3146. On variations of state
It is usual in the other life for them to be brought back into the state of childhood, youth and adolescence, so completely that they do not know but that they are in their childhood, youth and adolescence.
Someone just now was brought back into that state, who then did not know, nor speak, differently than he did in his early adolescence, and indeed with his parents and grandparents, who had previously been unable to love him on account of the actual way of life he had taken on himself. But now with the parents the love of their children, or storge, 1had been aroused, and they loved him tenderly. Their love was also communicated to me. In fact, he spoke in such a way that if he had not been a boy, he could have driven the parents to indignation, for out of rivalry with a brother in childhood, he said that he would take away everything. Through the words one could feel that childish [urge] to take away the love of the parents, for there were many [children].
It was that childishness that they loved, and they comforted him, saying that he could take away nothing. And now I see the brother, who died as a child, now a man, imparting [the thought] that he wanted to give him everything he had, and at that time with tender love, by which the other even against his actual character, was so deeply moved that he shed tears. 1748, 13 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. Greek for "parental love."
3146. CONCERNING CHANGES [variationibus] OF STATE.
It is also usual in the other life for them to be reduced into an infantile, youthful, and adolescent state so completely that they do not know other than that [they are] in infancy, boyhood, adolescence. A certain one was now also reduced into that state, and did not then know other, nor speak other, than as if then in early adolescence: yea [was] with his parents and ancestors, who previously had not been able to love him on account of actualities which he had contracted: but then the love in the parents towards children or storge was excited, and they loved him tenderly. Their love was also communicated to me. He spoke indeed in such a manner, that if he were not a boy, he could have made his parents indignant: for from controversy with a brother in infancy, he said that he would take away everything: by this also [his] infantile [principle] could be perceived, that he would take away the love of parents. Inasmuch as there were many infantile, this principle was what they loved, and they comforted him [telling him], that he could carry away nothing: and now I perceive [his] brother who, though he died in infancy, is now a man, insinuating that he was willing to give him all that was his, and then [showed] a tender love, whereby the other was so affected even in opposition to [his] actuality, that he shed tears. - 1748, September 13.
3146. De variationibus status
In altera vita solent etiam reduci in statum infantilem, puerilem, et adolescentem, ita prorsus, ut non aliter sciant, quam quod in infantia, pueritia et adolescentia, quidam nunc in eum statum reductus est, qui 1
tunc non aliud scivit, nec aliter loquutus, quam sicut tunc cum fuit 2
in prima adolescentia, et quidem cum parentibus 2
suis, et avis, qui prius eum non amare potuerant, ob actualitates, quas sibi contraxerat, at tunc apud parentes amor erga liberos, seu storge, excitatus, et eum tenere amabant, quorum amor etiam mecum communicatus; loquutus quidem ita, ut si non puer, potuisset ad indignationem redigere parentes, nam ex aemulatione cum fratre in infantia, dicebat, quod is auferret omnia, per quae percipi quoque infantile potuit, quod auferret amorem parentum, quia plures {a}; hoc infantile erat quod amabant, et consolabantur eum, quod nihil posset auferre, et nunc fratrem percipio, qui infans mortuus, nunc vir, insinuantem, quod dare ei vellet omne quod ejus est, et tunc tenero amore, quo alter etiam contra actualitatem, ita commotus est, ut lachrymaverit. 1748, 13 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has est; qui
2. imperfectum in the Manuscript