuch as 
 all things appertaining to thought, and to 
 human speech thence derived, are analytical, 
 the laws whereof are from the spiritual world ; 
 and he who desires to think artificially from 
 terms, is not unlike a dancer, who would 
 learn to dance by the science of the moving 
 fibres and muscles, in which science if he 
 should fix his mind whilst he is dancing, it 
 W'Ould be almost impossible for him to move a 
 foot ; and yet, without that science, he moves 
 all the moving fibres throughout the whole 
 body, and in subordination thereto he moves 
 the lungs, the diaphragm, the sides, the arms, 
 the neck, and other organs of the body, to de- 
 scribe all which would require many volumes; 
 and the case is exactly similar with those, who 
 are desirous to think from terms: he approved 
 of these observations, and said, that to learn to 
 think in that way is proceeding in an inverted 
 order; adding, if any one will be so silly, let 
 him so proceed ; but let the thoughts be ground- 
 ed in use, and flow from an interior principle. 
 He next shewed me, what idea he had conceiv- 
 ed of the Supreme Deity, viz. that he had re- 
 presented him to his mind as having an human 
 
35 
 
 face, and encompassed about the head with a 
 radiant circle; and that now he knew that the 
 Lord is himself that man, and that the radiant 
 circle is the divine principle proceeding from 
 him, which not only flows into heaven, but also 
 into the universe, disposing and ruling all things 
 therein. He added, whosoever disposes and 
 rules heaven, he also disposes and rules the 
 universe, because the one cannot be separated 
 from the other : he also said, that he believed 
 only in one God, whose attributes and qualities 
 were distinguished by a variety of names, and 
 that these names were by others worshipped as 
 so many gods. There appeared to me a wo- 
 man, who stretched out her hand, desiring to 
 stroke my cheek, at which when I expressed 
 my surprise, he said, that whilst he was in the 
 world, such a woman had often appeared to 
 him, as it were stroking his cheek, and that 
 her iiand was beautiful. The angelic spirits 
 said, that such women sometimes appeared to 
 the ancients, and were by them called Pallases, 
 and that she appeared to him from the spirits, 
 who, during their abode on earth in ancient 
 times, were delighted with ideas, and indulged 
 in their thoughts, but without philosophy ; and 
 whereas such spirits were attendant upon him, 
 and were delighted with him because he thought 
 from an interior principle, therefore they repre- 
 sentatively exhibited such a woman to his view. 
 
36 
 
 Lastly he informed me what idea he had con- 
 ceived of the soul or spirit of man, which he 
 called Pneuma, VIZ. that it was an invisible vital 
 principle, like somewhat of aether ; and he 
 said, that he knew that his spirit would live 
 after death, inasmuch as it was his interior 
 essence, which cannot die, because it is capa- 
 ble of thinking; and that moreover he was not 
 able to think clearly concerning it, but only 
 obscurely, because he had not formed any 
 thought about it from any other source but that 
 of his own mind, and a little also from the an- 
 cients. It is to be noted that Aristotle is 
 amongst sound and sober spirits in another hfe, 
 and that several of his followers are amongst 
 the infatuated. 
 
 39. On a time I saw that spirits of our earth 
 were with spirits of the earth Mercury, and I 
 heard them discoursing together, and the spir- 
 its of our earth, amongst other things, asked 
 them, on whom they believed ? they replied, 
 that they believed on God ; but when they in- 
 quired further concerning the God on whom 
 they believed, they would give no answer, it 
 being customary with them not to answer ques- 
 tions directly. Then the spirits from the earth 
 Mercury, in their turn, asked the spirits from 
 our earth, on whom they believed? they said, 
 that they believed on the Lord God : the spir- 
 its of Mercury then said, that they perceived 
 
37 
 
 that they believed on no God, and that they had 
 contracted a habit of professing with the mouth 
 that they believe, when yet they do not believe. 
 (The spirits of Mercury have exquisite percep- 
 tion, in consequence of their continually explor- 
 ing by means of perception what others know.) 
 The spirits of our earth were of the number of 
 those, who in the world had made profession 
 of faith agreeable to the doctrine of the church, 
 but still had not lived the life of faith, and they 
 who do not live the life of faith, in another life 
 have not faith, because it is not in the man : (r) 
 on hearing this they were silent, inasmuch as, 
 by a perception then given them, they acknow- 
 ledged that it was so. 
 
 40. There were certain spirits who knew 
 from heaven, that on a time a promise was 
 made to the spirits of the earth Mercury, that 
 they should see the Lord ; wherefore they were 
 asked by the spirits about me whether they re- 
 collected that promise? They said that they 
 did recollect it; but that they did not know 
 whether the promise was of such a nature, as 
 that they might depend with certainty on its 
 
 (r ) That they who make profession of faith 
 agreeable to doctrine, and do not live the life of 
 faith, have no faith, n. 3865, 7766, 7778, 7790, 
 7950, 8094. And that their interiors are contrary 
 to the truths of faith, although in the vTorld they 
 do not know this, n. 7790, 7950. 
 8 
 
38 
 
 accomplishment. Whilst they were thus dis- 
 coursing together, instantly the sun of heaven 
 appeared to them: (the sun of heaven, which 
 is the Lord, is seen only by those who are in 
 the inmost or third heaven ; others see the light 
 thence derived:) on seeing the sun, they said, 
 that this was not the Lord God, because they 
 did not see a face. In the meanwhile the 
 spirits discoursed with each other, but I did 
 not hear what they said. But on a sudden, at 
 that instant, the sun again appeared, and in 
 the midst thereof the Lord, encompassed with 
 a solar circle ; on seeing this, the spirits of 
 Mercury humbled themselves profoundly, and 
 subsided. Then also the Lord, from that sun, 
 appeared to the spirits of this earth, who, when 
 they were men, saw him in the world, and they 
 all, one after another, and thus several in order, 
 confessed, that it was the Lord himself; this 
 confession they made before all the company. 
 At the same instant also the Lord, out of the 
 sun, appeared to the spirits of the planet Jupi- 
 ter, who declared with open voice, that it was 
 he himself, whom they had seen on their earth, 
 when the God of the universe appeared to 
 them, (s) 
 
 (s) That the Lord is the sun of heaven, from 
 whom all light therein is derived, n. 1053, 3636, 
 4060. And that the Lord thus appears to those 
 
39 
 
 41. Certain of them, after that the Lord ap- 
 peared, were led off frontwards to the right, 
 and as they advanced, they said, that they saw 
 a hght much clearer and purer than they had 
 ever seen before, and that it was impossible 
 any light could exceed it; and it was then even- 
 tide here : there were several who made this 
 declaration, (t) 
 
 who are in his celestial kingdom, where love to 
 him is prevalent, n. 1521, 1529, 1530, 1531, 1837, 
 4696. That he appears at a middle distance 
 above the plane of the right eye, n. 4321, 7078. 
 That therefore by sun in the Word is signified 
 the Lord as to divine love, n. 2495, 4060, 7083. 
 That the sun of this world does not appear to 
 spirits and angels, but in the place thereof there 
 appears somewhat as it were darkish, not in front, 
 but behind, in a direction opposite to the sun of 
 heaven, or to the Lord, n. 9755. 
 
 (t) That there is in the heavens great light, 
 which exceeds, by many degrees, the mid-day 
 light of this world, n. 1117, 1521, 1533, 1619, 
 to 1632, 4527, 5400, 8644. That all light in the 
 heavens is from the Lord as a sun there, n. 1053, 
 1521, 3195, 3341,3636, 3643, 4415, 9548, 9684, 
 10809. That the divine truth proceedingfrom the 
 divine good of the divine love of the Lord appears 
 in the heavens as light, and presents all the light 
 that is therein, n. 3195,3222, 54008,644, 9399, 
 9548,9684. That the light of heaven illuminates 
 both the sight and the understandingof the angels, 
 
40 
 
 42. It is to be observed, that the sun of this 
 world does not appear at all to any spirit, nor 
 any thing of light thence derived ; the light of 
 that sun is as thick darkness to spirits and an- 
 gels : that sun remains only in the perception 
 appertaining to spirits from having seen it dur- 
 ing their abode in the world, and is presented 
 to them in idea as somewhat darkish, and this 
 behind at a considerable distance, in an altitude 
 a little above the plane of the head. The pla- 
 nets, which are whhin the system of that sun, 
 appear according to a determinate situation in 
 respect to the sun ; Mercury behind a little to- 
 wards the right; Venus to the left a httle back- 
 wards ; Mars to the left in front ; Jupiter in like 
 manner to the left in front, but at a greater dis- 
 tance ; Saturn directly in front, at a considera- 
 ble distance; the moon to the left at a con- 
 siderable height : the satellites also to the left in 
 respect to their particular planet. Such is the 
 situation of the above planets in the ideas of 
 spirits and angels : spirits also appear near their 
 respective planets, but out of them. As to 
 what particularly concerns the spirits of Mer- 
 cury, they do not appear in any certain deter- 
 minate quarter, or at any certain determinate 
 
 n. 2776, 3138. That when heaven is said to be 
 in light and heat, it signifies being in wisdom and 
 in love, n. 3643, 9399, 9401. 
 
41 
 
 distance, but sometimes in front, sometimes to 
 the left, sometimes a little to the back ; the 
 reason is, because they are allowed to wander 
 through the universe to procure for themselves 
 knowledges. 
 
 43. On a time the spirits of Mercury ap- 
 peared to the left in a globe, and afterwards in 
 a volume extending itself lengthways ; I won- 
 dered whither they were desirous of going, 
 whether to this earth, or elsewhere, and pre- 
 sently I observed that they inclined to the right, 
 and as they rolled along, approached to the 
 eajth or planet Venus towards the quarter in 
 front; but when they came thither they said, 
 that they would not abide there, because the 
 inhabitants were wicked ; wherefore they turn- 
 ed about to the back part of that earth, and 
 then said, that they would willingly stay there, 
 because the inhabitants were good. Immedi- 
 ately on this, I was made sensible of a remark- 
 able change in the brain, and of a powerful 
 operation thence proceeding. Hence it was 
 given to conclude, that the spirits of Venus, 
 who are on tiiat part of the planet, were in con- 
 cord with the spirits of Mercury, and that they 
 had relation to the memory of things material 
 which was in concord with the memory of 
 things immaterial, to which latter memory the 
 spirits of Mercury have relation : hence a more 
 9 
 
42 
 
 powerful operation was felt from them when 
 ti)ey were there. 
 
 44. I was desirous to know what kind of 
 face and body the men in the earth Mercury 
 had, whether they were like the men on our 
 earth; instantly there was presented before 
 my eyes a woman exactly resembling the wo- 
 men in that earth ; she had a beautiful face, 
 but it was smaller than that of a v/oman of our 
 earth ; her body also was more slender, but her 
 height was equal; she wore on her head a linen 
 cap, which was put on without art, but yet in 
 a manner becoming. A man also was pre- 
 sented to view, who was more slender in body 
 than the men of our earth are; he was clad in 
 a garment of a dark blue colour, closely fitted 
 to his body, without any foldings or protuber- 
 ances: it was given to understand, that such 
 was the form of body, and such the dress of 
 the men of that earth. Afterwards there was 
 presented to view a species of their oxen and 
 cows, which indeed did not differ much from 
 those on our earth, only that they were less, 
 and in some degree approached to a species of 
 deer. 
 
 45. They were questioned also concerning 
 the sun of the system, how it appears from 
 their earth? Tliey said that it appears large, 
 and larger there than when seen from other 
 
43 
 
 earths, and that they knew this from the ideas 
 of other spirits concerning the sun. They 
 said further, that they enjoy a middle temper- 
 ature, neither too hot nor too cold ; it was on 
 this occasion given me to tell them, that it was 
 so provided of the Lord in regard to them, 
 that they should not be exposed to too much 
 heat, by reason of their greater nearness to the 
 sun, inasmuch as heat does not arise from the 
 sun's nearness, but from the altitude and den- 
 sity of the atmospliere, as appears from the 
 cold on high mountains even in hot climates; 
 also that heat is varied according to the direct 
 or oblique incidence of the suns rays, as is 
 plain from the seasons of winter and suinmer 
 in every region. These are the things which 
 it was given to know concerning the spirits and 
 inhabitants of the earth Mercury. 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Jupiter, its 
 Spirits and Inhabitants. 
 
 46. It was granted me to enjoy longer com- 
 merce with the spirits and angels of the planet 
 Jupiter, than whh the spirits and angels from the 
 rest of the planets, wherefore I am at liberty 
 to be more particular in regard to the state of 
 life of them, and of the inhabitants of that planet. 
 That those spirits were from that planet, was 
 10 
 
 I 
 
44 
 
 evident from many circumstances, and was also 
 confirmed by a declaration from heaven. 
 
 47. The real earth or planet Jupiter does not 
 indeed appear to spirits and angels ; for to the 
 inhabitants of the spiritual world no material 
 earth is visible, but only the spirits and angels 
 who come thence. They who are from the 
 planet Jupiter appear in front to the left at a 
 considerable distance, and this constantly, see 
 above, n. 42 ; there also is the planet ; the spirits 
 of every earth are near their respective earth, 
 in consequence of having been inhabitants 
 thereof, (for every man after death becomes a 
 spirit) and in consequence of being thus of a 
 similar genius and temper with the inhabitants, 
 and of being in a capacity thereby of associat- 
 ing with and serving them. 
 
 48. The spirits from the earth Jupiter relat- 
 ed, that the multitude of men therein was as 
 great as the earth could support; and that the 
 earth was fruitful and plentiful in all produc- 
 tions; and that the inhabitants had no desires 
 beyond the necessaries of life; and that they 
 accounted nothing useful but so far as it was 
 necessary ; and that hence the number of in- 
 habitants was so great. They said, that the 
 education of their children was their greatest 
 concern, and that they loved them most ten- 
 derly. 
 
 49. They further related, that the inhabit- 
 
45 
 
 ants are distinguished into nations, fannilies, and 
 houses, and that they all live apart with tlieir 
 own kindred, and that hence their connexions 
 are confined to relatives; hkewise that no one 
 covets another's property, and that it never 
 enters into their minds to desire the posses- 
 sions of another, still less to obtain them fraud- 
 ulently, and least of all to extort them by 
 violence; such violence they consider as a 
 criminal act contrary to human nature, and 
 regard it as horrible. When I would have told 
 them, that on this earth there are wars, depre- 
 dations, and murders, they instantly turned 
 away from me, and expressed an aversion to 
 hear. It was declared to me by the angels, 
 that the most ancient people on this earth liv- 
 ed in like manner as the inhabitants of the 
 planet Jupiter, viz. that tliey were distinguish- 
 ed into nations, families, and houses, and that 
 all at that time were content with their own 
 possessions; and that it was a thing altogether 
 unknown for one person to enrich himself at 
 the expense of another, or to aspire at domin- 
 ion from a principle of self-love ; and that on 
 this account the ancient times, and especially 
 the most ancient, were more acceptable to the 
 Lord than succeeding times. And such be- 
 ing the state of the world, innocence also then 
 reigned, attended with wisdom ; every one did 
 what was good from a principle of good, and 
 
4G 
 
 what was just from a principle of justice ; to do 
 what is good and just with a view to self-ad- 
 vancement, or for the sake of gain, was a thing 
 unknown ; at the same time they spake nothing 
 but what was true, and this not so much from 
 a principle of truth, as from a principle of 
 good, that is, not from an intellectual principle 
 separate from the will-principle, but from a 
 will-principle joined with the intellectual. 
 Such were the ancient times, wherefore angels 
 could then converse with men, and convey 
 their minds, almost separate from things cor- 
 poreal, into heaven, yea, could conduct them 
 through the heavenly societies, and shew them 
 the magnificent and blessed things abounding 
 therein, and hkewise communicate to them 
 their happiness and delights: these times were 
 known also to the ancient writers, and were by' 
 them called the golden and also saturnian 
 ages. The superior excellence of those times, 
 as was observed, was owing to this, that men 
 were then distinguished into nations, nations 
 into families, and families into houses, and 
 every house lived apart by itself; and it then 
 never entered into any one's mind to invade 
 another's inheritance, and thence acquire to 
 himself opulence and dominion ; self-love and 
 the love of the world were then far from men's 
 affections; every one rejoiced in his own, and 
 not less in his neighbour's good. But in sue- 
 
47 
 
 ceeding times this scene was changed, and to- 
 tally reversed, when the kist of dominion and 
 of large possessions invaded the mind; then 
 mankind, for the sake of self-defence, collect- 
 ed themselves into kingdoms and empires ; and 
 inasmuch as the laws of charity and of con- 
 science, which were inscribed on the hearts, 
 ceased to operate, it became necessary to en- 
 act external laws in order to restrain violence, 
 and to secure obedience thereto by temporal 
 rewards and punishments. When the state of 
 the world was thus changed, heaven removed 
 itself from man, and this more and more even 
 to the present time, when the very existence of 
 heaven and hell is unknown, and by some de- 
 nied. This account of the primitive state of 
 the inhabitants of this earth is given, in order 
 to shew more clearly by the parallel, what is 
 the state of the inhabitants of the earth Jupiter, 
 and whence they have their probity and also 
 their wisdom, concerning which more will be 
 said hereafter. 
 
 50. By long and frequent conversation with 
 the spirits of the earth Jupiter, it was made 
 very manifest to me, that they were better dis- 
 posed than the spirits of several other earths; 
 the manner of their approach to me, their abode 
 with nie, and their influx at the time, was inex- 
 pressibly gentle and sweet; in another life the 
 quality of every spirit manifests itself by an in- 
 
48 
 
 flux, which is the communication of its affection; 
 goodness of disposition manifests itself by gen- 
 tleness and sweetness, by gentleness, in that it 
 is afraid to do hurt, and by sweetness, in that 
 it loves to do good : I could clearly distinguish 
 a difference between the gentleness and sweet- 
 ness of the influx proceeding from the spirits of 
 Jupiter, and of that which proceeds from the 
 good spirits of our earth. When any slight dis- 
 agreement exists amongst them, they said that 
 there appears a sort of slender bright irradia- 
 tion, like that of lightning, or like the little swath 
 encompassing glittering and wandering stars ; 
 but all dissagreements amongst them are soon 
 adjusted. Glittering stars, which are at the 
 same time wandering, signify what is false, but 
 glittering and fixed stars signify what is true ; 
 thus the former signify disagreement, (m) 
 
 51. I could distinguish the presence of the 
 spirits of Jupiter, not only by the gentleness 
 and sweetness of their approach and influx, but 
 also by this circumstance, that for the most 
 part their influx was into the face, to which 
 they communicated a smiling cheerfulness, and 
 this continually during their presence. They 
 
 (u) That stars in the VVord signify the know- 
 ledges of good and truth, consequently truths, n. 
 2495, 2849, 4697. And that in another life truths 
 are represented by fixed stars, but falses by wan- 
 dering stars, n. 1128. 
 
49 
 
 said, that they communicate a like cheerful- 
 ness of countenance to the inhabitants of their 
 earth, when they come to them, being desirous 
 thus to inspire them with heartfelt tranquillity 
 and delight: that tranquillity and delight, with 
 which they inspired me, filled my breast and 
 heart very sensibly ; at the same time there was 
 a removal of all evil lusts and anxiety concern- 
 ing things to come, which cause unquiet and 
 disturbance, and excite various commotions in 
 the mind. Hence was discoverable the nature 
 and quality of the life of the inhabitants of the 
 earth Jupiter; for the disposition of the inha- 
 bitants of any earth may be known by the spirits 
 who come thence, inasmuch as every one re- 
 tains his own proper life after death, and 
 continues to live it when he becomes a spirit. 
 It was very observable, that they had a state 
 of blessedness or happiness still more interior, 
 which was manifest from this circumstance, 
 that their interiors were perceived not to be 
 closed, but open to heaven ; for in proportion 
 as the interiors are more open to heaven, in the 
 same proportion they are more susceptible of 
 receiving divine good, and therewith blessed- 
 ness and interior happiness. The case is al- 
 together otherwise with those who do not live 
 in the order of heaven ; the interiors with such 
 are closed, and the exteriors open to the world. 
 52. It was farther shewn me what sort of 
 
50 
 
 faces the inhabitants of the earth Jupiter had ; 
 not that the inhabitants themselves appeared 
 to me, but that the spirits appeared with faces 
 similar to what they had during iheir abode on 
 their earth. But previous to this manifesta- 
 tion, one of their angels appeared behind a 
 bright cloud, who gave permission ; and in- 
 stantly two faces were presented to view ; they 
 were like the faces of the men of our earth, 
 fair and beautiful ; sincerity and modesty seem- 
 ed to beam forth from them. During the pre- 
 sence of the spirits of Jupiter, the faces of the 
 men of our earth appeared less than usual, 
 which circumstance was owing to this, that 
 there was an influx from those spirits of the 
 idea which they had concerning their own 
 faces, as being larger; for they believe, during 
 their abode in their earth, that after their de- 
 cease their faces will be larger, and of a round 
 shape ; and whereas this idea is impressed on 
 them, it consequently remains with them, and 
 when they become spirits, they appear to 
 themselves as having larger faces. The reason 
 why they believe that their faces will be larger, 
 is, because they say that the face is not body, 
 inasmuch as through it they see, hear, speak, 
 and manifest their thoughts; and whereas the 
 mind is thus transparent through the face, they 
 hence form an idea of the face as of mind in 
 a form; and inasmuch as they know that they 
 
61 
 
 shall become wiser when they cease to live in 
 the body, therefore they believe that the form 
 of the mind, or the face, will become larger. 
 They believe also, that after their decease they 
 shall perceive a fire, which will communicate 
 warmth to their faces; this belief takes its rise 
 from hence, that the wiser amongst them know 
 that fire in a spiritual sense signifies love, and 
 that love is the fire of life, and ihat the angels 
 have life from this fire, (x) Such of them also 
 as have lived in celestial love, have their wishes 
 herein gratified, and perceive a warmth in the 
 face, and at the same time the interiors of the 
 mind are kindled with love. It is on this ac- 
 count that the inhabitants of that earth fre- 
 quently wash and make clean their faces, and 
 also carefully secure them from the sun's heat. 
 They use a covering for the head, made of 
 the bark of a tree of a bluish colour, which 
 serves as a shade for the face. Concerning 
 
 (x) That fire in the word signifies love in both 
 senses, n. 934, 4906, 5215. That sacred and ce- 
 lestial fire is divine love, and every atFectioa 
 which is of that love, n. 934, 6314, 6832. That 
 infernal fire is self-love and the love of the world, 
 and every concupiscence appertaining to those 
 loves, n. 965, 1861, 5071, 6314, 6832, 7575, 
 10747. That love is the fire of Ufe, and that life 
 itself is actually derived -from that fire, n. 4906, 
 5071, 6032. 
 
52 
 
 the faces of the men of our earth, which they 
 
 saw through my eyes, (y) they said that they 
 were noi handsome, and that the beauty wliich 
 they had, consisted in the external skin, but 
 not in the fibres derived from what is internal; 
 they were surprised to see the faces of some 
 full of pimples and carbuncles, and in other 
 respects deformed, and said, that they have no 
 such faces amongst them. Some of their faces 
 retained a smiling cast, [even in the spiritual 
 world] viz. such as were of a cheerful and 
 smiling habit, and such as were a httle pro- 
 minent about the lips. 
 
 53. The reason why the faces, which were 
 prominent about the lips, retained a smiling 
 cast, was, because the chief part of their dis- 
 course is effected by the face, and especially 
 by the region about the lips, and also because 
 they never use deceit, that is, never speak 
 otherwise than they think, the consequence of 
 which is, that they use no restraint in regard to 
 the face, but let all the features and fibres have 
 free play : the case is otherwise with those, 
 who from their childhood have been practised 
 in deceit; the face is thereby contracted from 
 within, to prevent the inward thoughts from 
 
 (y) That spirits and angels do not see the 
 things of this solar vvorld, but that they saw 
 through my eyes, n. 1881. 
 
53 
 
 being manifested ; neither has it free play 
 from without, but is kept in readiness either to 
 put itself forth, or to contract itself, according 
 to the suggestions of craft or cunning. The 
 truth of this may appear from an examination 
 of the fibres of the lips, and of the parts there- 
 abouts, for the series of fibres in those parts are 
 manifold, complex, and interwoven together, 
 being created not only for the purposes of re- 
 ceiving and chewing the food, and of forming 
 expressions of speech, but also of manifesting 
 the ideas of the mind by their various confi- 
 gurations. 
 
