1788. And when I told them that it was not the same in this life as in the previous one, they were quite surprised at being in the other life. But soon forgetting, they continued looking for homes where they could continue lying in wait. I asked them whether they had any concern about spiritual sins in these matters, lest perhaps by those allurements the partner's love be estranged from that of her husband, and which would therefore go against spiritual order. But they paid no attention to this, nor did they understand it.
Further I asked, Were they not afraid of the law and the penalties the law prescribes; for it is already out in the open, so that the couple knows that they want to perpetrate these wrongs? But about that they did not care at all. Then, Were they not afraid for their reputation, for thus they would be disgraced? But they did not care about this either.
What they are like, and what concerns them, is seen at once by a spiritual mental image. So when I said, But what if, since the thing is known, they were taken roughly in hand by the household servants, and then lashed with whips and, to be sure, more severely than they could ever have known of before? This was the only thing they feared.
But still, forgetting everything that was said, they went on, and their inward thoughts were portrayed to me, which were extremely filthy, and the snares they were planning in their minds were enumerated, and they were of a kind it is not permissible to tell anyone.
From all this it is clear that in the other life their inward qualities are completely laid bare before spirits, and even more so before angels, who are able to find out their inward thoughts exactly, while they are kept in the same state of mind after death-in fact, the thoughts of the hearts of all of them. What these were like was portrayed by [spirits and angels], and they were very filthy.
It was also portrayed what some in bodily life are like who regard adulteries and the like as not at all wicked, when yet adulteries so contaminate their spiritual life that the effects cannot be removed without very severe punishments. About these people I was told that later in their marriages they contract loathing for their partners, which is not the case with those who do not live immersed in that lust.
1788. When I informed them that the case was not in this as in the other life, they wondered at first that they were in the other life, but soon forgetting this, they persisted [in their evil promptings], asking where there were families, in order that they might continue their machinations. I said to them that if they had no regard to spiritual sins in matters of this kind, still they should not endeavor to sunder the love of a wife by such allurements from that of her husband, as this would be to act against spiritual order; but they paid no attention to this, neither did they understand it. I moreover urged them to desist by their fear of the laws and the punishment flowing therefrom, as it was now palpably manifest that they desired to perpetrate such wrongs; but for this they cared nothing. I then appealed to their regard for their reputation, as their good name would in this way suffer, but neither did they care for this, for their quality and what they cared for is at once perceived by a spiritual idea. But when I intimated that the facts might become known, and the domestics be employed to treat them with severity, and even to punish them with sorer stripes than they now dreamt of - this, and this only, seemed to strike them with dread. But forgetting even this, they held on in their purposes, and their interior thoughts were represented to me, which were most filthy; then the wiles which they devised in their minds were declared, and these were of such a character as to make it improper to reveal them to anyone. It thus appears that their interiors are altogether laid open before spirits in the other life, and still more before the angels, who know their interior thoughts with the utmost exactness, while they are held after death in a similar state, and even all the devices of their hearts, for they were represented by them as to their quality, which was most foul. In like manner [they represented] the quality of certain ones in the life of the body who supposed adulteries and the like to be nothing unlawful, when yet they so defile their spiritual life that the effects cannot be removed without punishments quite severe. Concerning these it was said to me that such in the married state afterwards conceive aversions to their partners; differently from those who do not live in such cupidity.
1788. Cumque iis dicerem, quod non simile sit in hac vita, ac in altera, quidem mirati quod in altera essent, sed mox obliti, continuabant, quaerentes ubinam essent domus, ubi insidias tales continuare possent: dicebam iis, si non {a} respectum haberent spiritualium peccatorum in similibus, ne scilicet, amor conjugis per similia allectamenta dissociaretur a conjugis sui, et quod sic contra ordinem spiritualem esset, sed haec nihil attendebant, nec intelligebant; porro, si non timerent leges, et punitiones ex lege, quia jamdum manifestatum est, ut sciant quod talia patrare cupiant, sed hoc nihil curabant; tum, annon sui famae timerent, quia sic diffamarentur, sed hoc neque curabant, nam quales sint, et quid curant, idea spirituali illico percipitur: at cum dixi, si forte, quia notum, a domesticis tractarentur male, et sic verberibus afficerentur, et quidem forte gravioribus, quam praescire possent; haec solum timebant; sed usque obliti dictorum, continuabant, et mihi repraesentabantur cogitata eorum interiora, quae spurcissima essent, tum dicebantur insidiae, quales animo moverent, quae tales erant, ut nemini 1
id dicere liceat; exinde constat, quod interiora eorum prorsus in altera vita propalentur coram spiritibus, et magis coram angelis, qui interiores eorum cogitationes ad amussim scire possunt, dum in statu simili post mortem tenentur, imo cordis omnium eorum cogitata, nam repraesentabantur ab iis, qualia essent, quae spurcissima; tum quales sunt quidam in vita corporis, qui nihil nefans autumant esse, adulteria, et talia, cum tamen ita inquinent spiritualem eorum vitam, ut absque poenis satis vehementibus auferri nequeant: de iis dictum mihi est, quod tales in conjugiis postea contra conjuges suas aversationes capiant, aliter qui non tali cupidine vivunt.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has nemo