3465. Once after sleeping, I heard on awakening a kind of subtle whirling sound around my left ear, which I am unable to describe, the words to express it do not occur to me. And awakening again after sleep, I heard a rougher whirling and tearing sound, and I realized that it was those like the preacher, then also he himself, who were being thus torn apart, and this, of course, for the reason that they deceitfully ascribe to others practices like their own, for it was habitual with him to declare that all others were like him, even the guiltless, whom he tried by fantasy to join with himself.
[2] That fantasy also came to view, that also the guiltless were being dismembered, then that he escaped, as if he had substituted innocent spirits - but I countered, saying it was impossible, even though it seemed to be imaginable. Even the dismemberers labored hard to hold him, for he seemed several times to slip out, then innocent spirits to be substituted. For this reason there were even angelic spirits were around my head, directing the punishment. So it seems he had not escaped after all, for I saw that they were still holding him, and that when he was seen to escape, he was called back - this because [he was seen to do this] by dismemberers of a cruder character, who do not perceive inward matters so well.
3465. Once on awakening after sleep I heard a subtle sound as of a peculiar kind of turning or twisting above my left ear, which I can hardly find words to describe. Again, on awakening at another time, I heard the sound of a rougher kind of twisting and rending, and it was perceived that it was from those who were of similar quality with the preacher, as were also those who were thus dreadfully torn, the reason of which [punishment] was, that they had deceitfully charged upon others misdeeds similar to their own; for it was habitual for him to say that all others, however innocent, were like himself, as he was desirous by means of phantasy which was perceived, of conjoining others with himself, in order that the innocent might undergo the rending. 1[It was also perceived] that he seemed to believe that he had actually substituted the innocent; but I maintained, on the other hand, that it was impossible, although I still had a sort of belief that the fact was so, as the renders labored hard to hold him, while he seemed several times to escape, and the innocent to be substituted. Wherefore angelic spirits were [seen to be] around my head, who directed the punishment, and then there was no sign of his escaping, for it was perceived that they held him, and when he seemed to escape that he was still brought back. The former illusion was owing to his being dealt with by renders of a duller genius, who did not duly perceive interior things.
Footnotes:
1. Of the nature of the punishment termed discerptio, or rending, see AC 829, 957, 959.
3465. Post somnum aliquem, evigilatus, tunc audiebam contorsionis speciem subtilem circa aurem meam sinistram, quam describere non possum; voces exprimendi non accurrunt. Et iterum post somnum evigilatus, audivi contorsionem et discerptionem crassiorem, et perceptum, quod tales essent, ac praedicator, tum et is [ipse], qui ita descerperentur, et quidem ex causa, quod dolose aliis similia tribuerunt, nam familiare erat ei dicere, quod alii omnes ei similes essent, etiam insontes, quos sic volebat phantasia secum conjungere, quae phantasia quoque percepta, quod discerperentur etiam insontes, tum quod is evaderet, sicut substituerit insontes, sed contradixi quod impossibile, tametsi quasi putari [posset], etiam discerptores multum laborabant, ut eum tenerent, nam aliquoties iis elabi visus, sic substitui insontes, quare etiam spiritus angelici erant circa caput meum, qui dirigebant poenam; ita non evasisse videtur, nam perceptum quod usque tenerent eum, et cum visus evadere, quod revocatus, hoc, quia a crassioribus discerptoribus, qui interiora non ita percipiunt.