 54. It was also shewn me how the thoughts 
 are expressed by the face ; the affections, which 
 appertain to the love-principle, are manifested 
 by the features and their changes, and the 
 thoughts in tliose affections by variations as to 
 the forms of interior things therein ; it is im- 
 possible to describe them further. The inhabi- 
 tants of the earth Jupiter use also vocal dis- 
 course, but it is not so loud as with us; one 
 kind of discourse is an aid to the other, and life 
 is insinuated into vocal discourse by that of the 
 i countenance. I am informed by the angels, that 
 the first discourse of all in every earth was effect- 
 ed by the face, and this from two origins, the lips 
 and the eyes. The reason why this kind of 
 discourse was firr.t in use is, because the face 
 was formed to express by its features all a man's 
 11 
 
54 
 
 thoughts and inclinations; hence the face is 
 called an effigy and index of ihe mind. A fur- 
 ther reason is, because in the most ancient or 
 primalive times man was influenced by a prin- 
 ciple of sincerity, and cherished no thought, 
 nor wished to cherish any, but wi)at he was wil- 
 ling should beam forth visibly in his face. Thus 
 also the affections of the mind, and the thoughts 
 therein originating, might be exhibited lo the 
 life, and in their fulness ; hereby likewise they 
 were made visible, as several things united 
 together in a form. This kind of discourse 
 therefore excelled vocal discourse as much as 
 the sense of seeing excels that of hearing, or as 
 the sight of a fine country excels a verbal de- 
 scription of it. Add to this, that such discourse 
 was in agreement with the discourse of angels, 
 with whom men in those times had communi- 
 cation ; and also that when the face speaks, or 
 the mind by the face, the angelic discourse is 
 exhibited with man in its ultimate natural form, 
 but not so in verbal discourse. Every one also 
 may conceive, that the most ancient people 
 could not at first practise verbal discourse, in- 
 asmuch as the expressions of vocal language 
 are not infused immediately, but must have 
 been invented, and applied to the things they 
 were intended to express ; and this would re- 
 
55 
 
 quire a course of time to effect, (^r) So long 
 as man continuerl to be influenced by a prin- 
 ciple of sincerity and rectitude, so long also 
 such discourse remained ; but as soon as the 
 mind began to think one thing and speak 
 another, which was the case when man began 
 to love himself and not his. neighbour, then 
 verbal discourse began to increase, the face 
 being either silent or deceitful ; hence the in- 
 ternal form of the face was changed, contracted 
 itself, acquired stiffness, and began to be nearly 
 void of life ; whilst the external form, inflamed 
 by the fire of self-love, appeared in the eyes of 
 men as if it were alive ; for a want of life in 
 the internal forms, which are hid underneath 
 the external, does not appear before men, but 
 is manifest to the angels, inasmuch as the latter 
 see interior things. Such are the faces of 
 those who think one thing and speak another: 
 for simulation, hypocrisy, cunning, and deceit, 
 which at this day are called prudence, have a 
 tendency to produce such effects. But the 
 
 (z) That the most ancient people on this earth 
 used to discourse by the face and lips, by means 
 of internal aspiration, n. 607, 1118, 7361. That 
 the inhabitants of some other earths used to dis- 
 course in like manner, n. 4799, 7359, 8248, 10587. 
 Concerning the perfection and excellence of that 
 discourse, n. 7360, 10587, 10708. 
 
56 
 
 case is otherwise in another hfe, where it is not 
 allowable for the speech and thoughts to be at 
 variance ; their variance also is there clearly 
 perceived in every single expression, and when 
 it is perceived, the spirit, who is found guilty, 
 is separated from his associates, and fined ; 
 afterwards he is. reduced by various methods 
 to speak as he thinks, and to think as he wills, 
 until his mind be one, and not divided ; if he 
 be a good spirit, he is reduced to a state of 
 willing what is good, and of thinking and speak- 
 ing what is true, from a principle of good ; and 
 if he be an evil spirit, he is reduced to a state 
 of willing what is evil, and of thinking and speak- 
 ing what is false, from a principle of evil ; until 
 this is effected, the good spirit is not elevated 
 into heaven, nor is the evil one cast into hell ; 
 and this to the end, that in hell there may be 
 nothing but evil and the false grounded in evil, 
 and in heaven nothing but good and truth 
 groimded in good. 
 
 55. I was further informed by the spirits 
 from that earth, concerning various particulars 
 relating to its inhabitants, as concerning their 
 manner of walking, concerning their food, and 
 their habitations. With respect to their manner 
 of walking, they do not walk erect like the in- 
 habhants of this and of several other earths, nor 
 do they creep on all four, like four-footed beasts, 
 but as they go along, they assist theniselves 
 
57 
 
 uilh their hands, and aUernately half elevate 
 themselves on their feet, and also at every third 
 step turn the face sideways and behind them, 
 and likewise at the same time bend the body 
 a little, which is done suddenly ; for it is thought 
 indecent amongst them to be seen in any other 
 point of view than with the face in front. In 
 walking thus, they always keep the face el- 
 evated as with us, that so they may look at the 
 heavens as well as the earth ; holding the face 
 downwards so as to see the earth alone, they 
 call an accursed thing ; the most vile and ab- 
 ject amongst them give into this habit, but if 
 they continue in it, they are banished the soci- 
 ety. When they sit, they appear like men of 
 our earih, erect as to the upper part of the 
 body, but they usually sit cross-legged. They 
 are particularly cautious, not only when they 
 walk, but also when they sit, to be seen with 
 the face in front, and not as to the back parts; 
 they are also very willing to have their faces 
 seen, because thence their mind appears ; for 
 with them the face is never at variance with 
 the mind, nor indeed have they power to make 
 it so ; hence it evidently appears, on an inter- 
 view with them, what dispositions they entertain 
 towards all who are present, especially whether 
 their apparent friendship be sincere or forced, 
 for this they never conceal. These particulars 
 were declared to me by their spirits, and con- 
 12 
 
58 
 
 firmed by their angels: hence also their spirits 
 are seen to walk, not erect hke others, but 
 almost like persons swimming, appearing to 
 help themselves forward with their hands, and 
 by turns to look around them. 
 
 &6. They who live in their warm chmates, 
 go naked, except about the loins ; nor are they 
 ashamed of their nakedness, inasmuch as tiieir 
 minds are chaste, loving none but such as they 
 are in conjugal connexion with, and abhorring 
 adultery. They were very much surprised at 
 the spirits of our earth, who, on hearing of 
 their method of walking, and also that they 
 were naked, made a joke of it, and gave way 
 to lascivious thoughls, without attending at all 
 to their heavenly life. They said, tiiat this was 
 a proof that things corporeal and terrestrial 
 were of more concern to them than celestial 
 things, and that things of an indecent nature 
 had place in their minds. Those spirits of our 
 earth were told, that nakedness gives no oc- 
 casion either of shame or of scandal to such 
 as live in chastity and a stale of innocence, but 
 only to such as live in lasciviousness and im- 
 modesty. 
 
 57. When the inhabitants of that earth lie 
 in bed, they turn their faces forward, or to- 
 wards the chamber, but not backward, or to- 
 wards the wall : this was told me by their spirits, 
 who assigned also the reason for tiieir §o do- 
 
59 
 
 ing, viz. that they believe, that in turning the 
 face forward, they turn it to the Lord, but if 
 they turn it backward, they avert it from the 
 Lord. I have sometimes observed, in regard 
 to myself, whilst I was in bed, such a direction 
 of the face, but I never knew before whence it 
 was. 
 
 58. They take delight in making long meals, 
 not so much for the pleasure of eating, as for 
 the pleasure of discoursing at such times. 
 Whilst they sit at table, they do not sit on 
 chairs or stools, nor upon an elevated turf, nor 
 yet upon the bare ground, but on the leaves of 
 a certain tree; they were not willing to tell of 
 what tree the leaves were, but when I guessed 
 at several, and at last named the leaves of the 
 fig-tree, they affirmed that to be the tree. 
 They said moreover, that they did not dress 
 their food with any view to gratify the palate, 
 but chiefly with a view to wholesomeness, and 
 that the food which was wholesome was also 
 savoury. In a conversation which took place 
 amongst the spirits on this subject, it was urged, 
 that it would be well for man to prepare his 
 food according to this rule, for by so doing he 
 would shew his attention to the health of his 
 mind and body at the same time ; whereas, 
 when the gratification of the palate is the chief 
 thing attended to, the bodily health is fre- 
 quently lost thereby, at least loses much of its 
 
60 
 
 inward vigour, and consequently the mind also 
 is affected, inasmuch as the exertions of the 
 mind depend on the interior stale of the reci- 
 pient bodily parts, as seeing and hearing de- 
 pend on the state of the eye and ear; hence the 
 madness of supposing, that all the delight of life 
 consists in luxury and pleasurable indulgences; 
 hence also comes dulness and stupidity in 
 things which require thought and judgment, 
 whilst the mind is disposed only for the exer- 
 tions of cunning and contrivance respecting 
 bodily and worldly things ; hereby man acquires 
 a brutal image and likeness, and therefore such 
 persons are not improperly compared with 
 brutes. 
 
 59. Their habitations were also shewn me; 
 they are low, and constructed of wood, but 
 within they are coated over with bark of a 
 palish blue colour, the walls and ceiling being 
 spotted as with small stars, to represent the 
 heavens; for they are fond of thus picturing the 
 visible heavens and stars in the insides of their 
 houses, because they believe the stars to be 
 the abodes of angels. They have also tents, 
 which are rounded above, and stretched out to 
 a considerable length, spotted likewise within 
 with little stars in a blue plane ; into these they 
 betake themselves in the middle of the day, to 
 prevent their faces suffering from the heat of 
 the sun. They are very attentive to the con- 
 
61 
 
 struction, neatness, and cleanliness of these 
 their tents : they have also their meals in them. 
 
 60. When the spirits of Jupiter saw the 
 horses of this earth, the horses appeared to me 
 of a less size than usual, although they were 
 tolerably robust and large ; this was in conse- 
 quence of the idea of those spirits concerning 
 the horses they saw; they said, that they also 
 had horses amongst them, but of a much larger 
 size, and that tliey were wild, running at large 
 in the woods, and that when they come in sight, 
 the inhabitants are terrified, although they 
 never suffer any hurt from them; they added, 
 that the fear of horses is innate or natural to 
 them. This led me to a consideration of the 
 j cause of that fear, and it seemed to be grounded 
 in the spiritual signification of horses ; for a 
 horse in a spiritual sense signifies the intellect- 
 ual principle formed of scientifics, (aa) and 
 inasmuch as the inhabitants of Jupiter are afraid 
 of cultivating the intellectual principle by world- 
 ly sciences, hence comes an influx of the fear 
 of horses. That they pay no attention to sci- 
 entifics, which appertain to human erudition, 
 will be seen presendy. 
 
 (aa) That horse signifies the intellectual prin- 
 ciple, n. 2760, 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321,6125, 
 6400, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148. And that the 
 white horse in the Revelation signifies the un- 
 derstanding of the Word, n. 2760. 
 13 
 
62 
 
 61. The spirits of the earth Jupiter are not 
 willing to associate with the spirits of our earth, 
 because they differ both in minds and manners j 
 they say that the spirits of our earth are cunning, 
 and that they are prompt and ingenious in the 
 contrivance of evil; and that they know and 
 think little about what is good. Moreover, the 
 spirits of the earth Jupiter are much wiser than 
 the spirits of our earth ; they say also of our 
 spirits, that they talk much and think little, and 
 thus that they are not capable of an interior per- 
 ception of many things, not even of what is good ; 
 hence they conclude, that the men of our earth 
 are external men. On a time also it was per- 
 mitted the spirits of our earth, by their wicked 
 arts, to act upon and infest the spirits of Jupiter 
 who were with me ; the latter endured such ac- 
 tion for a considerable time, but at length con- 
 fessed that they could endure no longer, and 
 that they believed it impossible for worse spirits 
 to exist, inasmuch as they perverted their ima- 
 gination and also their thoughts in such a man- 
 ner, that they seemed to themselves as it were 
 bound, and that they could not be extricated 
 and set at liberty without divine aid. Whilst I 
 was reading in the Word some passages concern- 
 ing our Saviour's passion, certain European 
 spirits infused dreadful scandals, with intent to 
 seduce the spirits of Jupiter. Inquiry was made 
 who they were, and what had been their profess- 
 
63 
 
 ion in the world, and it was discovered that some 
 of them had been preachers, and that the greater 
 part were of those who call themselves of the 
 Lord's society, or Jesuits ; I said, that they, dur- 
 ing their abode in the world, by their preach- 
 ing concerning the Lord's passion, were able 
 to move the vulgar to tears; I furiher added 
 what was the cause of the difference between 
 what they appeared to be in the world, and 
 what they were at present, viz. that in the world 
 their thoughts and their words were at variance, 
 consequently they entertained one opinion in 
 their hearts, and professed another with their 
 lips, but that now they are not allowed to speak 
 under such disguise, for in becoming spirits, 
 they are compelled to speak in all respects as 
 they think. The spirits of Jupiter expressed 
 the utmost astonishment at hearing of such va- 
 riance between men's interiors and exteriors, 
 and that they were able to think one thing and 
 say another, which to themselves (viz. the spirits 
 of Jupiter) was impossible. They were surpris- 
 ed also, when they were informed that great 
 numbers, who are froin our earth, become an- 
 gels, and that such are in heart altogether dif- 
 ferent from the above spirits ; for they imagin- 
 ed at that instant, that in our earth all were 
 like the spirits then present; but they were in- 
 formed, that there are not many of such a 
 character, and that there are also some whose 
 14 
 
64 
 
 thoughts are under the influence of goodness, 
 and not of evil like the above, and that all 
 whose thoughts are under the influence of 
 goodness become angels. To convince them 
 that this was the case, there came choirs out of 
 heaven, consisting of angels from our earth, 
 one choir after another, who together with one 
 voice and in harmonious concert glorified the 
 Lord. Those choirs affected the spirits of 
 Jupiter who were present with such delight, 
 that they seemed to themselves to be caught 
 up as it were into heaven. The glorificadon 
 by the choirs (6i) lasted about an hour. It 
 was given me to perceive sensibly a communi- 
 cation of the delights occasioned thereby. The 
 spirits of Jupiter said, that they would relate 
 what had happened to the other spirits from 
 their eardi, who were in other parts of the 
 spiritual world. 
 
 62. The inhabitants of the earth Jupiter 
 make wisdom to consist in thinking well and 
 justly on all occurrences in life; they imbibe 
 this wisdom from their parents at an early age, 
 
 (bb) That it is called a chorus or choir, when 
 several spirits speak together and unanimously, 
 concerning which see n. 2595, 2596, 3350. That 
 in their speech there is an harmonious agree- 
 ment, concerning which see n. 1649, 1649. 
 That by choirs in another life there is a prepara- 
 tion for and introduction to unanimity, n. 5182. 
 
65 
 
 and it is successively transmitted to posterity, 
 receiving an increase in each generation from 
 tlie love thereof, in consideration of its having 
 been the wisdom of their forefathers. They 
 are altogether unacquainted with the sciences, 
 such as are cultivated on our earth, nor have 
 they any desire to be acquainted with them ; 
 they call them shades, and compare them to 
 clouds which intercept the light of the sun; 
 this idea concerning the sciences they have 
 conceived, in consequence of some spirits from 
 our earth boasting that they were wise by rea- 
 son of their skill in the sciences. The spirits 
 from our earth, who thus boasted, were such 
 as made wisdom to consist in things appertain- 
 ing merely to the memory, as in languages, es- 
 pecially the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, in a 
 knowledge of all important j)articulars respect- 
 ing the learned world, in criticism, in bare ex- 
 perimental discoveries, and in terms, particu- 
 larly such as are philosophical, with other 
 things of a like nature, not using such things 
 as means leading to wisdom, but making wis- 
 dom to consist in the things themselves; such 
 persons, inasmuch as they have not cultivated 
 their rational faculty by the sciences, as by 
 means leading to wisdom, have little percep- 
 tion in another life, for they see only in terms, 
 and from terms, in which case those things are 
 as clots and clouds obstructing the intellectual 
 
66 
 
 sight, see above, n. 38; and they who have 
 been vain and conceited by reason of their 
 erudition thus grounded, have still less percep- 
 tion; but they who have used the sciences as 
 means of invalidating and annihilating the 
 things appertaining to the church and to faith, 
 are found to have totally destroyed their intel- 
 lectual principle, in consequence whereof they 
 see in the dark like owls, mistaking what is 
 false for what is tme, and what is evil for what 
 is good. The spirits of Jupiter, from the con- 
 versation they had with such, concluded, that 
 the sciences occasion a shade in the intellect, 
 and tend to make it bhnd ; but they were in- 
 formed, that on our earth the sciences are 
 means of opening the intellectual sight, which 
 sight is in the ligbt of heaven, but inasmuch as 
 there is a prevalence of such things as apper- 
 tain to the mere natural and sensual life, there- 
 fore the sciences to the men of our earth are 
 means of becoming unwise, or of confirming 
 them in favour of nature against divine agency, 
 and in favour of the world against heaven. 
 They were further informed, that the sciences 
 in themselves are spiritual riches, and that they 
 who possess them are like those who possess 
 worldly riches, which in like manner are means 
 whereby man may do service to himself, his 
 neighbour, and his country, and whereby also 
 he may do mischief; moreover that they are 
 
G7 
 
 like dress, which serves for use and ornament, 
 and also for the nourishing of pride and vanity, 
 as in the case of those who would be honour- 
 ed for their fine clothes. This was perfectly 
 intelligible to the spirits of Jupiter ; but they 
 were siu-prised at the inhabitants of our earth, 
 that, being men, they should rest in means, 
 and prefer things leading to wisdom before 
 wisdom itself; and that they should not see, 
 that to immerse the mind in such things, and 
 not to elevate it above them, was to becloud 
 and blind it. 
 
 63. A certain spirit at that instant, rising 
 from the lower earth, came to me and said, 
 that he had heard what I had been discoursing 
 upon with other spirits, but that he did not un- 
 derstand at all what was said concerning spirit- 
 ual life and the light thereof. He was asked 
 wliether he was willing to be instructed on that 
 head? He said that he did not come with any 
 such intention : hence it was given to conclude, 
 that he would not comprehend what might be 
 said on the subject. He was exceedingly 
 stupid, yet it was declared by the angels, that, 
 during his abode in the world, he was much 
 celebrated for his learning. He was cold, as 
 was manifestly perceived from his breathing, 
 which was a sign of an illumination merely na- 
 tural, and of none spiritual, consequently that 
 
68 
 
 by the sciences he had not opened, but closed 
 his way to the light of heaven. 
 
 64. Inasmuch as the inhabitants of the earth 
 Jupiter procure intelligence for themselves by 
 a different way from the inhabitants of our 
 earth, and are moreover of a different genius 
 and temper as grounded in the life, therefore 
 they cannot abide long together, but either 
 shun or remove each other. There are 
 spheres, which may be called spiritual spheres, 
 which continually flow forth, yea, overflow 
 from every spirit; they flow from the active 
 principle of the affections and consequent 
 thoughts, thus from the life itself; (cc) all con- 
 sociations in another life are regulated accord- 
 ing to these spheres, those which agree being 
 joined together according to their agreement, 
 and those which disagree being separated ac- 
 cording to their disagreement. The spirits 
 and angels, who are from the earth Jupiter, in 
 
 (cc) That a spiritual sphere, which is the 
 sphere of the life, flows forth and overflows from 
 every man, spirit and angel, and encompasses 
 them about, n. 4464, 5179, 7454. That it flows 
 forth from the life of their affections and conse- 
 quent thoughts, n. 2489, 4464, 6206. That in 
 another life consociations and also dissociations 
 are regulated according to spheres, n. 6206, 
 9606, 9607, 10312. 
 
69 
 
 the grand man have relation to the imagina- 
 tive PRINCIPLE OF THOUGHT, and Conse- 
 quently to an active state of the interior parts ; 
 but the spirits of our earth have relation to the 
 various functions of the exterior parts of the 
 body, and when these are desirous to have 
 dominion, the active or imaginative principle 
 of thought from the interior cannot flow in : 
 hence come the oppositions between the 
 spheres of the life of each. 
 
 65. As to what concerns their divine wor- 
 ship, it is a principal characteristic thereof, 
 that they acknowledge our Lord as the Su- 
 preme, who governs heaven and earth, calling 
 him the only Lord; and inasmuch as they 
 acknowledge and worship him during their life 
 in the body, they hence seek him after death, 
 and find him ; he is the same with our Lord. 
 They were asked, whether they know that the 
 ONLY Lord is a man? They replied, that they 
 all know that he is a man, because in their 
 world he has been seen by many as a man; 
 and that he instructs them concerning the 
 truth, preserves them, and also gives eternal 
 life to those who worship him from a principle 
 of good. They said further, that it is reveal- 
 ed to them from him, how they should live, 
 and how believe; and that what is revealed, 
 is handed down from parents to children, and 
 hence there flows forth doctrine to all the la- 
 
70 
 
 milies, and thereby to the whole nation •which 
 is descended from one father. They added, 
 that it seems to them as if tl)ey had the doc- 
 trine written on their minds, and they conclude 
 so from this circumstance, because they per- 
 ceive instantly, and acknowledge as of them- 
 selves, whether it be true or not what is said 
 by others concerning the hfe of heaven in man. 
 They do not know that their only Lord was 
 born a man on our earth; they said, that it is 
 of no concern to them to know it, only that he 
 is a man, and governs the universe. When I 
 informed them, that on our earth lie is named 
 Christ Jesus, and that Christ signifies anointed 
 or king, and Jesus, saviour, they said that they 
 do not worship him as a king, because king 
 suggests the idea of what is worldly, but that 
 they worship him as a Saviour. On this oc- 
 casion a doubt was injected from the spirits of 
 our earth, whether their only 'Lord was the 
 same with our Lord, but they removed it by 
 the recollection that they had seen him in 
 the sun, and had acknowledged that it was 
 he himself whom they saw on their earth, 
 see above, n. 40. On a time also the spirits 
 of Jupiter, who were with me, were seized 
 with a momentary doubt, whether their only 
 Lord was the same with our Lord ; but this 
 doubt, which was instantaneously injected, was 
 abo instantaneously dispersed ; it was suggested 
 
71 
 
 by an influx from some spirits of our earth ; and 
 vvliat surprised me much on this occasion, the 
 spirits of Jupiter were so asiiamed of them- 
 selves, for having doubted herein, though but 
 for a moment, that they requested me not to 
 publish it, lest they should be charged with any 
 incredulity, when yet they were now convinced 
 ' of the truth more than others. They were 
 most exceedingly afiected and rejoiced when 
 they heard it declared, that the only Lord is 
 alone man, and that all have from him what 
 entitles them to be called men ; but that they 
 are only so far men, as they are images of him, 
 that is, as they love him, and love their neigh- 
 bour, consequently as they are principled in 
 good ; for the good of love and faith is an 
 image of the Lord. 
 
 66. There were with me some spirits of the 
 earth Jupiter, whilst I was reading the seven- 
 teenth chapter in John, concerning the Lord's 
 love, and concerning his glorification ; and when 
 they heard the contents, an holy influence seiz- 
 ed them, and they confesed that all things there- 
 in were divine : but at that instant, some spiritsof 
 our earth, who were infidels, suggested various 
 1 scandals, saying, that he was born an infant, 
 j lived as a man, appeared as another man, was 
 || crucified, with other circumstances of a like 
 if nature: but the spirits of the earth Jupiter paid 
 no attention to these suggestions j they said, 
 
72 
 
 that such are their devils, whom they abhor ; ad- 
 ding, tliat notliing of a celestial principle has 
 any place in their minds, but only an earthly 
 principle, which they called dross; and which 
 they said they had discovered from this circum- 
 stance, that when mention was made of going 
 naked on their earth, obscene ideas immediately 
 occupied their thoughts, and they paid no at- 
 tention to their celestial hfe, which was also 
 spoken of at the same time. 
 
 67. The clear perception, which the spirits 
 of Jupiter have concerning spiritual things, was 
 made manifest to me from their manner of re- 
 presenting how the Lord converts depraved af- 
 fections into good affections : they represented 
 the intellectual mind as a beautiful form, and 
 impressed upon it an activity suitable to the 
 form answering to the life of affection ; this they 
 executed in a manner which no words can de- 
 scribe, and with such dexterity that they were 
 commended by the angels. There were present 
 on this occasion some of the learned ffom our 
 earth, who had immersed the intellectual prin- 
 ciple in scientific terms, and had thought and 
 written much about form, about substance, 
 about materiality and immateriality, and the 
 like, without applying such things to any use; 
 these could not even comprehend that repre- 
 sentation. 
 
 68. They are exceedingly cautious on their 
 
73 
 
 earth, lest any one should fall into wrong opin- 
 ions concerning the only Lord ; and if they 
 observe that any begin to think not rightly con- 
 cerning him, they first admonish, then use 
 threats, and lastly deter by punishment : they 
 said, that they had observed, if any such wrong 
 opinions insinuate themselves into any family, 
 that family is taken from amongst them, not by 
 the punishment of death inflicted by their fel- 
 lows, but by being deprived of respiration, and 
 consequently of life, by spirits, when they have 
 first threatened them with death : for in that 
 earth spirits speak with the inhabitants, and 
 chastise them if they have done evil, and even 
 if they have intended to do evil, of which we 
 shall say more presently ; hence if they think 
 evil concerning the only Lord, and do not 
 repent, they are threatened with death. In 
 this manner the worship of the Lord, who to 
 the inhabitants of that earth is the Supreme 
 Divinity, is preserved pure. 
 
 69. They said, that they have no particular 
 days set apart for divine worship, but that every 
 morning at sunrise, and every evening at sun- 
 setting, they perform holy worship to their only 
 Lord in their tents; and that they also sing 
 psalms after their manner. 
 
