3434. Since, therefore, his preacher was of his own conviction regarding such a [way of] life, he seemed to be standing upright in his black garment, although very faintly visible, and then [the] good spirits - the inward ones who were up above - turned upside down, appearing bright grey in color, with their heads downward and feet upward. His conviction, or the aura of his conviction, was turning the good spirits upside down in this way.
Afterwards, when he had been turned upside down in his black, faintly visible garment - he was then in fact able to be inverted with difficulty - then the good spirits were again set upright. Indeed, when his medium whom he had convinced lay on his back, then the good spirits above on the right, thus who were leading him, said that they could of course stand erect, but that being under compulsion they staggered forward, so they were forcing themselves to stand straight.
Once more I am feeling a coldness coming from the preacher who applied himself to my head from above, so there is enough cold exhaling from him. The good spirits want me to write much cold, for it is mainly occupying my hands and my left knee, passing into the foot toward the sole. They say that I am not permitted to feel more cold - from which it may be known that enough is much.
3434. When therefore his preacher was in his own persuasion concerning such a kind of life, and he appeared erect in his black garment, which was dimly seen, then the good spirits of interior quality, who were above, appeared inverted and of a grayish white, their heads being downwards and their feet upwards, for so his persuasion, or the sphere of his persuasion, inverted good spirits. Afterwards, when he himself was inverted, in his black garment, obscurely seen, it was effected with difficulty, and the good spirits there were then erect; yea, when his subject, whom he had persuaded, lay supine, then the good spirits who were at the right above, and who thus led him, said that they could stand erect, but there was still somewhat of an opposing force, as they inclined forward to compel themselves to stand upright. And now I perceive something cold from the preacher, who applies himself upwardly to my head, so that cold enough exhales from him. The good spirits wish that I should write much cold, 1for it especially affects my hands and my left knee, and passes towards the sole of the foot. They say it is not permitted me to feel more cold; whence it may be known that enough is much.
Footnotes:
1. From this it may perhaps be inferred that Swedenborg ultimately designed the publication of this Diary [now called Spiritual Experiences]. It is otherwise not easy to understand why the phraseology in this instance should have been deemed of any particular importance. -Tr.
3434. Cum itaque praedicator ejus in persuasione sua de vita tali esset, et is erectus, visus, [in] nigro suo amictu, sed obscurissime viso, tunc boni spiritus, interiores, qui supra, inversi sunt, qui candidi grisei visi, capitibus deorsum et pedibus sursum, ita persuasio ejus seu persuasionis ejus sphaera invertebat bonos spiritus: postea cum is inversus esset, in suo nigro obscure viso habitu, tunc quidem aegre inverti potuit, tunc iterum spiritus boni erecti sunt; imo cum subjectum ejus, cui persuasit, supinus jacuit, tunc dicebant spiritus boni, qui supra ad dextram, sic qui eum ducebant, quod quidem erecti stare possent, sed coacti, quod nutarent antrorsum, sic ut se cogerent recte stare. Iterum a praedicatore qui capiti meo superne applicatus, frigidum percipio, sic ut frigus satis ab eo exhalet: volunt spiritus boni, ut scribam multum frigus, nam occupat praecipue manus meas, et genu sinistrum, transit in pedem versus plantam, dicunt quod magis frigus non permittitur mihi sentire, quod satis multum esse, inde scire licet.