unless this life were supported by evil spirits, and were thus amended, or at least guided, he would not survive a single moment; for nothing else has place in him but the love of self and of gain, and of reputation for the sake of self and gain, thus whatsoever is contrary to order; wherefore unless he were to be reduced into order moderately, and by degrees, by the guidance of his freedom, he would instantly expire. —A. C. 5854.

Extension of Thought from the natural World into the spiritual World.

also is to rule the evil spirits who are from hell, I said, that the Lord through the angels could lead which is effected by methods innumerable, of man into good ends by omnipotent might, for evil which it is allowed to mention only the following: spirits may in an instant be driven away, even if when the evil spirits infuse evils and falses, the myriads of them should encompass man, and this angels insinuate truths and goods, which, if they by one angel; but then man would come into such they are not received, are yet the means of tem- torture, and into such a hell, as he could by no perament: the infernal spirits are continually means sustain, since he would be miserably demaking assault, and the angels affording protec-prived of his life. For the life of man is from tion; such is the order. The angels principally lusts and fantasies contrary to good and truth, and moderate the affections, for these constitute the life of man, and also his freedom. The angels also observe whether any hells be opened, which were not open before, from which there is influx with man, which takes place when man brings himself into any new evil: those hells the angels close, so far as man suffers it, and if any spirits attempt to emerge thence, they are likewise removed by the angels. The angels also dissipate foreign and new influxes, from which are evil effects; especially do the angels call forth the goods and truths which are with man, and oppose them to the vils and falses which the evil spirits excite: 966. All thoughts of man diffuse themselves hence man is in the midst, nor does he apperceive into the spiritual world, in every direction, not unthe evil or the good, and because he is in the like the rays of light diffused from flame. Inasmidst, he is in the freedom of turning himself much as the spiritual world consists of heaven and either to the one or to the other. By such things the hell; and heaven consists of innumerable societies, angels from the Lord lead and protect man, and and in like manner hell, hence the thoughts of man this every moment, and every moment of a mo- must needs diffuse themselves into societies; spirment; for if the angels should only intermit a sin-itual thoughts, which relate to the Lord, to love gle instant, man would be plunged into evil, from and faith in Him, and to the truths and goods of which afterwards it would be impossible he should heaven and the church, into heavenly societies; be extricated. These things the angels do from but thoughts merely natural, which relate to self the love which they derive from the Lord, for they perceive nothing more delightful and more happy, than to remove evils from man, and to lead him to heaven: that they have joy herein, may be seen, Luke xv. 7. That the Lord has such care for man, and this continually, from the first germ of his life to the last, and afterwards to eternity, scarcely any man believes. A. C. 5992.