 70. I was further informed, that in that earth 
 there are also some who call themselves saints, 
 and who command their servants, of whom they 
 
 15 
 
74 
 
 wnsh to have great numbers, to give them the 
 title of lords, threatening them with punishment 
 if they omit it ; they hkeu ise forbid their ser- 
 vants to adore the Lord of the universe, saying 
 that themselves arc lords mediators, and that 
 they will present the supplications of others to 
 the Lord of the universe. They call the Lord 
 of the universe, who is our Lord, not the only 
 Lord, as the rest do, hut the supreme Lord, by 
 reason that they call themselves also lords. 
 The sun of the world they call the face of the 
 supreme Lord, and believe that his abode is 
 there, wherefore they also adore the sun. The 
 rest of the inhabitants hold them in aversion, 
 and are unwilling to converse with them, as well 
 because they adore the sun, as because they 
 call themselves lords, and are w'orshipped by 
 their servants as mediatory gods. There was 
 shewn me by the spirits the covering of their 
 head, which was a tufted cap of a darkish co- 
 lour. In the other life such appear to the left 
 in a certain altitude, and there sit as idols, and 
 for some time are also worshipped by the serv- 
 ants who have attended upon them, but are af- 
 terwards held in derision by the same servants. 
 What surprised me was, that their faces shine 
 there as by the light of a fire, which is in con- 
 sequence of their having believed that they were 
 saints; but notwithstanding this fiery appear- 
 ance of their faces, they are nevertheless cold, 
 
75 
 
 and have an intense desire to be made warm; 
 hence it is evident that the fire, whereby they 
 seem to shine, is the fire of self-love and a false 
 fire. In order to make themselves warm, they 
 seem to themselves to cut wood, and whilst 
 they are thus employed, there appears under- 
 neath the wood something of a man, whom at 
 the same time they attempt to strike; this ap- 
 pearance is in consequence of their attributing 
 to themselves merit and sanctity, for all who do 
 so in this life,, seem to themselves in another 
 life to cut wood, as was the case likewise with 
 some spirits from our earth, whom we have 
 spoken of elsewhere : for the further illustration 
 of this subject, I shall here adduce what has 
 been experimentally made known to me: " In 
 the lower earth, beneath the soles of the feet, 
 are those who have placed merit in their good 
 deeds and works; several of them appear to 
 themselves to cut wood ; the place vvliere they 
 are collected is very cold, and they seem to 
 themselves to acquire warr?ith by their labour : 
 I have also discoursed with them, and it was 
 given me to ask them whether they had any 
 inclination to leave that place? They replied, 
 that as yet they had not merited it by their la- 
 bour: when that state however is finished and 
 past, they are taken away thence : all such spirits 
 are in a mere natural state, inasmuch as in the 
 desire of meriting salvation there is nothing of 
 
76 
 
 a spiritual principle, such desire originating in 
 self and not in the Lord; moreover such prefer 
 themselves above others, and in some cases 
 despise others ; and if in another life they do not 
 receive more bliss than others, they have indig- 
 nation against the Lord, wherefore whilst they 
 are cutting wood, it appears as if somewhat of 
 the Lord was underneath the wood ; this is in 
 consequence of their indignation." [dd) 
 
 71. It is common in the Earth Jupiter for 
 spirits to discourse with the inhabitants, to in- 
 struct them, and also to chastise ti)em if they 
 have done evil; on which subject I wish to be 
 more particular, as several things were related 
 to me by their angels concerning it. The 
 reason why spirits in that earth discourse with 
 men is, because they think much about hea- 
 ven and a life after death; and because re- 
 spectively they are little solicitous about the 
 
 (dd) That the Lord alone has merit and 
 righteousness, n. 9715, 9975, 9979, 9981, 9982. 
 That such as place merit in their works, or wish 
 to merit heaven by their good deeds, in another 
 life wish to be served, and are in no wise con- 
 tended, n. 6393. That they despise their neigh- 
 bour, and are angry at the Lord himself, if they 
 do not receive a reward, n. 9976. What their 
 lot is in another life, n. 942, 1774, 1877, 2027. 
 That they are of those who in the lower earth 
 appear to cut wood, n. 1110, 4943. 
 
77 
 
 , present life; for they know that they shall live 
 after their decease, and in a happy state, ac- 
 cording to the state of their internal man form- 
 ed in the world. To discourse with spirits 
 and angels was also common on tliis earth in 
 ancient times, and for the same reason, viz. 
 because they then thought much of heaven 
 and little of the world : but that living com- 
 
 I munication with heaven in process of time was 
 closed, as man from internal became external, 
 or what is the same thing, as he began to think 
 much about the world and little about heaven ; 
 and especially when he ceased to behave in the 
 existence of heaven or hell, and that in himself 
 there was a spiritual man which would live 
 after death : for at this day it is believed that 
 the body lives by a virtue of its own, and not 
 by virtue of its spirit ; wherefore unless man 
 now entertained a belief that he should rise 
 again with his natural body, lie would have no 
 belief at all about a resurrection. 
 
 72. As to what particularly concerns the 
 presence of spirits with the inhabitants of Ju- 
 piter, there are some spirits who chastise, 
 some who instruct, and some who rule over 
 them. The spirits who chastise apply them- 
 selves to the left side, and incline themselves 
 towards the back, and when they are there, 
 they press forth from man's memory all that 
 he has done or thought; for this is an easy 
 16 
 
78 
 
 thing to spirits, inasmuch as when they come 
 to man, they enter into all his memory, [i) If 
 they find that lie has done evil, or has thought 
 evil, they reprove him, and also chastise him 
 by pain in the joints of his feet or hands, or 
 about the region of the belly; this all spirits 
 can effect with much dexterity when they are 
 permitted; on the approach of such spirits to 
 man, he is struck with horror attended with 
 fear, and hence he is aware of their coming. 
 Fear may be excited in any person by evil 
 spirits, on their approach, especially by those, 
 who, during their abode in the world, have 
 been thieves and robbers. In order that I 
 might know how those spirits act, when they 
 come to a man of their own earth, it was per- 
 mitted that such a spirit should also come to 
 me: when he was near, horror attended with 
 fear manifestly affected me, yet it was not an 
 interior but exterior horror, because I was 
 aware of the spirit from whom it proceeded ; 
 he was also seen by me, and appeared as a 
 darkish cloud with moveable stars in it; move- 
 able stars signify falsities, but fixed stars 
 truths, (w) He applied himself to my left side 
 towards the back, and likewise began to re- 
 prove me on account of things done and 
 thought, which he produced from my tnemory, 
 and also interpreted unfavourably ; but he was 
 checked by the angels. When he perceived 
 
79 
 
 that he was with a man who did not belong to 
 his own earth, he began to discourse with me, 
 saying that when he came to any man, he 
 knew all and singiihir the tilings which he was 
 doing and thinking; also that he severely re- 
 proved him, and likewise chastised him by 
 various pains. At another time again such a 
 chastising spirit came to me, and ajiplied him- 
 self to my left side below the middle of the 
 body, like the former, and also desired to 
 punish me; but he likewise was restrained by 
 the angels; he shewed me however the kinds 
 of punishment, which they are permitted to in- 
 flict on the men of their earth, if they do evil, 
 or intend to do evil ; besides pains of the jointst 
 they cause also a painful compression about 
 the middle of the belly, which seems as if i, 
 proceeded from a tight sharp belt ; likewise a 
 cessation of respiration at times, even to appa- 
 rent suffocation ; another kind of punishment is 
 that of proliibilion, whereby the person punish- 
 ed is forbid eating any thing but bread for a 
 time; lastly, death is denounced, in case the 
 offender does not cease from his evil acts and 
 intentions, and at the same time he is deprived 
 of all satisfaction arising from the company of 
 his wife, his children, and associates; grief also 
 is insinuated on such occasions by reason of 
 such deprivation. 
 
 73. The spirits who instruct, apply them- 
 17 
 
80 
 
 selves to the left side of the persons instruct- 
 ed, but more to the front; they reprove like- 
 wise, but mildly, and presently teach them how 
 they ought to live : they appear also of a dark- 
 ish hue, yet not like clouds as the former, but 
 as if they were clad in sackcloth : these are 
 called instructors, but the former chastisers. 
 When the instructing spirits are present, angelic 
 spirits are present also, sitting close to the 
 head, and filling it in a peculiar manner; their 
 presence likewise is perceived there like a mild 
 and gentle aspiration, for they are afraid of 
 man's perceiving the least pain or anxiety from 
 their approach and influx: they govern the 
 chastising and instructing spirits, preventing 
 the former from putting man to more pain than 
 is permitted by the Lord, and prompting the 
 latter to teach what is true. During the time 
 that a chastising spirit was with me, there were 
 present also angelic spirits, who kept my coun- 
 tenance in a constant smile and cheerfulness, 
 and the region about the lips prominent, and 
 my mouth a little open; this tlie angels easily 
 effect by influx, when it is permitted of the 
 Lord. They said, that with the inhabitants of 
 their earth, they induce such a countenance 
 when they are present. 
 
 74. If man after chastisement and instruc- 
 tion again does evil, or thinks to do evil, and 
 does not check himself by the precepts of truth, 
 
81 
 
 when the chastising spirit returns, he is punish- 
 ed more severely : but the angelic spirits mo- 
 derate the punishment according to the inten- 
 tion in what was done, and according to the 
 will-principle in what was thought. Hence it 
 may appear, that their angels, who sit at the 
 head, exercise a species of judicatory power 
 over man, inasmuch as they permit, moderate, 
 restrain, and operate by influx; but it was de- 
 clared, that they do not judge, but that the 
 Lord alone is judge, and that from him into 
 them flow all things which they enjoin to the 
 chastising and instructing spirits, and that it 
 appears as if it was from them. 
 
 75. In the earth Jupiter spirits speak with 
 man, but man in his turn does not speak with 
 spirits, only these words when he is instruct- 
 ed, / will do so no more : nor is it allowed him 
 to tell any one that a spirit has spoken with 
 him, for if he does this he is afterwards pun- 
 ished. Those spirits of Jupiter, when they 
 were with me, supposed at first that they were 
 with a man of their own earth; but when I 
 spake with them again, and when they perceiv- 
 ed that I had thoughts of publishing what pass- 
 ed between us, and thus of telling it to others, 
 that it was not allowed them either to chastise 
 or instruct me for so doing, they then disco- 
 vered that they were with a stranger. 
 
 76. There are two signs which appear to 
 
82 
 
 those spirits, during their abode with man ; 
 they see an elderly man [virum) of a fair coun- 
 tenance, which is a sign to them to speak no- 
 thing but what is true, and to do nothing but 
 what is just. They see also a face in a win- 
 dow, which is a sign to them to depart thence. 
 Such an elderly man also appeared to me, and 
 likewise a face was seen in a window, and on 
 seeing the face those spirits immediately de- 
 parted from me. 
 
 77. Besides the spirits above mentioned, 
 there are also spirits who suggest contrary per- 
 suasions; these are they who, during their 
 abode in the world, were banished from the 
 Society of the rest on account of their wicked- 
 ness. When they approach, there appears as 
 it were a flying fire, which passes downwards 
 near the face : they place themselves beneath 
 near man's back parts, and speak thence to- 
 wards the upper parts. What they say is di- 
 rectly contrary to the instructions which the 
 instructer spirit gave from the angels, and is to 
 this purport, that they need not live according 
 to instruction, but according to their own will 
 and pleasure, without any check or restraint. 
 They generally make their approach as soon 
 as the former spirits are departed ; but the men 
 on that earth are aware who and what those 
 spirits are, and therefore are unconcerned 
 about them ; nevertheless they are taught hereby 
 
83 
 
 what is evil, and consequently what is good, for 
 by evil is learnt what good is, the quality of 
 good being discerned by its opposite; for all 
 perception in every case is according to reflec- 
 tion in relation to differences and distinctions 
 suggested by opposites in various manners and 
 various degrees. 
 
 78. The chastising and instructing spirits 
 do not approach those who call themselves 
 saints and lords mediators, concerning whom 
 see above, n. 70, because they do not suffer 
 themselves to be instructed, nor are amended 
 by discipline, being inflexible in consequence 
 of being under the influence of self-love: the 
 chastising and instructing spirits say, that they 
 discern such by their coldness, and that when 
 they perceive cold they depart from them. 
 
 79. There are also spirits amongst those 
 from the earth Jupiter, whom they call sweep- 
 ers of chimnies, because they appear in like 
 garments, and likewise with sooty faces ; who 
 they are, and what is their nature and quality, 
 I shall also describe. One of these spirits 
 came to me, and anxiously requested that I 
 would intercede for him to be admitted into 
 heaven; he said, that he was not conscious of 
 having done any evil, only that he had repri- 
 manded the inhabitants of his earth, and that 
 after reprimanding he instructed them. He 
 applied himself to my left side a little lower 
 
84 
 
 • 
 
 than the elbow, and spake as it were with a 
 divided faith: he had also the power of excit- 
 ing pity; but all I could say in reply was, that 
 it was not in ray power to help him, for that 
 all help was from the Lord alone ; nor could I 
 intercede for him, because 1 did not know 
 W'hether it was useful or not; but that if he 
 was deserving, he might have hope. At that 
 instant he was remanded back amongst some 
 upright spirhs from his own earth, but they 
 said that he could not be in consort with them, 
 because he differed in quality ; still however he 
 requested with an intense desire to be let into 
 heaven, and in consequence thereof he was 
 introduced to a society of upright spirits of this 
 earth ; but these also declared that he could 
 not abide with them : he was likewise of a 
 black colour in the light of heaven, but he him- 
 self said that he was not of a black colour, but 
 of a darkish brown. I was informed that they 
 are such at first, who are afterwards received 
 amongst those who constitute the province of 
 the SEMINAL VESSELS in the Grand Man, or 
 heaven ; for in those vessels the semen is col- 
 lected, and is encompassed with a covering of 
 suitable matter, fit to preserve the prolific 
 principie of the semen from being dissipated, 
 but which may be put off in the neck of the 
 uterus, that thus what is reserved within may 
 serve for conception or the impregnation of the 
 
85 
 
 ovulum; hence also that seminal matter has a 
 strong tendency and as it were a burning de- 
 sire to put itself off, and leave the semen to 
 accomplish its end. Somewhat similar to this 
 appeared likewise in this spirit : he came again 
 to me, in vile raiment, and again said that he 
 had a burning desire to be admitted into hea- 
 ven, and that now he perceived himself to be 
 qualified for that purpose; it was given me to 
 tell him, that possibly this was a token that he 
 would shortly be admitted. At that instant the 
 angels called to him to cast off his raiment, 
 which he did immediately with inconceivable 
 quickness from the vehemence of his desire; 
 whereby was represented what is the nature of 
 their desires, who are in the province to which 
 the seminal vessels correspond. I was inform- 
 ed that such, when they are prepared for hea- 
 ven, are stripped of their own garments, and 
 are clothed with new shining raiment, and be- 
 cotne angels. They are likened unto cater- 
 pillars, which having passed through that vile 
 state of their existence, are changed into 
 nymphs, and thus into butterflies, in which last 
 state they are gifted with new clothing, and 
 also with wings of various colours, as blue, 
 yellow, silver, or golden ; at the same time 
 they have liberty to fly in the open air as in 
 their heaven, and to celebrate their marriages, 
 and to lay their eggs, and thus to provide for 
 
86 
 
 the propagation of their kind ; and then also 
 sweet and pleasant food is allotted them from 
 the juices and odours of various flowers. 
 
 80. Hitherto we have said nothing concern- 
 ing the natures and qualities of the angels who 
 are from the earth Jupiter; for they who come 
 to the men of their earth, and sit at the head, 
 (concerning whom see n. 73,) are not angels 
 in their interior heaven, but are angelic spirits, 
 or angels in their exterior heaven ; and inas- 
 much as the natures and qualities of the former 
 angels have been made known to me, I shall 
 here relate what has been discovered on that 
 subject. A certain spirit, belonging to those of 
 the earth Jupiter, who inspire terror, approach- 
 ed to my left side beneath the elbow, and thence 
 spake to me, but his speech was harsh, nor 
 were his expressions very distinct, so that I 
 was obliged to wait some time before I could 
 collect his meaning; and whilst he was speak- 
 ing, he injected somewhat of terror, admonish- 
 ing me hereby to give a kind reception to the 
 angels when they came : but it was given me 
 to reply, that this did not depend on myself, 
 for that all were received by me according to' 
 what they were in themselves. Presently the 
 angels of that earth approached, and it was 
 given to perceive from their discourse that 
 they differed altogether from the angels of our 
 earth ; for they did not discourse by verbal ex- 
 
87 
 
 pressions, but by ideas which diffused them- 
 selves through every part of my interiors ; and 
 hence also they had an influx into the face, so 
 that the face concurred in every particular, 
 beginning from the lips, and proceeding to- 
 wards the circumference in every direction. 
 The ideas, which were instead of verbal ex- 
 pressions, were discrete, but in a small degree. 
 Afterwards they discoursed with me by ideas 
 still less discrete, so tiiat scarce any thing of 
 interstice was perceivable; it appeared in my 
 perception liiie the meaning of verbal express- 
 ions with those, who attend only to the mean- 
 ing abstracted from the expressions; this dis- 
 course was more intelligible to me than the 
 former, and was also more full ; it flowed in 
 like manner as the former into the face; but 
 the influx was more continuous according to 
 the quality of the discourse ; it did not however 
 begin as the former from the lips, but from the 
 eyes. Afterwards they discoursed in a man- 
 ner still more continuous and full ; and then 
 the face could not concur by a suitable motion, 
 but the influx was made sensible on the brain, 
 which was acted upon in like manner. Lastly, 
 they discoursed so, that the discoiu'se fell only 
 on the interior intellect; its volubility was like 
 that of an attenuated atmosphere. I was made 
 sensible of the influx, but not distinctly of the 
 particulars discoursed on. These several 
 
 il 
 
88 
 
 kinds of discourse may be compared with dif- 
 ferent fluids, the first kind with fluent water, 
 the second with water more attenuated, the 
 third with tlie atmospherical air, and the fourth 
 with attenuated air. The spirit above men- 
 tioned, who was on the left side, sometimes in- 
 terrupted the discourse, admonisliing me par- 
 ticularly to behave modestly with his anzels ; 
 for there were attendant spirits from our earth 
 who sugsested things which gave displeasure : 
 he said, that he did not understand at first what 
 the angels discoursed about, but that he did 
 afterwards when he removed to my left ear ; 
 then also his speech was not harsh as before, 
 but hke that of other spirits. 
 
 81. I afterwards discoursed with the aneels 
 concerning some extraordinary particulars on 
 our earth, especially concernins; the art of 
 printing, concerning the Holy Word, and con- 
 cerning the doctrinals of the church derived 
 from the Word : and I informed them, that the 
 Word and the doctrinals of the church were 
 primed and pubHshed, and were thus leant ; 
 they wondered exceedingly that things of such 
 a nature could be made public by writing and 
 printing. 
 
 82. It was givea to see how the spirits of 
 that earth, when they are prepared, are taken 
 up into heaven, and become angels. On such 
 occasions there appear chariots and bright 
 
89 
 
 horses as of fire, by which they are carried 
 away in like manner as Elias. The reason of 
 this appearance of chariots and bright horses 
 as of fire is, because thus it is represented that 
 they are instructed and prepared to enter 
 ])eaven, inasmuch as chariots signify the doc- 
 trinals of the church, and bright horses signify 
 an enlightened understanding, (ee) 
 
 83. The heaven, into wiiich they are carried 
 away, appears on the right to their eartli, con- 
 sequently separate from the heaven of the angels 
 of our earth. The angels, who are in that 
 heaven, appear clothed in shining blue raiment 
 spotted with little stars of gold, and this by rea- 
 son of their having loved that colour in the 
 world, and having believed also that it was the 
 very essential celestial colour, and especially 
 
 (ee) That chariots signify the doctrinals of the 
 church, n. 2760, 5321, 8215. That horses signi- 
 fy the intellectual principle, n. 2760, 2761, 2762, 
 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 7024, 8136, 8148, 
 8381. That the white horse in the Revelation 
 signifies the understanding of the AVord, n. 2760, 
 That by Elias in a representative sense is meant 
 the Word, n. 2762, 5247. And whereas all 
 doctrine of the church and the understanding 
 thereof are from the Word, Elias is called the 
 chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof, n. 
 2762. That on this account he was taken up 
 by a fiery chariot and fiery horses. 
 
 18 
 
90 
 
 because they are principled in such good of 
 love as that colour corresponds to.'(^ ff) 
 
 84. Tliere appeared to to nie a bald head, 
 but only the upper part thereof, which was 
 bony ; and 1 was told, that such an appearance 
 is seen by those who are to die within a year, 
 and that they instantly prepare themselves. 
 The inhabitants of that earth do not fear death, 
 except on this account, that they leave their 
 conjugal partner, their children, or parents, for 
 they know that they shall live after death, and 
 that in dying they do not quit life, because they 
 go to heaven ; wherefore they do not call it 
 dying, but being heaven-made. Such amongst 
 them as have lived in true conjugal love, and 
 have taken such care of their children as be- 
 comes parents, do not die of diseases, but in 
 tranquillity as in sleep; and thus they emigrate 
 from the world to heaven. The age to which 
 the inhabitrnts live, is, on an average, about 
 thirty years, estimated according to years on 
 our earth. It is by the providence of the Lord 
 that they die at so early an age, lest their num- 
 bers should increase beyond what that earth is 
 capable of supporting; and whereas, when they 
 
 (ff) That blue originating in red or flame-co- 
 lour, corresponds to the good of celestial love; 
 and that blue grounded in white or lightish co- 
 lour, corresponds to the good of spiritual love, 
 n. 9868. 
 
91 
 
 have fulfilled those years, they do not suffer 
 themselves to be guided by spirits and angels, 
 like those who are not so far advanced in age, 
 therefore spirits and angels seldom attend them 
 when arrived at their thirtieth year ; ihey come 
 to maturity also sooner tiian on our earth ; even 
 in the first flower of youth they connect them- 
 selves in marriage, and then it is their chief 
 delight to love the partner of such connexion, 
 and to lake care of their children ; other de- 
 lights they indeed call delights, but respectively 
 external. 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Mars, its Spirits 
 and Inhabitants. 
 
 85. The spirits of Mars are amongst the 
 best of all spirits, who come from the eartlis of 
 this solar system, teing for llie most part celes- 
 tial men, not unlike those who were of the most 
 ancient church on this earth, (gtr) When they 
 
 (gg) That the first and most ancient church 
 on this earth was a celestial church, which is the 
 chief of all, concerning which see n. 607, 895, 
 920, 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, 2896, 4493 8891, 
 9942, 10545. That a church is called celestial, 
 wherein love to the Lord is the ruling principle, 
 but spiritual, wherein the ruling principle is 
 charity and faith, n. 3691, 6435, 9468, 9680, 
 9683, 9780. 
 
92 
 
 are represented according lo their true nature 
 and quality, they are represented with the face 
 in heaven, and the body in the world of spirits ; 
 and such of them as are angels, are represented 
 with the face towards the Lord, and with the 
 body in heaven. 
 
 86. The planet ]\Iars appears in the idea of 
 spirits and angels (like all the other planets) in 
 its place constantly, which place is to the left in 
 front, at some distance in the plane of the breast, 
 and thereby out of the sphere where the spirits 
 of our earth are. The spirits of one earth are 
 separate froratiie spirits of another earth, by rea- 
 son that the spirits of each particular earth 
 have relation to some particular province in the 
 Grand AlAN;(y) and consequently they are 
 each in other and different states ; and it is ow- 
 ing to this diversity of state, that they appear 
 separate from each other either to the right or 
 to the left, at a greater or lesser distance, [hh) 
 
 87. Spirits came thence to me, and applied 
 themselves to my left temple, where they breath- 
 ed upon me with their discourse, but I did not 
 understand it; as to its flow, it was soft, beyond 
 what 1 had ever before perceived, being like 
 the softest breeze; it breathed first upon the 
 
 (hh) That distances in another life are real 
 appearances, which are presented visible by the 
 Lord, according to the states of the interiors of 
 angels and spirits, n. 5604, 9104, 9440, 10146. 
 
93 
 
 left temple and upon the upper part of the left 
 ear; and the breathing proceeded thence to the 
 left eye, and by degrees to the right, and flow- 
 ed down afterwards, especially from the left 
 eye, to the lips; and wlien it was at the lips, it 
 entered through the mouth, and by away within 
 the mouth, and this through the eustachian 
 tube into the brain ; when the breathing arriv- 
 ed tliither, then I understood their speech, and 
 it was given to discourse with tliem. I ob- 
 served, whilst they were speaking with me, 
 that my lips were put in motion, and also my 
 tongue in a slight degree, and this by reason 
 of the correspondence of interior speech with 
 the exterior: exterior speech is that of articu- 
 late soimd conveyed to the external membrane 
 of the ear, and thence to the brain by means 
 of the small organs, membranes, and fibres, 
 which are within tlie ear. Hence it was given 
 to know, tiiat the speech of the inhabitants of 
 Mars was different from that of the inhabitants 
 of our earth, in that it was not sonorous, but 
 almost tacit, insinuating itself into the interior 
 hearing and sight by a shorter way; and con- 
 sequently, that it was more perfect, fuller of 
 ideas, and thereby approaching nearer to the 
 speech of spirits and angels ; the essential afl^ec- 
 tion also of the speech is represented amongst 
 them in the face, and the thought thereof in 
 the eyes ; for the thought and the speech, and 
 19 
 
94 
 
 likewise the affection and the face, with them 
 
 act in unity ; ihey account it wicked to think 
 one thing and speak another, and to will or de- 
 sire one thing whilst the features of the face 
 express the contrary ; they are altogether un- 
 acquainted with hypocrisy, and likewise with 
 fraudulent pretence and deceit. That the 
 same kind of speech prevailed amongst the 
 most ancient people on our earth, was given 
 roe to know by conversation with some of 
 them in another hfe ; and for the further eluci- 
 dation of this subject, I shall here relate the 
 following particulars, communicated to me on 
 the occasion : " It was shewn me by an influx 
 which I cannot describe, w hat was the nature 
 and quality of the speech which prevailed 
 amongst the men of the most ancient church; 
 that it was not articulate, like the verbal speech 
 of our time, but tacit, being effected not by 
 external respiration, but by internal, thus it 
 was speech cogitative ; it was also given to 
 perceive the nature of their internal respira- 
 tion, how it proceeded from the navel towards 
 the heart, and thus through the lips without any 
 thing of sound whilst they were speaking ; and 
 that it did not enter into the ear of another by 
 an external way, and beat on what is called 
 the drum of the ear, but by a certain internal 
 way, and by what is called at this day, the tvba 
 eustachiana. It was further shewn me, that by 
 
95 
 
 such speech they were enabled to express 
 more fully tlie purposes of the mind, and the 
 ideas of the thought, than can possibly be done 
 by articulate sounds, or expressions of the out- 
 ward voice, which speech is in like manner 
 directed by respiration, but such as is exter- 
 nal, for there is not a single expression, nor 
 any constituent of expression, which is not di- 
 rected by applications of the respiration ; this 
 however was effected with the antediluvians 
 more perfectly, as being directed by internal 
 respiration, which being of a more interior na- 
 ture, is also more perfect, and more applica- 
 ble and conformable to the ideas of thought. 
 Moreover they were enabled to express their 
 meaning by slight motions of the lips, and by 
 corresponding changes of the countenance ; for 
 being celestial men, whatsoever was the object 
 of their thoughts shone forth from their faces 
 and their eyes, which underwent a conforma- 
 ble variation, the face as to its form according 
 to the life of tlie affection, and the eyes as to 
 light ; it was not possible for them on any ac- 
 count to express with the countenance what 
 they did not think in their hearts ; and whereas 
 their speech was effected by internal respira- 
 tion, which is that of the spirit of man, there- 
 fore they were enabled to hold consort and 
 discourse with angels." The respiration of 
 the spirits of Mars was also communicated to 
 
96 
 
 me, (u) and it was perceivable that their res- 
 piration proceeded from the region of the thorax 
 towards the navel, and thence flowed upwards 
 through the breast with an imperceptible breath- 
 ing towards the mouth; from which circum- 
 stances it was manifest to me, as also from 
 other experimental proofs, that they were of a 
 celestial genius, consequently not unlike those 
 who were of the most ancient church on this 
 earth. 
 
