149、这个星球的灵人因具有这种性质，故在其他灵人眼里，他们不像其他人那样以一个明显的人形出现，而是类似云层，并且大部分情况下类似一片乌云，其中混杂着某种明亮的人的形状。但他们说，他们在里面是白的；一旦变成天使，这乌云就变成美丽的蓝色。这一幕也被展示给我。我问他们在世为人时，是否对自己的身体有这样的概念。他们说，他们星球的人根本不在乎身体，只关心身体里面的灵；因为他们知道，这灵会活到永远，而身体则会灭亡。他们还说，在他们星球，许多人相信身体里面的灵自永恒就存在，在受孕的那一刻就被注入身体。不过，他们补充说，他们现在知道这是不对的，并且后悔自己曾经持有这样的谬念。
149. Since that is the nature of the spirits from that planet, in the eyes of other spirits they do not appear in a clearly defined human form the way others do; instead they look more like clouds. Many of them look like black clouds with a shining, vaguely human shape showing through here and there. They said, though, that inwardly they shine brightly and that when they become angels the [outward] darkness turns into a beautiful, heavenly blue - a phenomenon they also showed me.
I asked them whether they had had the same low opinion of the body when they were people living in the physical realm. They said that the people of their planet attach no importance to their bodies, only to the spirit within the body, because they know that the body will die but the spirit will go on living forever. Many of the inhabitants, they said, believe that the spirit within the body has existed forever and is poured into the body at conception; but they added that they themselves now know this is not the case and regret having had such a mistaken opinion. 1
Footnotes:
1. The “opinion” mentioned here is also known as the doctrine of the preexistence of souls. It can be found in many traditions, usually in connection with a belief in reincarnation. In the West it is mentioned in Plato (for example, the Myth of Er, in the Republic 614-621 [= Plato 1997, 1218-1223]); Origen (for example, On First Principles 2:9 [= Origen 1966, 129-130, 136-137]); and the Cambridge Neoplatonists (see Walker 1964, 146-155). As described by Swedenborg, however, the inhabitants of this planet see or at one time saw the preexistence of the soul not as a way to be born into multiple successive bodies, as in the theory of reincarnation, but as a way to avoid thinking of themselves as having been born into a physical body at all. This is clearer in the parallel passage in Spiritual Experiences (= Swedenborg 1998-2013) 1673: “In their bodily life, they had held the opinion that they had been spirits from eternity, so that only with difficulty would they be convinced of having been born. . . . [But] they said that they now know that they are not from eternity, but had been born like everyone else.” [SS, LSW]
149. Since this is the nature of the spirits of that world, they do not look to the eyes of other spirits to have a clearly human form, as others do; but they resemble clouds, in most cases a dark cloud, with some human whiteness mixed in it. But they said that they were white inside, and on becoming angels this dark appearance is turned to a lovely blue. This too was displayed to me. I asked them whether they had had such an idea of their bodies when they were living in their world. They said that the people of their world thought nothing of their bodies, but only of the spirit it contained, knowing that this would live for ever, but the body would perish. They also reported that many in their world believe the spirit in the body to have existed from eternity and to have been introduced into the body at conception. But they went on to say that they now know this to be untrue, and they were sorry to have held such a false belief.
149. Because the nature of the spirits of that earth is such, they appear before the eyes of other spirits, not like others, in a manifest human form, but like clouds, and for the most part like a dark cloud, in which is mingled something of a bright human appearance. But they said that they are white within, and that when they become angels, the dark color is turned into a beautiful blue, as was also shown to me. I asked whether they had such an idea of their body, when they lived as men in the world. They said that the men of their earth make no account of their bodies, but only of the spirit in the body, because they know that this is to live to eternity, but the body to perish. They also said that many on their earth believe that the spirit of the body has been from eternity, and was infused into the body at conception. But they added that they now know it is not so, and that they repent having been in such a false opinion.
149. Quia Spiritus illius Telluris tales sunt, ideo apparent coram oculis aliorum spirituum non sicut alii in perspicua forma humana, sed sicut nubes, plerique instar nubis nigricantis, cui candidum humanum inspersum est; sed dicebant, quod intus candidi sint, et quod cum angeli fiunt, nigricans illud vertatur in pulchrum caeruleum; quod etiam mihi ostendebatur. Interrogabam num in tali idea de corpore suo etiam fuerint, cum vixerunt homines in mundo; dicebant quod homines telluris suae nihili faciant corpora sua, sed modo spiritum in corpore, quia sciunt hunc victurum in aeternum, at corpus periturum: ajebant etiam, quod plures in tellure sua credant spiritum corporis ab aeterno fuisse, infusum corpori dum concepti; sed addebant, quod nunc sciant non ita esse, et quod paeniteat illos in tali falsa opinione etiam fuisse.