and the world, and the love thereof, and not to God at the same time, into infernal societies. That there is such an extension and determination of all the thoughts of man, has hitherto been unknown, because it was unknown what the quality of heaven is, and what the quality of hell, thus that they consist of societies, consequently, that there is an extension of the thoughts of man into another 965. It is provided by the Lord, that spirits flow world than the natural, into which latter world, in into the things which man thinks and wills, but also, there is an extension of the sight of his eyes; angels into his ends, and thus through his ends but it is the spiritual world into which thought exinto those things which follow from the ends. The tends itself, and it is the natural world into which angels also flow in by good spirits into those things vision extends itself, since the thought of the mind with man which are goods of life and truths of is spiritual, and the vision of the eye is natural. faith, whereby they withdraw him from evils and That there is an extension of all the thoughts of falses as much as possible; this influx is tacit, im- man into the societies of the spiritual world, and perceptible to man, but still in secret operation and that no thought can be given without such extenefficient. They principally avert evil ends, and sion, has been so testified to myself from the exinsinuate good ones; but so far as they are not perience of several years, that, with all faith, I can able to effect this they remove themselves, and assert it to be true. In a word, man with his head flow in more remotely and more absently, and then is in the spiritual world, as with his body he is in evil spirits approach nearer; for the angels cannot the natural world: by head is here meant his mind, be present in evil ends, that is, in the loves of self consisting of understanding, thought, will, and and of the world, but still they are remotely pres- love; and by body is here meant his senses, which ent. The Lord through the angels could lead are seeing, hearing, smelling, taste, and touch: man into good ends by omnipotent might; but this and whereas man as to his head, that is, as to his would be to take life away from him, for his life mind, is in the spiritual world, therefore he is either is a life of loves altogether contrary to such ends. in heaven or in hell, and where the mind is, there Wherefore the divine law is inviolable, that man the whole man is with head and body, when he shall be in freedom, and that good and truth, or becomes a spirit; and man is altogether of a quality charity and faith, shall be implanted in his free agreeable to his conjunction with the societies of state, and in no case in a forced state; for what is the spiritual world, being an angel of a quality received in a forced state, does not remain, but is agreeable to his conjunction with the societies of dissipated. For to force man, is not to insinuate heaven, or a devil of a quality agreeable to his into his will (velle), inasmuch as it is the will of conjunction with the societies of hell. From what another, from which he then would act, and there- has been said, it is evident that the thoughts of fore when he returns to his own will, that is, to his man are extensions into societies, either heavenly freedom, what had been insinuated is extirpated. or infernal, and that unless they were extensions, On this account the Lord rules man by his freedom, they would be no thoughts; for the thought of and as far as possible withholds him from the free-man is as the sight of his eyes, which, unless it dom of thinking and willing evil; for man, unless had extension out of itself, would either be no he was withheld by the Lord, would continually sight, or be blindness.-A. E. 1092, 1093. precipitate himself into the deepest hell. It was 967. It has been manifestly shown to me, that

man when his interior sight is opened by the Lord. This interior sight is that of his spirit; into which, also, he comes, when, being separated from the body, he passes into the other life; for man is a spirit clothed with a body. Such were the visions of the prophets. When this sight is opened, then the things which exist amongst spirits are seen in a clearer light than that of the midday sun of this world, and not only are representatives seen, but also the spirits themselves, accompanied with a perception as to who they are, and likewise of what quality they are, where they are, whence they come, and whither they go, of what affection, of what persuasion, yea, of what faith they are: all confirmed by living discourse altogether like that of men, and this without any fallacy.

they allowed the existence of spirits, and the resurrection of the dead, yet in their hearts they did not believe any such thing. When my interior sight was first opened, and spirits and angels saw, through my eyes, the world and the objects contained in it, they were so astonished, that they called it a miracle of miracles, and were affected with a new joy, that a communication was thus opened between earth and heaven: this delight, however, only lasted for a few months: the thing afterwards grew familiar to them; and it now occasions them no surprise. I have been informed, that, with other men, spirits and angels do not see the least of any thing in this world, but only perceive the thoughts and affections of those with whom they are associated. Hence it may appear, that man was so created, that, during his life on 976. The visions which exist before good spirearth amongst men, he might at the same time also its are representatives of those things that are in live in heaven amongst angels, and during his life heaven; for what exists in heaven in the presence in heaven amongst angels, he might at the same of the angels, when it descends into the world of time also live on earth amongst men, so that heaven spirits, is changed into representatives, by which, and earth might be together, and might form a one, and in which, may be clearly seen what they sigmen knowing what is in heaven, and angels what nify: such representations are perpetual with good is in the world; and that when men departed this spirits, with a beauty and agreeableness scarcely life, they might pass thus from the Lord's king-expressible.-A. C. 1970, 1971.

dom on earth into the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, not as into another, but as into the same, having been in it also during their life in the body. But as man became so corporeal, he closed heaven against himself.-A. C. 1880.

Visions and Dreams.

972. The way in which visions take place, and what visions are genuine, is known to few: as then I have now for several years had almost continual intercourse with those who are in the other life, as may abundantly appear from the first part of this work, and have there seen stupendous things: so also I have had information concerning visions and dreams by lively experience, and am at liberty to relate the following particulars respecting them.

