3579. About spirits who claim they are nothing, and yet who want to be everything - or about the Antediluvians
There are spirits that appear at a great depth behind, whose life is like that of wintry light, who were strenuously declaring they were nothing, and I sensed from their manner of speaking that this did not come from their heart, and I was told by others that they claim they are nothing when yet they wish to be everything. So in order to be able to emerge and mix with others, and then destroy them, they say they are nothing. When I uttered "love," they then could not entertain the word "love," because it was too crude to appear to them as anything. So they are devoid of love and are of a wintry nature. They were people before the flood, spoken of earlier [3358-3379]. 1748, 15 Oct.
3579. CONCERNING SPIRITS WHO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOTHING, AND YET WISH TO BE EVERYTHING; OR CONCERNING THE ANTEDILUVIANS.
There are spirits who appear at a great depth behind, whose life is like that of a wintry light, and who strenuously affirmed that they were nothing, but it was perceived from their speech that this was not their real sentiment. It was also said to me by others that they declare this of themselves, when yet they would fain be everything; wherefore, in order that they may emerge and mingle with others, and thus destroy them, they say they are nothing. When I mentioned "love," they could not admit the word, because [it conveyed to them the idea of something] so gross that it did not appear to be anything. Thus they are devoid of love and are of a wintry quality. They were the antediluvians, of whom I have spoken before. - 1748, October 15.
3579. De spiritibus, qui ajunt se nihil esse, et tamen volunt esse omne, seu de Antediluvianis
Sunt spiritus qui profunde a tergo apparent, quorum vita est sicut lucis hyemalis, qui enitentes dicebant se nihil esse, et perceptum a loquela, quod non ex eorum animo, et dicebatur mihi ab aliis, quod dicant se esse nihil, cum tamen volunt esse omne, quare ut possent emergere, et interesse aliis, et sic eos perdere, dicunt quod nihil sint: cum dixi "amor", tunc ii non poterant admittere vocem amoris, quia crassior quam ut iis appareat esse aliquid, ita nullius amoris sunt, sed sunt hyemales. Erant antediluviani de quibus prius [3358-3379] . 1748, 15 [Oct.]