148、只见远处有一些灵人，他们不愿靠近。原因在于，他们不能与当时在我周围的地球灵在一起。我由此意识到，他们来自另一个星球；后来被告知，他们来自宇宙中的某个星球；但我未被指示这个星球在哪里。这些灵人完全不愿思想他们的身体，事实上，完全不愿思想肉体和物质；在这方面，他们与我们地球灵截然不同。这就是为何他们不肯靠近。我们地球灵被打发走以后，他们就走近与我交谈。然而，此时我却有一种不安的感觉，这是由气场的冲突造成的。所有灵人和灵人社群都被属灵的气场包围。这些气场从他们的情感和随之思维的生命发出，因此当他们的情感对立时，就有一种导致不安的冲突产生。我们地球灵说，他们不敢靠近这些灵人，因为他们靠近时，不仅感到心神不宁，还觉得自己的手脚似乎被蛇捆住，以致他们若不离开，就无法从中挣脱出来。这种表象来源于对应。在巨人里面，我们地球灵与外在感官，或肉体感官知觉有关；在来世，这种感官由蛇来代表。在来世，社群的形成或解散取决于这些气场(AC 6206, 9606-9607, 10312)。在灵界，人的外在感官功能由蛇来代表，因为感官功能是最低层，与人的内层相比，紧贴地面，仿佛在爬行。因此，那些基于感官功能进行推理的人被称为蛇(AC 195-197, 6398, 6949)。
148. A Third Extrasolar Planet and Its Spirits and Inhabitants
Some spirits appeared at a distance but were reluctant to come closer. This was because they could not be in the same place as the spirits from our planet who were with me at the time. I gathered from this that they were from another planet; and later I was told that they were from an extrasolar planet, although I was not told where that planet was.
These spirits absolutely refuse to think about their bodies or even about anything physical or material, unlike spirits from our planet. That was why they did not want to come any closer. All the same, when some of the spirits from our planet left they did come closer and talk with me; but even then I could feel an anxiety occasioned by the collision of auras.
There are spiritual auras around every individual spirit and also around all communities of spirits, 1and since these auras radiate from the life of their feelings and associated thoughts, wherever there are contrary feelings there is a collision and therefore anxiety.
The spirits from our planet told me that they too did not dare approach these others, because when they tried they were not only seized with anxiety but even appeared to be bound hand and foot by serpents, and were unable to be rid of the serpents unless they retreated. This appearance can be attributed to a correspondence, since in the universal human, spirits from our planet play the role of the outer senses-meaning bodily sensations-and in the other life the outer senses are represented by serpents. 2
Footnotes:
1. [Swedenborg note] See note on 64.
2. [Swedenborg note] In the spiritual world our outer senses are represented by serpents because they are on the lowest level, and in relation to the deeper aspects of our being they lie on the ground and seem to slither; and this is why people who do their reasoning on the basis of their senses are called serpents: 195, 196, 197, 6398, 6949.
148. XII. THE THIRD WORLD IN THE STARRY SKY, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS
Some spirits became visible far off, who were unwilling to come close. The reason was that they could not bear the company of the spirits from our world who were then around me. I realised from this that came from another world. I was told afterwards that they came from a certain world in space, but I was given no indication where it might be. These spirits utterly refused to think about their bodies, or indeed about anything to do with the body or matter; in this they were quite different from the spirits of our world. This was why they were unwilling to come close; but when some of the spirits from our world had been sent away, they came closer and talked with me.
However, I then had a feeling of unease, which is caused by the clash of spheres. All spirits and communities of spirits are surrounded by spiritual spheres. 1These proceed from the life of their affections and so their thoughts, so when their affections are opposed, there is a clash leading to uneasiness. The spirits from our world reported that neither did they dare to get close to them, because when they did, they not only felt gripped by uneasiness, but even seemed to themselves to be tied hand and foot with snakes, which they could not untie until the spirits left. This appearance is due to the correspondence. The spirits of our world answer in the Grand Man to the external senses or bodily sense-perception, and in the other life this is pictured by snakes. 2
Footnotes:
1. A spiritual sphere, that of their life, flows out and pours forth from each person, spirit and angel and envelops them (Arcana Caelestia 4464, 5179, 7454). Its source is their life of affection and thus thought (Arcana Caelestia 2489, 4464, 6206). In the next life these spheres determine how groups are formed and also dissolved (Arcana Caelestia 6206, 9606-9607, 10312).