 88. I was instructed that the spirits of Mars, 
 in the Gkand Max, have relation to the mid- 
 dle principle between the intellectual and the 
 will-principle, consequently that they have re- 
 lation to THOUGHT GKOUNDED IN AFFECTION, 
 
 and the best of them to the affection of 
 THOUGHT : hence it is that their faces act in 
 unity with their thoughts, nor can they in any 
 case play the hypocrite. And inasmuch as 
 this is their relation in the Grand Man, there- 
 fore the middle province, which is between the 
 cerebrum and the cerebellum, corresponds to 
 them : for where the cerebrum and the cere- 
 bellum are joined together as to spiritual oper- 
 ations, with such persons the face acts in unity 
 with the thoughts, so that the very affection of 
 thought beams forth from the face, and the 
 
 (ij) That spirits and angels have respiratioD, 
 D. 3884, 3885, 3891, 3893. 
 
97 
 
 general principle of the thought beams forth 
 from the affection, which is discoverable also 
 by certain signs from ihe eyes: wherefore whilst 
 the spirits of Mars were with me, 1 had a sens- 
 ible perception of a drawing back of the fore- 
 part of the head towards the hindpart, conse- 
 quently of the cerebrum towards the cerebel- 
 lum. (AjA;) 
 
 89. On a time, whilst the spirits of ]Mars 
 were with me, and occupied the sphere of my 
 mind, there came some spirits from our earlh, 
 and desired also to infuse themselves into that 
 sphere: but instantly the spirits of our earth 
 became as it were insane, by reason of the 
 utter disagreement between them and the spirits 
 of Mars; for the spirits of our earth, in the 
 Grand Mav, have relation to external sense ; 
 hence they were in idea turned to the world 
 and to self, whereas the spirits of Mars were 
 in idea turned from self to heaven and their 
 
 (kk) That human faces on our earth in an- 
 cient times received influx from the cerebellum, 
 and that then faces acted in unity with men's in- 
 terior affections ; but that afterwards they receiv- 
 ed influx from the cerebrum, when man began to 
 pretend to affections which were not his own, 
 and to fashion his countenance falsely according 
 to such pretence; concerning the changes here- 
 by occasioned in faces in process of time, see n. 
 4325 to 4328. 
 
 20 
 
98 
 
 neighbour ; hence came the contrariety : but 
 at that instant there approached some angelic 
 spirits of Mars, and at their approach the com- 
 munication was closed, and thus the spirits of 
 our earth retired. 
 
 90. The angelic spirits discoursed with me 
 concerning the life of the inhabitants on their 
 earth, informing me, that they are not under 
 any forms of government, but that they live 
 arranged into greater and lesser societies, and 
 that they are associated with each other accord- 
 ing to their agreement in mind, which agreement 
 they discover instantly by the face and speech, 
 being seldom deceived in their judgment herein, 
 and that then they are instantly united in friend- 
 ship. They informed me further, that their 
 consociations are delightful, and that they dis- 
 course with each other about what passes in 
 their societies, and especially about what passes 
 in heaven, for several of them have manifest 
 communication with the angels of heaven. 
 Such amongst them as begin to think perversely 
 in their societies, and thereby to incline to evil, 
 are dissociated, and left to themselves alone, in 
 consequence whereof they lead a most wretch- 
 ed life out of all society, in dens or other places, 
 being no longer regarded by the rest. Certain 
 societies endeavour to compel such persons to 
 repentance by various methods, but if they can- 
 not succeed herein, they separate thenaselves 
 
99 
 
 from all connexion with them. Thus they are 
 careful to provide against the contagion of the 
 lust of dominion and the lust of gain, that is, 
 against any persons, under the influence of the 
 lust of dominion, subjecting to themselves any 
 society, and by degrees several societies; and 
 against any, under tlie influence of the lust of 
 gain, depriving otiiers of their possessions. 
 Every one on that earth hves content with his 
 own property, and everyone with his own share 
 of honour, accounting it enough to be reputed 
 upright and a lover of his neighbour; this de- 
 lightful and tranquil principle of mind would 
 perish, unless such as incline to evil thoughts 
 and dispositions were banished from the rest, 
 and unless a prudent but severe check was 
 given to the first encroachments of self-love and 
 the love of the world ; for it was owing to these 
 loves that empires and kingdoms were first esta- 
 blished, under which establishments there are 
 few but what desire to have dominion, and to 
 possess the property of others, there being few 
 who do what is just and right out of a real love 
 thereto, and still fewer who do good from area! 
 principle of charity, being rather influenced by 
 other inotives, such as the fear of the law, and 
 a regard to gain, honour, reputation, and the 
 like. 
 
 91. In regard to divine worship as practised 
 by the inhabitants of that earth, they informed 
 21 
 
100 
 
 me, that they acknowledge and adore our Lord, 
 saying, that he is the only God, and that he 
 governs both heaven and the universe; and that 
 every good thing is from him, and that he leads 
 and directs them ; also that he often appears 
 amongst them on their earth : it w as then given 
 me to tell them, that christians also on our 
 earth know that the Lord governs heaven and 
 earth, agreeable to his own words in Matthew, 
 " All power is given to me in heaven and in 
 earth," xxviii. 18 ; but that they do not beheve 
 ii like the inhabitants of the earth ]Mars. They 
 acquainted me further, that on their earth the 
 inhabitants beheve, that with themselves there 
 is nothing but what is filthy and infernal, and 
 that all good is of the Lord; yea they added 
 further, that of themselves thev are devils, and 
 that the Lord draws them out of hell, and con- 
 tinually keeps them from falling into it again. 
 On a certain occasion, when the name of the 
 Lord was mentioned, I observed that those 
 spirits humbled themselves in such inward and 
 profound abasement as no words can describe; 
 for in their himiiliation it was suggested to them, 
 that of themselves they were in hell, and that 
 thus they were altogether unworthy to look to 
 the Lord , who is essential holiness ; and so deep- 
 ly was this suggestion implanted in them, being 
 grounded in a true faith, that they were in a 
 measure out of themselves, and remained in 
 
101 
 
 that state on their knees, until the Lord ele- 
 vated them, and at the same time as it were 
 drew them out of hell; when they emerge thus 
 from humiliation, they are full of goodness and 
 love, and thereby replenished with joy of heart. 
 During their abasement they do not turn their 
 faces to the Lord, for this they dare not do, but 
 turn them in a contrary direction. The spirits 
 who were about me said, that they never before 
 were witness to such humiliation. 
 
 92. It was matter of surprise to some spirits 
 who were from that earth, that there were about 
 me so many spirits from hell, and that they also 
 discoursed with me ; but it was given to reply, 
 that this was permitted them, to the intent that 
 I might know their natures and qualities, and 
 why they were in hell, and that their infernal 
 state was in consequence of and according to 
 their evil lives : it was given further to declare, 
 that there were several amongst them, whom I 
 had been acquainted with during their abode 
 in the world, and that some of them had lived 
 in high stations of dignity and pre-eminence, 
 at which time the world alone had possession 
 of their hearts ; but that it was not in the power 
 of any evil spirit, even the most infernal, to 
 hurt me, being continually under the Lord's 
 protection. 
 
 93. There was presented before me an in- 
 habitant of that earth ; he was not indeed an 
 
102 
 
 inhabitant, but like one; his face resembled the 
 faces of the inhabitants of our earth, but the 
 lower region of tlie face was black, not owing 
 to his beard, for he had none, but to blackness 
 instead of a beard : this blackness extended 
 itself underneath the ears on both sides; the 
 upper part of the face was yellowish, like the 
 faces of the inhabitants of our earth who are 
 not perfectly fair. They said, moreover, that 
 on that earth they feed on the fruits of trees, 
 especially on a kind of round fruit, which buds 
 forth from the ground; and likewise on pulse; 
 and that they are clothed with garments 
 wrought from the fibrous bark of certain trees, 
 which has such a consistence, that it may be 
 woven, and also sliftened by a kind of gum 
 which they have amongst them. They relat- 
 ed further, that they are acquainted with the 
 art of making fluid fires, whereby they have 
 light during evening and night. 
 
 94. 1 observed on a time a sort of flaming 
 principle most beautiful; it was of various co- 
 lours, as purple and also a palish red, and the 
 colours likewise sparkled beautifully by reason 
 of the flame : I saw also a kind of hand to 
 which that flaming principle adhered, at first 
 on the back part, afterwards on the palm, and 
 thence it played round the hand on all sides: 
 this continued for some time: presently the 
 hand with the flaming principle was removed 
 
103 
 
 at a distance, and where it rested there was a 
 bright lucid appearance; in that bright lucid 
 appearance the hand retired from view, and 
 instantly the flaming principle was changed into 
 a bird, which at first was of like colours with the 
 flaming principle, the colours sparkling in like 
 manner, but they successively changed, and as 
 the colours changed, the vigour of life in the 
 bird changed also. It flew all around, and at 
 first about my head, afterwards in a direction 
 in front into a kind of narrow chamber, which 
 appeared like some consecrated place, and as 
 it flew more in a front direction its life in pro- 
 portion departed, till at length it was changed 
 into a stone, at first of the colour of a pearl, but 
 afterwards of an obscure colour; but notwith- 
 standing its being without life, it still continued 
 flying. During the flight of this bird around 
 my head, and whilst it was still in the vigour 
 of life, there appeared a spirit from beneath 
 rising through the region of the loins to the re- 
 gion of the breast, who thence desired to take 
 away the bird ; but inasmuch as it was so beau- 
 tiful, he was prevented by the spirits around 
 me, who all kept their eyes fixed attentively 
 upon it: but the spirit who rose from below, 
 powerfully persuaded them that the Lord was 
 with him, and consequently tliat what he did 
 was from the Lord ; although most of them did 
 not beheve this, still they no longer hindered 
 
104 
 
 him from taking away tlie bird : he was not 
 able however to retain it, by reason of an in- 
 flux from heaven at that instant, and therefore 
 presently let it fly out of his hand at perfect 
 liberty. When this had passed, the spirits 
 around me, who had been exceeding attentive 
 to the bird and its successive changes, began 
 to discourse with each other concerning it, and 
 continued their discourse for a considerable 
 time : they had a perception that such an ap- 
 pearance must needs signify somewhat celes- 
 tial ; they knew that a flaming principle signifies 
 celestial love and its affections ; that hand, to 
 which the flaming principle adhered, signifies 
 life and its power; that changes of colour sig- 
 nify the varieties of life as to wisdom and in- 
 telligence ; that bird has also a similar signifi- 
 cation, but with this difference, that a flaming 
 principle signifies celestial love and the things 
 appertaining to that love, whereas bird signifies 
 spiritual love and the things appertaining to 
 that love; (celestial love is love to the Lord, 
 and spiritual love is charity towards our neigh- 
 bour;) {,scg) and that the changes of colours 
 and at the same time of life in the bird, till at 
 length it became a bird of stone, signify the 
 successive changes of spiritual life as to intelli- 
 gence. They knew further that the spirits, 
 who ascend from beneath through the region 
 of the loins to the region of the breast, are in 
 
105 
 
 a principle of strong persuasion that they are 
 in the Lord, and hence heheve that whatever 
 they do, howsoever evil it may be, is done by 
 them agreeably to the Lord's will. But 
 though they knew all this, yet they could not 
 hence know who were meant by this appear- 
 ance. At length they were instructed from 
 heaven, that the inhabitants of Mars were 
 meant; that their celestial love, wherein as yet 
 several are principled, was signified by the 
 flaming principle which adhered to tlie hand ; 
 and that the bird in the beginning, whilst it was 
 in the beauty of its colours and in the vigour 
 of its life, signified their spiritual love ; but that 
 by the bird's becoming as it were a bird of 
 stone and void of life, and at length of an ob- 
 scure colour, were signified such of the inha- 
 bitants as had removed themselves from the 
 good of love, and were in evil, and yet still be- 
 lieve that they are in the Lord ; the like was 
 signified by the spirh, who rose up and was 
 desirous to take away the bird. 
 
 95. By a bird of stone were also represent- 
 ed the inhabitants of that earth, who after a 
 strange manner transmute the life of their 
 thoughts and affections into almost no life, con- 
 cerning which circumstance I received the fol- 
 lowing information. There was a certain spirit 
 above my head, who discoursed with me, and 
 from the sound of his voice it seemed as if he 
 
106 
 
 was in a state of sleep ; in this state he spake 
 many things, and all with a prudence equal to 
 that of a person awake : it was given to per- 
 ceive that he was a subject by which the angels 
 spake, and he in that state perceived and pro- 
 duced what was said by them ; (//) for he spake 
 nothing but what was true; if any thing flowed 
 in from another source, he admitted it indeed, 
 but did not bring it forth. I questioned hira 
 concerning his state ; he said that that state was 
 to him a peaceable state ; and that it was free 
 from all solicitude respecting the future; and 
 that at the same time he was fruitful in produc- 
 ing uses, whereby he had cmmunication with 
 heaven. I was told that such, in the Grand 
 Man, have relation to the sinus longitudinalis, 
 which lies in the brain between the two hemi- 
 spheres thereof, and is there in a quiet state, 
 howsoever the brain be disturbed on each side. 
 During my conversation with this spirit, some 
 spirits introduced themselves towards the fore- 
 part of the head where he was, and pressed upon 
 him, wherefore he retired to one side and gave 
 them place. The stranger spirits discoursed 
 with each other, but their discoui se was unin- 
 
 (II) That communications are effected by 
 means of spirits sent forth from societies of spirits 
 and angels to other societies, and that those em- 
 issary spirits are called subjects, n. 4403, 5856, 
 5983, 5985, to 5989. 
 
107 
 
 telligible both to myself and to the spirits about 
 me : 1 was instructed by the angels, that they 
 were spirits from the earth Mars, who had the 
 art of discoursing with each other in such a 
 manner, that the spirits present would neither 
 understand or perceive what they said: I won- 
 dered how such discourse could possibly be 
 contrived, because all spirits have one speech, 
 which flows from the thinking principle, and 
 consists of ideas, which are heard as expressions 
 in the spiritual world : but I was informed, that 
 tiiose spirits by a certain method form ideas ex- 
 pressed by the lips and the countenance, unin- 
 telligible to others, and that in the same instant 
 they artfully withdraw the thoughts, being parti- 
 cularly cautious lest any thing of affection should 
 manifest itself, because in such case the thought 
 would appear, inasmuch as thought flows from 
 affection, and is as it were in it. I was further 
 instructed, that the inhabitants of the earth Mars, 
 who make heavenly life to consist in knowledges 
 alone, and not in a life of love, contrived such 
 jj speech, but not all; and that the contriv- 
 ers thereof, when they become spirits, retain 
 the same kind of speech. These are they, 
 who are particularly signified by the bird of 
 stone; for to form a speech by modifications of 
 the countenance and foldings of the lips, with 
 a removal of the affections, and a withdrawing 
 of the thoughts from others, is to deprive speech 
 
108 
 
 of its life and soul, and to make it like a dead 
 image, and by degrees to do the like also to 
 themselves. But although they suppose that 
 their discourse is not understood by others, 
 yet angelic, spirits have a perception of all and 
 singular the things which they discourse about ; 
 the reason is, because it is not possible for any 
 thought to be withdrawn from angelic spirits. 
 This was also proved to them by living evi- 
 dence; I was thinking concerning this circum- 
 stance, that the wicked spirits of our earth are 
 not affected with shame when they infest oth- 
 ers; this thought entered into me by influx 
 from some angelic spirits who had a perception 
 of their discourse ; those spirits of Mars instantly 
 acknowledgeil that that was the subject of their 
 discourse, and they were much surprised: 
 moreover several things, which they both spake 
 and thought, were discovered by an angelic 
 spirit, notwithstanding all their endeavours to 
 withdraw their thoughts from him. After- 
 wards those spirits entered by influx from 
 above into my face; the influx felt like small 
 striated rain, which was a sign that they were 
 not in the affection of truth and of good, for 
 this is represented by what is striated (^stri- 
 atum) -.they then spake plainly will) me, saying, 
 that the inhabitants of their earth discourse in 
 like manner with each other. They were 
 then told that this is evil, because hereby they 
 
109 
 
 obstruct the influence of things internal, and 
 recede from them to things external, which 
 external tilings also they deprive of their pro- 
 per life ; and particularly, because to speak in 
 such a manner is not sincere; for they who are 
 sincere, are never disposed to speak or even 
 to think any thing but what others may know, 
 not caring if the whole world, yea if the whole 
 heaven was acquainted with their words and 
 thoughts; but they who are odierwise disposed, 
 judge and think evil of others, and well of 
 themselves, and at length are betrayed through 
 habit to think and speak evil of the church, of 
 heaven, yea and of the Lord himself. I have 
 been informed, that they who love knowledges, 
 and not so much a life according to knowledges, 
 in the Grand Man have relation to the interior 
 membrane of the skull; but that they who ac- 
 custom themselves to speak without affection, 
 and to draw the thought to themselves and 
 withdraw it from others, have relation to that 
 membrane when become bony, because from 
 having some spiritual life, they come to have 
 no life. 
 
 96. Inasmuch as by a bird of stone are also 
 represented those, who are principled in know- 
 ledges alone, and in no life of love, and inas- 
 much as hence they have no spiritual life, 
 therefore by v/ay of appendix we shall take 
 this opportunity of shewing, that they alone 
 22 
 
110 
 
 have spiritual life, who are principled in celes- 
 tial love, and thence in knowledges; and that 
 each kind of love contains in itself every prin- 
 ciple of knowledge appertaining thereto. This 
 may be exemplified by the case of all Hving 
 creatures, whether they be the inhabitants of 
 earth, or of air; each is in possession of the 
 science of all things appertaining to its particu- 
 lar love, which love has respect to nourish- 
 ment, a safe habitation, the propagation of their 
 kind, the care of their young, and with some 
 to provide for themselves during winter ; 
 wherefore each is in possession of all science 
 that is requisite, such science being implanted 
 in its love, and flowing into each animal as into 
 its proper receptacle, and in some cases being 
 of such an extraordinary nature, that man can- 
 not but be amazed at it. With the animals, how- 
 ever, science is connate, and is called instinct; 
 nevertheless it appertains to the natural love in 
 which they are principled : and if man was 
 principled in his proper love, which is love to 
 God and towards his neighbour, (this is man's 
 proper love, as distinguishing him from the 
 beasts, being heavenly love) then man would 
 not only be principled in all requisite science, 
 but likewise in all intelligence and wisdom, for 
 intelligence and wisdom would flow from hea- 
 ven into those two kinds of love, that is, through 
 heaven from the Divine. But inasmuch as 
 
Ill 
 
 man is not born to those two kinds of love, but 
 to their contraries, viz. to self-love and the 
 love of the world, therefore he must needs be 
 born in all ignorance and want of knowledge ; 
 nevertheless by divine means he is brought to 
 somewhat of intelligence and wisdom, but still 
 not actually so, unless the love of self and of 
 the world be removed, and thus a way be 
 opened for love to God and towards his neigh- 
 bour. That love to God and neighbourly love 
 contain in them all intelligence and wisdom, 
 may appear from the case of those in another 
 life, who, during their abode in this world, 
 have been principled in such love; when these 
 after death are admitted into heaven, they there 
 come into such knowledge and wisdom as they 
 before had no conception of; yea, they think 
 and speak there, like the rest of the angels, 
 such things as ear hath not heard, neither hath 
 it entered into the heart of man to conceive, 
 which are ineffable; the reason is, because 
 those two kinds of love have the faculty of re- 
 ceiving in themselves such things. 
 
112 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Saturn, its Spirits 
 and Inhabitants, 
 
 97. The spirits from the earth Saturn ap- 
 pear in front at a considerable distance, be- 
 neath in the plane of tlie knees, where the 
 earth itself is; and when the eye is opened to 
 see thither, a multitude of spirits come into 
 view, who are all from that earth. They are 
 seen on this part of that earth, and to the right 
 of it. It was given also to discourse with them, 
 and thereby to discover their natures and qual- 
 ities in respect to others. They are upright, 
 and they are modest; and inasmuch as they 
 esteem themselves little, therefore they also 
 appear little in another life. 
 
 98. In acts of divine worship they are ex- 
 ceedingly humble, for on such occasions they 
 account themselves as nothing. They worship 
 our Lord, and acknowledge him as the only 
 God. The Lord also appears to them at times 
 under an angelic form, and thereby as a man, 
 and at such times the Divine beams forth from 
 the face and affects the mind. The inhabit- 
 ants also, when they arrive at a certain age, 
 discourse with spirits, by whom they are in- 
 structed concerning the Lord, how he ought 
 to be worshipped, and likewise how they ought 
 to live. When any attempt is made to seduce 
 
113 
 
 the spirits who come from the earth Saturn, 
 and to withdraw them from faith in the Lord, 
 or from humihation towards him, and from up- 
 rightness of life, they say that they would 
 rather die ; on such occasions there appear in 
 their hands little knives, with which they seem 
 desirous to strike their bosoms ; on being ques- 
 tioned why they do so, they say, that they 
 would rather die than be drawn aside from the 
 Lord. The spirits of our earth sometimes de- 
 ride them on this account, and infest them with 
 reproaches; but their reply is, that they are 
 well aware they do not kill themselves, and 
 that this is only an appearance flowing from 
 their will-principle, inclining them rather to 
 die than to be withdrawn from the worship of 
 the Lord. 
 
 99. They said, that sometimes spirits from 
 our earth come to them, and ask them what 
 God they worship? and that the answer they 
 give them, is, that they are out of their senses, 
 and that there cannot be a greater proof of in- 
 sanity than to ask what God any one worships, 
 when there is but one only God for all in the 
 universe to worship ; and that they are still 
 more beside themselves in this, that they do 
 not acknowledge the Lord to be that one only 
 God, and that he rules the universal heaven, 
 and thereby the universal world ; for whoso- 
 ever rules heaven rules also the world, inasmuch 
 23 
 
114 
 
 as the world is ruled by and through heaven. 
 
 100. They said, that on their earth there 
 are also some, who call the nocturnal light, 
 which is great, the Lord, but that they are se- 
 parated from the rest, and are not tolerated by 
 them. That nocturnal light comes from the 
 great belt, which at a distance encompasses 
 that earth, and from the moons which are called 
 Saturn's satellites. 
 
 101. They related further, that another 
 kind of spirits, who go in companies, frequently 
 come to them, desiring to know all particulars 
 relative to their circumstances, and that by va- 
 rious methods they extract from them whatever 
 they know; they observed concerning these 
 spirits, that they were not beside themselves, 
 only in this, that they desire to know so much 
 for no other intent than to possess knowledge. 
 They were afterwards instructed that these 
 spirits were from the planet Mercury or the 
 earth nearest the sun, and that they are de- 
 lighted with knowledges alone, and not so 
 much with the uses thence derived. 
 
