3945. About the notion of love and of heaven
As often as love and heaven were named and thought of, there occurred a very crude mental image and notion of it. These ideas and notions can hardly be described, though they are very perceptible in the world of spirits. The crudeness appeared in the mental image as often as love and heaven were thought of, continuing for some time. But when the persuasive life of the spirits came into play, then the mental image or notion was refined, like that of light, but that of love like a heap of earth, and of heaven like a dense community.
3945. CONCERNING THE NOTION OF LOVE AND OF HEAVEN.
As often as love and heaven were named and thought of, an extremely gross idea or notion thereof occurred, which ideas and notions can scarcely be described, though very perceptible in the world of spirits. This grossness arose in the idea, as often as love and heaven were thought of and continued for some time; but when the persuasive life of spirits was operative, then the idea or notion was subtle, or like light, that of love however as of a kind of lump, and [that of] heaven as a dense commune.
3945. De notione amoris et coeli 1
Quoties amor et coelum nominatum et cogitatum, idea seu notio ejus crassa valde obvenit, quae ideae et notiones describi vix possunt, sed perceptibiles valde, in mundo spirituum, crassities obvenit in idea, quoties amor et coelum cogitata, et hoc aliquamdiu; at cum vita spirituum persuasiva obvenit, tunc idea seu notio erat subtilis, seu lucis instar, amoris autem sicut grumi, et coeli sicut densum commune,
Footnotes:
javajava1.supra. caput hoc apparet in ms. Articulus non numeratus, transversis lineis deletus: Spirituum notiones de amore et coelo. Perstiterat notio spirituum cumprimis malorum, quae percepta, quotioes cogitarem de amore et coelo, notio seu idea amoris, sicut et coeli, tam crassa obvenit, quae notio crassitiei non describi potest, quia est notio seu idea spirituum, quae ita sistitur.