3240. Those spirits around me, together with the spirits of our planet, when they came to me in a denser aura, were all surprised that the things I was writing were so crude, because they seemed to contain no idea. But I was prompted to reply that the people of this planet are of such a nature that they would not understand one tenth, even a much smaller part, of the meaning of the things that have been written, and that they could hardly be written crudely enough so that people like them would understand anything-adding that they do not even know there is an inner sense, but imagine that it is the body that feels. Therefore neither do they believe there is a life after death, nor that spirits exist.
They then asked whether such were able to become angels, and I said that those who spoke with them [3236] might have been such in their bodily life, and yet now are so intelligent, and in their bodily life had not known one whit of the things they told. This surprised them. 1748, 21 Sept.
3240. (Those spirits [were] around me, together with the spirits of our world [telluris], when they came into a grosser sphere to me; and at the same time they wondered that those things which I wrote, were so gross, inasmuch as no idea, as it were, was therein. But it was granted to reply, that the men of this world are of such a character, that they did not understand the tenth part, and a much less part of those things which were written; so that it can scarcely be written so grossly, as that [men can perceive] anything as they perceived [it]. I added, that they do not even know that an internal sense is given, but (suppose that it is the body which feels; therefore do not believe in a life after death, nor that the spirit exists [dari.] They then asked if such can become angels: it was said that they who spoke with them must have been such in the life of the body and yet are now so intelligent; and in the life of the body they know not the least of those things which they had said [to them] whereat they marveled. - 1748, September 21.)
3240. Spiritus isti circum me, una cum spiritibus nostrae telluris, cum ad me in crassiorem sphaeram venerunt, mirati simul, quod ea quae scriberem, tam crassa essent, quia nulla quasi idea inesset, sed respondere datum, quod homines hujus telluris tales sint, ut ne decimam partem et multo minorem partem sensus eorum quae scripta sunt intelligerent, ut vix possit tam crasse scribi, ut aliquid sicut ii perciperent; addendo quod ne quidem sciant quod sensus internus detur, sed [putent] quod corpus sit quod sentit, ideo nec credunt vitam post mortem, nec spiritum dari; quaerebant tunc an tales possint angeli fieri, dictum, quod ii qui loquuti cum iis [3236] tales potuissent fuisse in vita corporis usque nunc tamen intelligentes in vita corporis ne hilum sciverint ex iis quae dixerunt, quod mirati. 1748, 21 Sept.