3429. The same one, who was a medium for this kind of spirits, and spoke into my ear, upside down, that is with his head downward and feet upward, although he was barely noticeable, was next seen by me most of the time lying on his back, and at that time with a bright body - but it was not a body, but a brightness like a body - because life was portrayed in this manner. On being examined as to what kind of life it was that he felt, it was found to be one withdrawn from faith, thus devoid of spiritual knowledge, such spirits supposing that if there is life, higher knowledge need not be present.
I was prompted to tell him, for his conviction was communicated and so to speak brought into me, that it is life that acts, and that life belongs to faith. For faith is nothing but life, and when one lives the life of faith, then one is not aware of the knowledge, as is the case with the angels. It is as when one is speaking, one does not pay attention to the expressions or the words but abides in the sense of the words. Thus likewise when one is living, everything pertaining to higher knowledge and to faith based on knowledge and intellect, more or less fades away.
3429. The same person, who was a subject of this class of spirits, 1and who spoke in my ear with his head and heels inverted, although not conspicuous, yet he afterwards appeared to me as lying for the most part [or most of the time], extended in a supine posture, and then seemed of a white body, and yet not [to be] a body, but something white like one, because life is represented in this manner. When he was examined as to the quality of the life which he perceived, [in himself] it was found to be abstracted from faith, thus from knowledges, they thinking [i. e., the spirits whose subject he was] that life being present, knowledges were of no account. It was given to say to him, as his persuasion was communicated, and, as it were, borne in upon me, that life is that which does, and that life is of faith, and that faith is nothing but life; and when one lives the life of faith, that then knowledge is not perceived, as is the case with the angels; or as a man, in speaking, does not attend to the sounds or words, but abides in the sense of the words, so also while he lives, that those things which are of knowledges do, as it were, perish, as also the things which are of scientific and intellectual faith.
Footnotes:
1. For an account of the spirits called subjects in the other world, see AC 5856.
3429. Idem, qui subjectum erat talium, qui loquutus in aurem meam, inversus, nempe capite deorsum, et pedibus sursum, tametsi inconspicuus, is mihi visus dein utplurimum jacens supinatus, et tunc candido corpore, sed non corpus, sed candidum instar corporis, quia sic repraesentata vita. Cum examinatus, qualis vita esset, quam percipiebat, erat quod esset abstracta a fide, ita absque cognitionibus, putantes, si vita, quod cognitiones non adesse debeant: dicere ei datum, quia persuasio ejus mihi communicata, et quasi illata est, quod vita sit quae faciat, et quod vita fidei, nam des nihil est nisi vita, et cum vivit vitam fidei, quod tunc non sentiatur cognitio, sicut apud angelos, sicut dum homo loquitur, tunc non attendit ad voces aut verba, sed manet in sensu verborum, ita quoque dum vivit, quod quasi pereant ea quae sunt cognitionum, et quae sunt fidei scientificae et intellectualis.