2079. With such spirits it is remarkable how they at once grasp and feel what gives the other enjoyment, for they enter into them swiftly, others not so swiftly. It was said that it had been about 2 years since he had departed the life of the body.
2079. 1/2. That very subtle spirit was of the kind in bodily life who are pretenders, and think badly of everyone else they see. They think only ill of them, and never well, which comes from some inborn malice, especially from envy.
Their way of slipping into the enjoyments or delights of others comes from their having done the same in bodily life, agreeing with and indulging everyone by a look, a gesture, and words, while inwardly harboring thoughts especially springing from envy. Thus that spirit had slipped into all their enjoyments.
But because they had a nature formed by envy that they inwardly harbored, and that cannot be hidden in the other life, but becomes active and erupts, they try to destroy all the least enjoyments of the other person, turning them from pleasures into unpleasantness, thus depriving the people they are with of their joy.
For the outer facial expression after death vanishes, and the thought is there, and is seen, differently than in the life of the body.
2079. It is a wonderful thing in such that immediately they seize and perceive what delights another, for they penetrate these things quickly. With others it is not so. It is said it is about two years since he departed from the life of the body.
2079 1/2. That more subtle spirit was a species of those who in the life of the body are deceptive, and devise evil concerning all that they see belonging to others. They cannot think aught but ill, and hardly ever what is good [concerning others], and this from a certain innate malice, especially from hatred, and that they insinuate themselves into the pleasures or delights of others arises from this cause, that in the life of the body they insinuate themselves and agree with and flatter all by the countenance, gesture, and words, but inwardly cherish specially such as thoughts arising from hatred. Hence that spirit insinuated himself into all agreeable things, but did so on account of a nature ruled by hatred, which was inwardly cherished. This in the other life is not hidden, but becomes active and bursts forth. Such spirits endeavor to destroy each and all of the pleasant things of another, and to make out of their pleasant things unpleasant things, so that those with whom are such may be deprived of their delight; for the external countenance after death is removed, and the thought is present which is perceived otherwise, than is the case in the life of the body.
2079. Cum talibus mirum est, quod illico rapiant percipiantque quo alter delectatur, nam penetrant in ea cito, cum alii non ita, dictum quod circiter 2 anni essent, cum ex vita corporis decessit.
2079a. Spiritus is subtilior, erat speciei 1
eorum, qui in vita corporis falsi sunt, et cogitant male de omnibus aliorum quae vident, nec nisi quam sinistre cogitant, et paene nusquam bene, hocque ex innata quadam malitia, cumprimis invidia; quodque se insinuent in aliorum voluptates aut delitias, oritur ex ea causa, quod in vita corporis insinuent se, et assentiant et faveant omnibus, vultu, gestu et verbis, sed intus foveant cogitationes ex invidia cumprimis pullulantes; inde spiritus iste in omnia jucunda se insinuavit, sed per naturam ab invidia tractam, quae intus fota, quae in altera vita non celatur, sed activa fit, et erumpit, omnia et singula jucunda alterius [tales] destruere conantur, et ex jucundis eorum injucunda facere, per id quod ii cum quibus tales sunt, priventur sua amaenitate; externus enim vultus post mortem dissipatur, et cogitatio adest, quae percipitur, aliter ac in vita corporis.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition species