354、我蒙允许与许多离世的学者交谈，有的因其著作而蜚声文坛，有的不那么出名，却具有深邃的智慧。那些从心里否认上帝的人，不管他们曾经是什么职业，都已变得愚蠢不堪，连真正文明的事情都不懂，更别说任何属灵的事物了。我觉察到，也看到他们心智的内层是如此的封闭，以至于看起来是黑色的（因为在灵界，这些事物是可见的）。因此，他们不能忍受任何天堂之光，也不能接受任何来自天堂的流注。他们内层所呈现的这种黑色，在那些用所获得的知识来肯定自己反对上帝的人身上，更加浓密，并延伸开来。在来世，这种人乐于接受一切伪谬，吸收它们如同海绵吸水一样，却排斥一切真理，如同有弹性的骨头弹开落在它上面的东西。事实上，据说，那些确认反对上帝、偏爱尘世之人的内层已经变得如瘦骨嶙峋。他们的头部直到鼻孔，看上去像是乌木的硬结，这标志着他们不再拥有任何的感知能力。像这样的人便陷入看似沼泽的泥潭，在那里被其伪谬所转化成的幻像骚扰。他们的地狱之火就是对荣誉和名声的欲望，这促使他们互相攻击，带着地狱般的热情，折磨周围那些不把他们当着神明来崇拜的人，而且，他们彼此轮番苦待。一切世俗的学问若不通过承认上帝而将天堂之光接收到里面，都会变成这样。
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354. 我蒙允许与许多离世的学者交谈, 有的因其著作而在学术界颇负盛名, 有的不怎么出名, 却具有深邃的智慧. 那些从心里否认神性的人, 无论他们是否公开承认神性, 都已变得愚蠢不堪, 以至于几乎不能明白任何世间真理, 更不用说任何属灵真理了. 我能理解, 也能看出他们心智的内层被如此关闭, 以至于看似漆黑(在灵界, 像这样的事物会变得可见). 这意味着他们不能承受一丝天堂之光, 也不能允许来自天堂的任何流注进入. 对那些通过世俗的学问确认反对神性的人来说, 笼罩他们内层的黑暗更大, 更广. 在来世, 这种人乐于接受一切虚假, 像海绵吸水一样加以吸收; 却排斥真理, 如同有弹性的骨质物弹开落在它上面的东西. 事实上, 也有人说, 那些确认反对神性, 支持自然界之人的内层已经变得如骨头一般. 他们的头部直到鼻孔, 看似骨头制成的老茧; 这标志着他们不再拥有任何觉知. 像这样的人便陷入看似沼泽的泥淖; 在那里被其虚假所转化的幻觉苦苦缠磨. 他们的地狱之火就是对荣耀和名声的强烈欲望, 这导致他们互相攻击, 出于地狱般的热情折磨周围那些不将其奉若神明的人; 并且他们轮番如此对待彼此. 一切世俗学问若不通过承认神性而将天堂之光接到自己里面, 都会变得如此.
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354. 我曾與許多已經離世的學者交談, 有的憑其著作在學術界享有
盛名。我也曾與一些名不見經傳, 心裡卻藏著大智慧的人交談。凡從心裡否認上帝的人, 不論他是否公開宣稱信上帝, 皆已變
得愚癡透頂, 幾乎不能明白任何社會性的真理, 更別說靈性的真理了。我覺察出也看出他們的心靈已完全閉合, 以致顯為一片黑暗
(這在心靈世界將顯為可見)。這意味著他們不能承受一絲天國之光, 也不能接受一絲天國之流。包裹其心靈的黑暗, 比因世俗的學問而否認神者更深更廣。
在心靈世界, 此等人歡然接受一切偽謬, 像海綿吸水一樣加以吸收;而對真理, 卻像硬骨彈開落物一樣加以排斥。我被告之, 凡推崇自然, 反對上帝的人, 其心靈著實變得如硬骨一般, 其頭腦也變得僵化, 如同一塊烏木, 直延到鼻孔。這標誌著他們已完全喪失悟性。
此等人陷入如泥沼一般的絕境, 被謬誤所顯的幻相苦苦纏磨。對榮耀名聲的貪求, 乃是他們的"地獄之火,"使得他們彼此咒駡, 以地獄般的熱火折磨凡不將其奉若神明的人, 輪流虐待彼此。
世上的學問, 若不能通過認識上帝而接受天國之光, 都要變得如此。
354. I have been allowed to talk with many scholars after their departure from our world, with some who were quite renowned and celebrated throughout the learned world for their publications, as well as with some who were not so well known but who still had within themselves a hidden wisdom.
The ones who at heart denied the Deity, whether or not they acknowledged the Deity out loud, had become so stupid that they could scarcely understand any civic truth, let alone any spiritual truth. I could both comprehend and see that the inner levels of their minds were so shut off that they looked inky black (things like this are made visible in the spiritual world), and that this meant they could not bear any heavenly light or let in any inflow from heaven. The blackness that enveloped their deeper levels was greater and more extensive for people who had convinced themselves of their opposition to the Divine by means of their secular scholarship.
