13、下面的经历向我证明，他们如何急切地搜寻并吸收诸如属于超越身体感官知觉记忆的那类知识。他们在探视我对天上事物所知的那些事时，快速地过了一遍，不停地说：“就是这么回事，正是这样。”因为当灵人靠近人时，他们会进入他的全部记忆，从中唤起适合他们的东西。事实上，我经常发现，他们翻阅记忆里的内容，就像翻阅一本书。这些灵人做起这种事来更熟练、更迅速，因为他们会跳过拖慢并限制内视，以至于使它迟缓的那类事物；如当视一切世俗和肉体事物本身为目的，也就是说，唯独爱这些事物时，它们就属这类事物。他们把思想集中在真实事物上；因为从世俗的累赘当中摆脱出来的这类事物会使心智上升，从而进入广阔的领域；而纯物质事物会把心智拖下来，同时限制并关闭它。另一个经历也清楚表明，他们急于获取知识，丰富他们的记忆。有一次，我正在写一些关于未来事件的东西，他们离得太远，以至于无法从我的记忆中把它们提取出来查看。由于我不愿当着他们的面读这些东西，所以他们极其愤慨，并且一反常态，想要辱骂我，说我是最坏的人之一等等。为表明他们的恼怒，他们就在我脑袋的右侧直到耳朵引发一种疼痛的收缩。但这些事并没有伤害到我。他们因做了坏事，反而把自己推得更远，不过很快又停下来，站着不走，因为他们想知道我写了什么。这就是他们对知识的那种渴求。与人同在的灵人掌握他记忆里的一切事物(AC 5853, 5857, 5859-60)。
13. I could tell how eagerly they seek out and soak up all types of knowledge retained in the part of the memory that transcends the physical senses by this: in the course of investigating what I knew about heaven and running through it all, they kept saying, “That’s right. That’s right.” As I just mentioned, when spirits come to someone they gain access to everything in that individual’s memory, and retrieve from it whatever suits their interests. In fact, they read what is there like a book, a phenomenon I have often observed. 1
These spirits were doing all this with extraordinary skill and speed because they were not dwelling on types of information that are heavy and sluggish, which constrain and therefore slow down inner sight. 2All that is earthly and bodily has this dulling effect when we focus on it, which is what we do when it is the only thing we love. 3Instead, these spirits pay attention to higher information. Concepts that have nothing earthly clinging to them lift the mind up and give it a panoramic view, while information that focuses on what is merely physical drags the mind down, hemming it in and closing it.
The following experience, too, showed me how intensely eager they are to gather higher types of knowledge and enrich their memory with them. I was writing at one point about things yet to come, and they were too far away to see the contents of my memory. Because I was unwilling to read out loud to them what I had written, they became intensely annoyed and, going against their usual principles, attempted to assault me verbally, saying that I was a terrible person and things like that. To show how angry they were, they also brought about a painful kind of pressure on the right side of my head, from the crown to the ear. That sort of thing did no harm at all to me, but because what they had done was wrong, they moved farther away from me. Even so, they soon stopped in their tracks, because they were still longing to know what I had written. That is how great their passion for learning is.
Footnotes:
1. [Swedenborg note] The spirits who are with someone adopt everything in that person’s memory: 5853, 5857, 5858, 5859.
2. For a general description of how levels of reality become more and more obscure and inert (“sluggish”) the farther they proceed from the Lord outward toward material nature, see Secrets of Heaven 7270:3. Compare Pseudo-Aristotle On the Universe 397b:30-35 (= Aristotle 1984, 1:635):
The earth and the things upon the earth, being farthest removed from the benefit which proceeds from God, seem feeble and incoherent and full of much confusion; nevertheless, inasmuch as it is the nature of the divine to penetrate to all things, the things also of our earth receive their share of it in the same way as the things above us, according to their nearness to or distance from God receiving more or less of divine benefit.
For more on the relatively inert nature of the material level, see also Divine Love and Wisdom 302, 305; True Christianity 33. [GFD, SS]
3. In Divine Love and Wisdom 424 “earthly love” is defined as “love for ourselves and love for the world”; it is contrasted with “spiritual love,” which is defined as “love for the Lord and love for our neighbor.” (Spiritual love is also called “heavenly love.”) Although Swedenborg sees earthly love as useful when it is subservient to spiritual love, he also maintains that it becomes destructive if it becomes dominant, as indicated in this passage. (He therefore commonly refers to earthly love as “hellish love.”) For more on these types of love, see Secrets of Heaven 9434, 10463; Heaven and Hell 566-575; New Jerusalem 54-107; Divine Love and Wisdom 416; Divine Providence 106-107; True Christianity 45; Revelation Explained (= Swedenborg 1994-1997a) 650, 832, 837:12. [LSW]
13. The following experience proved to me how anxious they are to seek out and absorb knowledge of the kind to be found in the levels of the memory above bodily sense-perceptions. When they were looking into my knowledge of heavenly matters, they ran through everything and kept saying: 'That's the sort of thing, that's it.' For when spirits approach a person, they review everything in his memory, calling up from it whatever suits them. In fact, as I have often observed, they read its contents as if it were a book. 1These spirits used to do this more skillfully and faster, because they skipped the things that slow down and narrow the inward sight, so as to delay it. All earthly and bodily matters are in this class, if they are regarded as ends in themselves, if, that is, they alone are loved. They concentrate on real objects. For objects free from earthly encumbrance allow the mind to rise and expand widely; but purely material objects draw it downwards, restricting and closing it.