2. A person's external sensory faculty is pictured in the spiritual world by snakes, because it is concerned with the lowest levels and as compared with a person's inner levels it lies on the ground, and as it were, creeps. As a result those who base their reasoning on that sensory faculty were called snakes (Arcana Caelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949).
148. A THIRD EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS.
Some spirits appeared at a distance who were not willing to come near. The reason was that they could not be with the spirits of our earth who were then around me. From this I perceived that they were from another earth, and afterward I was told that they were from a certain earth in the universe; but where that earth is, I was not informed. These spirits were altogether unwilling to think of their body, and indeed of anything corporeal and material, differently from the spirits from our earth. This was why they were not willing to come near. But still after the removal of some of the spirits of our earth, they came nearer and spoke with me. But then anxiety was felt, arising from the collision of spheres; for spiritual spheres encompass all spirits and societies of spirits; and because they flow forth from the life of the affections and of the thoughts therefrom, therefore where there are opposing affections there arises collision, and thence anxiety. The spirits of our earth said that they did not dare to approach them, since when they were approaching, they not only were seized with anxiety, but also appeared to themselves as if bound hand and foot with serpents, from which they could not be loosed until they withdrew. This appearance had its origin from correspondence; for the spirits of our earth have reference in the Greatest Man to the external sense, thus to the corporeal sensual, and this sensual is represented in the other life by serpents. 1
Footnotes:
1. Man's external sensual is represented in the spiritual world by serpents, because it is in the lowest things, and in comparison with the interiors with man, lies on the ground and as it were creeps; and that they were thence called serpents, who reasoned from that sensual (Arcana Coelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949).
148. DE TERTIA TELLURE IN COELO ASTRIFERO, DEQUE EJUS SPIRITIBUS et INCOLIS
Apparebant spiritus e longinquo, qui non appropinquare volebant; causa erat, quia non simul potuerunt esse cum spiritibus nostrae Telluris, qui circum me tunc erant; inde appercepi, quod ex alia Tellure essent; et postea mihi dictum est, quod ex Tellure quadam in Universo; sed ubi illa Tellus, non mihi indicatum est. Spiritus illi nolebant prorsus cogitare de suo corpore, ne quidem de aliqua re corporea et materiali, secus ac spiritus e nostra Tellure; inde erat, quod non appropinquare vellent: sed usque post remotionem aliquorum spirituum nostrae telluris, propius accedebant, et mecum loquebantur. Verum tunc sentita est anxietas, oriunda ex collisione sphaerarum; sphaerae enim spirituales circumdant omnes spiritus et spirituum societates 1, et quia emanant ex vita affectionum et inde cogitationum, ideo ubi contrariae affectiones sunt, fit collisio, et inde anxietas. Narrabant nostrae Tellurisspiritus, quod nec illi ausint ad illos approximare, quoniam cum approximant, non modo anxietate corripiuntur, sed etiam apparent sibi sicut ligati quoad manus et pedes serpentibus, e quibus non solvi possunt, priusquam recedunt; quod ita appareat, causam ducit ex Correspondentia; nam nostrae Telluris spiritus in maximo Homine referunt sensum externum, ita Sensuale corporeum, et hoc sensuale repraesentatur in altera vita per serpentes 2.
Footnotes:
1. [NCBSP: In the Latin text, Swedenborg's footnote here refers back to footnote 1 of section 64, the text of which is copied here.] Quod sphaera spiritualis, quae est sphaera vitae, effluat exundet ex unoquovis homine, spiritu, et angelo, et circumstipet illos, Arcana Coelestia 4464, 5179, 7454. Quod effluatex vita affectionis et inde cogitationis eorum, Arcana Coelestia 2489, 4464, 6206. Quod in altera vita consociationes fiant secundum sphaeras, et quoque dissociationes, Arcana Coelestia 6206, 9606, 9607, 10312.
2. Quod Sensuale externum hominis in mundo spirituali repraesentetur per serpentes, quia id in infimis est, et respective ad interiora apud hominem jacet humi et quasi serpit; et quod inde illi vocati sint serpentes, qui ex sensuali illo ratiocinati sunt, Arcana Coelestia 195, 196, 197, 6398, 6949.