 102. The inhabitants and spirits of the 
 planet Saturn have relation, in the Grand Man, 
 
 to the MIDDLE SENSE BETWEEN THE SPIRIT- 
 UAL AND THE NATURAL MAN, but tO that which 
 
 recedes from the natural and accedes to the 
 spiritual : hence it is that those spirits appear to 
 be carried or snatched away into heaven, and 
 
115 
 
 presently to be let back again ; for whatever 
 appertains to spiritual sense is in heaven, but 
 whatever appertains to natural sense is bencatli 
 heaven. Inasmuch as the spirits of our earth, 
 in the Grand jMan, have relation to natural and 
 corporeal sense, it was given to know by man- 
 ifest experience how the spiritual man and the 
 natural fight and strive Avith each other, when 
 the latter is not principled in faith and charity. 
 The spirits of the earth Saturn came from afar 
 into view, and instantly there was opened a 
 living communication between them and such 
 i spirits of our earth as were not principled in 
 1 faith and charity ; the latter, on thus perceiving 
 ; the former, became like persons insane, and 
 began to infest them, by infusing unworthy 
 suggestions concerning faith, and also concern- 
 ing the Lord ; and whilst they were busied in 
 these invectives and abuses, they also cast 
 themselves into the midst of them, and in the 
 spirit of insanity by which they were possessed, 
 endeavoured to do them mischief; but the 
 \ spirits of Saturn were not at all afraid, becanse 
 they were secure and in tranquillity ; whereas 
 the spirits of our earth, when they were in the 
 midst of them, began to be tortured, and to 
 respire with difficulty, and in consequence 
 thereof made their escape with all precipitation, 
 one this way and another that, till they all dis- 
 appeared. The s])irits who were present per- 
 24 
 
116 
 
 ceived from this circumstance, what is the 
 nature and qualit}^ of the natural man when 
 separate from the spiritual, and w hen he comes 
 into a spiritual sphere, viz. that he is insane ; 
 for the natural man separate from the spiritual 
 is wise only with a w isdom that originates in 
 the world, and not with the wisdom that is from 
 heaven; and he who is wise only with the wis- 
 dom that originates in the world, believes no- 
 thing but what he can apprehend with his 
 senses, and the things which he believes are 
 grounded in the fallacies of the senses, which, 
 unless they are removed by an influx from the 
 spiritual world, produce false principles and 
 persuasions : hence it is that spiritual things are 
 things of nought to such persons, insomuch 
 that they can scarce bear to hear mention made 
 of any thing spiritual ; wherefore they become 
 insane when they are kept in a spiritual sphere. 
 It is otherwise during their abode in the world, 
 where they either think naturally concerning 
 spiritual things, or avert their ears that they 
 may not hear them, that is, they hear and do 
 not attend. It was also manifest from this ex- 
 perimental evidence, that the natural man can- 
 not introduce itself into the spiritual, that is, 
 ascend; but when man is principled in faith, 
 and thereby in spiritual life, in this case the 
 spiritual man flow-s into the natural, and thinks 
 therein ; for there is given a spiritual influx, 
 
117 
 
 that is, an influx from the spiritual world into 
 the natural, but not vice versa, or from the na- 
 tural into the spiritual, (mm) 
 
 103. I was further informed by the spirits 
 of that earth respecting the consociations of 
 the inhabitants, with several other particulars. 
 They said, that they lived divided into families, 
 every family apart by itself; each family con- 
 sisting of a man and his wife with their child- 
 ren; and that the children, when they enter on 
 a married state, are separated from the house, 
 and have no further care about it; wherefore 
 the spirits from that earth appear two and two : 
 that they are little solicitous about food and 
 raiment ; that they feed on the fruits and pulse 
 which their earth produces, and that they are 
 clothed slightly, being encompassed with a 
 coarse skin or coat, which repels the cold : 
 moreover, that all on that earth know that they 
 shall live after death ; and that on this account 
 also they make light of their bodies, only so 
 far as regards that life, which they say is to 
 remain and serve the Lord ; it is for this reason 
 
 (mm) That influx is spiritual, and not physi- 
 cal or natural, consequently that influx is from 
 the spiritual world into the natural, and not 
 from the natural into the spiritual, n. 3214, 5119, 
 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322. That it appears 
 as if influx is from externals into man's internals, 
 but this is a fallacy, n. 3721. 
 
118 
 
 likewise they do not bury the bodies of the 
 dead, but cast them forth, and cover them vvhh 
 branches of forest trees. 
 
 104. Being questioned concerning that great 
 belt, which appears from our earth to rise 
 above the horizon of that planet, and to vary its 
 situations, they said, that it does not appear to 
 them as a belt, but only as somewhat whitish, 
 Hke snow in the heaven in various directions. 
 
 Concerning the Earth or Planet Venus, its Spir- 
 its and Inhabitants. 
 
 105. The planet Venus, in the idea of spir- 
 its and angels, appears to the left a little back- 
 wards, at some distance from our earth. It 
 is said, " in the idea of spirits," because nei- 
 ther the sun of this world, nor any planet, ap- 
 pears to any spirit, but spirits have only an idea 
 that they exist ; it is in consequence of such 
 idea that the sun of this world is presented be- 
 hind as somewhat darkish, and the planets not 
 moveable as in the world, but remaining con- 
 stantly in their several places, see above, n. 42. 
 
 106. In the planet Venus there are two 
 kinds of men, of tempers and dispositions op- 
 posite to each other ; the first mild and humane, 
 the second savage and almost brutal ; they who 
 are mild and humane appear on the further 
 
119 
 
 side of the earth, they who are savage and al- 
 most brutal appear on the side looking this way. 
 But it is to be observed, that they appear thus 
 according to the states of their Ufe, for in the 
 spiritual world the state of life determines every 
 appearance of space and of distance. 
 
 107. Some of those who appear on the fur- 
 ther side of the planet, and who are mild and 
 humane, came to me, and were presented visi- 
 bly above my head, and discoursed with me 
 on various subjects ; amongst other particulars 
 they said, that during their abode in the world, 
 and more so since they were become spirits, 
 they acknowledged our Lord as their only 
 God ; they added, that on their earth they had 
 seen him, and they represented also how they 
 had seen him. These spirits in the Grand 
 Man have relation to the memory of things ma- 
 terial agreeing with the memory of things im- 
 material, to which the spirits of Mercury have 
 relation : wherefore the spirits of Mercury 
 have the fullest agreement with these spirits of 
 Venus, and on this account, when they were 
 together, a remarkable change, and a power- 
 ful operation in my brain, was perceivable from 
 their influx, see above, n. 43. 
 
 108. I did not however discourse with those 
 spirits who were on the side that looks this 
 way, and who are savage and almost brutal, 
 but I was informed by the angels concerning 
 
120 
 
 their nature and quality, and whence it comes 
 that they are so brutal ; the cause is this, that 
 they are exceedingly delighted with rapine, 
 and more especially with eating of their booty : 
 the delight thence arising, when they think 
 about eating of their booty, was communicated 
 to me, and was perceived to be most extraor- 
 dinary. That on this earth there have been 
 inhabitants of a like brutal nature, appears from 
 the histories of various nations; also from the 
 inhabitants of the land of Canaan, i Sam. xxx. 
 16; and likewise from the Jewish and Israelit- 
 ish nation, even in the time of David, in that 
 they made yearly excursions, and plundered 
 the Gentiles, and rejoiced in feasting on the 
 spoils. I was informed further, that those in- 
 habitants are for the most part giants, and that 
 the men of our earth reach only to their navels : 
 also that they are stupid, making no inquiries 
 concerning heaven or eternal life, but immers- 
 ed solely in earthly cares, and the care of their 
 cattle. 
 
 109. In consequence of this their nature 
 and quality, when they come into another life, 
 they are exceedingly infested there by evils 
 and false persuasions. The hells, which ap- 
 pertain to them, appear near their earth, and 
 have no communication with the hells of the 
 wicked of our earth, by reason of their differ- 
 ent tempers and dispositions ; hence also their 
 
121 
 
 evils and false persuasions are totally of a dif- 
 ferent sort. 
 
 110. Such however amongst them, as are 
 in a capacity of being saved, are in places of 
 vastation, and are there reduced to the last state 
 of desperation ; for there is no other method 
 whereby evils and false persuasions of that kind 
 can be subdued and removed. When they are 
 in a state of desperation, they cry out that they 
 are beasts, that they are abominations, that 
 they are hatreds, and that thqreby they are 
 damned. Some of them, when they are in 
 this state, exclaim even against heaven, but as 
 this proceeds from desperation, it is forgiven 
 them ; the Lord moderates on these occasions, 
 and restrains within proper limits their harsh 
 and bitter expressions. These, when they have 
 passed through extreme suffering, are finally 
 saved, inasmuch as the corporeal principles 
 are hereby brought to a kind of death. It was 
 further declared concerning these spirits, that 
 during their life on their earth, they beheved in 
 some great Creator without a Mediator, but when 
 they are saved, they are also instructed that the 
 Lord alone is God, the Saviour and Mediator. 
 I have seen some of them, after they have 
 passed through extreme suffering, taken up into 
 heaven, and when they were received there, 
 I have been made sensible of such a tender- 
 ness of joy from them, as drew tears from ray 
 eyes. 
 
122 
 
 Concerning the Spirits and Inhabitants of the Moon. 
 
 111. Certain spirits appeared over my 
 head, and thence were heard voices hke thun- 
 der, for the thunder of their voices exactly re- 
 sembled the sound of thunder from the clouds 
 after lightning. I at first conjectured, that it 
 was owing to a great multitude of spirits, who 
 had the art of uttering voices attended with so 
 loud a noise. . The more simple spirits, who 
 were with me, smiled on the occasion, at which 
 I was much surprised ; but the cause of their 
 smiling was presently discovered to be this, 
 that the spirits, who thundered, were not many, 
 but few, and were also as httle as children; 
 and that on former occasions they had terrified 
 them by such noises, and yet were unable to 
 do them any hurt. In order that I might know 
 their nature and quality, some of them de- 
 scended from on high where they were thun- 
 dering, and what surprised me, one carried 
 another on his back, and thus two of them ap- 
 proached me. Their faces appeared not un- 
 handsome, but longer than the faces of other 
 spirits ; in regard to stature, they appeared like 
 children of seven years old, but more robust; 
 thus they were dwarfs (homunciones). It was 
 told me by the angels, that they were from the 
 Moon. He who was carried on the other's 
 back, on coming to me, applied himself to my 
 
123 
 
 left side under the elbow, and thence discoursed 
 with me, saying, that whenever they utter their 
 voices they thus thunder; and that thereby 
 they terrify the spirits who are inclined to do 
 ihem mischief, and put some to flight, and that 
 thus they go with security whithersoever they 
 are disposed. To convince me that the noise 
 they make was of such a sort, he retired from 
 me to some other spirits, but not entirely out 
 of sight, and thundered in like manner. They 
 shewed moreover, that the voice being uttered 
 from the abdomen, like an eructation, made 
 this thundering sound. It was perceived that 
 this was owing to this particular circumstance, 
 that the inhabitants of the Moon do not speak 
 from the lungs, like the inhabitants of other 
 earths, but from the abdomen, and thus from a 
 certain quantity of air there collected, by rea- 
 son that the Moon is not encompassed with an 
 atmosphere like that of other earths. I was 
 instructed, that the spirits of the Moon, in the 
 Grand Man, have relation to the ensiform 
 cartilage or xiphoides, to which the ribs in front 
 are joined, and from which descends the fascia 
 alba, which is the fulcrum of the abdominal 
 muscles. 
 
 112. That there are inhabitants in the Moon, 
 is well known to spirits and angels, and in like 
 manner that there are inhabitants in the moons 
 or satellites which revolve about Jupiter and 
 
124 
 
 Saturn. They who have not seen and dis- 
 coursed with spirits coming from those moons, 
 still entertain no doubt but there are men in- 
 habiting them, because they are earths alike 
 with the planets, and wherever an earth is, 
 there are men inhabitants ; for man is the end 
 for which every earth was created, and nothing 
 was made by the great Creator without an 
 end. That the human race, as constituent of 
 heaven, is the.end of creation, may appear to 
 every one who thinks from a rational principle 
 at all enlightened. 
 
 The Reasons why the Lord was willing to he horn 
 on our Earthy and not on another. 
 
 113. There are several reasons, concern- 
 ing which I had information from heaven, why 
 it pleased the Lord to be born, and to assume 
 a humanity on our earth, and not on another. 
 The PRINCIPAL REASON wus hccause of the 
 Word, in that it might he written on our earth ; 
 and u'hen written be afterwards published 
 throughout the whole earth; and when once 
 published be preserved to all posterity; and 
 that thus it might be made manifest, eveyi to all 
 in another life, that God teas made Man. 
 
 1 14. That the principal reason was because 
 of the Word, is in consequence of the Word 
 
125 
 
 being essential divine trnlli, which teaches man 
 that there is a God, that there 'is a heaven and 
 a hell, and that there is a life after death ; and 
 teaches moreover how man ought to live and 
 beheve, in order to his admission into heaven, 
 and thereby to eternal happiness. All these 
 things would have been altogether unknown 
 without a revelation, consequently on this earth 
 without the Word, and yet man is so created, 
 that as to his interiors he cannot die. (?m) 
 
 115. That the Word might be ivritten on 
 our earth, is in consequence of the art of writing 
 having existed here from the most ancient time, 
 first on the rind or bark of trees, next on skins 
 or parchment, afterwards on paper, and lastly 
 by types as in printing. This was provided 
 of the Lord for the sake of the Word. 
 
 (n«) That by mere natural light nothing can 
 be known concerning the Lord, concerning hea- 
 ven and bell, concerning the life of man after 
 death, and concerning divine truths, by which 
 man has spiritual and eternal life, n. 8944, 
 10318, 10319, 10320. That this may appear 
 from this consideration, that several, and amongst 
 them the learned, do not believe those things, 
 although they are born where the Word is, and 
 where there is instruction by the Word concern- 
 ing those things, n. 10319. That therefore it 
 was necessary there should lie a revelation from 
 heaven, because man was born for heaven, u. 1 775. 
 
126 
 
 116. That the Word might afterwards he 
 published throughout this ivhole earth, is in 
 consequence of the communication opened here 
 amongst all nations, both by land and water, 
 to all parts of the globe; hence the Word once 
 written might be conveyed from one nation to 
 another, and be taught in all places. 
 
 117. That the JVord once written might be 
 preserved to all posterity, consequently for 
 thousands and thousands of years, and that it 
 has been so preserved, is well known. 
 
 118. That thus it might be made manifest 
 that God ivas made Man ; for it was with a 
 view to this chief and most essential object that 
 the Word was revealed, inasmuch as no one 
 can believe in a God, and love a God, whom 
 he cannot comprehend under some appear- 
 ance ; wherefore they who acknowledge an 
 invisible and thus incomprehensible princij^le, 
 in thought sink into nature, and consequently 
 believe in no God : wherefore it pleased the 
 Lord to be born on this earth, and to make this 
 manifest by the Word, that it might not only 
 be known on this globe, but that also it might 
 be made manifest thereby to spirits and angels 
 even from, other earths, and likewise to the 
 Gentiles from our earth. (oo) 
 
 (go) That the Gentiles in another life are in- 
 striicted by angels, and that they, who have liv*^-' 
 
127 
 
 119. Il is to be observed, that the Word on 
 our earth given through heaven from the Lord 
 is the union of heaven and tlie world ; for which 
 end there is a correspondence of all things 
 contained in the letter of the Word with divine 
 things in heaven; and the Word in its supreme 
 and inmost sense treats of the Lord, of his 
 kingdom in the heavens and the earths, and of 
 love and faith from him and in him, conse- 
 quently of life from him and in him ; such 
 things are presented to the angels in heaven, 
 when the Word of our earth is read and 
 preached, [pp) 
 
 120. In every other earth divine truth is 
 manifested by word of mouth by spirits and 
 angels, as was said above in speaking of the 
 
 good lives according to their religious principles, 
 receive the truths of faith, and acknowledge the 
 Lord, n. 2049, 2595, 2598, 2600, 2601, 2603, 
 2661, 2863, 3263. 
 
 (pp) That the Word is understood by the an- 
 gels in the heavens after a different manner from 
 what it is understood by men on the earths, and 
 that the internal or spiritual sense is for the an- 
 gels, but the externa! or natural sense for men, 
 n. 1769 to 1772, 1887, 2143, 23-33, 2396, 2540, 
 2541, 2545, 2551. That theAVord is conjunctive 
 of heaven and earth, n. 2310, 2495, 9212, 9215, 
 9357, 10357. That the Word therefore was 
 written by mere correspondences, n. 1404, 1408, 
 
12S 
 
 inhabitants of the earths in this solar system, 
 but this manifestation is confined to famiUcs : 
 for mankind in most earths live distinct accord- 
 ing to families ; wherefore divine truth thus re- 
 vealed by spirits and angels is not conveyed 
 far beyond the limits of families, and unless a 
 new revelation constantly succeeds, truth is 
 either perverted or perishes. It is otherwise 
 on our earth, where divine truth, which is the 
 Word, remains forever in its integrity. 
 
 121. It is to be observed, that the Lord ac- 
 knowledges and receives all, of whatsoever 
 earth they be, who acknowledge and worship 
 God under a human form, inasmuch as God un- 
 der a human form is the Lord. And whereas 
 the Lord appears to the inhabitants in the earths 
 in an angelic form, which is a human form, there- 
 fore when the spirits and angels from those 
 earths are informed by the spirits and angels 
 of our earth that God is actually Man, they 
 receive that Word, acknowledge it, and rejoice 
 that it is so. 
 
 122. To the reasons above adduced may 
 be added, that the inhabitants and spirits of 
 our earth, in the Grand Man, have relation 
 
 1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 8615, 10687. 
 That in the inmost sense of the Word, the Lord 
 alone and his kingdom are treated of, u. 1S73, 
 2249, 2523, 7014, 9357. 
 
129 
 
 to natural and external sense, which sense is 
 the ultimate wherein the interiors of life close, 
 and rest as in their common basis. The case 
 is similar in regard to divine truth in the letter, 
 which is called the Word, and which for this 
 reason also was given on this earth, and not 
 on any other, [qq) And whereas the Lord is 
 the Word, and is the first and the last thereof, 
 therefore, that all things might exist according 
 to order, he was willing to be born on this 
 earth, and be made the Word, according to 
 what is written in John, " In the beginning was 
 the Word, and the Word was with God, and 
 God was the Word ; this was in the beginning 
 with God : all things were made by him, and 
 without him was not any thing made which 
 was made : and the Word was made Flesh, 
 and dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glory, 
 the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father. 
 No one hath seen God at any time ; tlie only- 
 begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, 
 he hath exposed him to view," i. 1,2, 3,4, 14, 
 
 (qq) That the AVord in the sense of the letter 
 is natural, n. 8783. By reason that what is na- 
 tural is the ultimate, wherein spiritual and celes- 
 tial things close, and on which they subsist as on 
 their foundation, and that otherwise the internal 
 or spiritual sense of the Word would be as a 
 house without a foundation, u. 9430, 9133, 9824, 
 10044, 10436. 
 
 26 
 
130 
 
 IS. The Word is the Lord as to divine truth, 
 consequently divine truth from the Lord, (rr) 
 But this is an arcanum which will be intelligi- 
 ble only to very few. 
 
 Concerning the Earths in the Starry Heaven. 
 
 123. They who are in heaven can discourse 
 and converse with angels and spirits, who are 
 not only from the earths in this solar system, 
 but also from other earths in the universe out 
 of this system ; and not only with the spirits 
 and angels there, but also with the inhabitants 
 themselves, only however with those whose in- 
 teriors are open, so that they can hear such as 
 speak from heaven. The same is the case 
 with man, during his abode in the world, to 
 whom it has been given of the Lord to dis- 
 course with spirits and angels; for man is a 
 spirit as to his interiors, the body which he 
 carries about in the world only serving him for 
 the performing functions in tiiis natural or ter- 
 restrial sphere, which is the ultimate of all 
 spheres. But it is given to no one to discourse 
 
 (rr) That the Word is the Lord as to divine 
 truth, consequently divine truth from the Lord, 
 n. 2859, 4692, 5075, 9987. That by divine 
 truth all things were created and made, n. 2S03, 
 2884, 5272, 7835. 
 
131 
 
 as a spirit with angels and spirits, unless he be 
 such, that he can consociate with angels as to 
 faith and love ; nor can he so consociate, unless 
 he have faith and love to the Lord, for man is 
 joined to the Lord by faith and love to him, 
 that is, by truths of doctrine and good princi- 
 ples of life derived from him ; and when he is 
 joined to the Lord, he is secure from the as- 
 saults of evil spirits from hell. With others 
 the interiors cannot be so far opened, since they 
 are not in the Lord. This is the reason why 
 there are few at this day, to whom it is given 
 to speak and converse with angels ; a manifest 
 proof whereof is, that the existence of spirits 
 and angels is scarce believed at this day, much 
 less that they are attendant on every man, and 
 that by them man has connexion with heaven, 
 and by heaven with the Lord; still less is it 
 believed, that man, when he dies as to the 
 body, lives a spirit, even in a human form as 
 before. 
 
 124. Inasmuch as there are many at this 
 day in the church, who have no faith concern- 
 ing a life after death, and scarce any concern- 
 ing heaven, or concerning the Lord as being 
 the God of heaven and earth, therefore the in- 
 teriors appertaining to my spirit are open by 
 the Lord, so that I am enabled, during my 
 abode in the body, to have commerce with the 
 angels in heaven, and not only to discourse 
 
132 
 
 with them, but also to see the astonishing things 
 of their kingdom, and to describe the same, in 
 order to clieck from henceforth the cavils of 
 those who urge, "Did ever any one come from 
 heaven and assure us that such a place exists, 
 and acquaint us with what is doing there ?" 
 Nevertheless I am aware, that they who in 
 heart have heretofore denied a heaven and a 
 hell, and a life after death, will even still con- 
 tinue in the obstinacy of unbelief and denial; 
 for it is easier to make a raven white, than to 
 make those beHeve, who have once in heart 
 rejected faith; the reason is, because such per- 
 sons always think about matters of faith from 
 a negative principle, and not from an affirma- 
 tive. May the things however, which have 
 been hitherto declared, and which we have 
 further to declare, concerning angels and spir- 
 its, be for the use of those few who are princi- 
 pled in faith! whilst it is permitted, in order 
 to bring others to somewhat of acknowledg- 
 ment, to relate such particulars, as delight and 
 engage the attention of persons desirous of 
 knowledge; for which purpose we shall now 
 proceed to give an account of the earths in the 
 Starry Heaven. 
 
 125. He who is unacquainted with the arcana 
 of heaven, cannot beHeve that man is capable 
 of seeing earths so remote, and of giving any 
 account of them from sensible experience : but 
 
133 
 
 let such an one know, that the spaces and 
 distances, and consequent progressions, which 
 exist in the natural world, are, in their origin 
 and first cause, changes of the state of interior 
 things, and that with angels and spirits they 
 appear according to such changes; (ss) and 
 that therefore angels and spirits may by such 
 changes be apparently translated from one 
 place to another, and from one earth to another, 
 even to earths at the extreme boundaries of the 
 universe. The case is the same also with 
 man as to his spirit, and therefore he also may 
 be so translated, whilst his body still continues 
 in its own place. This has been the case with 
 myself, since by the divine mercy of the Lord 
 it has been given me to converse with spirits 
 as a spirit, and at the same time with men as 
 a man. The sensual man is not capable of 
 conceiving that man as to his spirit can be 
 thus translated, inasmuch as the sensual man 
 is immersed in space and in time, and meas- 
 ures his progressions accordingly. 
 
 126. That there are several worlds or sys- 
 tems, may appear to every one from this con- 
 
 (ss) That motions, progressions, and changes 
 of place, in another life are changes of the states 
 of the interiors of life, and that nevertheless it 
 really appears to spirits and angels as if they ac- 
 tually existed, n. 1273 to 1277, 1377, 335G, 
 5606, 10734. 
 
 27 
 
134 
 
 sideration, that so many stars appear in the 
 universe, and it is well known to the learned, 
 that every star is like a sun in its own place, 
 remaining fixed as the sun of our earth in its 
 place ; and that it is owing solely to distance 
 that it appears in a small form like a star ; con- 
 sequently, that each star has planets revolving 
 around it, which are so many earths, in like 
 manner as the sun of our system has ; and that 
 the reason why those planets, or earths, do not 
 appear, is, because of their immense distance, 
 and of their having no light but what they re- 
 ceive from their own star, which light cannot 
 be reflected so far as to reach us. For what 
 other end or purpose, shall we say, was so large 
 a firmament created with so many stars? The 
 end of the creation of the universe is man, in 
 order that an angelic heaven might be formed 
 of men ; but what would mankind and an an- 
 gehc heaven from one single earth avail to 
 answer the purposes of an infinite Creator, for 
 which a thousand, yea ten thousand earths 
 would not suffice ? By calculation it appeared, 
 tliat supposing there were in the universe 
 1,000,000 earths, and on every earth 300,000,- 
 000 men, or 300 millions, and 200 generations 
 within GOOO years, and that to every man or 
 spirit was alloted a space of three cubic ells, in 
 this case the sum of men or spirits collectively 
 would not occupy a space equal to a thousandlii 
 
135 
 
 part of this earth, consequently not more than 
 the space possessed by one of the satellites of 
 Jupiter or Saturn, which would be a space so 
 diminutive in respect to the universe, that it 
 would be scarce discernible, for a satellite of 
 Jupiter or Saturn is scarce visible to the naked 
 eye. And what would this be in regard to 
 the purposes of the Creator of the universe, 
 to answer which, the whole universe, though 
 filled with earths, would be inadequate, for 
 he is infinite? In discoursing on this subject 
 with the angels, they have told me, that they 
 have a hke idea concerning the fewness of the 
 human race in respect to the infinity of the 
 Creator, but that their thoughts on the subject 
 originate not from spaces, but from states, and 
 that according to their idea, supposing the 
 number of earths to be as many myriads as 
 could be conceived in thought, they would still 
 be as nothing to the Lord. The information 
 which 1 am going to give concerning the earths 
 in the starry heaven, is from experimental tes- 
 timony, whereby it will likewise appear, how 
 I was translated thither as to my spirit, whilst 
 my body continued in its own place. 
 
 28 
 
136 
 
 Concerning the First Earth in the Starry Hew 
 rcn, its Spirits and Inhabitants. 
 
