3540. About the general aura of those who suppose spirits to be like an atmosphere
I had been for some time in a rather sad aura, which was so general that I perceived spirits as being no different than no spirits. They had vanished to the point that I did not have a sense of spirits being something. They were very many, as shown by a vast multitude of bright little wandering, twinkling stars, and it was said that they are just that numerous, and yet none of them was perceived as anything. At the same time also they were in disarray, so that there was no apparent companionship, as they wandered aimlessly in the aura.
In that aura there was nothing but a generality, without any definite determination toward societies - in short, nothing but a general aimlessness, a lack of fellowship. This rather sad aura was affecting me and thus inducing a mental image of no society, and of mutual non-acquaintance, but of wandering, as if each were floating in the universe. I was instructed that it consisted of those who in bodily life had cherished the idea that spirits are like an atmosphere, invisible, without any quality definable by words - therefore, not perceptible, wandering thus in the universe. Those having such an idea are numberless, and those of this kind are therefore let into that mental image.
I wondered while in that aura whether in the other life one of them would ever recognize the other, assuming that the sight of all would pass away, and even more, the fellowship, whereby one might find the other. So it was a very sad aura - therefore termed "general." I was instructed that they were nevertheless in society, although it did not appear so, for they did have a life and were speaking with me therefrom. 1748, 12 Oct.
3540. CONCERNING THE GENERAL SPHERE OF THOSE WHO SUPPOSE SPIRITS TO BE OF THE NATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
I was for some time in a sphere which was very far from being agreeable, as it was so general that I could not perceive spirits any more than if there had been no spirit at all, as they disappeared so completely that I could scarcely perceive that they were anything. They were very numerous, and were manifested as in a small star or white scintillation, made up of a vast multitude of little wandering sparkles; and it was said that they were like these in number, so that no one of them could be perceived as anything. There was at the same time a certain disorder about them, such as to prevent any apparent consociation, so vaguely erratic were they in their sphere. Indeed there was nothing in such a sphere but a loose general somewhat, without any fixed tendency to societies; in a word nothing but an indeterminate and unassociated commune - a sphere that affected me most unpleasantly, and induced an idea as if there were no society, and that one did not know another, but everyone wandered about, as though flowing forth into the universe at large. I was instructed that they were those who in the life of the body had cherished the idea respecting spirits, that they were somewhat of the nature of the atmosphere, invisible, without any quality definable by words, thus not perceptible, though wandering about in the universe. Those that entertain this idea are innumerable, on which account all that are of such a quality are remitted into it. While in that sphere I wondered whether, in the other life, one would ever know another, thinking that all perception would perish, and still more, consociation; and yet, notwithstanding, one would [somehow] find another, and from this arose that most disagreeable sphere which I have called general. I was informed that they actually were in society, though it did not appear so, for they yet had life, and [from their associated life] they spoke with me.
3540. De sphaera communi eorum, qui putant spiritus esse sicut atmosphaera
In sphaera fui aliquamdiu satis tristi, quae erat communis, ut nec perciperem spiritus aliter ac nullos spiritus, evanuerunt ita, ut nullam perceptionem haberem quod spiritus essent aliquid, erant permulti, ostensi per parvorum siderulorum seu scintillarum candidarum parvarum errantium multitudinem magnam, et dictum quod tanto numero sint, et tamen nullus eorum perceptus ut aliquid, simul quoque erat inordinatio eorum, sic ut nulla consociatio apparens, sic ut errantes vage in sphaera; in tali sphaera nihil erat nisi commune quid, absque determinatione certa ad societates, verbo nihil nisi commune indeterminatum, et non consociatum, quae sphaera satis tristis quia me afficiebat, et sic inducebat ideam, tanquam nulla societas, et unus alterum non nosceret, sed errans quivis sicut fluens in universo, instructus sum, quod ii essent, qui in vita corporis talem ideam fovent de spiritibus, quod sint sicut atmosphaera, invisibilis, absque ullo determinato per voces, sic non perceptibiles, ita errantes in universo, qui talem ideam habent sunt innumerabiles, quare in eam ideam missi sunt, qui tales; miratus in sphaera ista, num usquam in altera vita unus alterum cognosceret, putans quod periret omnium perceptio, et magis consociatio, ut usquam unus inveniret alterum, quare tristissima sphaera, inde communis dicta; instructus quod usque in societate essent, tametsi ita non apparuit, nam vita iis, et loquebantur mecum inde. 1748, 12 Oct.