In the other life, people like this gladly accept anything false. They soak it up like a sponge soaking up water; and they repel anything true the way something bony and springy repels anything that falls on it. It is also said that if people convince themselves of their opposition to the Divine and their advocacy of nature, their deeper levels actually become bony. Their heads even look callused, as though they were made of ebony, and this reaches all the way to their noses, a sign that they no longer have any perception.
People like this are sunk in quagmires that look like swamps, where they are pestered by the hallucinations that their falsities turn into. Their hellfire is their craving for glory and fame, which leads them to denounce each other and to torment with hellish zeal anyone who does not worship them as gods. They do this to each other by turns.
This is what becomes of all earthly learning that does not accept light from heaven into itself by our acknowledgment of the Divine.
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354. It has been granted me to speak with many of the learned after their departure from the world, with some of distinguished reputation and celebrated in the literary world for their writings, and with some not so celebrated, although endowed with profound wisdom. Those who in heart denied the Divine, whatever their professions may have been, had become so stupid as to have little comprehension even of anything truly civil, still less of anything spiritual. I perceived and also saw that the interiors of their minds were so closed up as to appear black (for in the spiritual world such things become visible), and in consequence they were unable to endure any heavenly light or admit any influx from heaven. This blackness which their interiors presented was more intense and extended with those who had confirmed themselves against the Divine by the facts of knowledge they had acquired. In the other life such accept every false thing with delight, imbibing it as a sponge does water; and they repel all truth as an elastic bony substance repels what falls upon it. In fact, it is said that the interiors of those who have confirmed themselves against the Divine and in favour of nature become bony, and their heads down to the nose appear callous like ebony, which is a sign that they no longer have any perception. Those of this description are immersed in quagmires that appear like bogs; and there they are harassed by the fantasies into which their falsities are turned. Their infernal fire is a lust for glory and reputation, which prompts them to assail one another, and from an infernal ardour to torment those about them who do not worship them as deities; and this they do one to another in turns. Into such things is all the learning of the world changed that has not received into itself light from heaven through the acknowledgment of the Divine.
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354. It has been granted me to speak with many of the learned after their departure from the world; with some of distinguished reputation and celebrated in the literary world for their writings, and with some not so celebrated, although endowed with profound wisdom. Those that in heart had denied the Divine, whatever their professions may have been, had become so stupid as to have little comprehension even of anything truly civil, still less of anything spiritual. I perceived and also saw that the interiors of their minds were so closed up as to appear black (for in the spiritual world such things become visible), and in consequence they were unable to endure any heavenly light or admit any influx from heaven. This blackness which their interiors presented was more intense and extended with those that had confirmed themselves against the Divine by the knowledges they had acquired. In the other life such accept all falsity with delight, imbibing it as a sponge does water; and they repel all truth as an elastic bony substance repels what falls upon it. In fact, it is said that the interiors of those that have confirmed themselves against the Divine and in favor of nature become bony, and their heads down to the nose appear callous like ebony, which is a sign that they no longer have any perception. Those of this description are immersed in quagmires that appear like bogs; and there they are harassed by the fantasies into which their falsities are turned. Their infernal fire is a lust for glory and reputation, which prompts them to assail one another, and from an infernal ardor to torment those about them who do not worship them as deities; and this they do one to another in turns. Into such things is all the learning of the world changed that has not received into itself light from heaven through acknowledgment of the Divine.
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354. Datum est loqui cum pluribus eruditis post excessum eorum e mundo; cum quibusdam qui famigeratissimi fuerunt, et per scripta in orbe litterato celebres; et cum quibusdam qui non ita celebres, sed usque reconditam sapientiam in se habuerunt. illi, qui corde negaverunt Divinum, utcunque ore illud confessi sunt, tam stupidi facti sunt, ut vix aliquid verum civile, minus aliquid spirituale, comprehendere possent: perceptum est, et quoque visum, quod eorum interiora quae sunt mentis ita occlusa essent, ut apparerent sicut nigra, (talia in mundo spirituali ad visum sistuntur,) et sic quod non possent aliquam lucem caelestem sustinere, ita nec aliquem influxum e caelo admittere. Nigredo illa, in qua apparuerunt interiora eorum, major et extensior erat apud illos, qui contra Divinum per scientifica eruditionis suae se confirmaverunt. Tales in altera vita ex jucundo recipiunt omne falsum, quod imbibunt sicut spongia aquam, et repellunt omne verum, sicut elater osseus id quod incidit dicitur etiam, quod interiora eorum, qui se confirmaverunt contra Divinum et pro natura, ossificata sint: caput eorum etiam apparet callosum sicut ex 1ebeno, quod pertingit usque in nasum, indicium quod amplius nullius perceptionis sint. Qui tales sunt, in voragines, quae apparent sicut paludes, immerguntur; ubi a phantasiis, in quas falsa eorum vertuntur, exagitantur. Ignis eorum infernalis est cupiditas gloriae et nominis, ex qua cupiditate unus invehitur in alterum, et ex infernali ardore cruciat illos ibi qui se non ut numina colunt, et hoc per vices unus alterum. In talia vertitur omne eruditum mundi, quod non in se recepit lucem e caelo per agnitionem Divini.
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