 127. I WAS led bj" angels from the Lord to 
 a certain earth in the starrv heaven, where it 
 was given to take a view of the earth itself, 
 yet not to speak with the inhabitants, but with 
 spirits who came from thence (for all the in- 
 habitants or men of every earth, after finishing 
 their course of hfe in the world, become spir- 
 its, and remain near their own earth). From 
 tliese however I received information concern- 
 ing the earth, and concerning the state of the 
 inhabitants thereof; for men, when they leave 
 the body, carry whh them all their former Hfe, 
 and all their memory, (it) To be led to earths 
 in the universe, is not to be led and translated 
 thither as to the body, but as to the spirit, and 
 the spirit is led by variations of tlie state of in- 
 terior Hfe, which appear to it as progressions 
 through spaces. Approaches, or near ad- 
 vancements, are also effected according to 
 agreements or resemblances of states of Hfe, 
 for agreement or resemblance produces con- 
 junction, whereas disagreement and dissiraiH- 
 tude produces disjunction. Hence it may ap- 
 pear how translation is effected as to the spirit, 
 
 (tt) That man after death retains the memory 
 of all his concerns in the world, n. 2476 to 2486. 
 
137 
 
 and its approach or near advancement to things 
 remote, whilst the man still remains in his own 
 place. But to lead a spirit, by variations of 
 the state of its interiors, out oi its own orb, and 
 to cause the variations successively to advance 
 even to a state agreeing with or like to those 
 to whom it is led, is in the power of the Lord 
 alone ; for there must be a continual direction 
 and foresight from first to last, both in advanc- 
 ing and in returning back again ; especially when 
 the translation is to be effected with a man, 
 who is still as to the body in the natural world, 
 and thereby in space. That such a transla- 
 tion has been effected, will appear incredible 
 to those who are immersed in the sensual cor- 
 poreal hfe, and whose thoughts originate in 
 sensual corporeal things, nor can they be in- 
 duced to believe it; the reason is, because the 
 sensual corporeal hfe cannot conceive of pro- 
 gression without space ; but they who think 
 from the sensual principle of their spirit, some- 
 what removed or withdrawn from the sensual 
 principle of the body, consequently who think 
 from an interior principle in themselves, may 
 be induced to believe and to conceive it, since 
 in the idea of interior thought there is neither 
 space nor time, but instead thereof the original 
 principles whence spaces and times had birth. 
 For the use of these latter the following ac- 
 count is written respecting the earths in the 
 
138 
 
 Starry Heaven, and not for the former, (viz. 
 such as are immersed in the sensual corporeal 
 life,) unless they be in a state to suffer them- 
 selves to be instructed. 
 
 128. At a time when I was broad awake, I 
 was led as to the spirit by angels from the 
 Lord to a certain earth in the universe, accom- 
 panied by some spirits from this orb : our pro- 
 gression was in a direction to the right, and 
 continued for two hours. Near the boundary 
 of our solar system there appeared first a 
 whitish cloud, but thick; and behind it a fiery 
 smoke ascending from a great chasm ; it was a 
 vast gulf separating on that side our solar sys- 
 tem from some other systems of the Starry 
 Heaven. The fiery smoke appeared at a con- 
 siderable distance. I was conveyed through 
 the midst of it, and instantly there appeared 
 beneath in the chasm or gulf several men who 
 were spirits (for spirits appear all in a human 
 form, and are actually men) ; I also heard them 
 discoursing with each other; but whence they 
 were, or of what sort, it was not given to know : 
 one of them however told me that they were 
 guards, to prevent spirits passing from this 
 world to any other in the universe without hav- 
 ing obtained leave. That this was the case, 
 was also confirmed by this circumstance, that 
 some spirits, who were in company, to whom 
 it was not permitted to pass, when they came 
 
139 
 
 lo lliat great gulf or interstice, began to cry out 
 vehemently that they were lost and undone ; for 
 they were as persons struggling in the agonies 
 of death, wherefore they halted on that side of 
 the gulf, nor could they be conveyed further ; 
 for the fiery smoke exhaling from the gulf af- 
 fected them powerfully with its influence, and 
 thus put them to torture. 
 
 129. After I was conveyed through that 
 great chasm, I at length arrived at a place 
 where I stopped ; and immediately there ap- 
 peared to me spirits from above, with whom it 
 was given to discourse. From their discourse 
 and their particular maimer of apprehending 
 and explaining things, I clearly perceived that 
 they were from another earth, for they differed 
 altogether from the spirits of our solar system. 
 They also perceived from my discourse that I 
 came from afar. 
 
 130. After discoursing for some time on va- 
 rious subjects, I asked what God they wor- 
 shipped? They said, that they worshipped 
 some angel, who appeared to them as a Divine 
 Man, being bright and shining with light ; and 
 that he instructed them, and gave them to per- 
 ceive what they ought to do. They said fur- 
 ther, that they knew that the Most High God 
 is in the sun of the angelic heaven, and that he 
 ap})ears to his angel, and not to them ; and that 
 he is too great for thein to dare to adore him. 
 
140 
 
 The angel, whom they worshipped, was an 
 angehc society, to which it was granted by the 
 Lord to preside over them, and to teach them 
 the way of what is just and right; therefore 
 they have hght from a kind of flame, which 
 appears hke a torch, fiery and yellow to a con- 
 siderable degree; the reason is, because they 
 do not adore the Lord, consequently they have 
 not light from the sun of the angelic heaven, 
 but from an angelic society, for an angelic so- 
 ciety, when it is granted of the Lord, can ex- 
 hibit such a light to spirits who are in an infe- 
 rior region. That angelic society was also seen 
 by me, and was on high above them ; there 
 was also seen the flaming principle whence the 
 light proceeded. 
 
 131. As to the rest of their character, they 
 were modest, somewhat simple, but still under 
 tolerably good influence as to their thoughts. 
 From the light which was amongst them might 
 be concluded what was the nature and quality 
 of their intellectual princijile, for the intellect is 
 according to the reception of the light which is 
 in the heavens, inasmuch as divine truth, pro- 
 ceeding from the Lord as a sun, is what shines 
 there, and enables the angels not only to see 
 but also to understand, (uu) 
 
 (m) That there is great light in the heavens, 
 n. 1117, 1521, 1522, 1533, 1G19 to 1632, 4527, 
 5400, 8644. That all light iu the heavens is 
 
141 
 
 132. I was instructed that the inhabitants 
 and spirits of that earth, in the Grand Man, 
 have relation to somevvliat in the spleen, in 
 which I was confirmed by an influx into the 
 spleen whilst they were discoursing with me. 
 
 133. Being questioned concerning the sun 
 of their system, which enlightens their earth, 
 they said, that the sun there has a flaming ap- 
 pearance, and when I represented the size of 
 the sun of our earth, they said, that their's was 
 less ; for their sun to our eyes is a star, and I 
 was told by the angels that it was one of the 
 lesser stars. They said also, that from their 
 earth is hkewise seen the Starry Heaven, and 
 that a star larger than the rest appears to them 
 westward, which was declared from heaven to 
 be our sun. 
 
 134. After this my sight was opened, so 
 that I could look in some degree upon their 
 earth ; and there appeared several green fields 
 
 from the Lord as a sun there, n. 1053, 1521. 
 3195, 3341, 3636, 4415, 9548, 9684, 10809, 
 That divine truth proceeding from the Lord ap- 
 pears in the heavens as light, n. 3195, 3222,5400, 
 8644, 9399, 9548, 9684. That that light illumin- 
 ates both the sight and the understandings of 
 angels and spirits, n. 2776, 3138. That the light 
 of heaven also illuminates the understanding of 
 man, n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 6608, 8707, 
 9126, 9399, 10569. 
 
142 
 
 and forests with trees in full foliage, and also \ 
 fleecy sheep. Afterwards I saw some of the 
 inhabitants, who were of the meaner class, 
 clothed nearly like the country people in Eu- 
 rope. There was seen also a man with his \ 
 wife ; she appeared of handsome stature and 
 graceful mien, so likewise did the man ; but 
 what surprised me, he had a stately carriage, 
 and a deportment which had a semblance of 
 haughtiness, but the woman's deportment was 
 humble. I was informed by the angels, that 
 such is the fashion on that earth, and that the 
 men, who are such, are beloved, because they 
 are nevertheless well disposed. I was inform- 
 ed likewise, that it is not allowed them to have 
 more wives than one, because it is contrary to 
 the laws. The woman whom I saw, had be- 
 fore her bosom a cloak or covering, broad 
 enough to conceal herself behind it, which was 
 so contrived that she could put her arms in it, 
 and use it as a garment to cover her, and so 
 walk about her business ; it might be tucked up 
 as to the lower part, and when tucked up and 
 applied to the body, it appeared like a sto- 
 macher, such as are worn by the women of our 
 earth : but the same also served the man for a 
 covering, and he was seen to take it from the 
 woman, and apply it to his back, and loosen 
 the lower part, which thus flowed down to his 
 feet like a gown, and clothed in this manner he 
 
143 
 
 I walked off. The things seen on that earth 
 were not seen by the eyes of iny body, but with 
 the eyes of my spirit, for a spirit may see the 
 things wliich are on any earth, when it is grant- 
 ed by the Lord. 
 
 135. Being well aware, that many will 
 doubt the possibility of man's being able to see, 
 with the eyes of his spirit, any thing on so dis- 
 tant an earth, it may be expedient to declare 
 
 I how the matter is. Distances in another hfe 
 are not like distances here on earth ; in another 
 life they are altogether according to the states 
 of the interiors of every particular person ; they 
 who are in a similar state, are together in one 
 society and in one place; every thing is pre- 
 sent by virtue of a similitude of state, and 
 every thing is distant by virtue of the dissimil- 
 itude of state; hence it was, that I was near to 
 the above earth, when I was brought by the 
 Lord into a state similar to the state of the 
 
 j spirits and inhabitants thereof, and that in this 
 case being present I discoursed with them : 
 hence it is evident, that earths in the spiritual 
 world are not distant as in the natural world, 
 but only apparently according to the states of 
 life of the inhabitants and spirits of each. The 
 state of life is the state of the affections as to 
 love and faith. In regard to a spirit, or what 
 is the same thing, a man as to his spirit, seeing 
 things on any earth, wc shall also explain how 
 
144 
 
 this h ; neither spirits nor angels, by their own 
 proper sight, can see any thing that is in the 
 natural world ; for the light of the natural 
 world, or the solar light, is to them as gross 
 darkness; in like manner man, by his bodily 
 sight, cannot see any thing that is in the other 
 life, for the light of heaven is to him as gross 
 darkness. Nevertheless, both spirits and an- 
 gels, when it pleases the Lord, may see things 
 in the natural world through the eyes of man; 
 but this is not granted of the Lord except with 
 those, to whom he gives to discourse with 
 spirits and angels, and to be in consort with 
 them. It has been given them to see through 
 my eyes the things of this w^orld, and as plainly 
 as I myself did ; and also to hear men dis- 
 coursing with me. Sometimes it has happen- 
 ed, that through me they saw their friends, 
 with whom they had been intimate when in the 
 body, altogether present as before, at which 
 they were amazed. Wives have in this man- 
 ner seen their husbands and children, and have 
 wished me to tell them that they were present 
 and looking on them, and that I would men- 
 tion the particulars of their state in the other 
 hfe ; but this, I said, was not allowed, by rea- 
 son that they would have called me mad, or 
 would have pronounced my information to be 
 all a delirium of the imagination, inasmuch as 
 I was well aware, that although they gave as- 
 
145 
 
 sent with their Hps to the doctrine of the exist- 
 ence of such spirits, and of the resurrection of 
 the dead, and of their being amongst spirits, 
 and that spirits can see and liear by means of 
 man, yet they did not beheve these things in 
 their hearts. When my interior sight was first 
 opened, and they who are in another hfe saw 
 through my eyes the world and the things con- 
 tained therein, they were so amazed, that they 
 called it the miracle of miracles, and were af- 
 fected with a new joy, to think that a commu- 
 nication was thus opened of earth with heaven, 
 and of heaven with earth. This joy continued 
 for some months, but afterwards the circum- 
 stance which occasioned it became so familiar, 
 that now the wonder has ceased. I am in- 
 formed, that spirits and angels attendant on 
 other men see not the least of the things of this 
 world, but only perceive the thoughts and 
 affections of those on whom they attend. 
 Hence it may appear, that man was so creat- 
 ed, that during his life here amongst men in the 
 world, he might at the same time hve in hea- 
 ven amongst angels, and vice versa, so that 
 heaven and the world might be united togedier 
 and act in unity in man, and men might know 
 what passes in heaven, and angels what passes 
 in the world ; and that when men depart this 
 life, they might pass thus from the Lord's 
 kingdom on the earths into the Lord's king- 
 29 
 
146 
 
 dom in the heavens, not as into another, but 
 as into the same, in which also they were dur- 
 ing their Hfe in the body ; but in consequence 
 of becoming so corporeal, man closed heaven 
 against himself. 
 
 136. Lastly, I discoursed W'ith the spirits, 
 who were from the above earth, concerning 
 various particulars on our earth, especially 
 concerning this circumstance, that there are 
 sciences cultivated on our earth which are not 
 cultivated on other earths, as astronomy, geo- 
 metry, mechanics, physics, chymistry, medi- 
 cine, optics, and natural philosophy; and hke- 
 wise arts, which are not known elsewhere, as 
 the art of ship-building, of smelting metals, of 
 writing and of printing, and thus of communi- 
 cating with others in distant parts of the earth, 
 and also of preserving what is communicated 
 for thousands of years, and that this art has 
 been practised in regard to the Word which 
 was revealed by the Lord, and that conse- 
 quently revelation is forever permanent on our 
 earth. 
 
 137. At length there was presented to my 
 view the hell of those who are from that earth, 
 and very terrible was the appearance of the 
 infernals seen therein, insomuch that I dare 
 not describe their monstrous faces. There 
 were seen also female magicians, who practise 
 direful arts; they appeared clad in green, and 
 struck me with horror. 
 
147 
 
 Concerning a Second Earth in the Starry Hear 
 ven, its Sinrits and Inhabitants. 
 
 138. I was afterwards led of the Lord to an 
 earth in the universe, which was further dis- 
 tant from our earth than the foregoing, of which 
 we have been just speaking ; that it was fur- 
 tlier distant, was plain from this circumstance, 
 tliat I was two days in being led thither, as to 
 ray spirit; this earth was to the left, whereas 
 the former was to the right. Inasmuch as re- 
 moteness in the spiritual world does not arise 
 from distance of place, but from difference of 
 state, as was said above, therefore from the 
 tediousness of my progression thither, which 
 lasted two days, I might conclude, that the 
 state of the interiors with the inhabitants of 
 that earth, which is the state of affections and 
 of consequent thoughts, differed proportiona- 
 bly from the state of the interiors with the 
 spirits from our earth. Being conveyed thither 
 as to the spirit by changes of the state of the 
 interiors, it was given to observe the success- 
 ive changes themselves before I arrived thither. 
 This was done whilst I was awake. 
 
 139. When I arrived thither, the earth was 
 not seen by me, but only the spirits who were 
 from that earth; for, as was said above, the 
 spirits of every earth appear about their own 
 
148 
 
 particular earth, by reason that they are of a 
 genius and temper similar to that of the inha- 
 bitants, and in order that they may serve them. 
 Those spirits were seen at a considerable 
 height above my head, whence they beheld 
 me as I approached. It is to be observed, 
 that they who stand on high in another life, 
 can behold those wlro are beneath them, and 
 the higher they stand, the greater is the extent 
 of their vision, and that they can only behold 
 those who are beneath them, but likewise dis- 
 course with them. From their state of eleva- 
 tion they observed, that I was not from their 
 earth, but from some other at a great distance; 
 wherefore they accosted me in questions con- 
 cerning various particulars, to which it was 
 given me to reply ; and amongst other things I 
 related to them to what earth I belonged, and 
 what kind of earth it was; and afterwards I 
 spake to them concerning the other earths in 
 our solar system; and at the same time also 
 concerning the spirits of the earth or planet 
 Mercury, in that they wander about to several 
 earths for the purpose of procuring for them- 
 selves knowledges of various matters; on hear- 
 ing this they said, that they had likewise seen 
 those spirits amongst them. 
 
 140. It was told me by the angels from our 
 earth, that the inhabitants and spirits of that 
 earth, in the Grand Man, have relation to 
 
149 
 
 KEENNESS OF VISION, and therefore they ap- 
 pear on high ; and that they are also remarkably 
 clear-sighted. In consequence of their having 
 such relation, and of their seeing clearly and 
 distinctly what was beneath them, in discours- 
 ing with them I compared them to eagles, 
 which fly aloft, and enjoy a clear and exten- 
 sive view of objects beneath ; but at this they 
 expressed indignation, supposing that I com- 
 pared them to eagles as to their rapaciousness, 
 and consequently that I thought them wicked ; 
 but I replied, that 1 did not liken them to 
 eagles as to rapaciousness, but as to sharp-sight- 
 edness. 
 
 141. Being questioned concerning the God 
 whom they worshipped, they replied, that they 
 worshipped a God visible and invisible, a God 
 visible under a human form, and a God invisi- 
 ble not under any form; and it was discovera- 
 ble from their discourse, and also from the 
 ideas of their thoughts as communicated to 
 me, that the visible God was our Lord himself, 
 and they also called him Lord. To this it 
 was given me to reply, that on our earth also 
 there is worshipped a God invisible and visi- 
 ble, and that the invisible God is called Fa- 
 ther, and the visible is called Lord ; and that 
 both are one, as he himself taught, saying that 
 no one had ever seen the appearance of the 
 Father, but that the Father and he are one, 
 30 
 
150 
 
 and lliut whoso seeth him seclh the Father, 
 and that the Father is in him and he in tiie 
 Father ; consequently that each divine princi- 
 ple is in one person. That these are the Lord's 
 own words, may be seen, John v. 37. chap. 
 X. 30. chap. xiv. 7, 9, 10, 11. 
 
 142. Presently I saw other spirits from the 
 same earth, who appeared in a place beneath 
 the former, with whom also I discoursed ; but 
 they were idolaters, for they worshipped an 
 idol of stone, like to a man, but not handsome. 
 It is to be observed, that all who come into 
 another life, have at first a worship like what 
 they practised in the world, but that they are 
 successively separated from it ; the reason is, 
 because all worship remains implanted in man's 
 interior life, from which it cannot he removed 
 and eradicated but by degrees. On seeing 
 this, it was given me to tell them, that they 
 ought not to worship what was dead, but what 
 was hving; to which they repUed, that they 
 knew that God lives and not a stone, but that 
 they thought of the living God when they look- 
 ed on a stone like a man, and that otherwise 
 the ideas of their thought could not be fixed 
 upon and determined to the invisible God ; it 
 was then given me to tell them, that the ideas 
 of thought may be fixed upon and determined 
 to the invisible God, when they are fixed upon 
 aiid determined to the Lord, who is God visi- 
 
151 
 
 ble in thought under a human form ; and thus 
 that man may be joined with the invisible God 
 in thought and aftection, consequently in faith 
 and love, when he is joined with the Lord, but 
 not otherwise. 
 
 143. The spirits who were seen on high 
 were questioned, whether on their earth they 
 live under the rule of princes or kings ? to 
 which they replied, that they know not what 
 such rule is, and that they live under them- 
 selves, being distinguished into nations, fami- 
 lies, and houses. They were questioned 
 further, whether they are thus in a state of se- 
 curity? They replied in the affirmative, inas- 
 much as one family never envies another in 
 any respect, or desires to deprive another of its 
 just rights. They expressed a degree of in- 
 dignation at being asked these questions, as 
 arguing a suspicion of their hostility, or of 
 their want of protection against robbers ; what, 
 said they, have we need of but food and rai- 
 ment, and thus to live content and quiet one 
 under another ? 
 
 144. Being further questioned concerning 
 their earth and its produce, they said, that they 
 had green fields, flower-gardens, forests full of 
 fruit-trees, and also lakes abounding widi fish ; 
 and that they had birds of a blue colour with 
 golden feathers, and also greater and lesser ani- 
 mals ; amongst the lesser they mentioned one 
 
 31 
 
152 
 
 sort, which had the hack elevated hke camels 
 on our earth; nevertheless that they did not 
 feed on their flesh, but only on the flesh of fish- 
 es, and besides on fruits of trees, and pulse of 
 the earth. They said moreover, that they did 
 not hve in houses regularly built, but in groyes, 
 in which amongst the leaves they made to 
 themselves shelter against rain and the heat of 
 the sun. 
 
 145. Being questioned concerning their sun, 
 which appears as a star from our earth, they 
 said, that it has a fiery appearance, and not 
 larger to look at than a man's head ; I was told 
 by the angels, that the star, which was their 
 sun, was amongst the lesser stars, not far distant 
 from the equator. 
 
 146. There were seen some spirits, who 
 were like what they had been during their 
 abode on their earth as men ; they had faces 
 not unlike those of the men of our earth, ex- 
 cept that their eyes and nose were less : this 
 appearing to me somewhat of deformity, they 
 said, that little eyes and a little nose were ac- 
 counted marks of beauty with them. A female 
 was seen, clad in a gown ornamented with 
 roses of various colours : I asked, whence they 
 were supplied with materials for clothing on 
 their earth? They answered, that they gathered 
 from certain plants a substance which they 
 spun into thread ; and that immediately after- 
 
153 
 
 wards they laid the threads in double and triple 
 rows, moistening them with a glutinous liquor, 
 and thus giving them consistence ; afterwards 
 they colour the cloth thus prepared with a 
 substance procured from the juices of herbs. 
 It was also shewn me how they prepare the 
 thread ; the women sit down on the ground, 
 and wind it by means of their toes ; and 
 when wound they draw it towards them, and 
 with the hand spin it out to any fineness they 
 please. 
 
 147. They said also, that on that earth every 
 husband has no more than one wife ; and that 
 the number of children in a family is from ten 
 to fifteen. They added, that there are found 
 likewise harlots amongst them, but that all 
 such, after the hfe of the body, when they be- 
 come spirits, are magicians, and are cast into 
 hell. 
 
 Concerning a Third Earth in the Starry Heaven, 
 its Spirits and Inhabitants. 
 
 148. There appeared some spirits from 
 afar, who were not willing to approach ; the 
 reason was, because they could not be together 
 with the spirits of our earth, who were then 
 about me; hence I perceived that they were 
 from another earth; and I was afterwards in- 
 formed that they were from a certain earth in 
 
154 
 
 the universe ; but where that earth is, was not 
 made known to me. Those spirits were un- 
 willing to think at all about the body, or even 
 about any thing corporeal and material, con- 
 trary to the spirits of our earth ; hence it was 
 that they were "not willing to approach ; nev- 
 ertheless, after the removal of some of the 
 spirits of our earlli, the)' came nearer and dis- 
 coursed with me. But instantty there was felt 
 an ansiet}' arising from the colhsion of spheres; 
 for spiritual spheres encompass all spirits and 
 societies of spirits, (cc) and inasmuch as they 
 issue from the life of the afiections and conse- 
 quent thoughts, therefore where the affections 
 are contrarj^ collision takes place, and hence 
 conges anxietj". The spirits of our earth re- 
 lated, that they even durst not approach those 
 other spirits, since on their approach, they 
 were not only seized with anxiety, but also 
 appeared to themselves as if the}' were bound 
 hand and foot with serpents, from which they 
 could not be loosed but by retiring; this ap- 
 pearance had its ground in correspondence; 
 for the spirits of out earth, in the Graxd 
 Man, have relation to the external sense, con- 
 sequently to tlie sensual corporeal principle, 
 and this sensual principle is represented in an- 
 other life by serpents, (zx) 
 
 (xx) That the sensual external principle of 
 man in the spiritual world is represented by ser- 
 pents, as beiug in the lowest principles, and in 
 
155 
 
 149. Such being the iialuie und qiialily of 
 the spirits of that earth, tiiey appear in the 
 eyes of other spirits not as others in a distinct 
 human form, but as a cloud, in many cases 
 lilic a dusty cloud, with whitish tints resembling 
 somewhat human ; but they said, that within 
 they are white, and that when they become 
 angels, that duskiness is changed into a beau- 
 tiful blue, which also was shewn me. I ask- 
 ed, whether they entertained such an idea con- 
 cerning their bodies during their abode in the 
 world as men? They replied, that the men 
 of their earth make no account of their bodies, 
 but only of the spirit in the body, as knowing 
 that the spirit will live forever, but that the 
 body must perish. They said also, that several 
 on their earth believe that the spirit of the body 
 has existed from eternity, and was infused into 
 the body when they were conceived in the 
 womb; but they added, that now they know 
 that it is not so, and that they repent for hav- 
 ing even entertained so false an opinion. 
 
 150. When I asked them whether they 
 were willing to see any objects on our earth, 
 informing them that it was possible to do so 
 
 respect to interior things in man, lying on the 
 ground, and as it were creeping; and that hence 
 they were called serpents, who reasoned from 
 that sensual principle, u. 195, 196, 197, 6398, 
 6940. 
 
156 
 
 through my eyes, (see above, n. 135) they 
 answered first, that they could not, and after- 
 wards that they would not, inasmuch as they 
 were merely terrestrial and material objects, 
 from which they remove their thoughts as far 
 as possible. Nevertheless, there were repre- 
 sented to their view magnificent palaces, re- 
 sembling those in which kings and princes dwell 
 on our earth; for such things may be repre- 
 sented before spirits, and when they are repre- 
 sented, they appear exactly as if they existed ; 
 but the spirits from that earth made light of 
 them, calling them marble images; and then 
 related, that they have more magnificent ob- 
 jects with them, which are their sacred tem- 
 ples, not built of stone, but of wood. When 
 it was objected, that these were still terrestrial 
 objects, they repHed, that they were not ter- 
 restrial, but celestial, because in beholding 
 them, they conceived not a terrestrial but a 
 celestial idea; believing that that they should 
 see hke objects in heaven after death. 
 
