3206. About Gehenna
Gehenna appears to those who put in there as fire, and that it is indeed like a fire, I was made to realize from the heat that poured out thence into my face. Spirits were saying mournfully that such a stink wells out from there as if from burnt bones and hairs that they could not bear it. In fact, it also drifted toward me, but I smelled little of it. The most deceitful are there, especially sirens, who, by a pretense of piety enter into the minds of others and most cleverly delude and lead them astray, so that one can in no way resist them except with the Lord's protection.
Phalanges of sirens flew out thence, and I felt them in my hair and scalp, which they set aquiver. They are the kind also that place no value in the principle of marriage, having the deepest conviction that it is of no account, and considering adulteries as respectable.
Again there blew out from there to my nostrils a stench as of bones and hair, together with heat. Such spirits greatly persecute the innocent, enticing them to lust, whoredom, and then adulteries, under a guise of respectability. There also are the kind [of women], especially, who had been esteemed in the world as having lived a proper life-few from the lower classes. There they feel a pleasantness, as if in their own proper atmosphere, which is such, [however,] that it changes into dreadful snakes that bite and eat up their breasts and genital members, as they report to me. I have heard them, when only a few snakes were beginning to touch them there, [saying] that they do not care, because they would rather encounter death than lose the pleasantness of that atmosphere-with such a most disgraceful erotic frenzy are they smitten! 1748, 19 Sept.
3206. CONCERNING GEHENNA.
(Gehenna appears to those who rush [appellunt] thither, as a fire; and indeed that it is like a fire was granted [me] to know from the heat that flowed thence into my face. Spirits said, and lamented, that such offensive smell [foetor] exhales thence from burnt bones and hairs, as it were, so that they could not endure it. Something of it was also brought to me, but I felt little of it. The most deceitful are there, especially sirens, who by a species of piety enter the minds of others, and most deceitfully delude and seduce [mislead] [them], so that never can anyone resist unless the Lord protect him; companies [phalanges] of sirens flew out of thence, and were perceived through [per] the hairs and topmost [supremum] skin of my head, which they caused to quiver [tremiscenter movebant]. These are also such as esteem the conjugial [principle] as of no account, [being] in the greatest [summa] persuasion, that it is of no account, [and] so regard adulteries as proper. Again, there came a blast [afflabat] thence to the nostrils, like the offensive smell [foetor] of bones and hairs, together with heat. Such [spirits] greatly persecute the innocent, and entice them to lusts, harlotries, and finally to adulteries, under the pretext of propriety [honesti]. There also are those principally who were reputed in the world as leading a becoming life, [also] a few of the lower sort; and they there feel sweetness as if in their atmosphere, which is of such a nature; but afterwards it is changed into dreadful serpents, that bite and devour their breasts and genital members, as they report to me. I have heard them thence, when only a few serpents begin to arrive there [es tangere], [saying] that they care for nothing, because they prefer death to losing the pleasantness of that atmosphere: with such most disgraceful, lustful [venera] frenzy are they smitten. - 1748, September 19.)
3206. De Gehenna
Gehenna apparet iis qui illuc appellunt sicut ignis, et quidem quod sicut ignis, ex calore inde effuso in faciem meam cognoscere datum est, spiritus dicebant 1
et lamentabantur, quod talis foetor ex ustis quasi ossibus et crinibus inde exhalet, ut non suffere possent, quidem quoque ad me allatus est, sed pusillum ejus sentiebam: ibi dolosissimi, cumprimis sirenes, qui per pietatis speciem intrant in aliorum animos, et dolosissime deludunt et seducunt, sic ut nusquam aliquis resistere possit, nisi Dominus eum tutetur, phalanges sirenum inde evolabant, et percipiebantur per crines et supremam capitis mei cutem, quam tremiscenter movebant: sunt tales quoque qui conjugiale pro nihilo aestimant, in persuasione summa, quod nihili sit, sic adulteria pro honesto reputant. Iterum ad nares sicut foetor ossium et crinium cum calore afflabat inde: tales innocentes maxime persequuntur et ad libidines, scortationes et dein adulteria sub praetextu honesti pelliciunt; ibi tales quoque sunt, et praecipue, qui in mundo aestimatae fuerint, quod vitam decoram egerint, pauci ex sorte inferiore; et ibi dulcedinem sentiunt, sicut in sua atmosphaera, quae talis, ut 2
postea in diros serpentes mutatur, qui pectora et membra earum genitalia mordent et exedunt, ut mihi referunt. Audivi eas inde cum pauci modo serpentes 3
inciperent 4
eo tangere, quod nihil curent, quia mortem oppetunt potius, quam ut jucunditatem atmosphaerae istius amittant; tali oestro percitae sunt venereo inhonestissimo. 1748, 19 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has diebant
2. The Manuscript has talis: ut
3. The Manuscript has serpentis ut videtur
4. imperfectum in the Manuscript