3578. And yet outer elements are not wholly rejected and consigned to death so as to become nothing, but are so arranged by the Lord as to become subservient to inward ones, and so ultimately to Himself. These subservient elements are of such vast variety that both kinds and species of varieties, etc., exist. Their nature is portrayed in the other life both by colors, like those of the Rainbow, and by odors, like those of flowers, as well as by auras that reveal their quality at once, and by images resembling things seen [by the eyes] - likewise also by other kinds of perceptions - which scenes result only from the obedience of outer elements, by means of inward ones. 1748, 15 Oct.
I was instructed about the things here written both by mental images of thought - and indeed inward ones - and by speech communicated to me.
3578. But yet the externals are not wholly rejected and consigned to death, so as to become nothing, but they are disposed by the Lord that they may be subservient to interior things, and thus to Himself, which subserviences are of such vast variety, in order that at indefinite variety of genera and species may be given. Such subserviences are represented in the other life by colors, as of the rainbow, by odors, as of flowers, by spheres, from which their qualities are immediately perceived, by resembling images of visual things, as well as by other kinds of perceptions, which truths flow in only through the interiors, from the remains [obsequiis] of external things. - 1748, October 15. I was instructed concerning the things here treated of as much by ideas of interior thought, as by speech communicated to me.
3578. Sed usque non rejiciuntur prorsus externa, et morti danda, ut nihili sint, sed a Domino disponuntur, ut obsequiosa sint interioribus, et sic porro Ipsi, quae obsequia tanta varietate sunt, ut indefinita, varietatum genera et species, et sic porro dantur; obsequia qualia [sunt] repraesentantur in altera vita tam per colores, sicut Iridis, quam per odores, sicut florum, tum per sphaeras, quibus illico percipiuntur quales sunt, tum per imagines visualium similes, praeterea etiam per perceptionum alia genera, quae varietates solum ex obsequiis externorum per interiora fluunt. 1748, 15 Oct. De his quae scripta sunt, tam per ideas cogitationis, etiam interiores, quam per loquelam communicatam mihi [edoctus sum] .