102、土星居民和灵人在巨人里面和在属灵人与属世人中间，但远离属世人、接近属灵人的感官有关。这就为何这些灵人看似被带入或匆忙进入天堂，然后很快被送回。因为凡与属灵感官有关的事物都在天堂，凡与属世感官有关的事物都在天堂之下。
由于我们地球灵在巨人里面与属世和肉体感官有关，所以我蒙允许通过活生生的经历获知，当属世人未处于信与仁的状态时，属灵人与属世人如何彼此争战、吵架。
只见土星灵从远处来了，然后直接的交流就在他们和我们地球的这类灵人之间得以建立。一觉察到他们，我们地球灵几乎疯了，开始骚扰他们，发表关于信，以及主的诋毁性言论；在以这些谩骂和侮辱虐待他们期间，他们还冲到土星灵当中，出于他们所陷入的疯狂试图向他们行恶、造成伤害。而土星灵根本就不害怕，因为他们很安全、宁静。而我们地球灵在他们中间时，却开始备受折磨，呼吸困难，以至于朝各个方向摔了出去，直到全部消失。
在场的灵人由此意识到，属世人若与属灵人分离，当进入一个属灵气场时是何性质；也就是说，他会发疯。因为脱离属灵人的属世人只能汲取世界的智慧，从天堂却什么也没得到。凡仅倚靠世界智慧的人，除了他的感官告诉他的外，什么也不信，并且信靠骗人的感官印象使他相信的事物。这些东西若不被来自灵界的流注除去，就会产生虚假。正因如此，属灵事物对他来说毫无意义，以致他几乎无法容忍提及任何属灵事物。因此，这种人若被保持在一个属灵气场，就会发疯。不过，他们在世期间，这种情况不会发生。在世上，他们要么以属世的方式思想属灵事物，要么一个耳朵进，一个耳朵出，也就是说，他们听而不闻。
从这个经历也明显可知，属世人无法入侵属灵人，也就是说，无法攀升到属灵人那里。但当人处于信的状态，并由此享有属灵生命时，属灵人就会流入属世人，在他里面思考。属灵的流注，也就是来自灵界的流注进入或作用于自然界，而不是反过来。流注是属灵的，而不是物质的或属世的；因此，流注从灵界进入自然界，而不是从自然界进入灵界(AC 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427-8, 5477, 6322)。表面上看，似乎流注从人的外在进入人的内在，但这是一个谬论(AC 3721)。
102. In the universal human, the inhabitants and spirits of Saturn have to do with a sensory function midway between the spiritual and the earthly self, but one that pulls back from the earthly self and draws closer to the spiritual self. Because of this these spirits seem to be borne or snatched up into heaven but are also soon sent back, since any sensory function that is spiritual occurs in heaven, while any sensory function that is earthly occurs underneath heaven. 1
[2] Since in the universal human the spirits of our planet have to do with the earthly and bodily senses, I learned from direct experience how the spiritual self and the earthly self fight and conflict with each other when the earthly self is not devoted to faith and caring.
[3] Some spirits from Saturn came into view at a distance, at which point a living communication was established between them and some spirits from our planet who were faithless and uncaring. As soon as the spirits from our planet became aware of the Saturnians they seemed to go crazy and began to harass them, deluging them with insults against their faith and against the Lord. While they were caught up in uttering these attacks and assaults, the spirits from our planet even broke into their midst and were driven so insane that they tried to do them harm. The spirits from Saturn felt no fear, though, because they were safe and at peace. But when our spirits were among these spirits from Saturn, our spirits began to feel pain and could not breathe, so they scattered in all directions and disappeared.
[4] We bystanders gathered from this what the earthly self that has been separated from the spiritual self is like when it enters a spiritual atmosphere-namely, that it becomes insane. This is because the earthly self that has been separated from the spiritual self derives all its wisdom from this world and none from heaven; and people who derive all their wisdom from this world believe only what is grasped by the bodily senses. This means that what they believe is based on fallacies arising from the senses, and if these are not put aside by an inflow from the spiritual world they lead to false conclusions. That is why spiritual matters mean nothing to people like this, even to the point that they can scarcely stand to hear the word “spiritual.” As a result, when they are kept in a spiritual atmosphere they become insane. It is different while they are living in this world. They then either think materialistically about spiritual matters or turn their ears away-that is, they hear these things but pay no attention.
