left temple, where they breathed their speech upon me, but I did not
understand it. As to its flow it was very soft: I had never before
perceived any softer; it was like a very gentle breeze. It breathed
first upon the left temple, and upon the upper part of the left ear;
the breathing proceeded thence to the left eye, and by degrees to the
right, and flowed down afterwards, especially from the left eye,
to the lips; and when at the lips it entered through the mouth, and
through a way within the mouth, and, indeed, through the Eustachian
tube, into the brain. When the breathing arrived there, I understood
their speech, and was enabled to speak with them. When they spoke with
me, I observed that my lips were moved, and my tongue also slightly,
which was owing to the correspondence of interior with exterior
speech. Exterior speech is that of articulate sound which impinges
upon the external membrane of the ear, and it is conveyed from thence,
by means of the small organs, membranes, and fibres, which are within
the ear, to the brain. From these facts it was given me to know that
the speech of the inhabitants of Mars was different from that of
the inhabitants of our Earth, in that it is not sonorous, but almost
tacit, insinuating itself into the interior hearing and sight by a
shorter way; and that, being such, it was more perfect, and fuller of
the ideas of thought, thus approaching nearer to the speech of spirits
and angels. Among them the very affection of the speech is also
represented in the face, and its thought in the eyes; for with them
thought and speech, and affection and the face, act in unity. They
account it infamous to think one thing and speak another, and to will
one thing and show another in the face. They know not what hypocrisy
is, nor fraudulent simulation and deceit. The same kind of speech
prevailed amongst the Most Ancient inhabitants of our Earth, as it has
been given me to learn by conversation with some of them in the other
life; and to elucidate this subject I may relate what I have heard
respecting it, as follows: "It was shown me by an influx which I
cannot describe, what was the character of the speech which prevailed
amongst those who were of the Most Ancient Church[gg]. It was not
articulate, like the vocal speech of our time, but tacit, being
effected, not by external, but by internal respiration, consequently
it was a cogitative speech. It was given me also to apperceive the
character of their internal respiration. It proceeded from the navel
towards the heart, and so through the lips without sound when they
spoke. It did not enter the ear of another by an external way, and
strike upon what is called the drum of the ear, but by a certain
internal way, and indeed by what at this day is called the Eustachian
tube. It was shown me, that by such speech they could express the
feelings of the mind (_animus_), and the ideas of thought, much
more fully than can possibly be done by articulate sounds or audible
expressions, which speech is likewise directed by respiration, but
external; for there is not a vocal sound, yea, there is nothing in a
vocal sound, which is not directed by applications of the respiration.
But with them this was done much more perfectly, because by the
internal respiration, which, because more interior, is also more
perfect, and more applicable and conformable to the very ideas of
thought; besides, [it is done] also by slight motions of the lips, and
corresponding changes of the face; for, as they were celestial men,
whatever they thought shone forth from their face and eyes, which were
conformably varied, the face as to form according to the life of the
affection, and the eyes as to light. It was quite impossible for
them to present a countenance which was not in agreement with their
thoughts. As their speech was effected by internal respiration, which
is that of the human spirit itself, they could have communion with
angels, and speak with them." The respiration of the spirits of
Mars was also communicated to me[ii], and it was perceived that it
proceeded from the region of the chest towards the navel, and thence
flowed upwards through the breast, with an imperceptible breathing
(_halitus_) towards the mouth. From these facts, and also from other
experiential proofs, it was made evident to me that they were of a
celestial genius, consequently, that they were not unlike those who
belonged to the Most Ancient Church on this earth.
[Footnote ii: Spirits and angels have respiration, nos. 3884, 3885,
3891, 3893.]
88. I was informed that the spirits of Mars in the Grand Man have
relation to the medium between the Intellectual and the Voluntary,
consequently to THOUGHT FROM AFFECTION, and the best of them to THE
AFFECTION OF THOUGHT; hence it is that their face acts in unity
with their thought, and that they cannot simulate in the presence of
anyone. And as this is their relation in the Grand Man, the
middle province, which is between the cerebrum and the cerebellum,
corresponds to them; for with those in whom the cerebrum and the
cerebellum are conjoined as to spiritual operations, the face acts
in unity with the thought, so that the very affection of the thought
shines forth from the face, and the general [character] of the thought
from the affection, and also from certain signs that show themselves
in the eyes. Wherefore, while they were with me, I sensibly
apperceived a drawing back of the anterior part of the head towards
the hinder part, thus of the cerebrum towards the cerebellum[kk].
[Footnote kk: Human faces on our Earth in ancient times received
influx from the cerebellum, and then the face acted in unity with the
interior affections of the man; but afterwards they received influx
from the cerebrum when man began to simulate and counterfeit by the
face affections not his own. Concerning the changes thereby occasioned
to the face in course of time, see nos. 4325-4328.]
89. On one occasion when spirits of Mars were with me, and occupied
the sphere of my mind, spirits from our Earth came and desired to
intrude themselves also into that sphere; but the spirits of our
Earth became as if insane: this was caused by their being quite out of
harmony; for the spirits of our Earth in the Grand Man have relation
to the external sense, and consequently these spirits were in idea
turned towards the world and towards self, while the spirits of Mars
were in idea turned from self to heaven and the neighbour; hence the
contrariety. But some angelic spirits of Mars then approached, and on
their coming the communication was taken away, and so the spirits of
our Earth departed.
90. The angelic spirits spoke with me concerning the life of the
inhabitants on their earth; [saying] that they are not under forms of
government, but are distinguished into greater and lesser societies,
in which they associate themselves with such as agree in disposition,
which they know at once by the face and speech, and in this they are
seldom mistaken; they are then instantly friends. They also said their
consociations are delightful, and that they converse with each other
on what passes in their societies, and especially in heaven, for many
of them have open communication with the angels of heaven. Those in
their societies who begin to think wrongly, and consequently to
will what is evil, are dissociated and left to themselves alone,
in consequence of which they drag on a most wretched life, out of
society, among rocks or other places, for the rest no longer trouble
about them. Some societies try by various methods to compel such
persons to repent; but when this is to no purpose they dissociate
themselves from them. Thus they take precautions lest the lust of
dominion and the lust of gain should creep in, that is, lest from the
lust of dominion any should subject some society to themselves, and
afterwards many others; and lest from the lust of gain any should
deprive others of their goods. Every one there lives content with his
own goods, and every one with his own honour, that of being reputed
just and a lover of the neighbour. This delightful and tranquil state
of mind (_animus_) would perish, unless those who think and will
evil were cast out, and a prudent but severe check given to the first
beginnings of the love of self and the love of the world. For these
are the loves which first led to the establishment of empires and
kingdoms, within which there are few who do not desire to acquire
dominion, and to possess the goods of others, for there are few who do
what is just and fair from a love of justice and fairness, still less
who do good from charity itself, but most from fear of the law, the
loss of life, of gain, of honour, and of reputation for the sake of
these.
91. Concerning the Divine worship of those who dwell on that earth,
they said that they acknowledge and adore our Lord, saying that He is
the only God, and that He governs both heaven and the universe; that
all good is from Him, and that He leads them; also that He very often
appears on their earth amongst them. It was then given me to tell them
that on our Earth Christians also know that the Lord governs heaven
and earth, according to His own words in Matthew, "_All power is given
unto Me in heaven and on earth_" (xxviii. 18), but that they do not
believe it as those who belong to the earth Mars do. They said also
that there they believe that with themselves there is nothing but what
is filthy and infernal, and that all good is of the Lord; nay, they
added that of themselves they are devils, and that the Lord draws them
out of hell, and continually withholds them from it. On one occasion,
when the Lord was named, I saw that those spirits humbled themselves
more inwardly and profoundly than can be described: for in their
humiliation there was the thought that of themselves they were in
hell, and that thus they were utterly unworthy to look to the Lord,
who is the Holy itself. So profoundly were they in this thought from
faith, that they were, as it were, outside of themselves, and in that
thought they remained on their knees till the Lord raised them, and
then drew them as it were out of hell. When they thus emerge from
humiliation, they are filled with good and love, and consequently with
joy of heart. When they humble themselves in this manner, they do not
turn their face to the Lord, for this they dare not do then, but avert
it. The spirits who were about me said that never had they seen such
humiliation.
