4088. After these words had been written, I realized that the societies around me had argued about the matter. The reasoning streamed in in a most general way, so that nothing was felt but a kind of obscurity and confusion, affecting the brain with a kind of dull, foul sensation. Therefore, if all the reasonings of spirits were to stream in, the person would be in such a faint, general, dully painful condition as to perceive nothing, so that a person's having any distinct mental imagery is due to the Lord's precaution, lest such confusion flow in.
What their argumentation is like was shown also earlier by a bright white cloud on a sky blue background, that lifted itself, pressed and bent itself about [cf. 3702], which was only the reasoning of numerous societies. This also I realized many years ago, when I was enveloped in an obscure imagery, namely that such a dull pain affected my head, 1748, 27 Nov., but when I was freed, [the pain] dispersed, and it was like the light coming forth after a cloudy sky.
4088. After the above was written I perceived that the societies around me reasoned concerning it. Their reasoning flowed in in a most general way, so that nothing was perceived but a certain obscure confused something which affected the brain with a kind of dull disagreeable sensation of pain. Wherefore if all the reasonings of spirits should flow in, man would be brought into just such an obscure general state, attended with a similar dull feeling of pain, and would perceive nothing distinctly; so that the fact of man's having any distinct idea is owing to the Lord's precaution lest any such confused impressions should enter the mind. The quality of their reasoning was also previously evinced by a white cloud in the azure vault, which raised, depressed, and bent itself about, and which was nothing else than the reasoning of a number of societies. I had also observed many years before that when I was in an obscure idea, just such a dull heavy pain affected the head. - 1748, November 27. But when I was freed [from the obscurity] the pain was dissipated, like the light shining forth from a previously clouded sky.
4088. Perceptum, postquam illa scripta sunt, quod societates circum me ratiocinati sint de illo, ratiocinatio influebat communissime, ut nihil perceptum, quam quoddam obscurum, confusum, quod cerebrum afficiebat muto quodam sensu [doloris] tetro; quare si omnes ratiocinationes spirituum influerent, tunc homo in obscuro communi mute dolorifico esset, et nihil perciperet, quare quod distincta appareat idea homini, est quia Dominus praecavet, ne tale confusum influat: qualis sit ratiocinatio eorum, constabat quoque prius ex nube candida in coeruleo, quae se elevabat, deprimebat, flectebat [cf. 3702], quae solum erat plurium societatum ratiocinatio: perceptum hoc quoque apud me est ante multos annos, cum in idea obscura essem, quod talis dolor mutus caput afficeret, 1748, 27 Nov., sed quum liberatus, erat dissipatus, [et erat] sicut lux post nebulosum.