2760. About the inner nature of humanity, that it is beginning more and more to become even worse
By actual experience I have been enabled to learn that in the realm of inner character, there are thousands of those who are evil, that is, who are evil inwardly, in the inward aspects of their nature. So the inner thoughts of humanity today are more depraved than formerly. In the inner realm are intentions, or motives, ending up in the world and in self. These earthly intentions and motives exist more today, and occupy people more than anyone could believe.
But it is not easy for a person to tell the difference between the inward aspects of character and the outward ones, as I have learned from actual experience of quite long duration, such as cases of someone who in the world had lived in a way that almost no one knew to be other than honorable, and thus good. Nevertheless, such people in the other life, when their intentions exposed themselves that lie in the realm of inward character, had been among the wicked and the worst, thinking entirely differently than they acted, and for no other
2760. CONCERNING THE INTERNAL NATURE OF MAN THAT IT EVEN BEGINS TO BECOME WORSE, MORE AND MORE.
It is given me to learn from living experience that in the interior sphere of nature are thousands of such as are evil, that is, who interiorly as to the interiors of [their] nature are evil; so that the internal thoughts of man are more depraved than formerly. In the interior sphere, are intentions or ends stopping in the world and in self: such intentions or natural ends occur [dantur] at this day more than formerly, and more occupy man than anyone can believe: but it is not easy for man to distinguish between the [things] which are the interiors of [his] nature, and [those] which are the exteriors: Likewise from living experience, and of considerable duration. I have learned that scarcely anyone, who has thus lived in the world, has known that it was other than becoming and therefore good: yet nevertheless such after death in the other life manifest themselves [and] their intentions, which are in the interior sphere of nature they have been amongst evildoers and the worst: thinking in a very different manner from their acting, and only [considering] for an end their own rule and -
2760. De natura interna hominis, quod etiam pejor incipiat fieri magis et magis
Ab experientia viva discere mihi datum est, quod in interiori naturae sphaera sint millia talium, qui mali sunt, hoc est, qui interius, quoad interiora naturae sint mali 1
, sic ut cogitationes internae hominis hodie magis quam prius sint perditae: in interiore sphaera sunt intentiones seu fines desinentes in mundo et in semet, tales intentiones seu fines naturales hodie plus dantur, et plus occupant homines quam quis credere possit; sed non facile est homini discernere inter ea quae sunt interiora naturae, et quae sunt exteriora, sicut ab experientia viva et satis diu durante didici, quod qui in mundo vixerit ita, ut fere nullus sciverit aliter quam honestum et sic bonum, usque tamen tales post mortem in altera vita, se manifestantes, intentiones suas, quae in sphaera interiori naturae sunt, inter maleficos et pessimos 2
fuerunt,
(2761.) aliud prorsus cogitantes, quam agentes, nec nisi ob finem 3
sui imperii, et possessionis eorum quae in mundo, et novi quod tales non similia manifestaverint sociis; exinde scire mihi datum est, quomodo interior natura est deperdita, quae etiam ita conjuncta cum exteriori natura mihi apparuit, ut quasi unum et idem facerent: cum alii non ita conjunctam habent sed separatam; spiritus ii in altera vita, quoque in societate nihil aliud ostendunt, quam quod civile putant, et cogitationes suas student abscondere, sed patent eae iis manifeste qui in interiore naturae sphaera sunt. 1748, 7 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has mala
2. The Manuscript has pessimo
3. The Manuscript has fine