 151. They then represented their sacred 
 temples before the spirits of our earth, who de- 
 clared, that they never saw any thing more 
 magnificent; and as they were seen also by 
 myself, therefore I can describe them. They 
 are constructed of trees not cut down, but 
 growing in the place where they were first 
 planted; on that earth, it seems, there are 
 
157 
 
 trees of an extraordinary size and height ; these 
 they set in rows when young, and arrange 
 them in such order, that they may serve, as 
 they grow up, to form porticos and galleries ; 
 in the mean while, by cutting and pruning the 
 tender shoots, they fit and prepare them to 
 entwine one with another, and join together, so 
 as to form the groundwork and floor of the 
 temple to be constructed, and by a side eleva- 
 tion to serve as walls, and being bended into 
 an arch above, to make the roof; in this man- 
 ner they construct the temple with admirable 
 art, elevating it high above the ground; they 
 prepare also an ascent into it by continuous 
 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 leaves into par- 
 ticular forms : thus they build entire groves. 
 But it was not given to see the nature of the 
 construction of these temples within, only I was 
 informed, that the fight of their sun is let in by 
 apertures amongst the branches, and is every 
 where transmitted through crystals, whereby 
 the light falling on the walls is refracted in di- 
 vers colours hke those of the rainbow, particu- 
 larly the colours of blue and orange, which 
 they are most fond of. Such is the nature of 
 their architecture, the works whereof they pre- 
 fer to the most magnificent palaces of our 
 earth. 
 
158 
 
 152. They said further, that the inhabitants 
 do not dwell in high places, but on the earth in 
 low cottages, by reason that high places are 
 for the Lord who is in heaven, and low places 
 for men who are on eai'th. Their cottages 
 were also shewn me; they were oblong, hav- 
 ing within along the walls a continued couch 
 or bed, on which they lie one next to another; 
 on the side opposite to the door was a kind of 
 alcove, before which was a table, and behind 
 it a fireplace, by which Uie whole chamber is 
 enlightened. In the fireplace there is not a 
 burning fire, but a luminous wood, from which 
 issues as much light as from the flame of a 
 common fire : thev said, that in an evening this 
 wood appeared as if it contained in it hghted 
 charcoal. 
 
 153. They informed me further, that tliey 
 do not hve in societies, but in houses apart by 
 themselves : and that they are joined in socie- 
 ties when they meet at divine worship ; and 
 that on these occasions they who are teachers 
 walk beneath in the temple, and the rest in 
 piazzas at the sides; and that in their meetings 
 thev experience interior joys, arising from the 
 sight of the temple, and from the worship 
 therein celebrated. 
 
 154. In respect to didne worship they said, 
 that they acknowledge God under a human 
 form, consequently our Lord ; for whosoever 
 acknowledge the God of the universe under a 
 
159 
 
 human form, are accepted and led by our Lord ; 
 the rest cannot be so led, because they think 
 without a determination of the thought to some 
 specific appearance. They added, that the 
 inhabitants of their earth are instructed con- 
 cerning the things of heaven by some imme- 
 diate commerce with angels and spirits, which 
 may be more easily opened to them than to 
 others, by reason of their rejecting corporeal 
 things from their thoughts and affections- I 
 asked what became of those amongst them who 
 are wicked ? They replied, that on their earth 
 it was not allowed that a wicked person should 
 exist; but if any one gave into evil thoughts or 
 evil actions, he was reprimanded by a certain 
 spirit, and threatened with death if he persist- 
 ed therein ; and in case he still persisted, he 
 was taken off 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 kind was sent to me; he spake whh me 
 as with them ; moreover he occasioned some- 
 what of pain in the region of my abdomen, in- 
 forming me that this was the method he uses 
 with those who give into evil thoughts and evil 
 actions, and to whom he threatens death if they 
 persist. I was given to understand, that they 
 who profane holy things are grievously punish- 
 ed ; and that before the punishing spirit comes, 
 there appear to them in vision the jaws of a 
 
160 
 
 lion wide open, of a livid colour, who seems as 
 if he would swallow their head, and tear it 
 asunder from the body, and hence they are 
 seized with horror: they call the punishing 
 spirit the devil. 
 
 155. Inasmuch as they were desirous to 
 Icnow, how we are circumstanced on our earth 
 in regard to revelation, I informed them, that 
 it is effected by writing and preaching from the 
 Word, and not by immediate commerce whh 
 spirits and angels ; and that what is WTitten 
 may be printed and published, and thus be 
 read and comprehended by whole societies, 
 whereby the hfe may be corrected and amend- 
 ed. They were exceedingly surprised, that 
 such an art as writing and printing, utterly 
 unknown in other places, could exist on our 
 earth ; but they comprehended, that on this 
 earth, where corporeal and terrestrial things 
 are so much loved, divine things from heaven 
 could not otherwise flow in and be received ; 
 and that it vrould be dangerous for persons in 
 such circumstances to discourse with angels. 
 
 156. The spirits of that earth appear up- 
 wards in the plane of the head towards the 
 right. All spirits are distinguished by their 
 situation in respect to the human body, which 
 is in consequence of the universal heaven cor- 
 responding with all things appertaining to man; 
 these spirits keep themselves in that plane, and 
 
161 
 
 at that distance, because their correspondence 
 is not with the externals but with the interiors 
 of man. Their action is upon the left knee, 
 a little above and beneath, with a kind of vi- 
 bration very sensibly felt ; this is a sign that 
 they correspond with the conjunction of things 
 natural and things celestial. 
 
 Concerning a Fourth Earth in the Starry Hea- 
 ven, its Spirits and Inhabitants. 
 
 157. I WAS further conducted to another 
 earth which is in the universe out of our solar 
 system, which was effected by changes of the 
 state of my mind, consequently as to the spirit; 
 for, as has been frequently observed above, a 
 spirit is conducted from place to place no 
 otherwise than by changes of the state of his 
 interiors, which changes appear to him in all 
 respects like advancements from place to place, 
 or like journeyings. These changes continued 
 without intermission for about ten hours, before 
 I came from the state of my own life to the 
 state of life peculiar to the spirits of that earth, 
 consequently before I arrived there as to ray 
 spirit. I was carried towards the east, to the 
 left, and seemed to be gradually elevated from 
 an horizontal plane. It was also given to ob- 
 serve clearly a progression and promotion from 
 32 
 
162 
 
 a former place, till at length the spirits from 
 whom I departed no longer appeared ; and in 
 the mean lime I discoursed on various subjects 
 with the spirits who were with me. A certain 
 spirit was also with us, who, during his abode 
 in the world, had been a prelate, and a preach- 
 er, and hkewise a very pathetic writer. From 
 the idea concerning him in me, the attendant 
 spirits supposed, that he was a christian in 
 heart superior to the rest ; for in the world an 
 idea is conceived, and judgment formed from 
 preaching and writing, and not from the life, 
 if it is not attended with some extraordinary 
 circumstances ; and in case any thing in the 
 life appears which does not agree with the 
 preaching and writing, it is nevertheless ex- 
 cused ; for the idea, or thought and perception 
 concerning any particular person, gives a bias 
 to the judgment in all things, incHning it in 
 favour of such idea, thought, and perception. 
 
 158. After this I observed that I was in the 
 Starry Heaven, as to my spirit, far out of our 
 solar system ; for this may be observed from 
 the changes of state, and consequent apparent 
 continued progression, which lasted nearly ten 
 hours. At length I heard spirits discoursing 
 near some earth, which was afterwards also 
 seen by me ; when I was come near them, 
 after some discourse together, they said, that 
 strangers sometimes come to them from a dis- 
 
1G3 
 
 tance, who discourse with them concerning 
 God, and confuse the ideas of their thought. 
 They pointed also at the way by which such 
 strangers came, whereby it was perceivable, 
 that they were from the spirits of our earth. 
 On questioning them as to the confusion caused 
 in their ideas, they said, that it arose from those 
 strangers asserting, that they ought to believe 
 on a divine principle distinguished into three 
 persons, which they nevertheless call one God ; 
 and on examining the idea of their thoughts, 
 it is presented as a threefold principle ( trinum ) 
 not continuous but discrete, and with some, as 
 three persons discoursing with each other, and 
 with some, as two seated together, one near 
 the other, and a third hearkening to them, and 
 going from them ; and ahhough they call each 
 person God, and form a different idea con- 
 cerning each, still they declare them but one 
 God. They complained exceedingly, that 
 hereby their ideas were confused, in that these 
 strangers conceived three in thought, and in 
 speech profess one, when neverthless thought 
 and speech ought ever to be in agreement 
 with each other. The spirit, who in the world 
 had been a prelate and a preacher, and who 
 also was with me, was then examined as to the 
 idea he entertained respecting one God and 
 three persons, when it was discovered, that 
 he represented to himself three Gods, but 
 
164 
 
 making one by continuity ; he conceived how- 
 ever this threefold unity as invisible because 
 it was divine ; and from this his conception it 
 was perceivable, that he thought only of the 
 Father, and not of the Lord, and that his idea 
 concerning the invisible God was no other than 
 as of nature in her first principles, the result 
 of which idea was, that the inmost principle of 
 nature was his divine principle, and thus that 
 he might easily be hence led to acknowledge 
 nature as God. It is well to be observed, that 
 the idea which any person entertains concern- 
 ing any thing, in another world is presented 
 to the lite, and thereby every one is examined 
 as to the nature of his thought and perception 
 respecting the things of faith ; and that the 
 idea of the thought concerning God is the chief 
 of all others, inasmuch as by that idea, if it be 
 genuine, conjunction is effected with the Di- 
 vine Being, and consequently with heaven. 
 They were afterwards questioned concerning 
 the nature of their idea respecting God ? They 
 replied, that they did not conceive God as in- 
 visible, but as visible under a human form ; and 
 that they knew him to be thus visible, not only 
 from an interior perception, but also from this 
 circumstance that he has appeared to them 
 as a man ; they added, that if, according to 
 the idea of some strangers, they should con- 
 ceive God as invisible, consequently without 
 
165 
 
 form and quality, they should not be able in 
 any wise to think about God, inasmuch as 
 such an invisible principle falls not upon any 
 idea of thought. On hearing this, it was given 
 to tell them, that they do well to think of God 
 under a human form, and that many on our 
 earth think in like manner, especially when 
 they think of the Lord ; and that the ancients 
 also thought according to this idea. I then 
 told them concerning Abraham, Lot, Gideon, 
 Manoah and his wife, and what is related of 
 them in our Word, viz. that they sav/ God un- 
 der a human form, and acknowledged him 
 thus seen to be the Creator of the universe, 
 and called him Jehovah, and this also from an 
 interior perception ; but that at this day that 
 interior perception was lost in the christian 
 world, and only remains with the simple who 
 are principled in faith. 
 
 159. Previous to this discourse, they be- 
 lieved that our company also consisted of those, 
 who were desirous to confuse them in their 
 thoughts of God by an idea of three ; where- 
 fore on hearing what was said, they were af- 
 fected with joy, and replied, that there were 
 also sent from God, (whom they then called 
 the Lord) those who teach them concerning 
 him, and that they are not willing to admit 
 strangers, who perplex them, especially by 
 the idea of three persons in the Divinity, in- 
 33 
 
166 
 
 asmuch as they know that God is one, conse- 
 quently that the divine principle is one, and 
 not consisting of three in unanimity, unless 
 such threefold unanimity be conceived to ex- 
 ist in God as in an angel, in whom there is 
 an inmost principle of life, which is invisible, 
 and which is the ground of his thought and 
 wisdom, and an external principle of life which 
 is visible under a human form, whereby he 
 sees and acts, and a proceeding principle of 
 life, which is the sphere of love and of faith 
 issuing from him (for from every spirit and 
 angel there proceeds a sphere of hfe, whereby 
 he is known at a distance) (cc) ; which pro- 
 ceeding principle of life, when considered as 
 issuing from the Lord, is the essential divine 
 principle which fills and constitutes the hea- 
 vens, because it proceeds from the very ESSE 
 of the life of love and of faith ; they said, that 
 in this, and in no other manner, they can per- 
 ceive and apprehend a threefold unity. When 
 they had thus expressed themselves, it was 
 given me to inform them, that such an idea 
 concerning a threefold unity agrees with the 
 idea of the angels concerning the Lord, and 
 that it is grounded in the Lord's own doc- 
 trine respecting himself; for he teaches that 
 the Father and himself are one ; that the 
 Father is in him and he in the Father ; that 
 whoso sees him sees the Father ; and whoso 
 
1G7 
 
 believes on him believes on the Father and 
 knows the Father ; also that the Comforter, 
 whom he calls the Spirit of Truth, and like- 
 wise the Holy Ghost, proceeds from him, and 
 does not speak from himself but from him, by 
 which Comforter is meant the divine proceed- 
 ing principle. It was given me further to tell 
 them, that their idea concerning a threefold 
 unity agrees with the ESSE and EXISTERE 
 of the life of the Lord when in the world ; the 
 ESSE of his Hfe was the Essential Divine Prin- 
 ciple, for he was conceived of Jehovah, and 
 the esse of every one's life is that whereof he 
 is conceived ; the EXISTERE of life derived 
 from that ESSE is the Human Principle in 
 form ; the esse of the life of every man, which 
 he has from his father, is called soul, and the 
 existere of life thence derived is called body ; 
 soul and body constitute one man ; the like- 
 ness between each resembles that which sub- 
 sists between a principle which is in effort 
 ^conatus,^ and a principle which is in act de- 
 rived from effort, for act is an effort acting, 
 and thus two are one : effort in man is called 
 will, and effort acting is called action ; the 
 body is the instrumental part, whereby the 
 will, which is the principal, acts, and the instru- 
 mental and principal in acting are one ; such 
 is the case in regard to soul and body, and 
 such is the idea which the angels in heaven 
 
168 
 
 have respecting soul and body ; hence they 
 know, that the Lord made his human principle 
 divine by virtue of the divine principle in him- 
 self, which was to him a soul from the Father. 
 This is agreeable also to the creed received 
 throughout the christian world, which teaches, 
 that " Although Christ is God and Man, yet 
 he is not two but one Christ ; yea he is alto- 
 gether one and a single person ; for as body 
 and soul are one man, so also God and Man 
 is one Christ.'' (yy) Inasmuch as there was 
 such an union, or such a oneness in the Lord, 
 therefore he rose again, not only as to soul, but 
 also as to body, which is not the case with any 
 man ; concerning which circumstance he also 
 instructed his disciples in these words, "Han- 
 dle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and 
 bones, as ye see me have." (zz) Those spirits 
 understood clearly this discourse, such things 
 being suited to the understanding of angelic 
 spirits ; they instantly added, that the Lord 
 
 (yy) From the Athanasian creed. 
 
 (zz) That immediately after death man rises 
 again as to his spirit; and that he is in a human 
 form, and that he is a man in all and every re- 
 spect, n. 4527, 5006, 5078, 8939, 8991, 10594, 
 10597, 10758. That a man rises again only as 
 to spirit, and not as to body, n. 10593, 10594. 
 That the Lord alone rose again as to body also, 
 n. 1729, 2083, 5078, 10825. 
 
160 
 
 alone has power in the heavens, and that the 
 heavens are his ; to which it was given to 
 reply, that this is known also to the church on 
 our earth from the Lord's declaration before 
 he ascended into heaven, for he then said, 
 power is given to me in heaven and in earth." 
 
 160. Afterwards I discoursed with those 
 spirits concerning their earth; for all spirits 
 have knowledge of the things relating to the 
 earth they came from, when their natural or 
 external memory is opened by the Lord ; inas- 
 much as this memory remains with them after 
 death, but it is not opened except at the Lord's 
 good pleasure. Then they related concerning 
 their earth from which they came, that when 
 it is allowed them, they appear to the inhabit- 
 ants, and discourse with them as men ; and that 
 this is effected by their being let into their na- 
 tural or external memory, and consequently 
 into the thoughts which they had during their 
 abode in the world ; and that on such occasions 
 the inhabitants have their interior sight, or sight 
 of their spirits, opened, whereby they are seen : 
 they added, that the inhabitants at such times 
 know no other than that they are men of their 
 earth, and that they then first perceive them 
 not to be men, when they are suddenly taken 
 away from their sight. I told them, that this 
 was the case also on our earth in ancient times, 
 as when angels appeared to Abraham, Sarah, 
 34 
 
170 
 
 Lot, the inhabitants of Sodom, Manoah and 
 his wife, Joshua, Mary, EHzabeth, and the 
 Prophets in general; and that the Lord ap- 
 peared in hke manner, and they who saw him 
 knew no other than that he was a man of the 
 earth, before he revealed himself. But that 
 at this day such appearances are seldom ex- 
 hibited, the reason whereof is, lest men by such 
 things should be compelled to believe, for faith 
 wrought by compulsion, such as is the faith 
 which enters by miracles, is not inherent, and 
 would also be hurtful to those, in whom faith 
 may be implanted by the Word in a state with- 
 out compulsion. 
 
 161. The spirit who had been a prelate 
 and a preacher in the world, was altogether 
 indisposed to believe, that any other earths 
 existed besides our own, in consequence of 
 having thought in the world, that the Lord was 
 born on this earth alone, and that none could 
 be saved without the Lord, wherefore he was 
 reduced into a state similar to that which spirits 
 are reduced into, when they appear on their 
 own earth as men, concerning which state see 
 above ; and thus he was let into that earth, so 
 that he not only saw it, but also discoursed with 
 its inhabitants : hereupon a communication was 
 also thereby granted me, so that I in like man- 
 ner saw the inhabitants, and likewise some 
 particular things on that earth (see above, n. 
 
171 
 
 135). There appeared then four kinds of 
 men, but one kind after the other in succes- 
 sion; at first there were seen men clothed; 
 next to them in order of succession, men nak- 
 ed of a human flesh colour; afterwards men 
 naked, but with inflamed bodies: and lastly- 
 black men. 
 
 162. Whilst the spirit, who had been a pre- 
 late and a preacher, was with those who were 
 clothed, there appeared a woman of a very 
 beautiful countenance, in a plain simple dress, 
 her gown flowing gracefully behind her, with 
 sleeves also for the arms; her head-dress was 
 beautiful, in the form of a chaplet of flowers. 
 That spirit was exceedingly delighted at the 
 sight of this virgin ; he discoursed with her, 
 and also took her by the hand ; but inasmuch 
 as she perceived that he was a spirit, and not 
 of that earth, she rushed hastily away from 
 him. Afterwards there appeared to him on 
 the right several other women, who had the 
 care of sheep and lambs, which at that time 
 they were leading to a watering-trough, which 
 was supplied with water by a small drain from 
 a certain lake; these women were clothed in 
 like manner with the former ; they had in their 
 hands shepherds' crooks, by which they led 
 the sheep and lambs to drink; they said, that 
 which way soever they pointed with their 
 crooks, thither the sheep went. The sheep 
 35 
 
172 
 
 which we saw were large, with broad woolly 
 tails. The faces of the women, when viewed 
 more closely, were full and handsome. There 
 were seen also men ; their complexion was 
 like that of the men of our earth, but with this 
 difference, that the lower part of the face was 
 black instead of a beard, and the nose was 
 more of a snowy white than a flesh colour. 
 Afterwards the spirit, who, as was said, had 
 been a preacher in the w^orld, was led on fur- 
 ther, but reluctantly, because his thoughts were 
 still engaged about the woman with whom he 
 was delighted, as was evident from this cir- 
 cumstance, that there still appeared somewhat 
 of his shadow in the former place; then he 
 came to those who were naked ; they were seen 
 walking together two and two, husband and 
 wife, having a covering about the loins, and 
 also around the head. That spirit, when he 
 was with these inhabitants, was led into the 
 state in which he was in the world when he was 
 disposed to preach, and instantly said, that he 
 would preach before them the Lord crucified ; 
 but they said, that they were not willing to hear 
 any such thing, because they knew not what 
 was meant by the Lord crucified, but knew 
 that the Lord is living. He then said, that 
 he would preach the living Lord, but this also 
 they refused to hear, saying that the)^ perceiv- 
 ed in his discourse somewhat not celestial, be- 
 
173 
 
 cause it had much respect to himself, his own 
 fame and reputation; and that they could dis- 
 tinguish from the tone of voice, whether the 
 discourse came from the heart, or not; and 
 that hence they pronounced him incapable of 
 teaching them; wherefore he was silent. Dur- 
 ing his life in the world he had been a very 
 pathetic preacher, so that he could excite in 
 his hearers very holy influences ; but this pa- 
 thetic manner had been acquired by art, con- 
 sequently it was derived from self and the 
 world, and not from heaven. 
 
 163. They said moreover, that they had a 
 perception whether there be any conjugal prin- 
 ciple with those of their nation who are naked ; 
 and it was shewn, that they perceive this by 
 virtue of a spiritual idea concerning marriage, 
 which idea being communicated to me was to 
 this effect, that a likeness of interiors was form- 
 ed by the conjunction of goodness and truth, 
 consequently of love and faith, and that con- 
 jugal love existed from that conjunction de- 
 scending by influx into the body ; for all things 
 appertaining to the mind are presented in some 
 natural appearance in the body, consequently 
 in the appearance of conjugal love, when the 
 interiors of two persons mutually love each 
 other, and also by virtue of that love are de- 
 sii'ous to will and to think the one as the other, 
 and thus to abide and be joined together as to 
 
174 
 
 the interiors of the mind ; hence spiritual affec- 
 tion, which appertains to the mind, becomes 
 natural affection in the body, and clothes itself 
 with the sense of conjugal love : spiritual af- 
 fection appertaining to the mind is the affection 
 of goodness and truth, and of their conjunction, 
 for all things appertaining to the mind, or to 
 the thinking-principle and the will-principle, 
 have relation to truth and good. They said 
 further, that it is altogether impossible for any 
 conjugal principle to exist between one man 
 and several wives, inasmuch as the marriage 
 of goodness and truth, which appertains to the 
 mind, can exist only between two. 
 
 164. After this the above spirit came to 
 those who were naked, but whose bodies were 
 inflamed ; and lastly to those who were black, 
 some of whom were naked, and some clothed ; 
 but both the latter and the former dwelt in a 
 distant part of the same earth; for a spirit may 
 be led in an instant to places far asunder, in- 
 asmuch as he does not proceed and advance 
 like man b_v spaces, but by changes of state, 
 see above, n. 125, 127. (ss) 
 
 165. I lastly discoursed with the spirits of 
 that earth concerning the belief of the inhab- 
 itants of our earth in regard to a resurrection, 
 in that they cannot conceive that men come 
 into another life immediately after death, and 
 then appear like men as to the face, the body, 
 
175 
 
 the arras, the feet, and all the external and 
 internal senses ; still less can they conceive 
 that they are then clothed in raiment ; and 
 that they have places of abode and habitations ; 
 and this solely by reason that the thoughts of 
 the generality of persons on this earth are 
 grounded in the things of sense, which apper- 
 tain to the body, and therefore they believe 
 in the existence of nothing but what they see 
 and touch ; and few can be withdrawn from 
 external and sensible things to things of an in- 
 terior nature, and thus be elevated into the 
 light of heaven, in which such interior things 
 are perceived : hence it is, that in regard to 
 the soul or spirit, they cannot form any idea 
 of it as of a man, but as of wind, of air, or of 
 a phantom without form, in which notwithstand- 
 ing there is some vital principle. This is the 
 reason why they do not believe that they shall 
 rise again till the end of the world, which they 
 call the last judgment, at which time they sup- 
 pose that the body, although mouldered into 
 dust, and dissipated by every wind, will be 
 brought back again and joined to its soul or spirit. 
 I added, that it is permitted they should thus 
 believe, inasmuch as it cannot otherwise be 
 conceived by those, whose thoughts, as was 
 said, are grounded in things of sense, that the 
 soul or spirit can live as a man in a human 
 form, unless it receives again that body with 
 
176 
 
 which it was clothed in the world ; wherefore 
 unless it was asserted that that body is to rise 
 again, they would reject in the heart tlie doc-, 
 trine concerning a resurrection and eternal hfe 
 as incomprehensible. But still this thought 
 concerning a resurrection has this advantage 
 attending it, that it leads them to believe in a 
 hfe after death, the consequence of which be- 
 lief is, that when they come to he on a sick 
 bed, and their thoughts are not influenced, as 
 before, by worldly and corporeal things, that 
 is, by things of sense, they then beheve that 
 they shaU live immediately after their decease; 
 they then also speak about heaven, and about 
 the hope of Hving there immediately after death, 
 with ideas very different from those suggested 
 by their doctrine concerning the last judg- 
 ment. I related further, that it had sometimes 
 been matter of surprise to me, that when they 
 who are principled in faith speak of a life after 
 death, and of their friends and relatives who 
 are deceased, and at such times do not think 
 about the last judgment, they then believe 
 that their friends and relatives live as men im- 
 mediately on their decease : but this idea, as 
 soon as ever a thought concerning the last 
 judgment flows in, is changed into a material 
 idea, concerning their terrestrial body, that it 
 is again to be joined to their soul ; for they do 
 not know that every man is a spirit as to his 
 
177 
 
 interiors, and that it is this spirit which hves 
 in the body, and in all its parts, and not the 
 body which lives of itself ; and that it is from 
 the spirit of every one that the body has its 
 human form, consequently it is the spirit of 
 every one which is principally man, and in like 
 form as man, but invisible to the eyes of the 
 body, yet visible to the eyes of spirits ; hence 
 also, when the sight of man's spirit is opened, 
 which is effected by the removal of the bodily 
 sight, angels appear as men : thus angels ap- 
 peared to the ancients, according to what is 
 written in the Word. In my discourse also 
 with spirits, whom I had been acquainted with 
 during their abode in the world, I have occa- 
 sionally asked them, whether they had any 
 inclination to be clothed again with their ter- 
 restrial bodies, as they had once thought would 
 be the case ? but they started at the very idea 
 of such a conjunction, being full of confusion 
 and amazement to think, that whilst they were 
 in the world, they should be under the influ- 
 ence of so bhnd a behef, void of all under- 
 standing. 
 
