2538. Spirits are guided by the Lord into this inward state in a lapse of time as if through a sleep or kind of unconsciousness, yet as if the spirits were awake. Then at first those dim images occur to them, as they do to little children, because there is only a general awareness. At length the image clarifies more and more, or the mental imagery becomes clearer. Then they are brought into that state where they seem to themselves to awaken entirely, even though this state also, compared to the wakefulness of the inward heaven, is still like sleep. 1748, 5 July.
2538. Spirits after a delay of some time are brought by the Lord into this interior state, as it were, through sleep [somnum] or sort of lethargy [soporis], at last of wakefulness, as it were, [belonging] to spirits; then these things first come to them as to infants, obscure, because there is only a general perception: at length the idea grows clear more and more, or ideas become clearer: thus they are led, as it were, into that state in which they seem to themselves entirely awake, though also that state is in respect to the wakefulness of the interior heaven, as it were, sleep. - 1748, July 5.
2538. Spiritus temporis mora perducuntur a Domino in interiorem hunc statum, quasi per somnum seu speciem soporis, quasi tamen vigiliae, spirituum, tunc primum, sicut infantibus, iis obveniunt ea obscura, quia modo est communis perceptio, tandem magis magisque clarescit idea, seu clariores fiunt ideae, sic quasi in statum eum ducuntur, in quo sibi vigilare prorsus videntur, tametsi quoque is status est respective ad interioris coeli vigilias, quasi somnus. 1748, 5 Julius.