2696. About an inward spiritual and angelic mental image
I have been shown what a mental image of inward spirits is, as also what that of inward angels is, and this very often indeed, but in order that they might come to my perception and grasp, this was done during sleep and times of early morning wakefulness, the latter being continued right from a dream, for at that time the mind is more separated from the body. The mental image of inward spirits is also inexpressible, but still understandable to those who are separated from the world while living in the body, for it is understandable to spirits who are in that kind of thought.
In order to grasp just a notion of it as it was shown to me, it is as if whatever a rock symbolizes is joined together in one idea, in its varied meaning - which varied meaning cannot be expressed in a few words - with whatever a priest in the lower meaning symbolizes. In this way all is grasped together, with its variety, that may reside in the spiritual meaning, and so on. This spread out mental image with all its inexpressible scenery attaches itself to the subject, which in this case was a priest.
2696. CONCERNING THE INTERIOR SPIRITUAL AND ANGELIC IDEA
It was shown me, what [is] an idea of the interior spirits as also what [is] an idea of the interior angels, and this indeed quite frequently [soepius]: but in order that they might reach my perception and apprehension [it was shown] in sleep [in somnis], also in my morning wakefulness, also continued in these from a dream: for then the mind is more separate from the body: the idea of interior spirits is also inexpressible, but still intelligible to those who are separated from the world, while they live in the body: for it is intelligible to spirits who are in such an idea: in order that its notion only, may be perceived it was as it were shown to me, that if in idea are conjoined what rock [petra] signifies in its various sense, which various sense cannot be expressed in a few [words], and what priest [signifies] in an inferior sense, [and] thus is conceived what perhaps is signified in its variety, in the spiritual sense and so forth: this idea diffuses itself, and is applied to the subject, which now was priest with its variety, which is inexpressible.
2696. De idea interiori spirituali et angelica
Ostensum mihi est, quid idea spirituum interiorum, tum quid angelorum interiorum, et hoc quidem saepius, sed ut ad perceptionem meam et captum venirent, in somnis, et in vigiliis matutinis, in his continuatis quoque a somnio, tunc enim mens a corpore magis est separata, idea spirituum interiorum est inexpressibilis quoque, sed usque intelligibilis iis, qui separati a mundo sunt, cum vivunt in corpore, nam intelligibilis spiritibus, qui in tali idea sunt; ut modo ejus notio percipiatur, sicut mihi ostensum, ut si conjungatur in idea, quid {a} petra significat, in vario suo sensu, qui varius sensus non exprimi paucis potest, et quid {a} sacerdos, in sensu inferiori, sic concipitur cum sua varietate [id] quod forte in sensu spirituali, et sic porro, idea haec diffundit se, et applicatur subjecto, quod nunc fuit sacerdos, cum sua varietate, quae inexpressibilis.