[5] This experience also showed that the earthly self cannot turn itself into the spiritual self-that is, it cannot rise up. However, when we are devoted to our faith and are therefore leading a spiritual life, our spiritual self flows into our earthly self and thinks there. There is such a thing as spiritual inflow, which is a flow from the spiritual world into the physical world, but there is no flow in the other direction. 2
Footnotes:
1. The parallel with the Renaissance view of the character bestowed by the planet Saturn is interesting: the Neoplatonic philosopher Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) claimed that the influence of Saturn “produces those outstanding philosophers whose minds are so far withdrawn from outward stimuli, and even from their own bodies, and so much drawn towards all that is transcendental, that they finally become instruments of things divine” (Ficino Three Books on Life 1[6], as translated in Klibansky, Panofsky, and Saxl 1964, 259-260). Ficino, like others before him, offers a parallel also to the ambiguous status of the Saturnians described in the text here, who are constantly rising to the spiritual and falling from it to the material. He identified Saturn as having an ambivalent influence: the planet could cause melancholy but could also prevent it by raising and supporting those who turned their depression into creative contemplation (Klibansky, Panofsky, and Saxl 1964, 271-272). [SS]
2. [Swedenborg note] Inflow is spiritual and not physical or earthly, so there is an inflow from the spiritual world into the physical world but not from the physical into the spiritual: 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322. It seems as though there is an inflow from the outside into the inner self, but this is an illusion: 3721.
102. The inhabitants and spirits of the planet Saturn answer in the Grand Man to the SENSE WHICH IS MIDWAY BETWEEN THE SPIRITUAL AND THE NATURAL MAN, but which departs from the natural and verges on the spiritual. This is why those spirits are seen to be carried off or hurried into heaven, and then shortly to be sent back. For anything to do with spiritual sense is in heaven, but anything to do with natural sense is below heaven.
[2] Since the spirits of our world answer in the Grand Man to natural and bodily sense, I have been allowed to learn by plain experience how the spiritual and the natural man fight and quarrel, if the natural man is not in a state of faith and charity.
[3] The spirits of the world of Saturn were seen coming from far off, and then direct communication was established between them and such spirits of our world. On becoming aware of them our spirits became almost mad, and started to attack them, throwing out disparaging remarks about faith and also about the Lord; and amid their rudeness and insults they actually plunged in among them, and the madness from which they were suffering made them attempt to inflict injury. But the spirits of Saturn were not at all frightened, being safe and calm. However, the spirits of our world, finding themselves among them began to be distressed and to have difficulty in breathing, so that they hurled themselves away, one in one direction, another in another, and disappeared.
[4] This made the bystanders aware what the natural man is like, if he is separated from the spiritual man, when he enters a spiritual sphere; he is driven mad. For the natural man when separated from the spiritual can draw only on the world's wisdom, and gets nothing from heaven. Anyone who relies only on the world's wisdom believes nothing but what his senses tell him, and trusts what the deceptive impressions of the senses make him believe. Unless these are taken away by influence from the spiritual world, they lead to false beliefs. That is why spiritual matters are meaningless to him, to such a point that he can scarcely bear to hear the spiritual mentioned. As a result such people go mad, if they are kept in a spiritual sphere. But this does not happen while they are living in the world. Then they either think about spiritual matters in a natural way, or they close their ears to them, that is, they hear but do not listen.
[5] That experience also proved that the natural man cannot invade, that is, climb up to, the spiritual man. But when a person is in a state of faith and thus enjoys spiritual life, the spiritual man exerts an influence on the natural man, and thinks in him. Spiritual influence, that is, an influence from the spiritual world, can occur working on the natural world, but not the reverse. 1
Footnotes:
1. Influence is spiritual, not physical or natural, so that the spiritual world influences the natural world, but the natural does not influence the spiritual world (Arcana Caelestia 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427-5428, 5477, 6322). There is an apparent influence of a person's externals on his internals, but this is misleading (Arcana Caelestia 3721).
