3682. About the veil
David, being a scoundrel, and a medium of scoundrels, whose crimes there is no need to recount - for it is nothing but adulteries and cruelties that he has in mind, intends, and schemes without conscience - was obviously a medium of the deceivers overhead, because through him they began to plot their wicked actions more openly than before, with the view to having the blame redound upon David. For this reason David was rolled up in the veil, and let down toward the lower regions, but through persuasions and fantasies poured into him by the diabolical gang on high, he struggled back for the space of nearly an hour, and this with a pertinacity that can hardly be described. Fantasies were constantly being poured into him that he welcomed with full conviction, and then cast himself about - together with the veil, with a lessening of the veil, without the veil - in all quarters, now below, at medium height, now higher up toward the front, now overhead nearby, now behind the head. This was only fantasy coupled with stubborn conviction - for this wrestling back is what these movements in the veil and with the veil symbolize.
3682. CONCERNING THE VEIL. 1
David, because wicked himself and the subject of the wicked, whose wickednesses it is not necessary to recite, for he has only adulteries and cruelties in his mind, intends and without conscience contrives [evil]. That he was the subject of the deceitful above the head plainly appeared, as they began through him to plot their iniquities more openly than before, with a view to cause the guilt to redound to David; wherefore David was enveloped in the veil and let down towards a lower quarter, but by persuasions and phantasies infuted into him by the diabolical throng on high, he struggled for the space of nearly an hour, and that too with a pertinacity which can hardly be described. Phantasies were continually poured in upon him, which he received with his persuasion, and thus with the veil, with a lessening of the veil, and without the veil, he cast himself in all directions - below, now in midway, now above in front, now above the head near by, and now behind the head, which was only a phantasy with an obstinate persuasion; for such reluctations in the veil and with the veil signify such things.
Footnotes:
1. The punishment of the veil is thus described: "The punishment of the veil is a very common one, and is in this manner. The offender seems to himself, in consequence of the phantasies whereby he is impressed, to be under a veil, stretched out to a great distance it is as it were a cohering cloud, which is condensed according to the culprit's phantasy under this cloud the sufferers run here and there, with a most eager desire to make their escape, and with different velocities, until they are wearied out; this generally continues for the space of an hour, more or less, and is attended with diverse degrees of torture, according to the degree of their desire to extricate themselves. The punishment of the veil is inflicted on those who, although they see the truth, yet are rendered by self-love unwilling to acknowledge it, and are angry to think that it is truth. Some spirits have such anxiety and terror under the veil, that they despair of ever being set at liberty, as I was informed by one who had been let out. There is also another kind of veil, wherein the offender is wrapped up as in a sheet, so that he seems to himself to be bound as to his hands, feet, and body, and at the same time is impressed with a strong desire to extricate himself: this he imagines may be easily effected, inasmuch as he is only wrapped up with a single fold; but when he attempts to undo it, the more he unfolds of it, the longer it grows; until he is driven at last to despair. - AC 963, 964.
3682. De velo
David, quia sceleratus, et subjectum sceleratorum, cujus scelera non opus est memorare, nam nihil nisi quam adulteria et crudelitates animo habet, intendit, et absque conscientia machinatur, is quod fuerit dolosorum, qui supra caput, subjectum, constabat, quia per eum apertius quam prius scelesta sua inceperunt moliri, ex causa, ut in Davidem rediret culpa; quare David involutus velo, et demissus versus inferiora, sed per persuasiones, et phantasias ei, a diabolica turba in alto, infusas, per horulae tempus reluctatus, et quidem cum tali pertinacia, ut vix describi potest, phantasiae ei jugiter infusae sunt, quas is cum persuasione sua recipit, et sic se cum velo, cum diminutione veli, sine velo, conjecit in omnes plagas, nunc infra, nunc in media via, nunc superius antrorsum, nunc supra caput prope, nunc post caput, quod modo erat phantasia cum persuasione contumaci, nam tales reluctationes in velo et cum velo significant talia.