973. The visions of some are much spoken of, who have said that they have seen many extraordinary things: they did see them, it is true, but only in fantasy. I have been instructed concerning those visions, and it was likewise shown me how they exist. There are spirits who induce such appearances by fantasies, that they seem as if they were real. For example: if any thing is seen in the shade, or by moonlight, or even in open day if the object be in a dark place, those spirits keep the mind of the beholder fixedly and unceasingly in the thought of some particular thing, either of an animal, or a monster, or a forest, or some such thing; and so long as the mind is kept in this thought, the fantasy is increased, and that to such a degree, that the person is persuaded and sees, just as if the things were really there; when, nevertheless, they are nothing but illusions. Such occurrences take place with those who indulge much in fantasies, and are of weak minds, and hence are rendered credulous. Such are visionaries.

974. Enthusiastic spirits are of a similar nature: but these have visions about matters of faith, by which they are so firmly persuaded, and persuade others, that they will swear what is false to be true, and what is imaginary to be real. -A, C. 1966-1968.

975. By genuine visions are meant visions, or sights, of those objects which really exist in the other life, and which are nothing but real things, which may be seen by the eyes of the spirit, but not by the eyes of the body, and which appear to

Real and unreal Visions.

977. Visions, which, and from which, man, or the spirit of man, sees, are of a twofold kind: there are real visions, and visions that are not real: real visions are of such things as really appear in the spiritual world, altogether corresponding to the thoughts and affections of the angels, consequently they are real correspondences; such were the visions which appeared to the prophets who prophesied truths, and such also were the visions which appeared to John, and which are described throughout the Revelation; but visions that are not real, are such as appear in the external form like those that are real, but not in the internal, being produced by spirits by means of fantasies; such were the visions which appeared to the prophets who prophesied vain things or lies, which being not real were fallacies, and therefore signified fallacies: and since the horses and them that sat on them were seen by John in such vision, therefore by them are signified reasonings from fallacies, and thence falsifications of the Word. Forasmuch as real visions appeared to the prophets, by whom the Word was written, and visions that were not real to others who were also called prophets, and the visions of these latter were vain, and are in the Word, also called lies, it is of importance that the nature and quality of visions should be known. It is to be observed, that all things which really appear in the spiritual world, are correspondences, for they correspond to the interiors of the minds of the angels, or of their affection and thought thence derived, wherefore they also signify such things; for the spiritual principle which is of the affection, and thence of the thought of the angels, clothes itself with forms such as those which appear in the three kingdoms of the natural world, namely, the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral, and all these forms are correspondences, such as were seen by the prophets, and which signified the things to which they corresponded. But there are also appearances in the spiritual world, which are not correspondences, which are produced from spirits, especially the evil, by means of fantasies, for by these those spirits can present to the view, palaces, and houses full of decorations, likewise ornamented garments, and can also induce upon themselves beautiful faces, with other things

of a like nature; but as soon as the fantasy ceases, | said, that they did not know whence such things, all the things which it has produced vanish, in con- and so beautiful and agreeable representatives, sequence of their being merely external in which come to them in an instant; but they were inthere is nothing internal.-A. E. 575.

978. As to what relates to dreams, it is well known that the Lord revealed the secrets of heaven to the prophets, not only by visions, but also by dreams, and that dreams were equally representative and significative as visions, and that they were commonly of one sort; and further, that things to come were discovered by dreams to others as well as to the prophets; as in the case of Joseph's dreams, and of the dreams of those who were with him in prison, and also of Pharaoh, of Nebuchadnezzar, and others. It may hence appear, that dreams of that sort come by influx from heaven as well as visions, with this difference, that dreams come when the corporeal part is asleep, but visions when it is not asleep. In what manner prophetical dreams, and such as are recorded in the Word, flow in, yea, descend from heaven, has been shown me to the life; concerning which I am at liberty to relate from experience the following particulars. 979. There are three sorts of dreams. The first sort come mediately through heaven from the Lord; such were the prophetical dreams recorded in the Word. The second sort come by angelic spirits, particularly by those who are in front above to the right, where are paradisiacal scenes: it was thence that the men of the Most Ancient Church had their dreams, which were instructive. The third sort come by the spirits who are near when man is asleep, which also are significative. But fantastic dreams have another origin.

formed that it was from heaven. They belong to the province of the cerebellum, because the cerebellum, as I have learned, is in a wakeful state during sleep, when the cerebrum is asleep. The men of the Most Ancient Church had thence their dreams, with a perception of what they signified: from whom, in a great measure, came the representatives and significatives of the ancients, under which things of a deep and hidden nature were conveyed.-A. C. 1975-1977.