Another experience which plainly showed their anxiety to acquire knowledge and enrich their memory was this. I was once writing something about future events, and they were then too far off to look into these by drawing them out of my memory. They were very cross because I was unwilling to read those things in their presence, and contrary to their usual habit they wanted to abuse me, calling me very wicked, and similar names. So as to show their annoyance they brought on a kind of painful contraction of the right side of my head as far as the ear. But such efforts did me no harm. Since, however, they had done wrong, they kept withdrawing even farther, but still kept stopping, because they wanted to know what I had written. That is how anxious they are for knowledge.
Footnotes:
1. The spirits present with a person have control over everything in his memory (Arcana Caelestia 5853, 5857, 5859-5860).
13. With what eagerness they inquire into and imbibe the knowledges of things, such as appertain to the memory elevated above the sensual things of the body, was made manifest to me from this, that when they looked into those things which I knew respecting heavenly things, they passed hastily through them all, and continually saying that this and that were so and so. For when spirits come to man, they enter into all his memory, and excite thence whatever suits themselves: yea, what I have often observed, they read the things contained therein, as out of a book. 1These spirits did this with greater dexterity and expedition, because they did not stop at such things as are heavy and sluggish, and which confine and consequently retard the internal sight, as all terrestrial and corporeal things do, when regarded as ends, that is, when alone loved: but they looked into things themselves; for such things, which are not clogged with things terrestrial, carry the mind upwards, thus into a broad field; whereas mere material things carry the mind downwards, and at the same time limit and shut it up. Their eagerness to acquire knowledges, and to enrich the memory, was manifest also from the following experience. Once while I was writing something concerning things to come, and they were at a distance, so that they could not look into those things from my memory, because I was not willing to read them in their presence, they were very indignant, and contrary to their usual behavior, they were desirous to inveigh against me, saying that I was one of the worst of men, and the like; and that they might give 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 presently they stood still again, desirous to know what I had written; such is their eager thirst after knowledges.
Footnotes:
1. That the spirits who are with man, are in possession of all things appertaining to his memory (Arcana Coelestia 5853, 5857, 5859, 5860).
13. Quam avide inquirunt et hauriunt cognitiones rerum, quales sunt Memoriae elevatae supra sensualia corporis, constare mihi potuit ex eo, quod cum inspicerent in illa, quae ego sciebam de rebus caelestibus, percurrerent omnia, et continue dicerent, quod tale sit quod tale sit: cum enim spiritus ad hominem veniunt, intrant in omnem ejus memoriam, et excitant inde sibi convenientia; imo, quod saepe animadverti, legunt, quae ibi sunt, quasi e libro. 1Hi Spiritus hoc solertius et celerius faciebant, quia non morati sunt circa talia, quae gravia et lenta sunt, et coarctant et consequenter retardant visum internum, ut sunt omnia terrestria et corporea cum pro fine sunt, hoc est, cum unice amantur; sed intuiti sunt ipsas res; res enim, quibus non adhaerent terrestria, ferunt animum sursum, ita in latum campum; mere materialia autem ferunt animum deorsum, limitant et claudunt. Aviditas eorum acquirendi sibi cognitiones et memoriam locupletandi, ex his etiam patuit; quondam cum aliquid de venturis, et illi essent e longinquo ut non possent inspicere illa e memoria mea, quia illa non legere vellem in praesentia illorum, valde indignati sunt, et volebant contra morem solitum invehere in me, dicentes quod pessimus essem, et similia; utque iracundiam suam indicarent, dextrae parti Capitis mei usque ad aurem inducebant speciem contractionis cum dolore; sed talia nihil nocebant mihi; at quia malum fecerunt, elongabant se adhuc magis, sed usque mox subsistebant, volentes scire quid scripseram: talis illis est cupido cognitionum.
Footnotes:
1. Quod spiritus, qui apud hominem, in possessione omnium ejus memoriae sint, Arcana Coelestia 5853, 5857, 5859, 5860.