3875. it can be learned from birds, especially, whose marriage love has within it all the knowledge not only of how to copulate, but also how to make nests together, how to lay eggs and incubate them, how to cover and protect the chicks and nourish them, and much more. Thus from affection follows all knowledge, so that one who has the affection of true faith, has a higher knowledge of all things.
But when the affection ceased, then higher knowledge had to be instilled by a different avenue, that is, by the outer way of the ear, which indeed appears to the unknowing as if it were the Lord - but from a dictate of higher knowledge of faith it is recognized whether it is the Lord: yet because it is knowledge, and not feelings, it is not anything but an image of the Lord, without life, like a bird when turned into an inanimate one of pearl, that still flew and appeared beautiful, but was nevertheless devoid of life. I was shown vividly how higher knowledge that does not come forth from affection resembles such inanimate birds of pearl, and what results when the perception is that it is not from the Lord, but in every least detail from one's self - but this [I was shown] silently, so that I would still feel that it was from myself.
This was [actually] the state of mind of certain inhabitants of Mars above me who were inducing their own state on me, in which I felt it was from myself in every detail, thus that it was not genuine. It was the state in which affection ceases to be the beginning point of higher knowledge, and yet the same knowledge remains. And from perception I also learned at that time that this is the bird of pearl.
3875. And because with the inhabitants of this earth nearly everything of the nature of conjugial love is obliterated, it can be known especially from birds, that conjugial involves every kind of knowledge, not only as to the mode of conjunction, but also of building nests, laying eggs, brooding over them, extruding the chicks, covering, defending, feeding them, and many other things, thus that all knowledge follows from affection. Wherefore, whoever is in the affection of true faith, is in the knowledges of all things [pertaining to it], but when affection ceases, then knowledges remain to be insinuated through another avenue, viz. through an external one, or through the ear, which appears indeed to the ignorant as if it were the Lord, for by the things said from the knowledges of faith, it is known whether it is the Lord; but because they are knowledges and not affections, they are nothing else than images of the Lord without life, like a bird when turned into an inanimate bird of pearl, which yet flew away, and appeared beautiful, but was still void of life. It was shown to me to the life how knowledges, which do exist from affection are like such lifeless birds of pearl, and what was signified by the fact, that the perception was not that it was from the Lord, but that in each particular it was from themselves, though tacitly; and I even perceived that it was from myself; which state was that of certain inhabitants of Mars who induced their own state [upon me]. In this state I felt that it was from myself in each particular, and thus [I became aware that the impression] was not true [genuinum]. The state, therefore, is that which occurs when affection as the principle of knowledges ceases, and those knowledges yet remain. From perception I then learned also that such is the bird of pearl.
3875. est quid amor conjugialis, sciri potest ab avibus imprimis, quarum conjugialis amor secum habet omnem cognitionem non solum quomodo conjungantur, sed etiam quomodo nidos faciant simul, ponant ova, incubent ovis, excludant, pullos tegant et tutentur, alant, et plura, sic ab affectione sequitur omnis cognitio, quare qui in verae fidei affectione est, in omnium cognitionibus est. At cum affectio cessavit, tunc manent cognitiones per aliam viam insinuandae, nempe per externam seu per aurem, quae quidem apparet ignotis tanquam esset Dominus, nam, dictum ex cognitionibus fidei, cognoscitur an Dominus, sed quia sunt cognitiones, et non affectiones, non sunt nisi simulachra Domini absque vita, sicut avis dum versa est in margariticam inanimatam, quae usque volabat, et pulchra apparebat, sed usque erat absque vita; ostensum mihi ad vivum erat, quomodo cognitiones quae non ab affectione existunt sunt ut aves tales margariticae inanimatae, et quid per id, quod perceptio non esset, quod a Domino, sed in singulis, quod ex se, sed ita tacite, ut usque perceperim quod ex me, qui status erat quorundam incolarum Martis supra me, qui inducebant suum, in quo statu sentiebam quod ex me, in singulis, ita quod non genuinum, qui status est, quando affectio ut principium cognitionum cessat, et cognitiones eaedem manent; et ex perceptione quoque didici tunc, quod talis est avis margaritica.