 166. Moreover on that earth were seen the 
 habitations of the inhabitants, which were low 
 houses of a considerable length, with windows 
 on the sides according to the number of the 
 rooms or chambers into which they were di- 
 vided ; the roof was round, and there was a 
 
178 
 
 door on both sides at each end ; we were told 
 that they were built of common soil, and co- 
 vered with turf; and that the windows were 
 constructed of threads of grass, so entwined 
 together, that the light was transparent. Little 
 children were also seen, and we were told that 
 their neighbours visit them, especially for the 
 sake of their children, that they may be in 
 company with other children in the presence 
 and under the control of their parents. There 
 appeared also fields full of growing corn which 
 was at that time nearly ripe for harvest ; the 
 seeds or grains of their corn were shewn us, 
 which were like those of Chinese wheat ; we 
 saw likewise some bread made thereof, which 
 was in small square loaves. Moreover there 
 appeared also plains of grass adorned with 
 flowers, and likewise trees laden with fruits 
 like pomegranates, besides shrubs, which were 
 not vines, but still produced berries whereof 
 they made wine. 
 
 167. The sun of that earth, which is to us 
 a star, sppears there flaming, in size about a 
 fourth part of our sun ; their year is nearly 
 200 days, and each day 15 hours, computed 
 according to the length of days on our earth : 
 the earth itself is one of the least in the Starry 
 Heaven, being scarcely 500 German miles in 
 circumference. This information we had from 
 the angels, who made a comparison in all these 
 
179 
 
 particulars with things of a like nature on our 
 earth, according to what they saw in me, or in- 
 my memory ; their conclusions were formed 
 by angelic ideas, whereby are instantly known 
 the measures of spaces and times, in a just 
 proportion with respect to spaces and times 
 elsewhere : angelic ideas, which are spiritual, 
 in such calculations infinitely excel human 
 ideas. 
 
 Concerning a Fifth Earth in the Starry Heaven, 
 its Spirits and Inhabitants. 
 
 168. I WAS led at another time to another 
 earth, which is in the universe out of our solar 
 system, and on this occasion also by changes 
 of state, continued nearly for twelve hours. 
 There were in company with me several spirits 
 and angels from our earth, with whom I dis- 
 coursed in the way or progress thither. I was 
 carried at times obliquely upwards and oblique- 
 ly downwards, continually towards the right, 
 which in another life is towards the south ; 
 only in two places I saw spirits, and in one I 
 discoursed with them. In this journey or pro- 
 gress it was given to observe how immense 
 the Lord's heaven is, which is designed for 
 angels and spirits ; for from the parts uninhab- 
 ited it was given to conclude, that it was so 
 
180 
 
 immense, that in case there were several 
 myriads of earths, and on each earth a miiUi- 
 tude of men equal in number to the inhabitants 
 of our earth, there would still be a place of 
 abode for them to eternity, and it would never 
 be filled. This I was enabled to conclude 
 from a comparison made with the extent of 
 the heaven which is about our earth and de- 
 signed for it, which extent was respectively so 
 small, that it did not equal one ten thousandth 
 thousandth part of the extent uninhabited. 
 
 169. When the angelic spirits, who were 
 from that earth, came into view, they accosted 
 us, asking who we were, and what we wanted ? 
 We said, that we came for the sake of jour- 
 neying, and that we were directed thither, and 
 that they had nothing to fear from us : for they 
 were afraid we were of those who disturb 
 them in regard to God, to faith, and things of 
 a like nature, on account of whom they had 
 betaken themselves to that quarter of their 
 earth, shunning them as much as possible. We 
 asked them in what particulars they were dis- 
 turbed? They replied, by an idea of three, and 
 by an idea of a divine principle without a hu- 
 man, in God, when yet they knew and per- 
 ceived that God is one, and that he is a man. 
 It was then perceived by us, that they who 
 disturbed them, and whom they shunned, were 
 from our earth ; this was manifest also from this 
 
181 
 
 consideration, that there are spirits from our 
 earth, who thus wander about in another hfe, 
 in consequence of their fondness for and de- 
 hght in travelhng, wliichthey have contracted in 
 the world ; for on other earths there is no such 
 custom of travelling as on our's. It was after- 
 wards discovered that they were monks, who 
 had travelled on our globe from a desire of 
 converting the Gentiles : wherefore we told 
 them, that they did well to shun such spirits, 
 because their intention was not to teach, but to 
 secure gain and dominion ; and that they study 
 by various arts first to captivate men's minds, 
 but afterwards to subject them to themselves 
 as slaves : moreover, that they did well in not 
 suffering their ideas concerning God to be dis- 
 turbed by such. They informed us further, 
 that the above spirits confuse them by asserting, 
 that they ought to have faith and to believe 
 the things they declare ; but that their reply 
 to this was, that they knew not what faith 
 or believing meant, since they perceive in 
 themselves whether a thing be true or not : 
 they were of the Lord's celestial kingdom, 
 where all know by an interior perception the 
 truths, which with us are called the truths of 
 faith, for they are in illumination from the 
 Lord ; but it is otherwise with those who are 
 in the spiritual kingdom. That the angelic 
 spirits of that earth were of the Lord's celestial 
 36 
 
182 
 
 kingdom, it was given also to see from the 
 flaming principle, whence their ideas flowed ; 
 for the hght in the celestial kingdom is flaming, 
 and in the spiritual kingdom it is white. They 
 who are of the celestial kingdom, when the 
 discourse is about truths, say no more than 
 yea, yea, or nay, nay, and never reason about 
 truths whether they be so or not ; tliese are 
 they of whom the Lord speaks in these words, 
 " Let your discourse be yea yea, nay nay, for 
 whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil." 
 Hence it was that those spirits said, that they 
 did not know what is meant by having faith or 
 believing ; they consider an exhortation to be- 
 lieve, like a person's saying to his companion, 
 who sees houses or trees with his own eyes, 
 that he ought to have faith or to believe that 
 they are houses and trees, when he sees clearh^ 
 that they are so : such are they who are of the 
 Lord's celestial kingdom, and such were these 
 angelic spirits. ( ana ) We told them, that there 
 (aaa) That heaven is distinguished into two 
 kingdoms, one of which is called the celestial 
 kingdom, the other the spiritual kingdom, n. 
 3887, 4138. That the angels in the celestial 
 kingdom have vastly more knowledge and wis- 
 dom than the angels in the spiritual kingdom, n. 
 2718. That the celestial angels do not think 
 and speak from a ground of faith, like the spirit- 
 ual angels, but from an internal perception that 
 a thing is so, n, 202, 397, 607, 784, 1121, 1387, 
 
183 
 
 are few on our earth who have interior per- 
 ception, by reason that they learn truths in 
 their youth, and do not practise them : for 
 man has two faculties, which are called un- 
 derstanding and will ; they who admit truths 
 no further than into the memory, and thence 
 in some small degree into the understanding, 
 and not into the hfe, that is, into the will, these, 
 inasmuch as they are not capable of any illu- 
 mination or interior sight from the Lord, say 
 that those truths are to be believed, or that 
 they are objects of faith, and also reason 
 concerning them whether they be truths or 
 not, yea, they are not willing that they should 
 be perceived by any interior sight, or by a 
 kind of illumination in the understanding ; they 
 say this, because truths with them are without 
 light from heaven, and to those who see with- 
 out light from heaven, what is false may ap- 
 pear hke what is true, and what is true like 
 what is false ; hence so great blindness has 
 seized several on our earth, that although they 
 do not practise truths, or live according to 
 them, still they say that they may be saved by 
 faith alone, as if it were the mere knowledge 
 
 1398, 1442, 1919, 7680, 7877, 8780. That the 
 celestial angels say only concerning the truths of 
 faith yea yea, or nay nay, but that the spiritual 
 angels reason whether it be so or not so, n. 202, 
 337, 2715, 3246, 4448, 9196. 
 
184 
 
 of things appertaining to faith which constituted 
 man, and not a life according to that knowledge. 
 We afterwards discoursed with them concern- 
 ing the Lord, concerning love to him, con- 
 cerning neighbourly love, and concerning 
 regeneration ; in regard to the Lord we said, 
 that to love him is to love the commandments 
 which are from him, which is from a principle 
 of love to do those commandments ; (hbh ) in 
 regard to neighbourly love, that it consists in 
 willing good and thence doing good to a fel- 
 low-citizen, to a man's country, to the church, 
 or to the Lord's kingdom, not with a view to 
 vain applause, or to establish self-merit, but 
 from an affection of good, (ccc) Concerning 
 regeneration we observed, that they who are 
 regenerated by the Lord, and commit truths 
 immediately to life, come into an interior per- 
 ception concerning them ; but that they who 
 receive truths first in the memory, and after- 
 wards will them and do them, are they who 
 
 (bbb ) That to love the Lord is to live accord- 
 ing to his commandments, n. 10143, 10153, 
 10310, 10578, 10648. 
 
 (ccc ) That neighbourly love consists in doing 
 what is good, just, and right, in every work and 
 in every function, from an alfection of what is 
 good, just, and right, n. 8120, 8121, 8122, 10310, 
 10336. That a life of neighbourly love is a life 
 according to the Lord's commandments, n. 3249. 
 
185 
 
 are principled in faith, for they act from a 
 principle of faith, which is then called con- 
 science. They said that they perceived tliese 
 things to be so, consequently they perceived 
 also what faith is. I discoursed with them by 
 spiritual ideas, whereby such things may be 
 exhibited and comprehended in light. 
 
 170. These spirits, with whom I now dis- 
 coursed, were from the northern part of their 
 earth; I was afterwards led to those who were 
 on the western part; these also being desirous 
 to discover who and what I was, immediately 
 said, that there was nothing in me but evil, 
 thinking thus to deter me from approaching 
 nearer ; it was given me to perceive, that this 
 was their manner of accosting all who come 
 to them ; and it was given me to reply, that I 
 well knew it to be so, and that in them also 
 there was nothing but evil, by reason that every 
 one is born to evil, and therefore whatever 
 comes from man, spirit, or angel, as from his 
 own, or from propriety, is nothing but evil, 
 inasmuch as all good in every one is from the 
 Lord : hence they perceived that I was in the 
 truth, and I was admitted to discourse with 
 them. They then shewed me their idea con - 
 cerning evil in man, and concerning good from 
 the Lord, how they are separated from each 
 other ; they placed one near the other, almost 
 contiguous, but still distinct, yet as it were 
 37 
 
1S6 
 
 bound in a manner inexpressible, so that the 
 good led the evil, and restrained it, insomuch 
 tliat it was not allowed it to act at pleasure, 
 and thus the good bended the evil in whatever 
 direction it desired, without the evil knowing 
 any thing of it : in this manner they exhibited 
 the dominion of good over evil, and at the same 
 time a state of freedom. They then asked, 
 how the Lord appeared amongst the angels 
 from our earth ? 1 said, that he appeared in 
 the sun, as a man, encompassed therein with 
 a fiery solar principle, whence the angels in 
 the heavens derive all hght, and that tlie heat 
 which proceeds thence is divine good, and that 
 the hght which proceeds thence is divine truth, 
 each originating in the divine love, which is 
 the fiery principle appearing around the Lord 
 in that sun ; but that that sun only appears to 
 the angels in heaven, and not to the spirits 
 who are beneath, since they are more removed 
 from the reception of the good of love and of 
 the truth of faith, than the angels who are in 
 the heavens, see above, n. 40. It was given 
 them thus to inquire concerning the Lord, and 
 concerning his appearance before the angels 
 from our earth, inasmuch as it pleased the 
 Lord at that instant to present himself before 
 them, and to reduce into order the things which 
 had been disturbed by the evil spirits, of whom 
 they complained ; this also was the reason why 
 
187 
 
 I was led thither, that I might be an eye-wit- 
 ness of these things. 
 
 171. There was then seen an obscure cloud 
 towards the east descending from on high, 
 which in its descent appeared by degrees 
 bright and in a human form ; at length the 
 human form appeared in beams of flaming lus- 
 tre, encompassed with small stars of the same 
 radiance : thus the Lord presented himself 
 before the spirits with whom I was discoursing. 
 At his presence all the spirits thereabouts were 
 instantly gathered together from all sides, and 
 when they were come, they were separated, 
 the good from the evil, the good to the right 
 and the evil to the left, and this in an iubisui 
 as of their own accord ; and those on the right 
 were arranged in order according to the nature 
 and quality of their good, and those on the left 
 according to the nature and quality of their 
 evil ; and they who were good were left to 
 form amongst themselves a celestial society, 
 but the evil were cast into the hells. After- 
 wards I saw that those beams of flaming lustre 
 descended to the lower parts of the earth 
 thereabouts to a considerable depth, and then 
 they appeared at one time in a flaming lustre 
 verging to lucidity, at another time in a lucidity 
 verging to obscurity, and lastly in obscurity ; 
 and I was told by the angels, that that appear- 
 ance is according to the reception of truth 
 33 
 
188 
 
 from good, and of the false principle from evil, 
 
 with those who inhabit the lower parts of that 
 earth, and that the beams of flaming lustre 
 themselves were subject to no such variable- 
 ness. I was told also, that the lower parts of 
 that earth were inhabited both by the good 
 and by the evil, but that they were carefully 
 separated, to the intent that the evil might be 
 ruled by the good from the Lord ; the angels 
 added, that the good were by turns elevated 
 thence into heaven by the Lord, and that others 
 succeeded in their place, and so on perpetually. 
 In that descent, the good were separated from 
 the evil in like manner as above, and all things 
 were reduced to order ; for the evil, by various 
 arts and cunning contrivances, had insinuated 
 themselves into the dwellings of the good there, 
 and had infested them ; and this was the cause 
 of the present visitation. That cloud, which 
 in descending appeared by degrees bright and 
 in a human form, and afterwards as beams of 
 flaming lustre, was an angelic society with the 
 Lord in the midst. Hence it was given to 
 know what is meant by the Lord's words in 
 the EvangeHsts, where speaking of the last 
 judgment he says, "That he should come 
 with the angels in the clouds of heaven, with 
 glory and power." 
 
 1'72. Afterwards there were seen some 
 monkish spirits, viz. such as had been travel- 
 
189 
 
 ling monks or missionaries in the world, of 
 whom mention was made above; and there 
 was also seen a crowd of spirits, who were from 
 that earth, several of them evil, whom the 
 monkish spirits had seduced and drawn over to 
 favour their opinions. These were seen on 
 the eastern side of that earth, from whence 
 they drove away the good, who betook them- 
 selves to the northern side of the earth, of 
 whom we have spoken above. That crowd 
 with their seducers was collected into one 
 body, amounting to some thousands, and was 
 separated, when the evil were cast into the 
 hells. It was given me to discourse with one 
 spirit who was a monk, and to ask him what 
 he did there? He replied, that he taught 
 them concerning the Lord. I asked, what 
 beside? He said, concerning heaven and hell. 
 I asked, what further? He said, concerning a 
 belief in all that he should say. I asked again, 
 if he taught any thing else? He said, concern- 
 ing the power of remitting sins, and of opening 
 and shutting heaven. He was then examined 
 as to what he knew concerning the Lord, con- 
 cerning the truths of faith, concerning the re- 
 mission of sins, concerning: man's salvation, and 
 concerning heaven and hell, and it was disco- 
 vered that he knew scarce any thing, and that 
 he was in an obscure and false principle con- 
 cerning all and singular the truths appertaining 
 
190 
 
 to the above subjects; and that he was possess- 
 ed solely by the lust of gain and dominion, 
 which he had contracted in the world, and 
 brought with him thence ; wherefore he was 
 told, that inasmuch as he had travelled so far 
 as that earth under the instigation of that lust, 
 and was so very ignorant in points of doctrine, 
 he must needs deprive the spirits of that earth 
 of celestial light, and cause in them the dark- 
 ness of hell, and thus bring them under the 
 dominion of hell, and not of the Lord. More- 
 over he was cunning and crafty to seduce 
 others, but dull and stupid as to the things of 
 heaven ; wherefore he was cast thence into hell. 
 Thus the spirits of that earth were set at hberty 
 from those monkish spirits. 
 
 173. The spirits of that earth mentioned 
 also, amongst other particulars, that those 
 strangers, who, as has been said, were monk- 
 ish spirits, used all their endeavours to per- 
 suade them to live in society, and not separate 
 and solitary : for spirhs and angels dwell and 
 cohabit in hke manner as in the world; they 
 who have dwelt in a collected state in the world, 
 dwell also in a collected state in another life, 
 and they who have dwelt in a separate state, 
 divided into houses and families, dwell also in 
 a separate state in another life. These spirits, 
 on their earth, whilst they lived there as men, 
 had dwelt in a separate state, house and house, 
 
191 
 
 families and families, and thus nation and na- 
 tion apart, and hence they knew not what it 
 was to dwell together in society ; wherefore 
 when it was told them that those strangers 
 wished to persuade them to dwell in society, 
 to the intent that they might reign and rule over 
 them, and that they could not otherwise subject 
 them to themselves, and make them slaves, they 
 replied, that they were totally ignorant what was 
 meant by reigning and ruling. That they fly 
 away at the very idea of rule and dominion, 
 was made manifest to me from this circum- 
 stance, that one of them, who accompanied us 
 back again, when I shewed him the city in 
 which I dwelt, at the first sight of it fled away, 
 and was no longer seen. 
 
 174. I then discoursed with the attendant 
 angels concerning dominion, observing, that 
 there were two kinds of dominion, one of neigh- 
 bourly love, and the other of self-love; and 
 that the dominion of neighbourly love has place 
 amongst those, who dwell separated into houses, 
 families, and nations ; whereas the dominion of 
 self-love has place amongst those who dwell 
 together in society. Amongst those who live 
 separated into houses, families, and nations, he 
 has dominion who is the father of the nation, 
 and under him the fathers of famihes, and un- 
 der these the fathers of each particular house. 
 He is called the father of the nation, in whom 
 
192 
 
 the families originate, from which families the 
 
 houses are derived; but all these exercise a 
 dominion of love, like that of a father towards 
 his children, who teaches them how they ought 
 to live, provides for their good to the utmost 
 of his power, and distributes amongst them all 
 that he possesses; whilst it never enters into 
 1 is mind to subject them to himself as subjects, 
 or as servants, but he loves that they should 
 obey him as children obey their father; and 
 inasmuch as this love increases in descending, 
 as is generally known, therefore the father of 
 the nation acts from a principle of more inward 
 love than the father himself, from whom the 
 children are next descended. Such also is the 
 dominion which has place in the heavens, in- 
 asmuch as such is the Lord's dominion ; for 
 his dominion is grounded in a principle of di- 
 vine love towards the whole human race. 
 But the dominion of self-love, which is oppo- 
 site to the dominion of neighbourly love, began 
 when man ahenated himself from the Lord ; 
 for in proportion as man does not love and 
 worship the Lord, in the same proportion he 
 loves and worships himself, and in the same 
 proportion also he loves the world. Then it 
 was, that, compelled by motives of self-preser- 
 vation and security from injustice, nations con- 
 sisting of famihes and houses cemented them- 
 -elves into one body, and established govern- 
 
193 
 
 ments under various forms; for in proportion 
 as self-love increased, in the same proportion 
 all kinds of evil, as enmity, envy, hatred, re- 
 venge cruelty, and deceit, increased with it, 
 being exercised towards all who opposed that 
 love; for from man's propriety, or selfhood, 
 which has rule in those who are principled in 
 self-love, nothing but evil springs, inasmuch as 
 man's propriety or selfhood is nothing else but 
 mere evil, and of consequence is not receptive 
 of any good from heaven ; hence self-love, 
 whilst it has dominion, is the father of all such 
 evils ; [ddd) and it is also a love of such a na- 
 
 ( ddd) That man's propriety, or selfhood, which 
 he derives from his parents, is nothing but dense 
 evil, n. 210, 215, 731, 874, 876, 987, 1047, 2307, 
 23 1 8, 35 1 8, 370 1 , 38 1 2, 8480, 8550, 1 0283, 1 0284, 
 10286, 10731. That man's propriety, or self- 
 hood, consists in loving himself more than God, 
 and the world more than heaven, and in making 
 light of his neighbour in respect to himself, ex- 
 cept it be for the sake of himself, and thus from 
 motives of self-love and the love of the world, 
 n. 694, 731, 4317, 5660. That all evils flow 
 from self-love and the love of the world, when 
 they have dominion, n. 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 
 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7480, 7488, 8318, 9335, 
 9348, 10038, 10742. These evils are contempt 
 of others, enmity, hatred, revenge, cruelty, and 
 deceit, n. 6667, 7372, 7373, 7374, 9348, 10038, 
 10742. And that from these evils every false 
 principle flows, n. 1047, 10283, 10284, 10286, 
 
194 
 
 ture, that where it is left without restraint, it 
 
 grasps at an universal dominion over the whole 
 earth, and wishes to possess the property of 
 all; nay it is not even content with this, but 
 would have dominion over heaven also, as may 
 appear from the example of modern Babylon. 
 Such then is the dominion of self-love, from 
 which the dominion of neighbourly love differs 
 as much as heaven does from hell. But not- 
 withstanding the dominion of self-love is such 
 in societies, or in kingdoms and empires, there 
 is still existing a dominion of neighbourly love, 
 even in those collective bodies of men, with 
 those who are wise from a principle of faith 
 and love towards God, for such love their 
 neighbour. That such also in the heavens 
 dwell distinct as to nations, families, and houses, 
 ahhough in societies together, but according to 
 spiritual affinities, which have relation to the 
 good of love and the truth of faith, bj" the divine 
 mercy of the Lord will be shewn elsewhere. 
 
 175. I afterwards questioned those spirits 
 concerning various particulars in regard to the 
 earth from whence they came, and first, con- 
 cerning their divine worship, and concerning 
 revelation. In regard to divine worship, they 
 said, that nations with their families every 
 thirtieth day meet together in one place, and 
 hear preaching ; and that the preacher on those 
 occasions, from a pulpit a little raised from the 
 ground, teaches them divine truths which lead 
 
195 
 
 to the good of life. In regard to revelation, 
 they said, that it is communicated early in the 
 morning, in a state between sleeping and wak- 
 ing, when they are in interior light not as yet 
 disturbed by the bodily senses and by worldly 
 things ; and that on such occasions they hear 
 the angels of heaven discoursing concerning 
 divine truths, and concerning a hfe in conform- 
 ity thereto ; and that when they are awake, 
 an angel appears to them in a while garment 
 by the bed-side, and then suddenly vanishes 
 out of sight ; and that hereby they know that 
 what they heard was from heaven : thus divine 
 vision is distinguished from vision not divine, 
 for in vision not divine no angel appears. They 
 added, that in this manner revelations are 
 made to their preachers, and sometimes also 
 to others. 
 
 176. On questioning them concerning their 
 houses, they said, that they were low, being 
 built of wood, with a flat roof, having a cornish 
 sloping downwards ; and that in front dwelt 
 the husband and wife, in the next chamber 
 the children, and the men-servants and maid- 
 servants to the back. In regard to food, they 
 said, that they drink milk with water ; and 
 that they have milk from cows, which are 
 woolly like sheep. Concerning their manner 
 of life, they said, that they go naked, and that 
 
196 
 
 they are not ashamed of it ; also that their con- 
 nexions are with those of their own families. 
 
 177. In regard to the sun of that earth, they 
 related, that it appears to the inhabitants of a 
 flaming colour ; that the length of their years 
 is 200 days, and that a day equals nine hours 
 of our time, which they could conclude from 
 the length of the days of our earth perceivable 
 in me ; and further, that the}' have a perpetual 
 spring and summer, and consequently that the 
 fields are ever green, and the trees ever bear- 
 ing fruit. The reason of this is, because their 
 year is so short, being equal only to 75 days 
 of our time ; and when this is the case, the 
 cold does not continue long in winter, nor the 
 heat in summer, and of consequence the ground 
 is in a continual state of vegetation. 
 
 178. Concerning the ceremonies prepara- 
 tory to and attending marriage, they related, 
 that a daughter, when she arrives at a mar- 
 riageable age, is kept at home, nor is she al- 
 lowed to leave the house till the day she is to 
 be married ; and that then she is conducted to 
 a certain connubial house, where there are also 
 several other young women, arrived at the 
 same age, brought together, and there they are 
 placed behind a screen which reaches to the 
 middle of the body, so that they appear naked 
 as to the breast and face : and that on such 
 
197 
 
 occasions the young men come thither, to 
 choose for themselves a wife ; and when a 
 young man sees a young woman that seems 
 to suit him, and to whom his mind inchnes him, 
 he takes her by the hand ; and if she then 
 follows him, he leads her to a house prepared 
 for the purpose, and she becomes his wife ; for 
 they discover from the face whether they agree 
 in mind, inasmuch as every one's face on that 
 earth is an index of the mind, being free from 
 deceit and dissimulation. For the preserva- 
 tion of decency, and to suppress lasciviousness, 
 an old man is seated behind the young women, 
 and an old woman at the side of them, to make 
 their observations. There are several such 
 places to which the young women are con- 
 ducted ; and also stated times for the young 
 men to make their choice ; for if they do not 
 find a young woman to suit them in one place, 
 they go to another ; and if not at one time, 
 they return again at a future time. They said 
 further, that a husband has only one wife, 
 and in no case more than one, because to have 
 more than one is contrary to divine order. 
 
 39