157.由于灵人的争论而对我的理解的干扰。有时灵人被给予机会或自由在某些事情上持不同意见，以致这一个的观点不同于那一个的。只要稍微一放松，并缺乏约束，这种事很容易发生。这时，我的头脑立刻变得如此混乱，以致我几乎不理解隐藏在圣言更内在意义中的任何事物。这就像黑暗临到理解力，并扑灭光明那样。我曾怀着极大的愤慨体验过数次。因为有时候，当被称为“推理”，却想被誉为理解天使的灵人在一起推理时，他们就会得到机会彼此争论。一场类似的混乱便由此在这些低级灵人当中产生，使心智完全混乱，彻底夺走真理之光。如果当时心智集中于思考的必要性（这是我无法抗拒的一个人的良心所要求的），人似乎丧失一切耐心，同时其心智因害怕忽视这种义务而痛苦不堪，那么这就是一场严峻的考验。这种事之所以发生，还因为以理解为中心的灵人想要与推理的灵人区分开，进而被称为天使；然而，他们也是灵人，事实上，独处时根本不聪明。因此，天使是灵人，事实上，独处时并不良善；不过，他们若肯让自己被弥赛亚神掌管，就是真正的天使。关于这个事实，我今日与他们谈论，但他们却极其愤慨；因此，这一点通过活生生的经历向他们证明了。
157. About the disturbance of my understanding due to the dissension of spirits
Sometimes spirits were granted the opportunity or freedom to disagree about some matter, to the point that one held a different opinion than the other. This very readily happens when there is a slight slackening [of bonds] and freeing [from constraints]. Then instantly, my mind becomes so confused that I understand almost nothing of what lies hidden in the more inward level of meaning [of the Word]. It is as if darkness comes over the understanding and blots out the light.
I have experienced this several times, with great indignation. For sometimes spirits reasoning together - who can be called "reasonings," but want to be hailed as angels of understanding - are given the opportunity to dispute among themselves. From this, a like turmoil arises among lower spirits that utterly confuses the mind and utterly deprives it of the light of truth.
This is a severe trial, when the mind is concentrated on the necessity of thinking - demanded by one's conscience, which I could not resist - and at the same time one seems to lose all patience, and one's mind is anguished by the fear of overlooking that obligation. 1747, 22 August (old calendar).
This takes place also for the reason that the spirits centered on understanding want to be distinguished from reasoning ones, thus to be called angels, when yet they also are spirits, and really the least intelligent when they are left to themselves. Therefore angels are spirits, and in fact, not good when left to themselves; but they are angels when they let themselves be governed by God the Messiah. About this fact I spoke with them today, but they were very indignant - and so, it was proven to them by an actual experience.
157. CONCERNING A DISTURBANCE OF THE UNDERSTANDING FROM THE DISAGREEMENT OF SPIRITS
When spirits are granted the opportunity or license to disagree about some particular matter, so that one feels differently about it from the other, which very easily happens through some slight relaxation and lack of restraint, the understanding is at once so confused that scarcely anything that lies concealed in the more interior sense is understood; there is, as it were, a darkness that overwhelms and extinguishes the light, as I have sometimes experienced with great indignation. For sometimes the opportunity of disputing amongst themselves is given to ratiocinating spirits, who may be called ratiocinators, but who wish to be saluted by the angels as intellectual; from this a similar disturbance arises also among the lower spirits, which altogether confuses the mind, and entirely takes away the light of truth. The temptation is great when the mind is at the time kept in the necessity of thinking - one's conscience, which I could not resist, demanding it - for then all patience is lost, as it were, and the mind then becomes distressed, fearing lest it should omit that which has been conjoined. 1747, Aug. 22 o.s. It is for this reason also that the intellectual wish to be distinguished from the ratiocinators, thus to be called angels, when yet they are also spirits, and indeed are not at all intellectual when left to themselves. Thus angels are spirits, and not even good, when left to themselves; but they are truly angels when they suffer themselves to be ruled by God Messiah. When I spoke with them about this today, they were very indignant, and therefore it was shown them by living experience.
157. De perturbatione intellectus a dissensione spirituum
Quando spiritibus concedebatur copia aut licentia de quadam re dissentiendi, sic ut unus sentiret aliud quam alter, quod facillime fit, per aliquantulam remissionem et licentiam, tunc illico confunditur ita intellectus, ut nihil fere intelligatur, quid latet in sensu intimiori; sunt quasi tenebrae quae obversantur, et lucem exstinguunt, quod aliquoties expertus sum, cum magna indignatione, datur enim quandoque copia spiritibus ratiocinantibus, qui ratiocinia possunt dici, sed pro intellectualibus angelis volunt se salutari, ut inter se disceptent, inde etiam inter inferiores spiritus similis turba oritur, quae prorsus confundit mentem, et ei lucem veritatis prorsus aufert: magna est tentatio, quum simul tunc teneatur mens in necessitate cogitandi, conscientia ejus id postulante, cui non resistere potui, tunc enim patientia omnis quasi perit, et simul angitur mens, timens ne intermittat id quod injunctum est. 1747, 22 Aug. st. v.
Hoc fit etiam propter eam causam, quia intellectuales distingui volunt a ratiocinantibus, ita angeli vocari, cum tamen ii quoque spiritus sint, et quidem minime intellectuales, quando sibi relinquuntur; sic angeli sunt spiritus, et quidem non boni, quando sibi relinquuntur, at vero sunt angeli cum a Deo Messia se regi patiuntur; de qua re cum iis hodie loquutus sum, sed indignati valde, quapropter id iis per experientiam vivam ostensum est.