92. Some spirits who were from that earth were surprised that so many
spirits from hell were about me, and that they also spoke to me; but
it was given me to reply that this was permitted them for the purpose
of enabling me to know their characters, and why they are in hell, and
that this is according to their life. It was also given me to state
that there were several among them whom I had known when they lived in
the world, and that some of them had then occupied stations of great
dignity, and that then they had nothing at heart but the world; but
that no evil spirit, even the most infernal, could possibly do me any
injury, because I was continually protected by the Lord.
93. An inhabitant of that earth was exhibited before me. He was not
indeed an inhabitant, but was like one. His face resembled the faces
of the inhabitants of our Earth, but the lower part of the face was
black, not owing to a beard, which he had not, but to blackness in its
place. This blackness extended to underneath the ears on both
sides. The upper part of the face was ruddy, like the faces of the
inhabitants of our Earth who are not quite fair. They said further
that on their earth they subsist on the fruits of trees, especially
on a certain kind of round fruit which grows out of their earth; and
likewise on pulse. They are clothed with garments which they make of
the fibres of the inner bark of certain trees, which fibres have such
a consistence that they can be woven, and also cemented together by a
kind of gum they have among them. They related further that they know
how to make fluid fires, from which they have light during evening and
night.
94. I saw a certain flaming object, exceedingly beautiful; it was of
various colours, crimson, and also a glowing ruby hue, and from the
flame the colours also glowed beautifully. I also saw a hand, to which
this flaming object adhered, at first on the back of it, afterwards
on the palm or hollow, and from thence it played round about the hand.
This continued for some time. Afterwards this hand with the flaming
object was removed to a distance and where it rested there was a
bright light (_lucidum_). In that bright light the hand disappeared;
and the flaming object was then changed into a bird, whose colours
were at first similar to those of the flaming object, and gleamed in
the same manner; but these colours gradually changed, and with them
the vigour of life in the bird. It flew about, at first about my head,
then forwards into a kind of narrow chamber, which appeared like a
sanctuary, and as it flew onwards its life departed, and at length it
became stony; it was then at first of a pearly, afterwards of a dusky
colour; but although without life, it kept on flying. While this bird
was flying about my head, and still in the vigour of life, a spirit
was seen rising up from below, through the region of the loins to that
of the breast, and from there he wished to take that bird; but because
it was so beautiful, the spirits who were about me prevented his doing
so, for the eyes of all were fixed upon it. But this spirit who had
risen up from below used all his power to persuade them that the
Lord was with him, and consequently that he was acting from the Lord.
Although the most of them did not believe this, they nevertheless no
longer hindered him from taking the bird; but as at that moment heaven
inflowed he was unable to retain it, but immediately, opening his
hand, set it free. When this had taken place, the spirits who were
around me, and who had intently watched the bird and its successive
changes, began talking with each other about it, and they continued
talking for a considerable time. They perceived that such a sight
could not but signify something heavenly; they knew that what is
flaming signifies celestial love and its affections; that a hand, to
which the flaming object adhered, signifies life and its power; that
changes of the colours signify the varieties of life as to wisdom
and intelligence; that a bird has the same signification with this
difference, however, that what is flaming signifies celestial love
and the things that belong to celestial love, while a bird signifies
spiritual love and the things that belong to that love; (celestial
love is love to the Lord, and spiritual love is charity towards the
neighbour,[note gg]); and that the changes of the colours and at the
same time of the life in the bird, till it became stony, signify the
successive changes of spiritual life as to intelligence. They also
knew that the spirits who ascend from below, through the region of the
loins to that of the breast, are in a strong persuasion that they
are in the Lord, and consequently believe that whatever they do, even
though it be evil, they do of the Lord's will. But nevertheless this
did not enable them to know who were meant by that sight. At length
they were instructed from heaven, that the inhabitants of Mars were
meant; that their celestial love, in which many of them still are, was
signified by the flaming object that adhered to the hand; and that the
bird in the beginning, while it was in the beauty of its colours and
the vigour of its life, signified their spiritual love: but that the
bird when it had become as it were stony and devoid of life, and at
length of a dusky colour, signified those inhabitants who have removed
themselves from the good of love, and are in evil, and still believe,
nevertheless, that they are in the Lord. The same thing was signified
by the spirit who rose up and wished to take away the bird.