981. I had a dream, but of a common sort. When I was awake, I related the whole from beginning to end. The angels said that what I related coincided exactly with the things about which they had discoursed with each other, not that the things they discoursed about were the things of which I dreamed, but altogether different, the thoughts of their discourse being turned into the objects of my dream, but in such a manner as to be representative and correspondent, yea, even in every particular, so that nothing was wanting. I then discoursed with them concerning influx, and how such things flow in and are varied. There was a person of whom I had formed an idea that he was principled in natural truth, which idea I conceived from the actions of his life: the discourse amongst the angels was concerning natural truth; wherefore that person was represented to me; and the things which he said to me, and did, in my dream, followed in an orderly way of representation and correspondence from the mutual discourse of the angels; but still there was nothing altogether alike or the same. A. C. 1981.

980. In order that I might know perfectly how dreams come by influx, I was laid asleep, and dreamed that a ship arrived laden with delicious eatables of every sort. The things contained in Difference between the State of Vision, and direct Revelation from the Lord. the ship were not seen, but were in store. On the deck stood two armed sentinels, beside a third who 982. No one can enter into that state, and be was captain of the ship. The ship passed into a kept in it, but by angels who are in near conjunckind of roofed dock. Hereupon I awoke, and tion with man, and who communicate their spiritthought about the dream. The angelic spirits who ual state to the interiors of his mind, for thus man were above in front to the right, then addressed is elevated into the light of heaven, and in it sees me, and said, that they had introduced this dream. the things which are in heaven, and not the things And that I might know of a certainty that this was which are in the world; in a similar state at times the case, I was let into a state as it were between were Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel, and others of sleeping and waking, when in like manner they in- the prophets; but not when they spake the Word, troduced various pleasant and delightful things; for then they were not in the spirit but in the body, as an unknown little animal, which was dissipated and heard the words which they wrote from Jehointo a resemblance of blackish and shining rays, vah Himself, that is, from the Lord: these two that darted into the left eye with astonishing quick-states of the prophets ought carefully to be distinness: they also brought men before me, as like-guished, moreover the prophets themselves carewise infants variously adorned; besides other ob- fully distinguish them, for they say every where jects, with agreeableness inexpressible; concern- when they wrote the Word from Jehovah, that Jeing all which also I discoursed with them. This was done, not once only, but several times, and each time I was instructed by them in vocal discourse, as to the signification of the various objects. The angelic spirits, who dwell on the confines of the paradisiacal abodes, are they who insinuate such dreams; to whom is also allotted the office of watching over certain men during sleep, to prevent the infestations of evil spirits. This office they discharge with the utmost delight, insomuch that there is an emulation amongst them who shall approach; and they love to excite in man the joys and delights which they observe in his affection and temper. These angelic spirits are of those, who, in the life of the body, delighted and loved, by every means and endeavor, to render the life of others happy. When the sense of hearing is so far opened there is heard thence, as from afar, a sweet sonorous modulation as of singing. They

hovah spake with them, and to them, and very often, Jehovah said, Jehovah says; but when they were in the other state, they say that they were in the spirit or in vision, as may appear from the following passages: Ezekiel says, "The spirit lifted me up, and brought me into Chaldea to the captivity in a vision of God, so the vision I saw went up over me," chap. xi. 1, 24; he says in another place, "That the spirit lifted him up, and that he heard behind him an earthquake," and other things, chap. iii. 12, 14; also, "That the spirit lifted him up between heaven and earth, and brought him in the visions of God to Jerusalem, and he saw abominations," chap. viii. 3 and subseq., wherefore in like manner, in a vision of God, or in the spirit, "He saw four animals which were cherubs," chap. i. and chap. x. "Also a new temple and a new earth, and an angel measuring them," as described chap. xl.-xlviii. that he was