102. The inhabitants and spirits of the planet Saturn have relation in the Greatest Man, to the middle sense between the spiritual 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 presently to be let back again; for whatever appertains to the spiritual sense is in heaven; but whatever appertains to the natural sense is beneath heaven. Inasmuch as the spirits of our earth, in the Greatest Man have relation to natural and corporeal sense, it was given me to know by manifest experience how the spiritual man and the natural fight and strive with each other, when the latter is not in faith and charity. The spirits of the earth Saturn came from afar into view, and there was then opened a living communication between them and such spirits of our earth. The latter, on thus perceiving the former, became as if insane, and began to infest them, by infusing unworthy suggestions concerning faith, and also concerning the Lord; and whilst abusing them with these invectives and insults, they also cast themselves into the midst of them, and from the insanity in which they were, they endeavored to do evil to them. But the spirits of Saturn feared nothing, because 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 so they cast themselves out, one in this way and another that, till they all disappeared. The spirits who were present perceived from this, what is the quality of the natural man when separate from the spiritual, and when he comes into a spiritual sphere, namely, that he is insane; for the natural man separate from the spiritual is wise only from the world, and not from heaven; and he who is wise only from the world, believes nothing but what be can apprehend with his senses, and the things which he believes he believes from the fallacies of the senses, which, unless they are removed by an influx from the spiritual world, produce falsities. Hence it is that spiritual things to him are not anything, insomuch that he can scarcely bear to hear mention made of anything spiritual; wherefore such 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 experience, that the natural man cannot introduce himself into the spiritual, that is, ascend; but when man is in faith, and thereby in spiritual life, in this case the spiritual man flows into the natural, and thinks therein. For there is given a spiritual influx, that is, an influx from the spiritual world into the natural, but not the reverse. 1
Footnotes:
1. Influx is spiritual, and not physical or natural, consequently influx is from the spiritual world into the natural, and not from the natural into the spiritual (Arcana Coelestia 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322). It appears as if influx is from externals into man's internals, but this is a fallacy (Arcana Coelestia 3721).
102. Incolae et spiritus planetae Saturni referunt in maximo Homine SENSUM MEDIUM INTER SPIRITUALEM ET NATURALEM HOMINEM, at qui recedit a naturali et accedit ad spiritualem: inde est, quod spiritus illi appareant auferri aut rapi in coelum, ac mox remitti; nam quicquid sensus spiritualis est, id in coelo est, at quicquid sensus naturalis est, id infra coelum est. Quoniam nostrae Telluris Spiritus in maximo Homine referunt Sensum naturalem et corporeum, a manifesta experientia scire datum est, quomodo pugnant et collidunt inter se spiritualis homo ac naturalis, cum hic non in fide et charitate est. Spiritus Telluris Saturni e longinquo in conspectum veniebant, et tunc dabatur viva communicatio inter illos et inter Spiritus nostrae Telluris tales: hi illis sic perceptis fiebant sicut insani, et incipiebant infestare illos, infundendo indigna de fide, et quoque de Domino; cumque in invectivis et injuriis erant, etiam se conjiciebant in medium eorum, et ex insania, in qua erant, conabantur malum inferre; sed Spiritus Saturni nihil timebant, quia tuti erant, et in tranquillo: at spiritus illi nostrae Telluris, cum in medio eorum erant, incipiebant angi, ac aegre respirare, et sic ejiciebant se unus huc et alter illuc, ac disparabantur. Adstantes inde appercipiebant, qualis est naturalis homo separatus a spirituali, cum venit in sphaeram spiritualem, quod nempe insaniat; naturalis enim homo separatus a spirituali solum ex mundo sapit, et nihil ex coelo; et qui solum ex mundo sapit, is nihil credit nisi quod sensus capiunt, et quod credit ex fallaciis sensuum credit, quae nisi removentur per influxum ex spirituali mundo, producunt falsa: inde est, quod spiritualia ei non sint aliquid, usque adeo ut vix sustineat audire Spirituale nominari; quapropter tales insaniunt, cum tenentur in sphaera spirituali; aliter cum vivunt in mundo; tunc vel naturaliter de spiritualibus cogitant, vel avertunt aurem, hoc est, audiunt et non attendunt. Ab experientia illa etiam constabat quod naturalis homo non possit inferre se in spiritualem, hoc est, ascendere; sed cum homo in fide est, et inde in vita spirituali, quod spiritualis homo influat in naturalem, et ibi cogitet; influxus enim datur spiritualis, hoc est, e spirituali mundo in naturalem, non autem vicissim. 1
Footnotes:
1. Quod Influxus spiritualis sit, et non physicus seu naturalis, ita quod influxus sit e spirituali mundo in naturalem et non e naturali in spiritualem, Arcana Coelestia 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322. Quod appareat sicut influxus sit ab externis in interna hominis, sed quod sit fallacia, Arcana Coelestia 3721.