95. The bird of stone also represented inhabitants of that earth,
who by a strange method transmute the life of their thoughts and
affections into almost no life, on which subject I have learned the
following particulars. There was a certain spirit above my head who
spoke with me, and from the tone of his voice he was apperceived to
be as it were in a state of sleep. In this state he spoke many things,
and with a sagacity (_prudentia_) that he could not have surpassed
when awake. It was given me to perceive that he was a subject through
whom angels spoke, and that in that state he apperceived [their
speech] and produced it[ll]; for he spoke nothing but what was true;
if anything inflowed from any other source, he indeed admitted it,
but did not produce it. I questioned him respecting his state. He
said that to him that state was a peaceful one, and was free from all
solicitude respecting the future; and that at the same time he was
performing uses by which he had communication with heaven. I was
told that such, in the Grand Man, have relation to the _longitudinal
sinus_, which lies in the brain between its two hemispheres, and is
there in a tranquil state, no matter how disturbed the brain may be
on either side. While I was in conversation with this spirit, some
spirits introduced themselves towards the anterior part of the head
where he was, and pressed upon him; wherefore he retired to one side,
and gave place to them. The spirit strangers spoke with each other;
but neither the spirits about me, nor I myself, understood what they
said. I was informed by the angels that they were spirits from the
earth Mars, who have the skill to speak with each other in such a way
that the spirits present could not understand or perceive anything. I
wondered that there could possibly be speech of this kind, since
for all spirits there is one speech, which flows from thought,
and consists of ideas which are heard as vocal expressions in the
spiritual world. I was told that those spirits have a certain method
of forming ideas, expressed by the lips and face, unintelligible to
others, and that they at the same instant skilfully withdraw their
thoughts, guarding particularly lest anything of the affection should
manifest itself, because if anything of the affection were perceived,
the thought would appear, for the thought flows from the affection,
and as it were in it. I was further informed that such speech was
contrived by those inhabitants of Mars,--though not by all,--who make
heavenly life to consist in knowledges alone, and not in the life of
love; and that when they become spirits they retain it. These are they
who were specially signified by the bird of stone; for to produce
a speech by alterations of the face and motions of the lips, with
a removal of the affections and a withdrawal of the thoughts from
others, is to deprive speech of life and make it like an image, and
by degrees to produce the same effect on themselves. But although they
imagine that what they speak among themselves is not understood by
others, angelic spirits nevertheless perceive each and all of the
things they say, the reason being that no thought can be withdrawn
from them. This was also shown them by actual experience. I was
thinking of the fact that the evil spirits of our Earth are not
affected with shame when they infest others. This [thought] inflowed
with me from some angelic spirits who perceived their speech. Those
spirits of Mars then acknowledged that this was the subject they were
speaking of among themselves, and they were astonished. Besides this,
more things, both of their conversation and thought, were disclosed by
an angelic spirit, notwithstanding all their endeavours to hide away
their thoughts from him. Afterwards those spirits inflowed from above
into my face. The influx was felt like fine 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. They then spoke plainly with
me, saying, that the inhabitants of their earth speak in the same
way among themselves. They were then told that this is evil, as by
so doing they block up the internals, and recede from them to the
externals, which also they deprive of their life; and especially
because it is not sincere to speak in this manner. For they who
are sincere do not wish to speak or even to think anything but what
others, yea, what all, even the whole heaven, might know. But those
who are unwilling that others should know what they say, pass judgment
on others, and think ill of others and well of themselves, and at
length are led by habit so far as to think and speak ill of the
church, and of heaven, yea, of the Lord Himself. I have been told that
those who love knowledges, and not so much a life according to them,
have relation, in the Grand Man, to the inner membrane of the skull;
but that those who accustom themselves to speak without affection, and
to draw the thought to themselves and withdraw it from others, have
relation to that membrane, when it has become ossified, because, from
having some spiritual life, they come at length to have none.
[Footnote ll: Communications are effected by means of spirits sent
forth from societies of spirits and angels to other societies, and
these emissary spirits are called Subjects, nos. 4403, 5856, 5983,
5985-5989.]
96. As the bird of stone represented those also who are in knowledges
alone, and in no life of love, and as these consequently have no
spiritual life, therefore, by way of appendix, I may here show that
those only have spiritual life who are in heavenly love, and thence
in knowledges; and that a love contains in itself all the power of
knowing (_cognitinum_) which belongs to that love. Take for example
the animals of the earth, and also the living creatures of the heaven,
that is, the birds. These have the knowledge (_scientia_) of all
things that belong to their love. Their loves are, to nourish
themselves, to dwell safely, to propagate their kind, to take care
of their young, and, with some, to provide for the winter. They have,
therefore, all the requisite knowledge, for this is inherent in those
loves, and inflows into them as into its own receptacles; and this
knowledge in some animals is such that man cannot but be amazed at it.
Their knowledge is connate and is called instinct; but it belongs to
the natural love in which they are. If man were in his own love, which
is love to God and towards the neighbour, (this love is man's peculiar
love, by which he is distinguished from beasts, and it is heavenly
love,) he would not only be in all requisite knowledge, but likewise
in all intelligence and wisdom; for these [qualities] would inflow
into those loves from heaven, that is, from the Divine through
heaven. As, however, man is not born into those loves, but into their
contraries, that is to say, into the loves of self and of the world,
therefore he cannot but be born in complete ignorance and want
of knowledge But by Divine means he is brought to something of
intelligence and wisdom, yet not actually into any, unless the loves
of self and of the world are removed, and a way is thus opened for
love to God and towards the neighbour. That love to God and love
towards the neighbour have in them all intelligence and wisdom, may
appear from those who have been in those loves in the world. These,
when, after death, they come into heaven, know and are wise in things
of which they previously knew nothing; yea, they there think and
speak, like the rest of the angels, such things as the ear has not
heard, nor the mind known, which are ineffable. The reason is, that
those loves have the faculty of receiving such things into themselves.
THE EARTH OR PLANET SATURN, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS.
97. The spirits from that earth appear in front at a considerable
distance, below, in the plane of the knees, where that earth itself
is; and when the eye is opened thither, a multitude of spirits come
into view, who are all from that earth. They are seen on this side of
that earth, and to the right of it. It has been given me to speak with
them also, and thereby to know of what character they are relatively
to others. They are well-disposed, and they are modest; and as they
esteem themselves little, therefore also in the other life they appear
small.
98. They are extremely humble in worship, for in worship they esteem
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 thus as a Man, and at such times the Divine shines forth
from His face, and affects the mind (_animus_). The inhabitants also,
when they come of age, speak with spirits, by whom they are instructed
concerning the Lord, and how He ought to be worshipped, and also how
they ought to live. When any desire to lead astray the spirits who are
from that earth, and to draw them away from faith in the Lord, or from
humiliation towards Him, and from uprightness of life, they say they
wish to die. On these occasions there appear in their hands small
knives, with which they seem to desire to strike their breasts. On
being questioned why they do so, they say that they would rather die
than be drawn away from the Lord. The spirits of our Earth sometimes
mock at them on this account, and assail them with reproaches for
acting so; but their reply is, that they are well aware that they do
not kill themselves, but that this is only an appearance flowing forth
from the will of their mind (_animus_) rather to die than be drawn
away 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, their answer to whom is, that they are
insane, and that there can be no greater insanity than to ask what
God any one worships, when yet there is but one God for all in the
universe; and that still more insane are they in not saying that the
Lord is that One only God, and that He governs the whole heaven, and
consequently the whole world, since He who governs heaven must also
govern the world, because the world is governed by means of heaven.
100. They said that on their earth there are some who call the
nocturnal light (_lumen_), which is great, the Lord, but that these
are separated from the rest, and are not tolerated by them. That
nocturnal light (_lumen_) comes from the great ring which encircles
that earth at a distance, and from the moons which are called the
satellites of Saturn.
101. They related that another kind of spirits, who go in troops,
frequently come to them, desiring to learn how things are with them,
and that by various methods they elicit from them whatever they know.
They said of these spirits, that they are not insane, except in this
particular, that they desire to know so much for no other use than
that simply of knowing. They were afterwards instructed that these
spirits are from the planet Mercury, that is, from the earth nearest
the sun, and that they are delighted with knowledges alone, and not so
much with the uses from them.